To find the location and call number of over seven million books (as well as millions of video, audio, microform, map, serial, and rare titles) owned by the Cornell University Library, use the Cornell Library Catalog. The Cornell Library Catalog is available through the Library Gateway or via this URL: http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/. For help using the catalog click on the Help button at the upper right of each catalog page.

The Cornell Library uses Library of Congress call numbers. For a brief introduction, ask at reference for our Library of Congress Classification handout or see this web site: Library of Congress Classification Outline.

Catalogs of books and other matierials available at a large number of other libraries are under the RLIN/Eureka and OCLC WorldCat on the Library Gateway. Both OCLC WorldCat and RLIN/Eureka bring together the holdings of hundreds or thousands of libraries in a single searchable database. They use somewhat different searching methods from the Cornell Library Catalog, so follow their instructions carefully.

You can also search the online catalogs of many libraries around the world directly over the Internet using a Web site called LibDex.

Use the Cornell Library Catalog to verify whether Cornell owns the titles you locate through RLIN, OCLC, or another library's catalog. You may wish to use Borrow Direct (quicker; books only) or interlibrary loan to order what Cornell does not own, or you may prefer to find alternate titles that are readily available here. There is a four-business-day turnaround time for Borrow Direct; interlibrary loan requests may take two to three weeks. Check at a reference desk for further information and assistance.