Books and online versions of books (often called ebooks) are useful for gaining foundational knowledge, understanding background concepts, and exploring broad or interdisciplinary perspectives in Engineering. Unlike research articles, which often present very specific findings, books can provide extended discussions of a topic and can be particularly helpful in the early stages of research.
What You’ll Find in Books
Engineering books vary by field but often take the form of topic-specific books, textbooks, reference works (like handbooks or encyclopedias), technical manuals, or design guides. Reference books such as Marks’ Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers or the Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology offer reliable, concise overviews and can be a great way to verify information from Wikipedia, Web sites, or generative AI.
Books can help you:
Build foundational understanding
Review fundamental formulas or methods
Explore a subject in broader context
Locate curated references to key studies or standards
Where to Start
Begin with the Library Single Search on the LTS homepage to locate both print and ebooks to which the Lehigh University Libraries provide access. Be sure to click the "All Book results" link to fully explore your search result set. Pro tip: Books are usually cataloged by subject and call number. Once you find one book on your topic, browse nearby call numbers in the library or explore “similar titles” in the Library Single Search to locate others.
How to Find Books Effectively
The process for finding books is similar to articles: refine your topic, identify keywords, and try multiple tools. However, keep in mind that books typically cover topics more broadly. If your topic is highly specific, a book may only dedicate a chapter or section to it. You may need to search for a broader term, then browse the book to find information on your more specific topic. Pro Tip: Use the feature to search within a book on ebook platforms to quickly locate where information about a specific keyword can be found.
Finding Books That Are Not in the Library Single Search
If you can't find a book about your topic, you can search beyond the Libraries holdings using tools like Google, Amazon, Google Books (which searches the full-text of some books), or Worldcat.org. You can also ask the Engineering Librarian to help you find books about your topic. If you find a book that the Libraries do not have access to, you can use Interlibrary Loan to request the book or submit a Book Purchase Request. Find more information on these options below.
Ebook Platform Features
Some ebook platforms have value-added features or unique content. Some examples include O'Reilly for Higher Education, which has an app for downloading books and also has audiobooks, and AccessEngineering, which has interactive tables and spreadsheets. You can find links to these platforms on the A-Z Databases page. To learn more about platform specific content or features, please contact the Engineering Librarian.
Ebooks and video on computer science, technology and business. Mobile app available for downloading content and accessing offline.
Documentation available at this guide: https://proquest.libguides.com/oreilly
Reference collection containing handbooks and other titles that often contain calculators, interactive tables and charts. Includes some professional exam guides and key titles like Marks' Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers, Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook, and Roark's Formulas for Stress and Strain.
While not as commonly used as in the past, reference works, like encyclopedias and handbooks, can still be very valuable for quick access to verified information. See the links below for a non-exhaustive list of key titles. Additional titles can be discovered in the Library Single Search or by consulting the Engineering Librarian.
Source of information on ferrous and non-ferrous metals and materials technology. Includes 30 ASM Handbook volumes, supplements with searchable tabular data.
Chemical processes: discovery/invention, properties, production techniques, economics, environment, regulation. Includes extensive bibliographies. Access through 2024.
Entries detail the science and technology in all areas of industrial chemistry. Includes extensive bibliographies. Access through 2024.
Interlibrary Loan
One of the amazing services college libraries provide is called InterLibrary Loan, sometimes abbreviated to ILL. Intelibrary loan allows students, faculty, and staff to request books, articles, and more from other libraries at no cost to them. Currently, interlibrary loan of ebooks is very limited but it is something libraries are working toward.
At Lehigh, books can be requested via the PALCI EZ-Borrow or ILLiad systems. You can find links to and tutorials about these systems at the LTS ILL page, linked below.
Purchase Requests
Students, faculty, and staff can also make requests for purchasing books and ebooks. The link for submitting a purchase request is below.