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Finding Books

This guide aims to provide information about finding books at UBC Library, primarily using the Library catalogue.

Finding Books by Citation

In your course syllabus and other materials provided by an instructor, you will likely find citations for library resources that are either required or recommended reading for the course.

Below are the common features of a book citation, which you can use to distinguish which items on those lists are books.

Sample Citations Citation Elements Item Details

MLA Style:

Jordan, Tim, and Paul A. Taylor. Hacktivism and Cyberwars: Rebels With a Cause? Routledge, 2004. 

 Author(s)

Tim Jordan

Paul A. Taylor
Title Hacktivism and Cyberwars: Rebels Without a Cause?
APA Style:

Jordan, T., & Taylor, P. A. (2004). Hacktivism and cyberwars: Rebels with a cause? New York, NY: Routledge.

 Place of Publication New York
Publisher Name Routledge
Year of Publication 2004

 

When comparing citations for books and journal articles, here are features to look for:

  • Number of titles: A book's citation will have only one title, and it will be italicized. A journal article citation will have two titles; the first is the title of the article, and the second is the title of the journal.
  • Publisher information: Unlike a journal article citation, a citation for a book will include the publisher's name and the place of publication.

Find Book Chapters by Citation

A list of citations may also include references for book chapters. This type of citation includes all of the elements of a regular book citation, along with a few additional pieces of information. Individual chapters are usually cited when they form part of an edited collection, which contains chapters or essays contributed by several different authors.

Below are the features of book chapter citations:

Sample Citations Citation Elements Item Details

MLA Style:

Eco, Umberto. “Casablanca: Cult Movies and Intertextual Collage.” Modern Criticism and Theory: A Reader, edited by David Lodge, Longman, 1988, pp. 446-455.

 Author(s) Umberto Eco
Chapter Title Casablanca: Cult Movies and Intertextual Collage
Book Title Modern Criticism and Theory: A Reader
Editor(s) David Lodge
APA Style:

Eco, U. (1988). Casablanca: Cult movies and intertextual collage. In D. Lodge (Ed.), Modern criticism and theory: A reader (pp. 446-455). New York, NY: Longman.

 Place of Publication New York
Publisher Name Longman
Year of Publication 1988
Page Numbers 446-455

Because citations for book chapters include two titles (first the title of the chapter and then the italicized title of the book), these can be difficult to distinguish from journal article citations. Look for these features to determine which are book chapter citations:

  • Publisher information: The inclusion of the publisher's name and the place of publication indicate that the item is part of a book.
  • Editor information: The inclusion of the editor's name indicates that the item is part of a book, as opposed to a journal. Note that the citation for the book itself will also include the editor information if the book is a compilation of works written by different authors.