A Pathfinder for Library Research
The purpose of this pathfinder is to assist you in researching a topic of your choice using resources available through Pierce Library.
Books
You have access to four library catalogs and Google Books as a patron of Pierce Library:
- EOU: Books located at Pierce Library
- Summit: Books located in Washington and Oregon academic libraries
- Sage: Books located in libraries in Eastern Oregon
- WorldCat: Books located in libraries worldwide
- Google Books: Google's collection of digitized books
Step 1
Go to the library’s home page at http://library.eou.edu and look for the search form labeled "Books & more." Start with the EOU catalog for quickest access to materials, followed by other catalogs in the order listed above. Use the library catalogs to borrow books that you find in Google Books.
Step 2
If you don’t know the title of the book or the author, start your search by subject in the EOU catalog. For instance, if you were looking for books on leadership, access the catalog and choose “Subject” from the drop-down menu, type “leadership” in the search box, and Click on GO. The list of results can be sorted by relevance, title, author, or publication date.
Step 3
Search results include location and availability information for each title. If you see "By Request" in the location, use the "Request this title" link. Log in with your EOU ID number and library password, then:
If you live in Union County and would like to pick the item up in the library, choose "EOU Pierce Library" as the pickup location. You will receive an email notification when the item is ready at the circulation desk.
If you live in Union County and would like the item delivered to a library near you, choose any library listed as a pickup location. You are not responsible for return postage if materials are returned to the same library.
If you live outside of Union County, you can have the item delivered to any library listed as a pickup location, or you can have it mailed to you. You are responsible for return postage for items mailed to you.
Additional information and materials delivery options can be found here.
Using record summary details for each title:
You can also link to a title from search results to see complete record summary details. Location and availability of the item is included in the copy summary information near the bottom of the page. Be sure to check shelving location.
Examples of shelving locations:
- Main Collection Locate this item by call number in the main collection stacks.
- Reference This item is in the reference area, for library use only.
- Closed Stacks/Periodicals - Ask at Circ Desk This is a print journal in storage. Contact the circulation desk to request the issue you need.
You can also find information about the interlibrary loan process by looking for the ILL section in the Pierce Library FAQ, which is available beneath the Help menu.
Step 4
If Pierce Library does not have the book, you may still be able to get the material. First, check the Summit Catalog. Since most academic libraries in Oregon and Washington belong, there is a good chance the material is available.
Choose Summit from the list of catalogs and use the Advanced Search link from the catalog to search for the material you need by title. After you link to the item record, click on "Request Summit Item." Log in with your EOU ID number and library password, and submit the "Request This Item" form.
The material will be sent to Pierce Library within 5-7 business days, and you will receive an email notification. We request that students living in Union County pick up interlibrary loan requests in person in order to reduce our shipping costs.
Students living outside of Union County have two options for Summit catalog materials delivery.
If the item is not available, you can search other catalogs from the Pierce Library home page and/or request it though interlibrary loan. The Interlibrary Loan book request form is available beneath "Services" on the library web site.
Journal Articles
Step 1
Use journal indexes and databases to search for articles about your topic. These are available from the library’s home page under the "Databases" tab. Use the subject drop-down box to list suggested databases in a specific subject area, or choose "All databases" for a complete alphabetical list.
Step 2
Using Academic Search Premier as an example, access the database and input your search term(s). If you get too many results, you can narrow your search by adding additional terms. You can also limit by date, journal title, full text only, or any other available search option.
Step 3
You can select the articles you are interested in by clicking on “Add to folder”, which follows each article abstract. Once you have located enough articles, you can review the list by clicking on “Folder View” on the right side of the screen. After reviewing your folder, options include emailing and printing the articles or their citations. To learn more about these options or other database features, use the Help link at top right of each screen.
Step 4
For articles that are not available in full text, use the Find It button 
that appears with the abstract. If the article is available in any of our other databases, you will be redirected to the full text. If we have the publication in print, you will be redirected to its listing in the EOU catalog. If we do not have the article at all, you will be directed to a form you can use to request it through Interlibrary Loan.
More Help
Have a question? Ask a Librarian!
