We have more than just books on our shelves.
We also have CDs, DVDs, records, maps, puppets, games, math sets, robotics kits, and many other things for you to borrow.
You can visit any library location (with open stacks) to browse and pick books from the shelves OR you can put books on hold and pick them up from available locations, which includes other NEOS libraries.
Please note: Bruce Peel Special Collections and the Research & Collections Resource Facility have closed stacks that cannot be browsed.
Unsure how to place a hold? Take a quick look at the video tutorial below:
When you look up an item in our Library Search, the catalogue will tell you which library it is located in, its call number, the type of item it is, and its status.
When looking up the example, Engineering: Introduction to Environmental Engineering, we can see that:
✅ its location: The University of Alberta's Cameron Library
✅ its call number: TD 145 M4232 2011
✅ its type: Book
✅ its status: On Shelf
An item's status tells you which floor in the library the item is found and whether or not it is checked out.
See our Item Status by Library Location section below for more details.
Once you've determined the library and the status of the item you are looking for, you'll then use the call number to find the exact location of that item. Example: TD 145 M4232 2011
| The general subject of the book - filed alphabetically | The more specific subject of the book - filed numerically | Usually represents the author's surname - filed alphabetically and then numerically in decimal order | When the book was published - filed chronologically |
| TD | 145 | M4232 | 2011 |
Unsure how to read a call number? Check out our poster below or ask a staff member at any of our service desks.
Confused about where a book is located? Ask us!
| Augustana Library | |
| Status | Location |
| Course Materials | Main Floor |
| On Shelf (Call Numbers A-Z) | Lower Level |
| Music, Music CD, Music LP Record | Lower Level |
| Bibliothèque Saint-Jean | |
| Status | Location |
| Course Materials | Main Floor |
| On Shelf (Call Numbers A-Z) | Main Floor |
| Curriculum | Main Floor |
| Cameron Library | |
| Status | Location |
| Course Materials | Main Floor |
| On Shelf (Call Numbers A-Z) | 3rd Floor |
| Maps, Circumpolar | 4th Floor |
| Rutherford Library | |
| Status | Location |
| Course Materials | Main Floor (Rutherford Library North) |
| Curriculum | 2nd Floor (Rutherford Library North) |
| On Shelf (Call Numbers A-E) | 3rd Floor (Rutherford Library North) |
| On Shelf (Call Numbers F-PC) | 4th Floor (Rutherford Library North) |
| On Shelf (Call Numbers PD-Z) | 5th Floor (Rutherford Library North) |
| Sperber Library | |
| Status | Location |
| On Shelf (Call Numbers A-Z) | Lower Level |
| Course Materials | Level One |
| Indigenous Healing | Level One |
| Weir Law Library | |
| Status | Location |
| Course Materials | 2nd Floor* |
| On Shelf (Call Numbers KE & Gov Docs) | 2nd Floor* |
| On Shelf (Call Numbers A-KD & KF-Z) | 3rd Floor |
*Please note: 2nd floor is the main floor of the Weir Law Library.
Other U of A Library Locations:
| Bruce Peel Special Collections | |
| Status | Meaning |
| Request to View this Item | Items can only be viewed by appointment. Cannot be borrowed. |
| Research & Collections Resource Facility | |
| Status | Meaning |
| Place Hold to Access | Items can only be borrowed by placing them on hold |
| Request to View this Item | Items can only be viewed by appointment. Cannot be borrowed. |