Searching the Catalog

How do I search if I don’t remember the complete title?

Even if you don’t remember the complete title, you can still search using the words you do remember by doing a keyword search. Keywords are any significant words in the title, the author’s name or the subject headings. You can enter any words, in any order, and the catalog will try to find a match. This is very similar to how Google and other Internet search engines work.

For example, let’s say you’re looking for a book called something like The Legend of Jim Morrison, but when you search by that as a title, you don’t get any results. Try a keyword search for the words legend, jim and morrison. You don’t need to capitalize, or worry about the order of the words, and you don’t need to add any words like "and" or "or" between your keywords. In this case, you'll find the book Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend.

You don’t have to limit your keywords to the title. You can also search for the author’s name, or the author’s name combined with words from the title. Perhaps you’re looking for a book you've heard about by Kazuo Ishiguro called something like "Never leave me," but nothing turns up under that title. Try entering just the words ishiguro never and you’ll find his book Never let me go.

Keyword searching is a powerful tool, and many different types of searches are possible. If you’d like to learn more about it, please visit the Search Tips page.

How can I find materials that are available at my branch?

From the main Library Catalog search screen, click on the View Entire Collection drop-down menu and select your branch. Then simply type in the appropriate keywords and click the Search Catalog button.

How do I find materials in a language other than English?

From the main search screen, click on the Advanced link (next to the Search Catalog button) and select the desired language from the Language box. To select more than one limit, hold the Ctrl key while clicking on your selections.

How can I find items in a particular format, such as a CD, DVD, video, musical score, etc?

From the main catalog search screen, click on the Advanced link (next to the Search Catalog button) and select the desired format from the Material Type box. To select more than one limit, hold the Ctrl key while clicking on your selections.

How do I find large print books?

1. On the main Library Catalog search screen, select Subject from the second drop-down menu and type in "large type books" (this will bring up more choices than if you typed "large print"). Click on the Search Catalog button.
2. Click on Large Type Books.
   
   • From the View Entire Collection drop-down menu, you may limit your search to a specific location or Adult/Teen Materials or Children’s Materials Only.
   • You may further limit your search by location, language, etc. by clicking the Limit/Sort Search button.

On the main Library Catalog search screen, you may also use Keyword to search for a subject (biography, fiction, etc.), title, or author.

Keyword search examples:

• Large type and biography or large type Grisham (you may omit the word "and").
• Large type Tolkien will bring up approximately four Tolkien titles.
• Large type and Roosevelt will bring up approximately 15 titles--some fiction and some biographies.
• Large type and biography will produce approximately 544 biographies; if you limit this to the Main Library, you will view approximately 507 titles.
• Large type Lovely bones will bring up Alice Sebold’s novel, as well as her autobiography.

How do I save a list of titles of books, CDs, DVDs, etc...?

1. From your list of results, check the box under the book bag icon to the left of each item to be saved and click the Save Selected button at the top or bottom of the page.
2. Click the Saved Items button.
   
3. On the next screen, click the View Saved Items button.
   
4. Scroll down to see the list of the items you have saved. You may choose the format for the list by selecting full display, which gives you the author, title and publisher along with the list of which branch owns the item, brief display, or MARC (machine readable cataloging) which is really the code for the Library catalog software program. You can then print the list, e-mail it to yourself, or save it to a disk.

If you would like to e-mail your list:

1. Enter your e-mail address in the Mail To box.
2. Click the Submit button. The note, E-mail Sent, will appear in red when your list is sent successfully. You will receive your list from the Library Catalog by e-mail.

What does CHECK SHELF, LIBRARY USE ONLY, ON ORDER, etc. mean?

• CHECK SHELF: Check the book shelf for the book, DVD, CD, etc. for which you're looking. If it’s not there, ask a librarian for assistance.
• ON HOLD SHELF: The book, DVD, CD, etc. is being held by request of a library user.
• MISSING: The Library once owned this item but it is now missing.
• IN TRANSIT: This item is being sent from one library location to another.
• IN PROCESSING: This item is being processed in the Library's Catalog Department.
• ON ORDER: The Library has ordered the item from the publisher but has not yet received it.
• AT VENDOR: This item is currently being processed by the vendor.
• WITHDRAWN: The Library has withdrawn this item from circulation due to damage.
• LIBRARY USE ONLY: This item may only be used in the Library and cannot be checked out.
• BILLED: Item is overdue and the user has been billed.
• DELAYED PAGING: This item is located off site; it may be requested from a Main Library Paging Desk and will be made available 24-48 hours after being requested.

What does CIVSERV, GRABHORN, HARRISON, etc.. mean?

• CIVSERV: Civil Service test books
• GRABHORN^*: The Robert Grabhorn Collection on the History of Printing and the Development of the Book
• HARRISON^*: The Richard Harrison Collection of Calligraphy & Lettering
• SCOWAH^*: The Schmulowitz Collection of Wit & Humor
• FROST^*: The Robert Frost Collection
• HOLMES^*: The Sherlock Holmes Collection
• LARGE PRINT: Fiction and nonfiction books printed in 16 point or larger type
• LIBRETTO: Opera scripts
• LITTLE MAGAZINES (LM)^*: The Little Maga/Zine Collection
• McCOMAS: A Reference Collection of Fantasy and Science Fiction Books and Periodicals
• PANAMA^*: The Panama Canal Collection
• PHELAN^*: The James D. Phelan California Authors Collection
• PROJREAD: The Project Read Collection for adults working to improve basic reading and writing skills.

When searching the online Catalog please remember to write down the author, title and date of publication for the book, periodical, video or other materials you wish to consult, as well as the name of the collection. This will help provide you with prompt access to our materials.

*Please note that many items in these particular collections are not listed in our online Catalog, and an in-house card catalog should also be consulted. For more information about these collections, see the Book Arts and Special Collections Center page.

What is Limit to available?

Limit to available excludes titles that are either checked out by another Library user or are missing. If checked, this will limit the results of a search to only titles that are currently available for checkout or use within the Library.

To perform this type of search, click in the small box to the left of the phrase Limit to available.

Please note: This search limit function does not apply to searches for periodicals, journals and newspapers.