Another way to search for a topic is by Subject. In many academic online catalogs, including the WebLUIS Online Catalog, when you conduct a subject search, the computer searches a special list of terms called subject headings. Subject headings are terms which describe what an item is about. A library item is usually assigned one or more subject headings.

Most academic libraries use the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). Consult the LCSH, located in the Reference area, to ensure the words you use for a subject search are valid subject headings.

However, if you did a subject search using words/terms that are not on the special list of subject terms used by the library, you might receive one of the following messages:

or,

There may be times when you need to find items about a person or an organization. You would use the subject access point to find these items — Names of people and organizations will not be listed in the LCSH, but they are still valid subject headings.