Whether navigating the library system is completely new to you, or different from what you are used to, this page will provide you with information about using the University Library System and getting the books and legal material you need.
PittCat is the main searching tool for all of the materials owned by the University, including books, ebooks, journal articles, ejournals, government documents, microfilm, audio recordings, and even movies. Make sure to sign into PittCat located in the upper right hand corner of your screen to access the most results.
You can begin your search in a number of ways. Whether you're looking for a specific title or broad topic, start by typing it out in the search anything box. You can utilize the advanced search features if you'd like to specify certain fields like title, author, genre, or the ISSN. You can also indentify material type and language. After you start your search, if you want to narrow it down even more, and can indicate particular libraries, journal titles, and whether it's available online, peer reviewed, open access, or held in the library. There is also a Course Reserves option that will help you find materials put on reserve by instructors for a specific course.
When you have chosen a title, you can get a detailed overview of where the item is located, various citations, and most importantly, requesting it. If you aren't familiar with navigating the library (read the navigating the stacks to learn more), or if the book is not located at Barco, you can utilize our Get-It System.
The Get-It System allows you to get the books directly delivered to your preferred library. Your request will be processed and the material will then be available at the circulation desk upon delivery.
There may be times when you find PittCat does not have the resources you are looking for. Fortunately, Pitt is a part of a couple of services that allow students to request materials from other university libraries and repositories. Two of the services we offer are EZ borrow and Interlibrary loan (ILL). We encourage students to first check EZ borrow before requesting through ILL; EZ borrow tends to be a faster and more consistent service, but ILL offers more resources from a wider range of libraries.
As you use PittCat more, you'll start to notice specific sites to that hold eBooks. Common resources for law students are listed below. For more information on general databases, visit the Databases page in this guide.
For more information on eBooks available through Pitt, check out the guide below!