PAID 112 Section 11 - Weldon (Spring 2025)

If you're searching on your own--for this class or any other--the library catalog is a great place to start. The Worldcat catalog is your gateway to all of the information at Preus Library and other libraries around the world, including physical books, journals, sheet music, and media, as well as e-books and articles from online databases. 

If you only want books that Preus Library owns, use the Held By Library filter along the left side of your search results and check the box next to Luther College. Experiment with other filters to narrow your searches by format, year, and other specifications.

When you find a book you want to read, you'll need the book's call number, so write it down or have it handy. A call number is basically a book's GPS location within the library. Books with call numbers that start with the letters A - L will be on the lower floor of the library; books with call numbers that start with the letters M - Z will be on the upper floor.

Call numbers? What are they?

Call numbers are assigned to each book in the library. They...

• Help us find materials
• Group books by subject or topic

Here in Preus (and in most academic libraries) we use the Library of Congress Classification system.

Who came up with this??

• Some old, white men who worked for the government in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

A - L are on the Lower Floor of Preus Library.

M - Z are on the Upper Floor of Preus Library.

An Example:

The call number for the novel Transcendent Kingdom is:

PS
3607
.Y37
T73
2020

The call number is printed vertically on the book itself (as seen above), but you may see it listed in the catalog as one line: PS3607.Y37 T73 2020

Infographic created by McMaster University Library.