Dying to read recent thriller, mystery, romance, sf, etc. fiction? Maybe biography, history, cookbooks or other nonfiction is more your style? Either way, fiction or nonfiction, there are ways to find out what recent or new materials the Andersen Library has.
To look for recent acquisitions, which are materials added to our collections within the last four weeks regardless of publication date, check out HALcat’s New Books Search. In spite what the name implies, this search is for all library materials, including print and audio books, DVDs, CDs, government documents, etc. in all collections. With this search you can limit to those items added last week or up to four weeks ago. Be advised not to change the Location from All Locations, as that feature is not working properly. This search is also linked to from our Services and Resources for Faculty page, which can be reached through Services menu on library webpages.
The library’s Browsing Books are a revolving collection of mostly new fiction and nonfiction in a wide variety of genres, a plethora of subjects, and several formats. The items in Browsing Books are mostly from the last three years or so. Both the Browsing Books Audio and Browsing Books Graphic Novels sub-collections have materials that are from a far wider timespan and are not evaluated on a yearly basis like the regular print books of Browsing Books. Some, but not all, of the print books from this collection are eventually added to the library’s Main Collection where you will find them for a long, long time. There is also a group of older print knitting and crocheting books here.
To see what is in the library’s Browsing Books collection, you will need to do a search in HALcat. If you wish to limit to recent books or a particular format as well, use HALcat’s Advanced Search. To get a long list of things to skim over, do a search for words like fiction or the. To get a shorter, more targeted list type in a word or phrase that describes the subject you are looking for, such as romance or science fiction, or do a search using synonyms, such as cooking or cookery or cookbook? or recipes (this example is in Basic Search layout). When using the Basic Search, limit to Browsing Books on the right before or after you run your search. In the Advanced Search, below the search boxes, change the Location to Browsing Books and use these limits if you like:
Year: Last year, 5 years, 10 years, or select a date range
Type: Book (for books and graphic novels) or Nonmusical Recording (for audio books)
To find all Andersen Library materials published during specified calendar years that match your search, use HALcat’s Advanced Search similar to what is described above, only leave the Location as All Locations. To do a more focused search, choose a particular Location or use other limits.
If you have any questions or otherwise need assistance, please contact the Reference Desk in person, by phone (262-472-1032), chat or email.
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