Architecture: Find Books

To find library items

Take a look at our library floor maps

Yes! If you want something we don't own, we can always order it for you from another library at no cost to you. 

How can  you tell whether we own something or not? In most cases, a yellow dot will appear next to an item that we don't own, but that is owned by one of our partner libraries. Follow these steps to request an item:

1. Sign in, either upon your initial catalog search, or by clicking "Sign In" in the upper right hand corner of the results page
2. Choose the "Find It" tab listed underneath the item record.
3. Choose "Place Summit Request".
4. Once your request is submitted, it will be processed and one of our partner libraries will send a copy to our library within 3-5 business days. 

If Summit does not own the item, or you can't find it in our catalog, you can request it through Interlibrary Loan. You can fill out a registration form to get started; once signed in, you can place new requests by format using the menu on the left-hand side of the screen. 

See this page for examples of what to look for.

Books are located on the 3rd (NA & SB) and 2nd (TH) floors, organized by the Library of Congress Classification scheme; additional books may be located in our Oversize Book collection, also on the 2nd floor.

Architecture                                            NA 1-9000

Aesthetics of Cities, City Planning              NA 9000-9428

Landscape Architecture                            SB 469-476

Architectural Engineering                          TH 845-895

What does each of the drop downs actually search?

• UI+Summit+E-Resources: Print and e-resources from the UI Library (Main Library, Law Library-Moscow, Law Library-Boise, Gary Strong Curriculum Center, Herbarium Library, American Language and Cultures Program Library, Asian Studies Collection Library, Anthropology Lab) PLUS print books from the 38 other members of the Orbis Cascade Alliance (Summit). See a list of libraries here. 
• UI +E-Resources: Print books and e-resources from the UI Library only. 
• UI and Summit (No E-Resources): Physical resources only from the UI Library and the 37 other members of the Orbis Cascade Alliance. 
• E-Resources Only: Ebooks and electronic articles provided by the UI Library. 
• Special Collections and Archives: Materials held in the UI Library's Special Collections and Archives Department.

The UI Library uses the Library of Congress Classification system to organize its books; you can find a good explanation of how to interpret one of these call numbers here, and browse call number categories on the Library of Congress website.

Need help finding books on the shelves in this building? Watch the brief video "Joe Vandal Finds a Book in the UI Library"!

Need help citing resources for a paper?

Try using Purdue University's Online Writing Program, which features a description of various citation styles and examples: see their APA Guide or MLA Guide for help. Examples for reference lists/bibliographies and in-text citations are listed in the left-hand sidebar of each page.