ENGL 213: Finding the Story: Library Catalogs

A library catalog is a database containing a record for each item the library owns.  This includes all the books in the library, as well as videos, journal subscription records, sound recordings, e-books, links to selected web pages, etc. Catalogs are usually for a single library or institution, but they can also be for a consortium. At Willamette, we offer the ability to search all three kinds. 

• Local catalogs:

  cover just what items are available locally.

• Regional catalogs:

  encompass the holdings of several institutional libraries within a given proximity of each other, like our WU / Summit catalog.

• Global catalogs:

  incorporate the holdings of libraries from multiple nations.  OCLC's WorldCat is a great example of a global catalog.

Searching the Catalog

Learn how to use the catalog to search for books, articles, videos, and more through Summit, our regional lending system, and locally from Willamette. Additional info is available on the Library Catalogs page.

Find Books, Movies and More