CLA - Chicano/Latino Studies: Find Books

Primo Library Search is a Chemeketa Community College library database used to find books, articles, and media in online and physical formats.  It is the only library database that searches for print books, magazines and DVDs in the library's collection.  It also finds materials in Summit and other partner libraries and displays options for requesting those materials and having them sent to you at Chemeketa or via email free of charge. 

If you wanted to check out a copy of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, you would use Primo Library Search to determine if Chemeketa Community College library owns a copy. If a Chemeketa copy is not available, you may find and request a copy from one of our partners. If you wanted the March 2020 issue of Sports Illustrated, you would use Primo Library Search to determine if the library subscribes to Sports Illustrated and if so, whether or not the March 2020 issue is available to check out.

Primo Library Search also searches for articles, books and media available in electronic formats in most of the other databases Chemeketa subscribes to. 

This short video will show you how to use Library Search to discover books and articles in print and full text online at Chemeketa and many other libraries.

Print books show "Available" under the description with a library location and a call number. Most of the books that can be checked out are in the General Collection, at the far end of the library. The call number is shown in parentheses after the library location. Use the call number to find the item on the shelf.

Electronic books show "Online access" or "Full text available" under the description. Either link will take you to the Primo record with a link that you can follow to read the book.

Chemeketa Community College library uses the Dewey Decimal System.

• Every book has a Dewey Decimal call number that's used to keep books organized and to find them on the shelf
• Call numbers group books on the same subject in the same location on the shelf; for example, all of the books with the 551.21 number are about volcanoes
• Because there is often more than one book with the same Dewey Decimal number, the first letters of the author's last name and additional numbers are included. 

The book with the call number illustrated (REF 423.1 Up8) is located in the Reference collection in the call number area 423.1 and the author's last name is Upton.

Chemeketa Community College Library uses a system called Rapido (formerly Summit Plus) to request items. Primo will display tiles with offers that tell you what you can request and how soon you can receive it. Both physical and digital requests are possible. The service is free.

• Articles are delivered electronically
• Books or other physical items are delivered to the library for pickup
• When the item arrives, you will receive an email in your college email account

Certain items cannot be requested:

• Physical items available on the shelf at a Chemeketa location (see Local requesting for this)
• Electronic items that are available in full text at Chemeketa

Who can request:

• Chemeketa students and employees
• Visiting Summit patrons can use their Chemeketa credential to request Summit items

In some cases, both physical and digital options are available.

• Sign in with your Chemeketa login to request
• Article requests are filled in automatically.
• You must select a pickup location, even though digital requests are delivered electronically

If you do not find the item you need in Primo, use the Send a Custom Request link on the results page.

To see requesting options you must be logged into Primo Library Search.  

The purpose of the Chemeketa request is to

• or to reserve a textbook, or,
• move an item to another Chemeketa location

Available pickup locations are Salem Campus Library, Yamhill Campus Library, Polk Center, and Woodburn Public Library.

For more information on requesting textbooks, please see our guide, Textbook Lending Library and Course Reserves.

When you Click the Request Chemeketa Item link, a request form will appear. There is usually no need to type in comments, unless you are requesting a volume from a multivolume set.

Choose your pickup location from the dropdown menu. Delivery to standard pickup locations is free. Home delivery is available for an $8 fee. If you need to change your address, do that first in My Chemeketa and wait a day before requesting.

Click the Send Request button. The screen will show a confirmation message.

Chemeketa's library search has many electronic books.  For information about accessing and using e-books, please see About E-Books.