WestCat is the WIU Libraries' online catalog. Use it to locate books, DVDs, and government publications owned by the WIU Libraries. This includes the Malpass Library, Curriculum Library, Music Library, and the Quad Cities Library.
I-Share is a shared catalog and interlibrary loan system for 90+ libraries in Illinois. I-Share allows you to request books from these libraries and pick them up at WIU Libraries.
WorldCat is a global catalog that lets you search for books and other materials from libraries all over the world. If you request a book or item you find in WorldCat, you'll be redirected to the ILLiad system. If you get an error message when trying to login to ILLiad, use this form instead.
DVDs and other video formats can be found in the catalogs using the same search techniques (keywords, subject headings, etc.) as one would use for finding books. To narrow down your results to just videos, use search limiters to choose that as your preferred format.
In WestCat and I-Share, choose "Videos" from the first drop-down menu under the search box:
Then type your search word or words into the search box in place of "Find books, scores and other materials."
Subject Headings
In catalogs, books are labeled with subject headings that describe their content. Using these standardized subject headings makes it easier to find books on a certain topic. If you click on a subject heading in WestCat or I-Share, you will be taken to a list of further books on that topic. You can also search by subject instead of by keyword. Some examples subject headings include:
Call Numbers
Books in WIU Libraries are given call numbers to help you locate them within the library. Books on art and art history are generally given call numbers that start with N, and are further organized by medium:
The N call numbers are located on the 5th floor of Malpass, and TR is on the 6th floor of Malpass. There are maps of the library to help you locate books on each floor.