NUsearch is the library's tool for finding books, journals, videos, images, and so much more (both physical and electronic) in our collection.
Google Books allows you to search within the contents of books in ways a traditional library catalog cannot. This it a good way to locate a specific chapter or reference within a book that is useful to your research. When you find a good book on your topic, be sure to check NUsearch to see if Northwestern owns a copy of it.
If the Northwestern copy of a book is checked out you may be able to borrow it from another library. Try Worldcat--link at the bottom of a NUsearch search when no results are found.
Probably the best way to approach searching for books in NUsearch is to start with a keyword search.
Use the subject headings to call up lists of other books that deal with your topic.
For books that deal with the law, many subject headings are subdivided using the phrase "Law and legislation."
For example:
Law can be even further subdivided by jurisdiction, for example:
Some books you need may be held at the Galter Library, Pritzker Legal Research Center or the Oak Grove Library Center.
You can request items from other library locations be sent to an Evanston campus library directly through NUsearch!
To place your request from the item record in NUsearch, simply click on the “Sign in to request” link next to the item, log in to your account, and follow the instructions.
For materials that are not available via Northwestern, or books that are checked out by someone else, you can submit an interlibrary loan request to have a copy of the item sent here. Articles are sent in digital format and arrive more quickly than books, which are delivered by mail/delivery services; average time to receive a book request is 5-10 days.
If time is tight and you are willing to travel to another library in the Chicagoland area, take advantage of our Reciprocal Borrowing agreements with the University of Chicago, Loyola University of Chicago, and University of Illinois Chicago.
Feel free to suggest a purchase, too!