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UMass Amherst Libraries

Astronomy

Find Your Item

Find Books and More In Our Discovery Search

Discovery Search contains the physical materials in the Five Colleges and some articles from a small selection of databases. The first step is to find and item is using the link below for Discovery Search. Please use the Advanced Search:

  1. Put the title in the first line of the search and change the box to TI Title.
  2. Put the last name of the author in the second line of the search and change the box to AU Author.
  3. Click Search.

Example:

Image showing an example search for Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower

Review the results to find the book and format you'd like to use.

Books are available electronically and in print. Depending on the format and availability of the item, how you will get access to it is different.

Finding Articles

We subscribe to hundreds of databases on a variety of topics. Visit the Databases A-Z list and filter by subject to find databases relevant for your research.

Is It Available Electronically?

If we have the book available electronically, the record will have UMass: Link to resource above the Location field.

Example:

Umass Link to resource example

Once you have clicked on the link, you may be prompted for your NetID and password. We purchase ebooks from many vendors and the interfaces work differently.

Please note that if the Status field is Internet and the UMass: Link to resource is not showing, it means that we do not have electronic access to the book. There are ebooks in the catalog that are only available to members of Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke or Smith. This is due to vendor licensing restrictions.

If we do not have an electronic version of the book, please submit an interlibrary loan request for the book using the link below and indicate if you'd like an electronic or print version of the book.

Is It Print?

  1. Check the Status and when applicable, the Due Date field.

Example:

 

Status Field Says What's Available To Me?
Available

Come to the library if the Location is UMass OR use the Place Request link if the Location is Amherst (AC), Hampshire (HC), Mount Holyoke (MH) or Smith (SC) OR request home delivery (see below for instructions).

If the item has a Location of UMass and a Status of Available, you can use the Place Request link to have the item held for you at the entry level information desk. You will need to wait until you receive an email that the item is ready before trying to pick it up.
Requested   Request a hold on the item by using the Place Request link. The patron who has the book will be notified that it has been recalled and needs to be returned to the Libraries. You will receive an email when the item is ready to be picked up.
Checked Out and there's a date in the Due Date field

Request a hold on the item by using the Place Request link. The patron who has the book will be notified that it has been recalled and needs to be returned to the Libraries. You will receive an email when the item is ready to be picked up.

If you need the item sooner, please submit a request via Interlibrary Loan.
Reserves... Submit a request via Interlibrary Loan. If it is a textbook, please do not submit via Interlibrary Loan. Instead, please email our Reserves department at reserves@umass.libanswers.com. 
Missing or something else that is not Available or Reserves or Requested Submit a request via Interlibrary Loan

 

Delivery to Your Home Address

If you'd like to have the item mailed to you, please use the Library Express service. To do this, please:

  1. Log into your ILL account. If this is your first time placing a request, you will be prompted to fill out some information, including the address where materials should be mailed
  2. Make sure your mailing address is up to date by clicking "My Account" (under Tools on the menu)
  3. Place your request by clicking "Book, Film, Etc." under New Request on the left menu. Fill out title, author, and ISBN fields and indicate that you are requesting Library Express in the Notes field. The more information you fill out about the book, the quicker that ILL can process your request.

I Can Find It Elsewhere: Does the Library Have It?

Articles

You can check to see if we have access to the journal that the article you want is in using:

  • eJournal Collection
    • You can search this list for the journal's title. It will show you if we have it available and what years of access we have.

If you're unable to find an article using the above tools, you can submit an interlibrary loan request. We will borrow a copy of the article for you!

Once you've logged into your account using your NetID and password, select New Request --> Article/Book Chapter from the top bar.

All Other Types of Materials

You can use the Interlibrary Loan link above to submit requests for other types of materials through interlibrary loan if we do not have them.

If you'd like help or would like to double-check with us first, please contact me!

I requested materials. Where do I go to pick them up?

Depending on what service you used to request the items, you will pick them up in different locations in the Libraries.

  • If you requested the item through our catalog Discovery Search (UMass-owned and 5 College items), you will pick them up at the Information Desk on the entrance level of the Du Bois Library. 
  • If you requested the item through Interlibrary Loan or it is an item that is on Reserves at UMass, you will pick them up at the Learning Commons Desk on the Lower Level of the Du Bois Library.