Finding books and DVDs in the SPU Library for Theatre

Start at the library's homepage: Open in a new window: http://www.spu.edu/depts/library/

Choose "Library Catalog"

• If you know the name of a book or author that you want to search for, then use the "Title" or "Author" search.

• If you are just starting out on a new topic, then use a "Keyword" search
  • Brainstorm some keywords. For example, if your topic has to do with the stage productions of Shakespeare over time, some keywords to try in different combinations are:
    • Shakespeare
    • stage productions
    • history
  • Once you find some books that are relevant, look at the "Subject" to see if there are other words you did not think of. Keeping with the above example, you would find that the following subject headings apply:
    • Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Stage history
    • Shakespeare, William, 1564 1616 -- Dramatic Production
    • Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Stage history -- England
    • Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Stage history -- United States
  • Please note: The Library of Congress uses this spelling: "Theater" in the subject headings; However, in a keyword search, you can use both spellings.

   

  • To limit to a certain format such as DVD, choose VIDEO/DVD/FILM from the "Material Type" drop-down menu. You can also limit by date and location and language.

   

  • ***Acting Scripts*** The SPU Library has a growing collection of acting scripts.
    • To see all of the scripts we have, do a search under "Other Subjects" for the word "scripts."
    • To see if we have a script by a certain author, do a "Keyword" search for the author's last name plus the word "scripts." For example: "wilson and scripts"
    • To see the scripts we have for a certain number of cast members, do a "Keyword" search for the number and gender of cast members plus "scripts." For example: "3 women and scripts"

Another place to look for books is in the Summit catalog. The SPU Library belongs to a consortium of over 30 college and university libraries in WA and OR called the Orbis Cascade Alliance. The catalog for this group is called Summit. When you request something through Summit, it should arrive at the SPU Library within 3 business days. You will recieve an email message when the item comes in and you can pick it up at the circulation desk.

To search Summit, look for the "Search Summit" button at the top of the screen when you are in the SPU Catalog. Clicking here will pop your current search in to Summit.

You can also start your searching in Summit by selecting the Summit link from the SPU Library Catalog page.

If you have questions about searching for books and other materials in the catalog, please email me or use the Ask A Librarian service.

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Created July 2007

Updated August 2007