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LGBTQ+ Research

Searching for LGBTQ+ Books

Locating LGBTQ+ books at the Brown Library can sometimes be tricky. Because these topics often fall within interdisciplinary categories of scholarly work, they can be hard to surface within the Library's very subject-specific structure outlined by the Library of Congress.

Use the searches below to explore specific Library of Congress subject headings in BruKnow. Use the filters along the left panel in BruKnow to narrow in on time periods, formats, access options, and more.

Explore Homosaurus and the Library of Congress for more terms. 

Finding Print + Digital Books

BruKnow is the Library's main search tool.

SEARCH: Search BruKnow to identify key terms + locate sources:

  • Start a BruKnow search with something you already know: a name, a place, an idea, or a citation
  • Select format (print, ebooks, articles) using buttons under main search bar 
  • Use "Advanced Search" for more search options
  • Use Filters on the left-side panel to further refine your search results 
  • Explore metadata like Subject Headings within BruKnow records to find similar resources
  • Use BruKnow Tutorials for more guidance 

DISCOVER: Locate a primary or secondary source that relates to your topic.

  • Explore footnotes and bibliography for hints about additional sources.
  • Use WorldCat and Google Scholar to supplement BruKnow searching.
  • Google Scholar's "Cited By" function is a great tool for discovering webs of scholarship 

CONNECT: Reach out to a Librarian directly for additional research support 
Accessing + Downloading ebooks

The Library ebooks collections page includes information about the many ebook collections available to you through the Library. It also includes information on accessing and downloading ebooks, which can be tricky because the process varies among different platforms and publishers.

Interlibrary Loan

Borrowing Books Not Available at the Brown Library
  1. Search BruKnow to see if we have the book at Brown. If Brown’s copy of a book is checked out, follow the link in BruKnow to “Request from Another Library.” You may need to sign in to your library account to make this link appear.
  2. If you don’t find the book you need in BruKnow, search in WorldCat Discovery. Including both the title and the author in Advanced Search will improve the accuracy of your search.
    • Open the record for the book by clicking on the title. Confirm that this is the edition of the book that you wish to request. Other editions of the book will be listed at the bottom of the screen. 
    • If we do not own the book at Brown, click on the “Request Item From Another Library” button. This will open ILLiad, the system used for Interlibrary Loan and Borrow Direct, in a new window. You may be prompted to log in with your Brown credentials. 
  3. We will request the book from another library, which usually takes 2-14 days. Loan lengths vary, and a return date will be printed on the band attached to the item you receive.
Access to Articles Not Available at the Brown Library
  • To make a request for an article not available via the Brown Library, be sure to have as much citation information as you can, and then use our ILLiad system to request that the article be delivered to you as a PDF.
Other Borrowing Options