Browsing the Library for Materials in Environmental Science

Library codes, call numbers and locations for books and other materials related to the environment…  

How to find a book of interest to you…
The first stop on your search for books in the IUPUI library system is IUCAT, the Indiana University online catalog. Find IUCAT on the IUPUI University Library Website. The link is on the left side of the page, the first entry under “Research Tools & Help.” Once you have entered IUCAT, you can search by title, author, subject, and other criteria. If you need assistance the “help” tab at the bottom of the page offers links to online instruction, or you can contact the reference desk at the library (by phone, email or instant message).  

How to locate a book by call number in the library…
Once you have identified a book of interest to you, you will have to find it on the shelves (or “stacks,” to use some library jargon). In most cases you will have to find the book by using an identifying number (or “call number,” to indulge in another bit of jargon). Remember that academic libraries like those at IUPUI use the Library of Congress system of classification. This means that books are classified by a number consisting first of one or two letters, followed by a group of numbers and/or letters. The letters at the beginning give you a rough idea of where the books will be: they are shelved alphabetically. In the IUPUI University Library, letters A through N are shelved on the third floor, while letters P through Z are kept on the fourth floor (there is no O).  

Some good general browsing sections for books (and older journals) in Environmental Science…

The main concentration of materials on the Environment will be found in the Environmental Sciences section (on the third floor):  

   GE1-350 Environmental sciences:
         GE70-90 Environmental education
         GE170-190 Environmental policy
         GE195-199 Environmentalism, Green movement
         GE300-350 Environmental management 

Also consider related areas, such as:  

   G—Geography (General) and Atlases
   GA—Mathematical Geography and Cartography
   GB Physical GeographyGC Oceanography
   GF Human Ecology and Anthropogeography
   GN Anthropology  

Or even some broader areas, like: 

   HC—Economic History and Conditions
   HN—Social History and Conditions
   QD—ChemistryQE--Geology
   QH—Natural History and Biology
   TD—Environmental Technology and Sanitary Engineering