Keyword searching is a good way to begin your search for relevant books and other materials on your topic. In the library catalogue search screen, select Keyword (use AND, OR, NOT or "a phrase") from the box on the right. Try combinations of words that might be used to describe your topic or that might appear in the title of a relevant book. Enclose phrases in quotation marks, and use the word "and" between your terms to narrow your results. Use a question mark to search for any ending of a root word. Examples: contracts and law and canada "international law" and refugee? Once you have generated a list of results, scan the list for books that might be relevant to your topic. Click on the titles of these books to see the full records. Note that the full record(s) also include 'clickable' subject headings that allow you to find additional books on the topic that you are researching.
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A subject heading is a word or phrase assigned to a book to describe its subject content. It can have additional subheadings. Example: Refugees--Legal status, laws, etc.--Canada Searching by subject allows you to retrieve all of the books at UBC Library that have been assigned the same subject heading, and helps you find additional books that are relevant to your topic. In the catalogue record for a book, you can click on a subject heading to jump to where it appears in an alphabetical list of subject headings. From there, you can click on a subject heading to find similar books. Note that you can also use the Subject Heading starts with and Subject Heading contains keyword options in the library catalogue search screen to find subject headings relevant to your topic.
A call number is a unique number given to a book in order to give it a specific location on a library shelf. Example: KE4454 .I43 2007 (LC) In the catalogue record for a book, you can click on the call number to jump to its location in an ordered list of catalogue numbers. This performs much the same function as browsing the shelves at the library, and may help you find additional books that are similar in content. Note: UBC Law Library has finished the process of changing from one book classification system to another. The new classification system arranges books by jurisdiction.
