Use the Library Catalog to find books, ebooks, dvds, or other materials in the library. Search by subject, keyword, title, or author (last name first).
- When searching by keyword, the computer looks anywhere for the individual words you provided. Sometimes it is useful to start with a keyword search for a broader search, but it is less precise and gives unpredictable results.
Example: Behaviorism (this term is searched word-by-word in title, subject, and notes fields as if joined by OR)
- When searching by subject, the computer looks for matches in the subject field. Subject terms are predetermined words and phrases assigned to books, ebooks, and other library materials. The search results are better, but users often do not know the correct subject terms.
Example: Behaviorism (Psychology) (this term is searched as an exact phrase in the subject field only)
- A good start is to do a keyword search to find an appropriate source, then examine the subject terms assigned to the item. Then add words or change the search using the subject terms.
Try a search below!
