How to find books

Our new library catalog, which we share with the UM System Libraries, launched on June 22, 2022. The catalog is now integrated with the search box on the homepage. This search includes our books, DVDs, recordings, and other physical materials, as well as articles, e-books, journals, videos, and other digital materials from library databases. 

Find books owned by MU Libraries 
Use the search box on the homepage of the MU library website to find and request books and other physical items. You can search by topic or keyword, or by title or author for specific items. If you know the title of the item you need, use quotation marks to search, e.g. “Living Nations, Living Words”. Choose the filter UM Books to limit to items at the University of Missouri campuses.

You will  see books available at the other UM Libraries. Click Show More to see if MU has a copy.

Locate the Book in the Library

Book results will show you:

• Which campus library holds the book (look for MU in the location, and if you don't see it, click "Show More" to see more locations)
• The Call Number location for the book - be sure to write this down or take a photo, before going to the shelves to find the book.
• If the book is in Ellis Library, use this guide to determine the location of the call number in the building.
• A "Place Request" button which will allow you to have the book pulled for you (note: this process is not necessarily the fastest way to get the book, as it depends on circulation staff having extra time to retrieve the book for you).

View Your Library Account 
See the list of materials you have borrowed, view their due dates, or renew your loan on materials (extend the due date) by logging in to your library account. On the MU library website, click the My Accounts link in the gold bar near the top of the screen. Choose View My MU Libraries Account. Use your MU username and password to log in (what you use to log into myZou). 

At the next screen, choose either My Library Account or My Loans (both in the black top bar).

Under View my MU Libraries Account you can opt to renew books currently checked out from any UM Library (if title is eligible for renewal).

Note: The number of renewals has changed to two renewals for all UM affiliates. If you need to renew a book a third time, you will need to bring it to the library along with your MU ID card. See the Loan Periods page for the loan periods for different categories of library material and borrowers.

To manage items you have borrowed that are not from the UM system libraries, click on View my MOBIUS Checkouts. You will also use your MU ID and password to access this information.

What exactly is included in the library search? 

• All the cataloged materials from the four University of Missouri System campus libraries
• All the cataloged materials from the State Historical Society of Missouri
• Materials from MOspace
• Electronic resources including articles, eBooks, journals, video, and other digital materials from library databases and open access (OA) resources.