Course Readings
Assignment Resources
APA Citation
Academic Software
Need Help?
Tips for Success
While this page provides information on how to check the library collection for your course materials, please note that the library is not the bookstore.
For questions about textbook purchases, eTextbook access, delivery, or refunds, please contact the bookstore directly using the information provided below.
The library may have some of your required readings available, as eBooks or PDFs. However, we do not have copies of all course materials, and you will likely need to purchase many of your textbooks.
When using library eBooks, please be aware that there may be restrictions, such as:
The goal of this page is to provide guidance on how to check the library collection for your textbooks and other course readings.
In many of your courses, individual modules may include a reading list with selected books, articles, or other resources in addition to the main textbook. The library may be able to provide access to some of these materials.
The textbook and readings are usually listed in your syllabus or in a specific section of your course Brightspace page, typically formatted in APA style. You can use the citation details to search for the materials in the library collection.
To help you with this, the next tabs in this box include notes on how to search the library collection effectively
DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier. This is a unique alphanumeric code assigned to journal articles and some other resources like books. Depending on the citation style the link may look a little different but usually starts DOI
Vastegani, S. M., Margha, Z. B., Farbood, Y., Sarkaki, A., & Khoshnam, S. E. (2025). Caffeine and Exercise: A Dual Approach to Combat Cognitive Decline Induced by REM Sleep Deprivation. Molecular Neurobiology, 62(8), 9625–9637. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12035-025-04845-1
While the DOI will often include the https://doi.org the best way seems to be to just copy the unique part.
For example, 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1987.tb00271.x
A few things to consider
In citations when a specific person or organization has written the resource they are generally listed first in the citation. So generally the first part of the citation is the author(s) names.
Author names in APA format follow this structure: Last name, followed by the initial(s) of the first and middle name(s), if available.
Souza, L. O. D., Koen, M. P., Fourie, S., Wood, L., Esterhuizen, S., Palmer, M. N., Richter, B., Dzerefos, C. (Cathy), Hay, A., Iipinge, W. N., Swarts, P., Muller, I., Lunga, P., Neethling, M., Taylor, B., & Malan, M. (2024). Collaborative Community Partnerships Across Education Settings (4169398). AOSIS Books. https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=91f84655-0770-3544-8ac7-2e9c88733216
Searching by the author on their own is not the most effective method for find a source as the author may have written other articles and books. However, searching the author with the title can be very useful.
However, if you want to search by author it is helpful to change the field you are searching in to Author-AU
Identifying the title in a citation can be a little difficult as the placement will change depending on the type of citation, so it is helpful o become familiar with common citations.
In a journal article citation, you want to search for the title of the article. This title comes after the publication date and before the journal name.
Example:
Niraula, K. B., & Bohora, P. (2023). College Students’ Utilization of Social Networking Sites. International Journal of Technology in Education and Science, 7(3), 274–289.
In APA style, the title of a book is italicized and appears after the publication year in the citation. If the book includes an edition (e.g., 2nd ed., Revised ed.), this detail is important for locating the correct version and is included immediately after the title.
Example:
Daffron, S. R., & Caffarella, R. S. (2021). Planning Programs for Adult Learners: A Practical Guide (4th ed,). Jossey-Bass. https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=6e464cce-5ab6-3e63-91c0-d163fd4cd8d6
If the citation includes the word "In" followed by a list of names then (Eds.). you're looking at a chapter in an edited book.
In this case, the title of the whole book (not the chapter) is what you should search for first. This title comes after the second list of names and is usually italicized. If the book includes an edition (e.g., 2nd ed., Revised ed.), this detail is important for locating the correct version and is included immediately after the title.
If the book title doesn't find the book, you can search by the chapter title.
Once you locate the book you can open it and then navigate to the right chapter.
Example:
Daffron, S. R., & Caffarella, R. S. (2021). Exploring the Foundations of Program Planning. In Planning Programs for Adult Learners: A Practical Guide (4th ed,), pp. 91–114). Jossey-Bass. https://research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=6e464cce-5ab6-3e63-91c0-d163fd4cd8d6
If you're having trouble accessing resources in the library collection from links in Brightspace, here are a few tips to help:
Yorkville Library is 100% digital. That means we have no print collection of books, so even if we do have a copy of your course readings it will be as an eBook or PDF.
If you're looking for physical copies of your textbooks, here are a couple of options to explore. However, it may be hard to obtain some of the textbooks if other universities or colleges use the book as a textbook for their programs.
Many public libraries offer access to books through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) services. Even if they don’t have the book you need on their shelves, they may be able to borrow it from another library on your behalf.
If you live near another university or college that holds the book you need: Look into their community borrowing privileges, some institutions allow local residents to borrow materials. If you're an alum, you may also have special access or borrowing rights.
Books/Textbooks: Usually the main resource for you class, these materials are listed on your course site in the syllabus and the book store site.
Required Course Packs: Course Packs are additional materials to support your studies, such as journal articles or book chapters. They are resources not available online for free or in our library collection.
Supplementary Materials: There are some materials that are additionally necessary for your courses. These may be located in the Book Store site, or links from your course site, such as: Business Case Studies, Psychological tests, or required course pack materials (as mentioned above). It’s always important to carefully read your syllabus to understand what you need for a course.
Supportive Course Packs: These are optional resources that provide 20% of a required textbook for those who have purchased the full text but are waiting to receive it.
