University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
The basic Library Catalog search is a keyword search--you simply type your search terms into the box, and the catalog retrieves all the items that have your search terms in their catalog records.
Searching by subject is another way to find materials that focus on your topic. Each item in the Library Catalog has one or more subject terms (headings) assigned to it, When you search by subject, you retrieve only the items that have the subject for which you searched. To make a subject heading more specific, subheadings are added after it. A subheading is separated from the main heading by a double dash (--). Here are some good headings and subheadings for American Indian Studies:
Choctaw Indians
Substitute the name of any tribe for Choctaw
Indian Art
Indians of North America
Indians of North America--Cultural assimilation
Indians of North America--Education
Indians of North America--Government relations
Indians of North America--History
Indians of North America--Legal status, laws, etc.
Indians of North America--Politics and government
Indians of North America--Religion
Indians of North America--Social conditions
Indians in Popular Culture
Once you have your subject terms, to search by subject in the Library Catalog, in the dropdown list under "Search for," select "Subject."
To find subject headings for a subject you are studying, first use keyword searching to find some books on your general topic. Then look at their records and see what subject terms they have. You can use the subject links in the catalog records to retrieve all the items with the same subject. However, this linking scheme has some quirks, so if it seems like it is returning far too many (or too few) items, try using the Library Catalog (aka Advanced Search) screen and a Subject or Subject Phrase search with your terms.
If you want to browse the library stacks, you can use these call numbers to find books on American Indians in American History.
E51-73 Pre-Columbian America. The Indians
E75-99 Indians of North America
E81-83 Indian Wars
E99 Indian Tribes and Cultures
PM101-2711 American Indian Languages
PS 153.I American Indian Literature
The E's can be found on the first floor of the library stacks, while PM is on the third floor and PS is on the fourth. Remember that given the interdisciplinary nature of liberal arts studies, you may find useful books with other call numbers too. For example, you may find books about American Indian art clasified with books on art (N) or books about American Indian law classified with books on law (K).
To find books from thousands of other libraries and request them through interlibrary loan, use WorldCat FirstSearch. You can search for books, journals, audiovisual materials, dissertations, and many other material types. When you find a resource you think would be useful in your research, you can fill out an interlibrary loan form, and Nash Library will request the book from another library.
