This web session lets you search the Library's catalog in any of several ways and, if the features have been implemented, to submit reference questions or requests associated with items you find in a catalog search.

Note: A fictitious library collection, not the catalog that you are searching, is used in the sample searches/displayed items used throughout the online help system.

Searching and Browsing the Catalog

Quick Search

If you have a key word or several words in mind that represent your research question, get started with just a quick search.

• If your multiple words represent a phrase, use the default "match all" button option.
• If you have two or more words that are synonyms/related, set the "match any" button option.

To include plural and variant forms of the same word stem, use the * for wildcarding.

Click the Search button to execute the search and display the results in the default report format (see the Report Options section below).

• Optionally, use the Search Google button to have your formulation submitted to the www.google.com search engine for an Internet search.
• Use Clear to empty the search box and to enter a new search.

If your research requires a multifaceted search or you want to have more control over the number of retrieved items — to formulate a more precise search or to broaden the retrieval of candidate items of interest — consider using the Advanced Search page.

If the option has been implemented, this page may include another element — a checkbox that may help to increase the number of records retrieved by your search. This "include preferred subject term" option will be of particular use when you are using acronyms as well as words or phrases for which there may be multiple variant forms. For example, any articles about the FDIC will most likely be indexed with the fully spelled-out name of the Federal Desposit Insurance Corporation. If the subject vocabulary of the Library has been set up for this feature, the search will automatically include both your search term and the fully spelled-out name.

Browse Subjects

If you are uncertain of the most appropriate key words to use or would like to explore the contents of the Library collection, use this left-side link to review an alphabetical listing of subject terms that have been assigned by library staff to the catalog items.

When you click the link, the new page displays a part of the subject index, beginning with the A's. Page Up and Down or, alternatively, move directly to a particular part of the alphabetic listing by filling in the Show Term Near: box with a single character or with a partial or full word.

• Each individual term is a link that, when clicked, will execute a search. The number of items that your search will retrieve is shown in parentheses after the term.
• If you find multiple terms of interest, on one page or across several pages/multiple parts of the index, check each and then click Display Selections. Your terms will be ORed together in a "match any" search.

Alternatively, browsing these official search terms may provide inspiration for words you can use in formulating a Quick Search.

Access to this index of search terms — and to search terms from other fields, e.g., author names — is also available on the Advanced Search page, for pasting selected terms directly into a search line.

Report Options

After your search is executed (and records have been retrieved), you are taken to the first of two types of report pages for online displays: the first, for browsing your search results and a second, for displaying more information about items of interest. On each page, with each report, you can also:

• Print (or Save) the current report or Download full record data to your desktop in a comma-separated-values (.csv) file for use in Excel and other similar programs. If the email option has been set up on your system, you can also Email the current report as an attachment.
• Select items of interest and re-display, print, or download (and Email) just your selected list.

• Submit a request for selected items or services related to those items.

  As you navigate through the various report options, use the "breadcrumbs" below the tabs rather than the browser's back button, to return to an earlier page, so that the application can keep track of your steps.

  

Browse Reports

The "browse" page, with the default report for a Quick Search, looks like this:

The default report displays the search results is in rank-order, with key cataloging data for each item. For circulating items, the status of copies — whether available or not — is included in this report and others available in the Select Format listbox. Links are included for items associated with electronic resources — URLs or images/other digital files.

Reviewing/Searching from the Cluster Report

If the feature has been implemented, the Top Subject Clusters report will be included with the default rank-order report, generated separately in the left frame. This second, left-side report presents up to 20 subject terms that have been assigned by Library staff to items within your retrieved set, in descending order by the frequency with which they are represented. A term must be assigned to at least two items to be included in the list.

This cluster report can help you to assess the composition of your retrieved set and identify potentially useful other search terms.

If you click one of the terms, a new search will be executed on that term, to restrict the current report to just those items within your retrieved set to which that subject has been assigned.

If the Top Subject Clusters report has not been implemented, an alternative option may have been implemented, as shown below, with the Subject Cluster link.

If you are offered this choice, click the link to have a report generated that is similar to the Top Subject Clusters report. This alternate report includes all subjects in your retrieved set in frequency-count order and each subject term is a direct search link that searches across all catalog records, not just within your retrieved set.

After Browsing Your Results

At any time, on the Search Results page (or Home), you can modify your search and, from the Browse report page, you also have these other options:

• For a given item of interest, click Full Record for more information and, on the "more" report page, use Next and Previous to move among items in your retrieved set.

• To view your retrieved set in different sort orders (e.g., by title or by author), open the Select Format listbox to change the display.

  

• [if implemented by the Library] To request items from the Library, make selections and click the Request button.
• When you are satisfied with your retrieved set, you have these other options: print/save (to a local printer or file) the current report, download the full records to your desktop (in a spreadsheet format), or, if the option has been implemented by the Library, send an email with the bibliography as an attachment.

More Reports

The "more report" page, with the default report for one of our sample searches looks like the page below. Use Next and Previous to move through your retrieved set of records.

• If a particular author or subject is associated with more than the current record, the data are represented as links, so you can take a side-trip to retrieve a related set of records. In contrast to those of the Top Subjects Cluster report, these search links are not limited to your current retrieved set. The entire catalog is being searched.

• If an item is linked to other records (e.g., if you have retrieved a journal record and there are several articles from that journal in the catalog), the "This item is part of a collection..." link is generated and use of the Show related items in context link will re-generate the record with its related items.

  

• If you retrieve a journal, newsletter, continuing series, or other serial for which the library has an active subscription or issues from a previously active subscription, another link (see the Display serial holdings link below) will be generated so that you can display the Library's holdings.

  

• To print/save, download, or email from a More report page, click on the applicable left-side report link to open its menu and choose one of the options, as shown below.

  

Using Other Features

Depending on how the system has been set up, you may have access to any one or more of these additional session features:

Left-side links:

Request Information or Service (links to a page to submit a request to the Library) New Acquisitions (executes an automatic search) Hot Topics (displays a list of topics and each executes a pre-defined search)

Tabs:

Advanced Search (separate page for multifaceted searching) Professional Search (expert advanced search page) My Account (service/status activity report; requires being a registered library user)