The OSU Library Catalog is a specialized database with records describing materials owned or licensed by OSU Libraries. It also includes a circulation system that is used to check out materials.
The catalog provides information about books, periodicals, government documents, audiovisuals, microforms and online materials. The catalog can be searched in many different ways by selecting various tabs, as shown on the screen in the illustration below. NOTE: the OSU Catalog is also sometimes called OSCAR.
The OSU Library Catalog also provides easy access to OhioLINK, a statewide system linking the catalogs of college and university libraries in Ohio. If you can't find what you need in the OSU Catalog, it is usually available to borrow through OhioLINK.
The Ohio State University library's collections are located in more than 25 different libraries and reading rooms. And since the Libraries own more than 5 million items, browsing can be complicated. You need to search the catalog to find out where the best materials for your research are located.
Once you have located what you need in the Catalog, you can usually request a loan online. You can also renew materials that are checked out to you.
Guided Tour of a Library Catalog Record [Movie opens in new window.]
You may search the full Library Catalog or various subsets, called "Mini-catalogs." As shown in the illustration below, there are mini-catalogs for journals, various online and audiovisual materials, regional campuses, library units (Special Collections). Using a mini-catalog, especially when searching for journals, can save time.
Note that you can limit your search to a a mini-catalog by selecting the appropriate subset from the pull-down list on the search page.
