Finding Books and Periodicals

You can search for books and periodicals by using our electronic search systems in the library or by accessing your account from home. Find out more about BC library accounts.

Searching for Books

You can search for physical and electronic copies of books through our search portals.

  • First, search the Bainbridge College Online Catalog (GIL) to find out if materials are available in our library (Watch this tutorial about searching for books or read detailed steps).
  • If you do not find what you need on GIL, you can search on GIL Universal (from within the GIL catalog) which allows you to search other colleges around Georgia and request a free copy of an article or book through GIL Express Request. These items are available a few days after a request is made. Watch this tutorial on using GIL Universal and Express or read detailed steps.
  • You can also request a copy of a book from another library through the InterLibrary Loan system. Unlike GIL Universal, which only accesses Georgia libraries, this system allows you to borrow material from other states. Watch this tutorial on using InterLibrary Loan.
  • You may be able to find a book locally by searching the public library system (PINES) and getting your book there, but you must have a public library card to get the material. When you search PINES, be sure to select "Choose a library to search," and then select your library. The BC library does not help with public library access.
  • Finally, you can search for electronic copies of books on NetLibrary which you access through Galileo. If you can find the book you are looking for, you will be able to see an electronic copy immediately.

Watch this tutorial about searching for books or read detailed steps.
Watch this tutorial on using GIL Universal and GIL Express Request or read detailed steps.
Watch this tutorial on using InterLibrary Loan or read more about ILL.

Get more GIL help

How do I find material my instructor has put on reserve in the library? From the main Online Catalog (GIL) page, click on Search Course Reserves. From the Instructor drop-down list, choose your instructor and click Search. A list of resources from this instructor will be displayed. See more detailed instructions. Many faculty also place items on reserve and simply tell students to go to the library and use them. In many of these cases, the items are not cataloged in the system. Just ask at the main desk for items you know are on reserve.

Searching for Periodicals

There are millions of articles in scholarly publications as well as news and other popular sources. Your challenge is to find just the right article or articles you need for your purpose. After you identify an article, you then have to determine whether or not you can get a copy or see a copy online.

The best place to search for periodical articles is in the Galileo system. This system provides access to thousands of periodicals and a powerful search engine. In many cases, you can see the article online within Galileo or another database you get to from with Galileo. In some cases, you will need to look for a copy of the article in our own library collection or through GIL Express Request or InterLibrary Loan.

Watch this Two minute tour of Galileo tutorial
Watch this Finding articles in Galileo tutorial

You can also request a copy of an article through the InterLibrary Loan system.