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Online Catalogs
To find books in the UCLA Library and beyond, use the following catalogs:
UCLA
- UC Library Search This link opens in a new windowUC Library Search is the unified discovery and borrowing system for all 10 UC Campuses. Select the UCLA Library Catalog scope to search holdings of materials owned by the UCLA Library and other UCLA collections, whether online or in print. Does not contain full-text articles or article citations. Select the Articles, books and more scope to search for materials in all 10 UC campuses. More information in this guide.
University of California and beyond
- WorldCat (OCLC FirstSearch) This link opens in a new window
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OCLC FirstSearch catalog includes citations for books, journals, manuscripts, maps, music scores, sound recordings, films, computer files, newspapers, slides, videotapes, archival material, etc., in libraries around the world.
Tips for Book Searching
When searching for books, there are a couple good strategies to start with: 1. If you already have a relevant book or article in hand, use its bibliography to find other sources; 2. Do a subject heading search in a catalog (see box to the right).
For some historical research, it's important to track a particular individual whose name may have varied over the course of his/her lifetime or publication history. In these cases, pay attention to cross-references in the catalog when you do an Author or Subject search for a name. Keep all name variants in mind when you search other catalogs and databases to ensure that you are finding all relevant resources.
Selected E-books
In general, searching for electronic books is the same process as searching for print books. Start with the catalog. However, we do have access to some e-book collections that make it easier to browse. I will add individual, open access e-books having to do with the history of science, technology, or medicine as I come across them. Please suggest titles to add!
- UC Press E-Books Collection, 1982-2004 This link opens in a new window
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Online access to over 2000 University of California Press books covering a range of topics. More recent online publications from UC Press can be searched for in the UCLA Library Catalog. On the Advanced Search screen, search for University of California Press in Publication Information and limit to online. Formerly eScholarship Editions. - HathiTrust Digital Library This link opens in a new window
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A repository of scanned books contributed from academic institutions across the United States, including UCLA. Books still in copyright are scanned and searchable, but the full text scans will not become available online until their copyright expires.
- Internet ArchiveFree access to text, audio, moving images, and archived websites.
- Making of America BooksA digital library of primary sources in American social history primarily from the antebellum period through reconstruction.