1) The default search box of the catalog is set to do a keyword search. It looks in all parts of the catalog information for your search words or phrases, including the title, table of contents, and subject headings. The results page will list the titles and availability of items relevant to your search. Clicking on the title of an item will provide you with more detailed information about that item, including subject headings and summaries. The "Holdings" tab gives the location, call number, and status, if available or checked out.
2) To start searching, type a topic word or short phrase in the search box.
- Two or more words are automatically searched as a phrase. Quotes around the words are not needed.
- For example: diabetes mellitus [Results have both words next to each other in left to right order.]
- When you need more than one word or phrase, insert AND between the search terms. Using AND results in items where both (or all) terms appear, which narrows the search.
- For example: diabetes mellitus AND insulin [Results have both search terms.]
- If two words or phrases have similar meanings, insert OR between the words. Using OR returns items where either (or any) of the search terms appear, which broadens the search.
- For example: diabetes mellitus OR type 2 diabetes [Results have either one or the other or both terms]
- If a word or phrase is causing the wrong results to appear, use NOT to eliminate the unwanted results.
- For example: diabetes NOT videorecording [Results are all books and no videos. The word "videorecording" appears in all catalog information for videos]
- Similarly, if you need to find videos with a certain search term use AND between the terms.
- For example: diabetes AND videorecording [Results are all videos containing the word "diabetes"]
