Q. How do I search for books in the library? Can I search by call number?

The Kirkwood Library uses a system called WorldCat as our book catalog, and WorldCat Discovery is the system that searches our catalog and several of our subscription databases at the same time. This means when you search for books, you are also searching for e-books and articles at the same time.

To search for print books at Kirkwood:

1. Go to the library homepage to use the WorldCat search box. You may also bookmark the WorldCat search itself. 
2. Enter keywords, title, and/or author information in the search box and hit enter.
3. From the results page, select "Print book" from the "Format" filter.
4. You should now be seeing only print books, and only those held by Kirkwood Library.

To search for print books by call number or shelving area:

1. Follow step 1 above to locate the WorldCat search.
2. Use the search type nu: to limit your search to a call number. For example, to see a list of books under the Dewey Decimal number 364 (books about criminology) enter the search: nu:364. Or, to see a list of books in the ELA reading books categorized as level 4, enter: nu:004.

To search for print books located in other libraries outside Kirkwood:

1. Follow steps 1-4 above for searching for print books held by Kirkwood.
2. Locate the box "Held by library" on the search results page, and select either "Corridor Libraries" to expand the search to libraries in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area, or select "Libraries Worldwide" to expand the search to libraries around the country. From here, if you are a current Kirkwood student or employee, you may choose to request an interlibrary loan for a book that we do not currently have at Kirkwood. See our interlibrary loan guide for more information and directions.