How to Search for Books

Basic Search

Try a basic search of a specific title or author, or start your research using keywords. You can then search for items in specific categories of library resources:

• Articles, Books, & More searches the most resources in the CCC library (physical books, ebooks, articles from most databases) and online Open Access items
• CCC Library Catalog will search only those items owned by our college (physical items and ebooks) 
• Articles searches most CCC database sources and Open Access articles
• Textbooks/Reserves searches our "library use only" reserve collection of textbooks and course materials
• SCCCD Library Catalog searches all physical items in the State Center libraries

Item Record

Click on an item from your search results and you will be taken to the full item record. The record provides you with even more details on an item, including:

• basic publication details like author(s), date and place of publication, page numbers, and item type
• a table of contents
• a summary of the resource
• the subjects assigned to the item

If you are signed in to your account, and the item is available for requests, the item record is where you will find a link to request the item.

Near the bottom of the record of a physical book, the Virtual Browse feature lets you explore books with nearby call numbers (and therefore similar content) in all SCCCD libraries

Search Results Page

The search results page displays a column with your results and a column with search filters (learn more about filters in the advanced search tab of this guide). The total number of results found will be at the top of the results column.

By default, items in your results column are sorted by RELEVANCE; the items most closely related to your search terms will be at the top of the list. You can change this with the "Sort By" drop down menu.

Item details will help you choose the best resources for your needs as you browse the page. Details include the item format, title, publication date, item availability, and how it will be available (online access, library location, call number, and/or location on the shelf).

There are several tools for saving and sharing items. Get a permanent link to the item, email a record to yourself or others, and a "push pin" icon lets you save this item to your personal account (you must be signed in to your account to use this feature).

When you've reached the end of the search page, you may have more results to examine. If available, you can click on the next pages of results to continue your search.

Can't find what you need?

1) OneSearch won't search all of the library's research databases. In-depth research on a topic may still require searching individual databases on our CCC database page.

2) In terms of books, if you can't find what you need in any SCCCD library, you can fill out an Interlibrary Loan Request to get a title not owned by our system's libraries.

3) Ask a librarian for help; you can drop in, call, email, chat online, or Zoom with a librarian! Check out your research help options on the library page.