It is possible to do a quick and dirty, one box keyword search of the contents of the MSU Libraries' web site, starting at the left side of the Libraries' home page. The results will be sorted into several categories to follow up on: articles from journals, books/media from our online catalog, databases, library research guides like this one, other. To do a more traditional search read on.
Start from the Libraries Home page.
Below the general search box, click on Books and Media to search for physical, paper/cloth bound books, paper/cloth bound journals, physical media, such as DVDs or microforms, or individually cataloged electronic items.
In Books and Media, click on the down arrow on the right side of the form where it says "Catalog." Choose the type of search you want to do. In the box to the right put in your search terms. Enter author's name either last name, first name or first name last name. Omit initial articles in book titles; include them as they occur within the book title itself. To search by L.C. subject heading it may be better to use the Browse Alphabetically by Subject lower down in the list than Catalog: Subject, because those results will show the surrounding subject headings and number of hits retrieved. See two paragraphs down farther about subject headings. Scroll down past the first five results. After you receive your results, notice that you can filter them in various ways, by using the facets along the left side of the page.
Advanced search allows for combination of more than one search aspect, such as author and title, subject heading and keyword, several lines of keywords, etc. You can also, on the right side, lower part of the screen, confine your search to certain parts of our Libraries' collections.
Our catalogers use the Library of Congress' List of Subject Headings to describe the books in our Collections. They are found in a set of fat, red books in Reference, first floor, East Wing, call number Z 696.... Names of places, names of people, and names of organizations may also be subject headings. When you find particularly useful looking books via keyword searching, click on the subject headings within the catalog records to be taken to additional books on that topic.
Below the general search box, click on E Books and Journals to search for journals in electronic form or individual electronic books that will have been received by the Library in a package. You may need to check both Books and Media and E Books and Journals to find your electronic book.