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The basics of an Enhanced Catalog search

 

Performing a search in the Enhanced Catalog is easy. Simply type one or more search terms (the words or phrase that best describe the information you want to find) into the search box and press the Enter key or click on the Search button.

The Enhanced Catalog displays the results of your search on the next screen:

  • In the center is a list of the most relevant findings.
  • On the left is a word cluster, or cloud, of related findings.
  • On the right is a comprehensive menu of choices that allows you to focus your search in specific directions.

 

Search terms

Choosing the right search term is the key to finding the information you are looking for. Starting with the obvious is the best way to find the information you need. Using multiple terms will narrow the search. If you can't think of the right words, the word cloud can help you.

For example, to search for information on repairing your car of a certain make, use

You can create targeted searches using 'keywords', 'author', or 'title':

 

Word cloud

An issue many library users have when they are using the catalog is they simply cannot think of the best search term. The Enhanced Catalog offers suggestions in the word cloud on the left of the screen to help when you need help finding the best search term.

In the word cloud you will find:

  • Associations that have something to do with the term you used.
  • Spelling variations of the term you used. Click on one to switch to a different way of spelling a word (it can also correct misspellings).
  • Translations of your search term into a variety of languages that are found in within the library.
  • Thesaurus terms with both synonyms and antonyms of your search term.
  • Word variations, or stemming, that display variants of your terms (for example, if you enter 'throw', it will also suggest 'threw').
  • Discovery trail showing your initial search term and subsequent selected terms from the word cloud.
  • The distance of suggested terms from the original term in the word cloud layout has no meaning.
  • The larger a word, the more relevant it is deemed by the automatic relevancy algorithm.

 

Refine menu

The Enhanced Catalog offers a nearly endless array of categories within over thirty dimensions allowing you to refine your search results to get exactly what you want. After you have searched your terms, use the Refine menu on the right to select the exact format, author, subject, language, series, etc. Note that next to each category shown is a number; this denotes the exact number of items available within each category related to your search term, so you're never clicking down a deadend path.

 

'AND' searches and 'OR' searches

By default the Enhanced Catalog will search for only items that include all of your search terms. There is no need to include 'AND' between terms. You can use 'OR' between terms to indicate that results can have any of the mentioned terms.

For example, to find results on both jaguars and on cheetahs, enter

 

Capitalization

Enhanced Catalog searches are NOT case sensitive.

Example: and
will return the same results.

 

My Discoveries®

With My Discoveries® you can make lists of, rate (from 1 to 5 stars), and add reviews for books and other library materials. Lists can be made for your private use or to share with others. You can also tag materials with words or phrases meaningful to you. Start by searching for a book or other item you want to add information to, or want to add to a list. You can log in to My Discoveries® before or after performing your search. To create an account, simply choose a user name and password, and enter your email address (only to be used if you forget your password).

  • Making lists: Click on the "Save or tag" link for an item. By default you are the only one who can see your lists. This is ideal for wishlists and reading lists, for example. It is also possible to make lists that are "public" and available for all to see!
  • Tagging: Click on the "Save or tag" link for an item. You can enter more than one tag for an item using spaces to separate them. To assign a phrase as a tag, enclose it in quotation marks: "United States".
  • Adding reviews: Click on the "Save or tag" link for an item. The "Write a review" link will appear; click on it to display a box where you can type your review.
  • Adding a rating: Click on the "Save or tag" link for an item. Ratings run from terrible (I hate it!) at 1 star to excellent (I love it!) at 5 stars.

 

What is RSS?

RSS is "Really Simple Syndication" and is a format for sharing content on the web. Such things as news items, job advertisements, or marketing communications are ideal candidates for RSS feeds, although almost anything that gets updated with new content would make a good feed. For more detailed and technical information on the RSS format and uses, consult the RSS explanation page on Wikipedia.

How do I subscribe to an RSS feed in the Enhanced Catalog that will keep me informed of new materials?

  • After searching for material in the Enhanced Catalog, click on the RSS Feeds icon on the results screen.
  • On the RSS Feeds screen that appears, copy and paste one of the links under the "Available Feeds" heading into your feed reader. Here's how:
    • Right-click on one of the feeds.
    • If using the Internet Explorer browser, select Copy Shortcut.
    • If using the Firefox browser, select Copy Link Location.
    • Paste the link you just copied into your feed reader.
  • Or you can point your feed reader to the Enhanced Catalog to have it autodiscover the available feeds.