CLAS 166: Ancient Paintings & Mosaics (Perry): Research Resources

SEARCH FOR BOOKS:

You can search for books and ebooks at Holy Cross using CrossSearch, the main search box on our website: 

... or, using the Library Catalog link under the search box, which you can see above. 

Usually, the best way to begin searching for books is by using broad keywords. Choose search terms that reflect your topic, but don't get too specific, remembering that book topics and titles tend to be quite broad. If your search is unsuccessful, try taking it one step broader. 

Since CrossSearch contains many different types of sources, you may want to use the Limit To option in the side navigation of your search results and choose Catalog Only to narrow your search to ebooks, books and similar print/physical resources. 

Once you have started to find books relevant to your topic, you can check their records to look for subject tags/headings. These headings are used throughout the catalog -- you can either follow the links to find books with the same tags, or you can use the terms in the subject headings to guide you in revising your search terms. 

FINDING BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY: 

At Holy Cross, we organize our books using a system called Library of Congress Classification or LCC. LCC is based on the subject of the books. Each letter represents a specific subject. Each subject is broken down into more specific letter sections, each of which is further broken down into number ranges for specific topics. Most call numbers have additional  numbers and letters on the end of them, which are used to give each book a unique spot on the library shelves. 

Generally: 

• Reference Books are in the Main Reading Room. These books must stay in the library.
• Books whose numbers begin with letters A through G are on the Mezzanine level (1 floor down from the Main Reading Room).
• Books whose numbers begin with N or TR are in the Visual Arts Wing on the main level. 
• Books whose numbers begin with letters H through Z are mostly on the Ground (bottom) level.
• Books whose numbers begin with M are in the Music Library in Brooks Hall.
• Books whose numbers begin with Q, R, S or T are in the Science Library in Swords Hall.

See the handout below for information about how our library is organized, and the best places to look. 

Watch our Call Numbers video tutorial  or visit our Call Numbers guide to learn more about how call numbers work. 

And of course, you might also find books you'd like to read at other libraries -- read more about Interlibrary Loan on the Access Sources page. 

FINDING E-BOOKS:

To search for ebooks owned by Holy Cross, use CrossSearch.

Then, use the Resource Type limiter in the side navigation to focus your search on ebooks. 

You may also want to search in our specific ebook collections: 

When searching within a specific ebook collection, you will be able to search the full text of each book allowing more detailed searching. For example, you may search the library catalog and not find any titles on your topic, but a search in ebrary might find a book with one chapter focused on your topic.

ACCESSING EBOOKS:

In most cases, your best option is to use the "Read Online" feature for our e-books. Most academic e-books do not work with devices that you might use to read personal e-books, such as a Kindle or Nook (believe me -- this frustrates librarians too!). There is software that you can download onto a PC or iPad, but this can be difficult to use, so if you have a stable internet connection, I recommend reading online. 

However, if you would like to download the software, or if you are having trouble accessing any particular ebook, please feel free to contact us (libref@holycross.edu) or see our e-books guide linked below: 

NOTE that most ebooks do have limits on printing. Each publisher has different functionality and rules for downloading and printing ebooks. 

Art History, Architecture & Archaeology

Religion

Interdisciplinary

Images & Maps
Be sure to check the rights / citation recommendations! 

You can also often find images, maps, etc. in books about a particular place (look for books with a note saying "ill." -- illustrated -- in the catalog. If there is active archaeological work in progress at a site (as there often is at Pompeii, for instance) there may also be project website(s) with this kind of information.