Every non-fiction library book has subject headings
assigned to classify it. Sometimes using key words will find you books
on your subject, but except for very specific searches with distinctive
words, using subject headings (known as LCSH's, or Library of Congress
subject headings) will usually retrieve more books than just a keyword search.
Use key words to get LCSH's for better results. See the PowerPoint on this search strategy.
Also, remember to take your searches, if you like, from the local to the national/international level, by using Worldcat.
If we have four or five books on subject x, and you want or need more
information, search Worldcat using the same LCSH's you used for our
catalog, and if you find books we don't own, you can order them by
using Interlibrary loan (ILL). PowerPoint presentations on using
Worldcat and ILL are on the home page of this guide.