Books can be excellent sources of information. Students can, at times, be reluctant to use books because of their length. Remember, you do not necessarily have to read a book from cover to cover. Read the table of contents (located at the front of the book) and/or the index (located at the back of the book) to locate chapters and topics that are relevant to your research.
When considering books for your research, take note of the date of publication to determine if the information is current enough for your purposes and/or if you need a historical perspective. In addition, determine the publisher, keeping in mind that a University press is often an indicator that the source is scholarly. Also look carefully at the author(s) and their credentials.
Start at the Library home page, where you can search using Keywords, Author or Title. Alternatively, you can click on More Search Options or Find Books, Media - both options will bring you to the TCNJ Library Catalog. The Catalog lists most materials the library owns including books, magazines and journals (but not the articles in them), videos, audio recordings, and more. The Library Catalog has two main search options: Basic Search and Advanced Search
Try a Subject Heading Browse search in the online catalog (or click on subject headings within records). Useful subject headings include:
Families
Mass Media
Popular Culture