Searching for Print Books
To see if we have a book you need or to see what books we have on any given topic, we will use OneSearch To access OneSearch, you can start by using the search box right on the library homepage.

Here you can search in the following ways:
- By title – if you know the title of the book you need, search for it!
- By author – search for books by a specific author
- By keyword – Need a book on the history of slavery in the United States? Pop your keywords search terms into the search bar to find books related to that topic.
Hint: use the filters on the right hand side of the results page. Try limiting the search to books under “resource type” to get a list of books only.

Once you've found a book you want, the next step is to locate it in the library. To do so we need the call number, which indicates the books location within the library:

Please see this page to see what floor of the library your call number will be on. This one starts with an E, so we know to go to the 5th floor to look for it.
There are some books that you won’t be able to find on the shelves in the library. These are called “reserves” and are not available for loan; they must be used in the library only. The result in OneSearch will indicate that a book is on reserve:

In this case, please take the call number to the circulation desk and they will retrieve the book for you.
You may not find any results for a specific book . This could mean that we do not have it, but another CUNY library might. Just go to the drop down menu next to the search bar and search CUNY instead of just CCNY. This will allow you to search the book catalog of all CUNY libraries:

If you locate the book in another CUNY library, you can have it sent to City College for you to pick up. This is called a CLICS request. For nstructions on how to make a CLICS request, see this page.
The book you’d like might be available as an ebook! If so, you will see a “full text available” link under the title. Just follow the link to view it:
