Library catalogue help
Introduction
Searching the catalogue
Keyword search
Author search
Title search
Author/keyword search
Class search
ISBN search
Search results
Title list
Introduction
The catalogue gives you details of all the titles in stock, including
books, DVDs, videos, audio books, language courses, printed music,
recorded music, etc. It tells you in which libraries the titles are
held and whether they are currently available for you to reserve or borrow.
Avoid disappointment! If you are making a special journey to a library for
a particular item, call us before you set out. We will check the item
is available and keep it at the counter for you to collect.
Find your library opening times and phone numbers.
[top of page]
Searching the catalogue
A selection of links to the various search pages is available at the side of
every page.
There is a "Search the catalogue" link in the top left hand corner of
every screen. This link will return you to the main catalogue page.
Or you can search the catalogue by keyword, author, title, author/keyword,
class or ISBN.
To enter text into a search box, you must first select the box by clicking the left mouse button on it.
Once you have entered the words click on the search button or press the Return key to begin your search.
Each catalogue search will return a list containing a maximum of 100 matching items.
You can limit your search to specific areas of the catalogue by choosing a library from the drop-down list
and/or restricting your search by material e.g. Books or DVDs by choosing it from the lower drop-down list.
Library
To limit your search to the stock of a particular library, select a library using the drop down list.
The initial list of results searches the whole catalogue. It is only at the point you select a specific
entry that your Limit by library is applied. If your search has no hits at this point you have the option
to remove any or all the limits you set at the start of this search.
Please note that selections made using library are applied to the current search only. You will need to
reapply them for any subsequent searches.
Format
To limit your search to particular sections of stock, use the Format box on the search page.
Choose the format you wish to search.
The initial list of results searches the whole catalogue. It is only at the point you select
a specific entry that your limit by Format is applied. If your search has no hits at this point
you have the option to remove any or all the limits you set at the start of this search.
Please note that selections made using Format are applied to the current search only. You
will need to reapply them for any subsequent searches.
[
top of page]
Keyword search
Searching by keyword is a powerful and effective way of finding the information
you want from the catalogue.
The keyword search will work on any combination of words from author, title, series
or subject in any order. You can also use the keyword search if you can only partly
remember details of an item. For example, to find a book on Russia written by Dervla
Murphy, enter RUSSIA MURPHY.
Enter as many keywords as required, separating each keyword with a space. The maximum
number of keywords is four.
You can use the keyword search if you are looking for a particular subject, for example
GREENHOUSE GAS, STONEHENGE, or CAKE DECORATING.
Try to make your choice of words as specific as possible; For example, look for STEAM
TRAINS not RAILWAYS, or, if looking for a book on roses, use the word ROSE, rather than
GARDENING. This will return a smaller list which will meet your requirements more precisely.
However, if you only type in one word (especially if it is a common one) you may get a
long and not very helpful list of matches. On the other hand, too many keywords may narrow
your search too far; don't be afraid to experiment!
[top of page]
Author search
To use the author search enter the author's surname followed by their
forename or initials, if these are known. For a music search, enter the
name of the composer or performer.
If the surname contains an apostrophe— for example, O'Connor— the apostrophe
should be included.
Use a space to separate the surname from the forename or initial.
It helps to give a forename or initial particularly if the author's name
is a common one such as Smith, otherwise you will get a long and not very
helpful list of matches.
For example, KING, KING S or KING STEPHEN
If you either do not know the forename or there isn't one - for instance
if you are looking for books by SAKI or an album by QUEEN - just use one
name.
If you are looking for a publication by an organisation, for example, the
WORLDWIDE FUND FOR NATURE, you may enter only the first word or words of the
name, for example, WORLDWIDE or WORLDWIDE FUND.
If the author you want is not displayed, try using the Keyword search instead,
together with any words from the title, series, subject or publisher of the item
you are searching for.
[top of page]
Title search
The title search looks for a title or the first part of a title.
Enter the full title or, if you cannot remember all the words in the
title, enter as much of the beginning of the title as you can remember.
For example, SCARLET FEATHER or just SCARLET
There is no need to type "A", "An" or "The" at
the beginning.
Try to avoid typing in just one word if it is a common word - for instance
INTRODUCTION or HISTORY - there will be far too many matches and you will
have a long and not very helpful list to search through.
Once you have entered the title click on the search button or press the enter
key to begin your search.
The title search will only give an exact title match, or a match on the first
words of the title.
For example, THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE will NOT be found if you search
using WILLOUGHBY CHASE.
If the title you want is not displayed, or if you are not sure of the exact
wording, try using the Keyword search together with any words from the author,
series, subject or publisher of the item you are searching for.
[top of page]
Author/keyword search
This search combines the keyword search and author search options.
It is particularly useful if there is more than one title by the same author.
Example KEYWORD = TALE, Author = DICKENS
This will return a match for A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens.
[top of page]
Class search
The library stock is classified according to the Dewey Decimal system,
where a number corresponds to a particular subject. If you know the number
associated with the subject in which you are interested, you can search for
all books with that classification number. This is a good way to search for
books on your chosen topic if you know the number. Library staff can help you
find the right number, or if you know of another book on the same subject, you
can see what class number it has been given, and use that number in your search.
For example: type the class number 001.6 for books about computing, or type 001 for
all class numbers starting with 001.Then press the Return key.
[top of page]
ISBN search
If you know the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) of a
title, this can be the quickest and most specific way of searching.
However, you may miss finding other editions of the book which would
be acceptable. For example, searching on the ISBN for the paperback
edition will mean that you don't find the hardback. There may be later
(or earlier) editions, or even a large print version.
Please note that you cannot search on ISSN numbers as periodicals are
not currently included in the catalogue.
[top of page]
Search results
Search results displays a list of entries that match your search criteria.
The first ten entries will be shown and you can click on the button at the
bottom of the page to see more items, if available. You can adjust the number
of entries displayed per page by clicking on the down arrow in the box at the
top of the list.
The list shows how many hits there are for that particular entry we have. These
could be titles, authors or class numbers, depending on the type of search you
used. Click on one of these entries to see the title list for this entry.
[top of page]
Title list
Title list displays a list of titles that match your search criteria. The
first ten titles will be shown and you can click on the button at the bottom
of the page to see more items, if available. You can adjust the number of titles
displayed per page by clicking on the down arrow in the box at the top of the list.
The list shows how many copies we have of an item and its format (hardback, DVD,
audio disc, etc.). Use the "More details" button on the right hand side of the page to
find out more information about the item, including its location and current availability.
