Library Guide to Finding Fiction

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Searching the Catalog

If you know the title or author, search for it in the MERLIN Library Catalog.

Search authors by last name, first name:

Atwood, Margaret

For best results, search titles without beginning articles (a, an, the, and the equivalents in other languages). For a one word title, you can type a "|" symbol (located below the "Backspace" button on your keyboard) after the title for fewer results. For example, try a search for Jonathan Franzen's book The Corrections.

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Browsing the Shelves

Like most academic libraries, fiction at the Miller Nichols Library is shelved by call number, not author's last name. This can make it difficult to browse the shelves for “something to read.” In the Library of Congress Classification System, literature is grouped by the nationality of the author, language and time period – then the author's last name. Biographies and criticism follow a writer's books on the shelf.

Below is a guide to call numbers for fiction and literature with sample MERLIN Catalog searches. At the Miller Nichols Library, most fiction is located on the third floor. Browse the shelves, or use our list of newly purchased titles to browse online.

• African Literature
  
  
• American Literature: PS991-PS3626
  • The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
    PS3553.H15 A82 2000
    
    
• Arabic Literature: PJ7695.8-PJ7876
  • Fountain and Tomb / Hakayat Haretna by Naguib Mahfouz
    PJ7846.A46 H5413 1998
    
    
• British Literature: PR3991-PR6126
  • Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
    PR6068.U757 M5 1995
    
    
• Chinese Literature: PL2661-PL2979
  • Diary of a Madman and Other Stories by Lu Xun
    PL2754.S5 A25 1990
    
    
• French Literature: PQ1947-PQ2726
  • The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
    PQ2226 .A47 1894
    
    
• Indian Literature: PK5401-PK5471
  
  
• Iranian Literature: PK6400-PK6599.7
  
  
• Japanese Literature: PL784-PL866
  • Beauty and Sadness by Ysunari Kawabata
    PL832.A9 U813 1981
    
    
• Russian Literature: PG3320-PG3493.96
  • Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
    PG3326.P7 G3 1969
    
    
• South American Literature: PQ7081-PQ8560
  • 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
    PQ8180.17.A73 C513 1971
    
    
• Spanish Literature: PQ6600-PQ6726
  • Blood Wedding / Bodas de Sangre by Federico García Lorca
    PQ6613.A763 B46 1996

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Selecting a Book

Many sources are available to help you select a book to read.

• Book Reviews
  See MNL's Library Guide to Finding Book Reviews for the best print and online book review sources.
  
  
• Bestsellers
  The New York Times updates its online bestseller list weekly.
  (www.nytimes.com/pages/books/bestseller/)
  
  
• Award Winners
  Amazon.com provides lists of the winners of dozens of different literary awards and prizes.
  (www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/542942/103-0357956-7054206)
  
  
• Booklists
  The Johnson County Public Library System's Booklists recommend fiction in a variety of genres.
  (www.jocolibrary.org/index.asp?DisplayPageID=438)
  
  
• Genreflecting: A Guide to Reading Interests in Genre Fiction
  Diana Herald's book presents lists of authors and titles from different popular genres and points to other resources available for finding fiction. Access the electronic version of her book through the MERLIN library catalog.
  (UMKC Electronic Book)

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Public Libraries in the KC Metro Area

If you are having trouble finding a book to read at the Miller Nichols Library, consider getting a library card to any or all of the public library systems in the Kansas City Metro Area.

• Kansas City Public Library
  The Plaza Branch of the KCPL is located at Volker and Brookside Boulevard.
  (www.kclibrary.org/)
  
  
• Johnson County Public Library
  The Johnson County Public Library system consists of 13 branch libraries in Johnson County, Kansas. Kansas City, MO residents are eligible to obtain a Johnson County Public Library card.
  (www.jocolibrary.org/)
  
  
• Mid-Continent Public Library
  The Mid-Continent Public Library system consists of 30 branch libraries in Clay, Platte and Jackson Counties in Missouri. Kansas City, MO residents are eligible to obtain a Mid-Continent Public Library card.
  (www.mcpl.lib.mo.us/)

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Related Services

Recommend that we purchase a book
If the Miller Nichols Library doesn't own the book you want, you can request that we purchase it by using our online form.

Interlibrary Loan
Use Interlibrary Loan to request books for research and academic use. Very new popular titles are difficult to obtain through Interlibrary Loan. Placing a hold on a popular title at an area public library is the quickest way to obtain such a book.

Browse Online
Browse our online list of recently purchased titles.

Reference
Have more questions about finding a book at MNL? Ask a reference librarian for further assistance!

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Web Resources

Use search engines linked on the Internet Search Tools page to identify additional Web resources.

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For further assistance, please contact the
Miller Nichols Library Reference Desk at (816) 235-1534.

Created by Amy Fry