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Start Your Research: Navigate the Library

Navigating the UCSB Library Homepage

Are you ready to start your research but confused by the library homepage? Use this quick tutorial to explore...

  • the major tools available on the UCSB Library homepage
  • where to find Course Reserves placed on hold by your professor
  • where to get help with your research

Get started here: https://ucsb.libwizard.com/f/librarywebsitetour

Locating Materials on the Shelf

Study Spaces

Where's the Fiction Section?

The short answer is there is no dedicated fiction section. Since materials in the library are set up to facilitate research, most novels are shelved with books that provide commentary and analysis of the novels nearby. This is wonderful when you're looking for essays analyzing The Haunting of Hill House but less great when you just want to browse. 

Don't worry! You can still look for books by a specific author or by title in UC Library Search or try searching for fiction as a keyword! To learn a bit more about the difference between materials in academic and public libraries, watch the short video below.

NEIU Libraries. (2020, June 23). What's the difference between academic and public libraries? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/Hze6bf50KBk

Learn to Navigate the UCSB Library!

exterior night image of UCSB Library

Escape the Library! A Virtual Escape Room

Work through a series of interrelated puzzles to escape from the Library after you've mysteriously been trapped inside after closing.

Exterior daytime image of UCSB Library with people entering the building

UCSB Library Self-Guided Tour

Learn more about the library's physical spaces and basic services by using the UCSB Library Self-Guided Tour. It's optimized for use on your phone and takes about 20 minutes if you walk through the building.