Books can provide an overview of a topic and give you an idea of academic terminology, key researchers and wider context of a topic. 

Visit the UofT Libraries Website onesearch.library.utoronto.ca to launch your search. 

• Keep in mind that UofT Libraries also contains books that aren't scholarly research (i.e., novels, memoirs).
• Look for University Presses or that the author is affiliated with academic institutions / research organizations. 

Not sure? Need help?

Contact your librarian or use Ask a Librarian online chat service  

UofT Libraries has an extensive range of eBook collections that can be accessed through UofT LibrarySearch, but it is also possible to search for books and chapters in many of our most popular databases. Explore the following databases and filter your search results by setting 'Source Type' or 'Format' for Book and Book Chapter. 

LibrarySearch (Advanced Search)

IMPORTANT - To improve your search experience and gain access to advanced features, be sure to "SIGN IN"  to your library account. Locate the icon on the far right side or watch for a pop-up window inviting you to sign in. 

Learn about UofT LibrarySearch interface

• LibrarySearch Tips Guide 
• LibrarySearch FAQs 

Every item in LibrarySearch has a record. Each record has subject tags to describe the topic of the item. When using Topic Search, you are retrieving everything linked to one subject tag. This is helpful if you want to retrieve all items under one subject or "topic". 

First input your search terms:

Next, choose the most relevant result and open the full record by clicking the title:

Once you have opened the full record, scroll down to the "Details" section:

There is a lot of information in this section, but the part you need is next to the heading "Subject":

Of the four subjects assigned to this book, "Women video gamers" is probably the closest to the topic of women and gaming. To view other items assigned to the same subject, just click Women video gamers and a new set of search results will appear that are all assigned the same topic phrase.

Also look at the subjects assigned to the new results. You may find a related subject that fits even more closely with your topic. For instance, the book highlighted in the following image is described with the subject "Women video gamers", but also the subjects: