Finding Books: Home

When you search in Primo, your scope determines what sources you are searching through.  The "Library Catalog" is our library holdings.  "Everything" is all the resources we have available to our students.  "Articles" should only search for journal articles.  "WorldCat" and "Course Reserves" are currently not setup.  The "SUNY Catalog" is the catalog for all SUNY Libraries.  The SUNY Catalog can be used to find books that we may not have in our holdings, but the other SUNY Libraries do.  

To search for books:

1. On the Library website homepage the search box is in the center.  
2. The Search Tab will search all the library holdings "Everything"
3. The Catalog Tab is our library holdings.
4. The Journals Tab can be used to just search for journals.
5. On any of these tabs enter your search terms and hit search.

If you use the Advanced Search link at the bottom of the search box, that will take you directly to Primo's advanced search and will allow you to define specific search terms and further limit what you are searching through.

Once you have searched in Primo the items most relevant to your search will show.  Books that we have in our collections will show the Available at Hermann Memorial Library Link. 

BKUP is the main collection in the upstairs learning center in the E Building. 

BKLOW is the main collection in the Lower J Library located in the downstairs J Building. 

Most of our special collections (Children's books,  reference books, reserve textbooks, etc. can be found in the  Lower J Library.

The number after the Location shows where in the stacks the item is located. For help locating books please see library staff for help.

Can I borrow textbooks for my class from the Libraries?

The Bookstore provides a list of all required and recommended textbooks that are available for purchase at the Bookstore.  The Bookstore is a separate entity from the library.  The library does not have a copy of every textbook.   

If your professor says a book is available in the Library, it is probably on Course Reserves.  Course Reserves are located in the lower J Library.

If the book is not available through Course Reserves, you can search the Library Catalog to see if we own it as part of the regular collection.

How do I borrow a book?

Bring your student ID card and the book to one of the service desks in the Library locations.

What if I want a book that's not owned by our Library?

Place an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) request for it. If another library has it, we might be able to borrow it for you for a short period time. Keep in mind that the lending library sets the due date, and some materials, such as new books and textbooks, may not be available.

Why are some books listed as non-circulating?

For a variety of reasons, including demand, fragility, or age, some items may not be borrowed. Most of these items can be scanned or photocopied. Some materials, such as Reference items, may circulate for short periods of time on a case-by-case basis at the decision of the Library Staff. Always ask at the closest service desk if you have any questions.