Finding Fiction
While the University Library does not have all of fiction in a separate section as public libraries do, we do have an extensive fiction collection. Although the fiction is purchased to support the literary curricula of the University, there are many titles that would be of interest to casual readers as well as to students and researchers.
The goal of this handout is to provide information on where to browse the stacks for fiction and also to provide information on how to use Minerva, the Libraries’ online catalog, to find novels and collections of short stories.
Browsing the Stacks
Literature can be found in the ‘P’ section of the library. If you want to browse the stacks this is a good area to check out. The following lists the specific breakdown of some popular categories within the Literature subject heading.
| LITERATURE | P |
| Classical | PA |
| General, Drama, Movies | PN |
| Spanish, French, Italian | PQ |
| English | PR |
| American | PS |
| Germanic | PT |
Juvenile literature can be found in the ‘Y-YE’ section of the library. Items with juvenile call numbers are not necessarily children’s books, but rather adult material suitable for young people as well. This section is located in the basement, behind the Interactive Media Center.
Searching in Minerva - The University Libraries' Catalog
If you know the title or author of a specific book you are looking for, search using that information. Be sure to select the correct Search Type. You can also search by subject headings. Be sure to select “Subject begins with …” under the Search Type menu.
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Subject Headings
There are a variety of headings to search depending on your specific interests. In Minerva the subject headings are specific pre-determined words or phrases. You can’t just use any search terms like you would in Google or Yahoo.com; Some common genres and related subject headings follow.
Try using the following search terms to find books in the genre you like.
HORROR MYSTERIES ESPIONAGE/THRILLER
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ADVENTURE SCI-FI/FANTASY WAR NOVELS HISTORICAL FICTION WESTERNS
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LOVE AND ROMANCE LIFE IN AMERICA SHORT STORIES Other Subjects |
Find One Book, and Then Find More
If you know we have one book that you like it is easy to find similar books in Minerva. Here’ an example.
You just read Ladies of the Goldfield Stock Exchange by Sybil Downing and it was great! Now you’d like to find other books like it.
Step 1
Step 2
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Step 3
Step 4
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More Searching Tips and Tricks
The "Keyword Searching" option on the Advanced Search screen sometimes provides more flexible search options than those described above.
Here’s how:
- Go to Advanced Search in Minerva.
- Change the "Field to Search" to Subject.
- Enter a topic of interest in the "Search For" field.
- Then do the same in the next line and enter the word FICTION.
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Are you looking |
For example you could search for: ACTORS and FICTION,
or DRUG TRAFFIC and FICTION,
or WORLD WAR and FICTION, etc.
More Ways to Find Fiction
This guide is not comprehensive. If you are looking for fiction in other categories, you might try looking at literary criticism specific to the genre or time period to identify authors that might interest you. You might also want to look at the following guide to good books, both fiction and non-fiction: The Reader’s Adviser [Reference Z 1035 B7], fiction is contained in volumes 1 and 2).
Book Purchase Recommendations
To recommend a book for purchase by the University Libraries, use the book purchase suggestion form at http://library.albany.edu/forms/purchase.html
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