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Starting Your Research

Searching Bortz Library's Resources

The search box below is your interface to search through all of Bortz Library's print and electronic resources. Descriptions of the different search tools and of the library's collections can be found below. More detailed instructions and tips for finding specific types resources can be found on the later pages of this guide.

Library CatalogSearch the Library Catalog:



Search Hampden-Sydney College Archives & Special Collections


The Library Catalog

A catalog is a list of all the items contained within a library. Think of the library catalog as your guide to our print collections. This is where you will find records for:

  • Books
  • Ebooks
  • DVDs
  • Video Games
  • CDs

Items in the catalog are sorted by title, author, subject, and publication information. Try to stick to these categories when searching the catalog (i.e. search by a book's title, author, or subject).  

WorldCat Libraries

WorldCat is a global catalog of library collections. In other words, when you search for resources in WorldCat, you're searching through the catalog and database records of thousands of other libraries around the world!

Through our Interlibrary Loan (ILL) services, H-SC students, faculty, and staff can borrow items from other libraries. WorldCat is the best place to look for these items that aren't held in Bortz Library's collections. However, keep in mind that it isn't the best place to start your research. Searching in WorldCat can retrieve literally millions of results, and it might be that the resources you need are right here in Bortz Library.    

To learn more about Interlibrary Loan, visit our ILL guide: https://libguides.hsc.edu/ill.  

The Library Databases

A database is simply a collection of information resources, such as articles and periodicals, that is stored and accessed online. This is where you will find and access:

  • Popular and Scholarly Articles
  • Electronic Journals
  • Video Clips
  • Electronic Newspapers

Databases typically contain resources that pertain to a particular subject. For example, the Business Source Complete database is an economics and business resource, containing indexes and abstracts for scholarly business journals. Some databases, such Academic Search Complete, are multidisciplinary resources. 

Bortz Library sbuscribes to nearly 100 databases. The "Search Databases" tab in the search box above will allow you to search through all of the databases at once. You can also view our A-Z List of Online Databases and our Databases by Subject page to view our full list of subscriptions.