This search mechanism allows for 32 different searches into the library's catalog.

Searches may also be sorted by date of publication (most recent to oldest), relevancy and title. If no sort is chosen, the search results will be sorted by the library catalog's default.

The top list (All, Databases, Film & Video etc.) is for each scope that can be searched in the catalog. A scope is a setting that allows only a portion of the catalog to be searched at a time.

Note that when using these searches, you are finding materials in the catalog and not actually searching the materials themselves. For example, when searching Databases, you are finding databases to search and NOT searching the databases themselves.

We have six scopes:

All - search for all materials in the catalog

Databases - search for only databases in the catalog

Film & Video - search for only films and videos

General collection - search for all materials in the catalog, except government documents

Government Documents & Maps - search for only government documents

Periodicals - search only for periodicals.

Additionally, there's the Reserves search, where you can find program reserve materials by Faculty name or Program name or link to Electronic Reserves.

Return to Periodical & Reference Databases

The list (Author, Call No. etc.) underneath the scope list are the kinds of searches you can do within each scope. All searches are possible within each scope but only selected ones have been setup for each scope.

These search types includes some or all of the following:

Author - Type the LAST NAME of the author first, for example:

· Smith, John
· Smith

You can also type in the names of artists and composers, government bodies, or the names of organizations, e.g.:

· Picasso
· American Medical Association
· United States Army

Call No. - Type as much of the Call Number (Library of Congress) as you know, for example:

· NA402.C75
· PS3557
· QA

Fed. Doc. No. - Type as much or as little of the Government Document Number as you want, for example:
· E 1.2:AL 7/2/997
· A 1.2

ISSN/ISBN - Type as much or as little of the ISBN/ISSN Number as you want, for example:
· 1234-5678
· 012-56789-123
· 012-5678

Keyword - Type in Words to search.

ADJACENCY Multiple words are searched together as one phrase. Example: United States supreme court

TRUNCATION Words may be right-hand truncated using an asterisk. Use a single asterisk * to truncate from 1-5 characters. Use a double asterisk ** for open-ended truncation.

Examples:

environment* polic*
fyodor dost**

OPERATORS Use "and" or "or" to specify multiple words in any field, any order. Use "and not" to exclude words. Parentheses group words together when using Boolean operators.

Examples:

(annotated bibliography) and child*
(alaska or canada) and (adventure and not vacation)

PROXIMITY Use "near" to specify words close to each other, in any order. Use "within #" to specify terms which occur within # words of each other in the record.

Examples:

California near university
america within 3 econom*

FIELDS Specify fields to search, using field abbreviation. Fields available for this database are a: (author), t: (title), s: (subject), and N: (note.) (a:twain) and (t:huck*).

Examples:

(a:united and a:states) and (d:handicapped or d:disabled)

Subject - Type as much or as little of the SUBJECT as you want, for example:

· Sports medicine
· Sports

Title - Type as much or as little of the TITLE as you want, for example:

· The taming of the shrew
· taming
· Sonata for clarinet
· Gone with the wind