Anything you want to read is at your fingertips... here's how.
To start, locate your own local library if you are not already member. To do this, type in the name of your city and library. This will bring up a listing for your local library and a link to the website if they have one. If the local library does not have a website, then try an outlying city, one that you would not mind driving to for a book you want.
Once you are on a local library website you will want to search the site (manually or by entering into a search query) for catalog. While not all libraries offer online catalogs, they are becoming a mainstay for many, so you should be able to find one at a library in your area. When you find the catalog, make sure you can access it without needing a membership number, or, if you are a member of the library you are accessing, then make sure to have your member card handy should you need it to access the catalog.
Once you are in the catalog, search for anything you are looking for. The catalog will tell you if the item is one that the library carries or if it is located somewhere else. Often the libraries are networked with surrounding areas to provide members with a vast amount of material that can be transported from one library to another. For anyone who is not a member of a library, you will need to become one (usually free) in order to request or check out any material.
Another catalog that some libraries feature offers text-views of material, often material that is used for research and information. While public libraries may offer this, you will be able to find more using a local college or university. For this you can search locally or not, since the information will appear on your computer, there is no need to pick anything up. Each institute varies when it comes to accessing the databases of material, some require you to be a student, and others do not. The best way to find out is to search.
Search a college or university name and from the website, find the library. Here they will list for you the different databases of information they offer and tell you how to access them. There are several common databases such as WorldCat and FirstSearch that can locate information on many subjects, as well as those that are specialized to a field of interest. Once you gain access to the databases, then you can locate anything you are looking for.
