The University of Chicago Library has a collection of over 12 million volumes of materials in all formats (print or digital, written, audio, video, etc.), and you have access to even larger collections through the catalogs UBorrow (Big Ten Academic Alliance), BorrowDirect (the "Ivy Plus" schools), and WorldCat (aggregating libraries from around the world), all of whose titles you can request through Interlibrary Loan. The following tips will help you when searching these catalogs.
- Keyword searches ("All fields" in the UChicago Library catalog): Boil your topic down to two or three key terms that, when found together in an item's description, should indicate a relevant item. Search for variations of those key terms, using synonyms, broader or narrower terms, translations of those terms, etc. to make sure that you cast your net as widely as possible.
- Subject headings: The Library of Congress Subject Headings formally describe what books are about and link related titles. If you find a title relevant to your topic, check its "Subjects" and search for those to find related titles. You can also take parts of a subject heading ("Indians of Mexico" from "Indians of Mexico -- Mexico -- Oaxaca (State) -- Government relations," for example) to search for materials that include that segment in their subjects, but may not have the full, more detailed subject where you found the phrase.
- Advanced searches: All of these catalogs have "advanced search" interfaces that allow you to perform more sophisticated searches (combine a Subject heading or portion of one, such as a geographical term, with keywords, for example).
Once you find a relevant work in the UChicago libraries, go to the shelves to find it. Call numbers are assigned based on what a book is about, and so you will likely find other relevant titles to your research on the shelves alongside what you initially came looking for.