Finding Construction Management Materials in the C.O.D. Library

Get a C.O.D. Library Card

You'll need a C.O.D. library card to check out materials from the Library and to use our online resources from home.  To get a card, visit the Library Circulation Desk on the first floor of the Library.  If you need a card immediately, you can register for a temporary card. A barcode will be emailed to you.  

More information about C.O.D. library cards is available at: http://www.codlibrary.org/Library_Cards

Current Construction Research Assignments:  Arch 2240: Product Review Paper

Books

The Library has a variety of current book materials in both print and electronic format.  View a list of new book & video materials here.

Use the Library Catalog to find books and e-books on construction management topics. 

Example searches
The Library employs the Library of Congress subject headings in the Catalog.  The main subject headings for Construction are:  Building, Architecture and Engineering. 

Here are examples of refined searches that narrow down these large subject areas.

Construction Industry (the construction business)

Construction Industry--Management

Construction Industry--Safety Measures

Construction Contracts

Building Laws (building "codes")

Searching Tip--Thinking about words

Choose your words carefully to get the best results. Note the distinction between the words "building" and "buildings."  Building is the act of construction and Buildings are the products of construction. 

Searching Tip--Keyword + Subject Headings

Use Keyword searching in the Library Catalog and just plug in your words. Find a book that is about your topic (or close to what you want), then use the subject headings of that book to find similar materials.

Reference Materials 

The Library holds all of the recent national codes, standards and guidelines from the International Code Council and the U.S. Green Building Council in the reference collection. Older iterations of building laws are available for check-out in the general collection. To find local building regulations, contact the building and zoning offices of the city in which you are working. For fire codes, electrical codes and safety standards, consult this online resource: NFPA Codes Online. You'll need a current library card to access the NFPA from off-campus. 

Articles and Magazines

The Library offers access to many periodicals and magazines of interest to construction management professionals and students both online and in the Library.  

Construction Journals and Magazines

To locate specific magazine and journal titles, use the Journal Locator tool.

Here is a selection of magazines, journals and trade publications in the Library on:

Building

Construction

Databases

The Library has a large collection of article databases for locating articles. For Construction Management, try both the general databases and the business databases.  Associates Program Source Plus and Business Source Complete are the best for construction topics but you may also find good materials in Academic Search Premier and in newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune and the New York Times. 

Construction Research Databases List

Websites and Images

There are several tools available for searching the Internet. Using a variety of tools is always a good rule of thumb when looking for information on the web. Google is a great resource but also try some of the other tools on the Library's Search the Web pages.  

Here's a small selection of quality websites for construction management:

• Engineering News Record: http://enr.construction.com/
• Building Design + Construction: http://www.bdcnetwork.com/
• Building Codes Reference Library--Illinois (Always check your local municipality!)  http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/building-codes/illinois/
• OSHA Construction Documents: http://www.osha.gov/doc/index.html
• Illinois Roofing licensure: http://www.idfpr.com/profs/info/roof.asp
• C.O.D.'s Construction Management Program: http://www.cod.edu/programs/architecture/construction_management.aspx