The library has almost 2 million books, e-books, microtexts, films and government documents.  The online catalog is the best way to locate the resources you need.

Basic Search

Use the basic search screen when you have a simple search, such as the name of an playwright (shakespeare) or a broad topic (renaissance theatre).  You can use the options on the left side of the results screen to narrow by availability (in the library or online), content type (book or video), or location (ZSR Main Stacks or Venice).

To search only books, ebooks, DVDs, or streaming videos, make sure that you select "Library Catalog" from the drop-down that appears when you start typing:

Advanced Search

Use the advanced search option when you have a more complex search, or if there are synonyms for the terms you are using.  

As an example, see this search on renaissance theatre in England and view the screenshot below to see how it was constructed.  To increase the number of results for your search you can use a few tricks:

• Use an * to truncate your search terms.  In this search, theat*= theater, theaters, theatre, theatres, theatrical, theatrics, etc... 
• Use OR to get results that contain two or more search terms that mean roughly the same thing.  In this search england OR brit* will result in resources that include England, Britain, or British in their record.