Be sure that you understand the special loan periods and policies for reserve items. First of all, don't panic if you haven't done library research before. You're not expected to know your way around without some assistance from the library staff. Go to any reference desk for help in getting started. The librarian will show you how to find information on your topic in books, magazines, databases, and other library sources, and, if necessary, will refer you to other appropriate libraries.
Many libraries offer tours at the beginning of each semester.
Throughout the year a number of them also offer workshops on how to use their resources. Library staff also can give you information about these workshops. The best way to find the books you need is to use MadCat, the library catalog, that is part of the UW-Madison Libraries' Web site. You can use MadCat to find books by author, title, subject headings, and keyword. You can ask a librarian to help you select which database or index to use.