First, a caveat: TJ Library prioritizes buying books that have value to researchers, so current popular fiction is not a common purchase. Although we do have some fiction, it’s not organized in the same way fiction at a public library is, and we don't have fiction databases that lend themselves to browsing and discovery. You often need to know what you’re looking for before you begin a search.
So what are your options? Luckily, you have a few!
1 If you want to browse books by topic, an Advanced Search will offer the best results.
A Start by clicking the Advanced Search button on the library homepage. If prompted, log in using your SSO ID and password.
B On the Advanced Search page, you should see 3 search boxes. (If you don’t, click the Advanced Search link below the single search box.) Type fiction in the top search box and change its field to SU Subject Terms. This will limit your search for the word fiction to the list of subjects included for each item.
C In the search bar for the second line, add additional keywords that will help narrow the search to a type of fiction you want to find. Separate any related terms with the word OR. You can add keywords in the third line as well—but the more lines you add, the fewer results you’ll get. Examples of keywords you might include in either search box:
Do not select a field for the second and third lines; this will search titles and abstracts/descriptions in addition to subjects. Click the Search button to run the search.
D If you’re searching for a specific title instead of a topic, enter the partial or full title in the second search box and select TI Title from the dropdown field menu. In the example below, we’re looking for books in a series by J.D. Robb, the titles of which all end in “in Death.” Putting that phrase in quotation marks will eliminate, for instance, the book Deaths in Venice. You could also search for Robb in the AU Author field. Select the UMSL Libraries Books filter if you want print books only.
E If you’re searching for an author, enter a partial or full name in the second search box and select AU Author from the field menu. In the example below, we’re again looking for books by J.D. Robb. Type a space between any initials; periods are not necessary.
F When you run these searches, the results will likely include more than just print books. eBooks and articles (such as book reviews) may also appear. If you want to focus your search on print books, including the ones in our New and Best Sellers collections, here’s how:
2 You can try browsing our shelves, but it’ll be a bit of a challenge. Our fiction books are not organized by genre or author’s last name. Instead, they are shelved in the Languages and Literature section (see the 2nd bullet below) and arranged by the author’s country of origin.