The online library catalog lists the resources of the libraries at William & Mary, plus affiliated sites such as the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), Richard Bland College and the Colonial Williamsburg Rockefeller Center.
The catalog will list books, journals, CDs, videos and other materials within the collections.
Searching for articles? Use one of the research databases to search for an article on your topic. Read how. The catalog does not list individual articles from journals or newspapers; it only lists the titles of the available journals.
Start by entering the last name first and provide one or more letters of the first name.
1. Enter last name, first name or initial. Note that no comma is nescessary between the last name and first name.
2. Click on the "Begins with" radio button.
3. Click on the "Author" button.
You will get a list of authors (in all capital letters) that are closest to the author's name you entered.
To view the list of titles assocated with a specific author, select the author's name from this list.
Search Tips:
Begin your search by entering the entire title or the first few words of the title in the box provided.
1. Enter all or part of the title: example man called intrepid
2. Click the "Begins with" radio button.
3. Click the "title" button.
You will get a list of titles that are closest to the words you entered. Select a title name from the list to view a list of records associated with that title.
Example. The Old Man and the Sea can be entered as: old man and the sea
1. Enter your search terms in the box. If you have more than one term, combine or group them.
2. Select the "Keyword" radio button and then click the "everything" button.
3. From the list that appears, pick one or more titles that best represent your topic and click on the VIEW button.
4. Look at the subject headings in the catalog record.
5. See if there are one or more subject headings that relate to you your topic.
Any problems? Ask-a-librarian! by phone, IM, email, chat or in person.
Don't overlook the many books in the electronic book collections.
We don't have the book you are looking for?
We will help you get the book. Fill out an interlibrary loan request form and we will borrow a copy of the book for you.
Alternative: Borrowing privileges at other area libraries.
The books you need are checked out or missing?
If the best books on your topic are checked out or missing, request an interlibrary loan and we'll borrow a copy from another library or place a recall (what does that do?) on the book.
Specialized topic? Not enough books here?
If your topic is very specialized, or if the library does not own enough materials on the subject, ask a librarian at the Reference desk to show you how to search WorldCat, a database which shows the holdings of thousands of libraries. If you find good titles, then you can place interlibrary loan requests and we'll get them for you.
Books are listed as being in Off Site Stacks?
Materials stored at the Swem Off-Site Stacks (SOSS) can be retrieved for you, generally within 48 hours. You may request these items electronically through the library catalog web page.
Search for the item you need. Iif its location is BY REQUEST, click on REQUEST and fill in the form. You may also fill out a paper request form at the Circulation Desk. You will be notified when the materials you requested have arrived. You may also check the messages section of the "My Account" page for the status of your Off-Site Stacks requests.
Problems or questions? Ask-a-librarian! by phone, IM, email, chat or in person.
How do you check out books? How many can you take? How long?
Bring the items you wish to borrow to the Circulation Desk. Your W&M ID card serves as your library card. This chart will tell you how many items you may check out and the length of time you can borrow them.
How can you renew books?
You may renew your own items through the "My Account" page or the library catalog.
