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Resources by format

Here are listed guides for finding materials based on their formats.

While the University Libraries at Virginia Tech are primarily focused on serving the research needs of the university community, we still provide a number of works of popular literature.

Popular reading collection

Popular literature, by definition is any written work that is read, or is intended to be read, by a mass audience. In its broadest sense, popular literature may include best-selling nonfiction books, widely circulated periodicals, and certain kinds of digital texts. The popular reading collection at the Newman Library is located on the second floor near the DVD collection.  The Health Sciences Library also has a popular reading collection.

Books in the popular reading collection check out for 21 days and can be renewed one time. Overdue fines are $1/day, regardless of borrower's status. They may not be recalled, but you can place a hold to be next in line to check them out. You can also request an available book and we'll pull it for you in advance of your visit, just like all other books available at the University Libraries. 

Ebook collections

Most of our ebooks are nonfiction books related to the academic and research programs at the university. We do have a few collections that include novels and other leisure or independent reading.

Searching the catalog

Users can search the catalog by title or author to find popular reading books. It is often easier to start by searching for a known work, like R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton, and then use the links provided on the catalog screen for that work to find related works:

  1. Author links to other works by this author. Also look for Added Author links when there is more than one author listed for a book (such as a collection of poetry or short stories).
  2. Call number links allow browsing items nearby on the shelf. (See Browsing the Stacks section below.) Each author get his or her own call number (so Sue Grafton's is PS3557.R13) where his or her works, along with books about those works, will be found.
  3. Some, but not all, works of fiction will list Subject Headings that can be used to find similar books. This example lists subjects for a fictional character used in the series, along with genres for this book. To find more fiction about women private investigators, use that subject to link to other similar books.
  4. Suggested Books from LibraryThing Users links to other books in the catalog based on books owned in common by LibraryThing users. Here, owners of R is for Ricochet also tend to own other books by Grafton, plus a book by Sara Paretsky.
  5. User Tags from LibraryThing links to other books in the catalog using LibraryThing user supplied tags (key words to describe the work). These can be especially useful when the work in question has few or no Subject Headings. The size of the tags indicate the frequency with which LibraryThing users have applied the tag to the work. Click a tag to find similarly tagged works and to find other related tags to use as well.

Browsing the stacks

British literature, 1900-1960 PR6000-PR6049
British literature, 1961-2000 PR6050-PR6076
British literature, 2001- PR6100-PR6126
Asian, African, Australian,
New Zealand and Caribbean Literature
PR9199-PR9639
American literature, 1900-1960 PS3500-PS3549
American literature, 1961-2000 PS3550-PS3576
American literature, 2001- PS3600-PS3626
Canadian literature PS8001-PS8599

Like most academic libraries and unlike public libraries and bookstores, Newman Library does not have a fiction section. Our fiction is cataloged using the Library of Congress call number system. Literature is arranged by the country of origin of the author and is further divided by date, based on the year an author was born.

British, Scottish, Irish, and Australian fiction is located in the PR call number range; fiction written in English by authors from the Caribbean, India, Asia, New Zealand, and Africa are also located there. American and Canadian fiction is found in the PS range. Each author is assigned a call number of his or her own, which arranges the books in alphabetical order by author (note that books about an author's works will also be found in the same call number range). Literature from other countries and languages will be located in other P call number ranges.

Using the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library

Residents of Montgomery and Floyd counties, including students living on campus, are eligible to obtain a library card from the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library (MFRL). While the Virginia Tech Libraries select items for its collections primarily based on the academic research needs of its users, public libraries strive to collect popular works (among many other types), with frequent turnover of their collections. While university libraries typically purchase a single copy of a book, public libraries often purchase multiple copies of popular works. We highly recommend our students, faculty and staff take advantage of the offerings of their local public library.

Reader advisory books and websites

A number of books and websites provide recommended reading lists based on a person's interests and favorite authors and genres. Search titles and authors of recommendations in Discovery Search and the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library catalog.

Books

Websites