Navigation Aids

 
 
 
 
 
Research Guides
FindIt:

Sidebar

Main Content

Using Citations to Find an Item

Does Penn own this item?

Books:

  1. Look up the title in Franklin, Penn's online catalog. Click here if the book is not in the catalog.
  2. Note the status of the book. Click here if the book is not available.
  3. Note the location of the book, and it's call number (help interptreting call numbers). Click here if the book is in another library.
  4. Find the book on the shelves using the call numbers. Guides for Van Pelt are located outside and inside all of the elevators.

Book Chapters:

  1. In almost all citations and databases the book title is listed after the article title. Usually the book title is listed after the word "in". When you have the book title, follow the instructions above for finding books.

Articles in Journals:

  1. Find the full title of the journal. In many cases, it is listed in the citation. However, if there is only an abbreviated title, come to a reference desk to find the whole title.
  2. Go to the e-journals page and type the journal title into the search box.
  3. If you find a link to the journal online, try to get the article electronically. Electronic holdings of journals often have limited time periods. If the time that you're looking for isn't available online, follow the steps below.
  4. If there is no link to the journal online, follow the link provided to search for the title in Franklin.
    • Reading journal records in Franklin (Remember: Articles are not listed in Franklin -- only journals.)
      1. Check the Location in the Record. Click here if the location is high density storage.
      2. Check the Call number.
      3. There is a often a long list of recent issues called: Unbound Issues. If you want an article from a date listed in that list, go to the current periodicals section of the library listed in the location of the record.
      4. All of the volumes listed in "volume holdings" should be available at the call number given in the record.(help interptreting call numbers)
  5. If you do not find a record in Franklin, double check the exact title of the journal, then click here for journals not owned by Penn.

Dissertations:

Some dissertations are published as books, and you can check Frainklin by title and author to see if we have the title. The Penn Libraries keep copies of Penn dissertations, which you can find in Franklin under the subject heading "Penn dissertations" and then by department, or by doing an author or title search. For Dissertations not listed in Franklin, please see the Document Delivery/ Interlibrary Loan Department.

Return to overview of citations.

*