SOCL 213: Race, Crime and Justice (Weiner) Spring 2025: Books

Searching for books is often best done by either Keywords or Subject Headings. Start with a Keyword search and identify some relevant books. Then look at the subject headings for those books. You can follow the subject heading links in the catalog to find similar books, or you can use the terms in the subject headings to revise your search strategies.

For example, if you searched CrossSearch for books about the criminal justice system, you would come across subject headings like these:

In addition to general reference books, HC has many specialized reference books that focus on specific topics. While these books will not provide the in-depth information you need for thorough research, encyclopedias can be valuable resources for finding background information on your topic. 

Holy Cross has access to many online encyclopedias, such as Oxford Reference Books. You can also find print encyclopedias by searching the library catalog. Many of the print encyclopedias are located in the Main Reading Room of Dinand.

Examples of reference books:

You can search the Holy Cross Library Catalog when you have a specific title in mind or when you are searching for books on a particular subject. If Holy Cross does not have books that you need for your research, try exploring WorldCat to search the collections of other libraries. If you come across a title you'd like to read, you can submit an interlibrary loan request.

Books at Dinand Library are arranged by Library of Congress Call Number.

• Reference books are in the Main Reading Room.
• Call numbers A through G are on the upper (Mezzanine) level.
• Call numbers H through Z are on the lower (Ground) level (with a few exceptions).
• Call numbers starting with “Q, R, S, T” are in the Science Library.

When you go into the Stacks to look for a book, remember to look at books nearby on the shelves. You will often come across additional relevant titles when you do this.