Be sure to use commands, called Boolean Operators, to further specify your search.
Is the book you need checked out? You can request it be returned by clicking the recall button
Keep in mind, the person who has the book has up to 2 weeks to return it. Also, DVDs and Reserve items cannot be recalled as these have shorter lending periods.
Questions? Email: circulation@sarahlawrence.edu
Librarian Tip: You can search the catalog for a variety of items (articles, books, DVDs, and more). Looking for a specific article? Just search for the title of it in the catalog, just like you would for a book or DVD.
| Keywords | Subjects |
| Natural language words that describe your topic | Pre-defined "controlled vocabulary" that describe what an item is about |
| More flexible search - looks for anywhere the words appear in the record | Less flexible search - only the subject fields will be searched |
| Broader search, but may yield irrelevant results | Targeted search; results are usually more relevant to the topic, but may miss some variations |
Keyword searching is how we normally start a search. Pull out important words or phrases from your topic.
Subject Terms and/or Headings are pre-defined terms that are used to describe the content of an item. These terms are a controlled vocabulary and function similarly to hashtags on social media.
We are indebted to the MIT What are subject headings and keywords? box for some concepts displayed here.
In the Catalog, subject headings are displayed under "Description" in the record of an item. Click on the arrow to the left of "Description" and then scroll down to the section called "Subjects."
In the Databases, subject headings may be listed as Descriptors, Subjects and/or Subject Headings and are typically located in the Abstract and/or Details of an article.
There are a multitude of Subject Terms you might want to use depending on your topic, but here are a few to get you started.
Related Subject Terms:
Examples of specific groups, classes, cultures Subject Headings:
Examples of specific time period Subject Headings:
Examples of specific geographic Subject Headings:
Examples of specific movements Subject Headings:
See how to find items in the Library with our Finding Resources in the Library page.
If we don't have an item here at Sarah Lawrence you can request it through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). This means we will look to see if another library has the item and if we can borrow it from them. If we can borrow it you will get an email when the item arrives here at the Library. To request an item through ILL, find it in the catalog and click on the blue Request button.
To find out more about Interlibrary Loan see our Guide.