UW1020: Writing for Social Change

Finding Books in the Library

1. Navigate to the library’s homepage https://library.gwu.edu/
2. Select Books & Media in the search bar, and type in the name of the book you want to find.
3. You can use the Refine your Results options on the left to limit your search to only books, available online, etc.
4. Select the book you are interested in and note the call number and the book’s availability.
5.  If the call number starts with the letters A-J, the book will be on the 4th floor of Gelman Library. If the book is oversize, or starts with call numbers K-Z, it will be on the 5th floor.
6. Follow the signs on the stacks (bookshelves) to identify the call number. 
7. Books on similar topics will be grouped together, so you are likely to find more helpful resources on nearby shelves. 

What if my book is not available?

If the book is not available at Gelman Library, you can request the book from a Consortium Library or, if that is not available, from Inter-Library Loan. You will be notified when the book arrives at Gelman Library, and you can pick it up from the Circulation Desk on the 2nd Floor of the Library.

Finding Book Reviews in Academic Databases

You can locate book reviews using the search filters available in academic databases. Follow the steps below for EBSCO Academic Search Complete and ProQuest.

In EBSCO Academic Search Complete:

1. Navigate to Academic Search Complete (or another EBSCO database).

2. Enter your search terms in the provided fields.

3. Scroll down to the Filters section.

4. Locate the Document Type filter.

5. Click the dropdown menu and select Book Review.

6. Click Search to retrieve results that are specifically book reviews.

In ProQuest:

1. Open ProQuest and go to the Advanced Search page.

2. Enter your keywords in the search fields.

3. Scroll down to the Document Type section.

4. Check the box for Review.

5. Click Search to find relevant book reviews.