WorldCat - Use WorldCat to expand your search for books, theses, etc. beyond the Five College area.  Use the SC Links button within WorldCat to access and populate the interlibrary loan forms.  Watch for items that are owned by only one library; such unique material is often not obtainable via interlibrary loan.

Use Interlibrary Loan to request books not owned in the Five Colleges. Please allow at least 2 weeks for delivery (books may come more quickly, especially from in-state).

Five College Library Catalog

Note that subject searching isn't always straightforward. Try a KEYWORDS ANYWHERE search to find a few relevant titles, for example:
rwanda* and genocide [note the * - a wildcard to look for noun, adjective, etc.]
or
desertif* and (mali or sahel or west* africa)

Then click on the subject headings on those records to conduct a more comprehensive subject search.

You can also search the titles on your syllabus, then click on the subject headings on those records to find other books on the subject.

Note that there's never just one way to search for your topic. For example, if you're interested desertification in Western Africa, a thorough search of the online catalog would include these subject searches:

• Desertification - Sahel
AND ALSO:
• Agriculturally marginal lands - place
  [e.g. Agriculturally marginal lands - Nigeria
  or
  Agriculturally marginal lands - Sahel]
• Agriculture - place
• Agriculture - econmic aspects - place
• Arid regions agriculture
• Droughts
• Famines
• Land use
• Nature - Effect of human beings on
• Population density
• Sahel - Environmental conditions

Requesting an Item - Use the Five College Libraries catalog to request delivery of books not available at Smith.