Search the catalog
To find a book look in the .
Selecting a search type
A 'keyword' search looks for your term(s) in no particular order and returns a list of matching records. A 'begins with' looks for your term(s) as a phrase beginning with the first word entered and returns a browsable alphabetical list of authors, titles, subjects, etc. linked to a set of matching records. As a general rule, use a 'keyword' search when you are unsure of the exact title, author, or subject heading you are looking for. Use a 'begins with' search when looking for a known item or when you want to browse a list of titles, authors, or subject beginning with a certain term.
| Search Type | Use | Example(s) |
|---|---|---|
| WORDS Anywhere | Search for your term(s) anywhere in the record. Use AND to search for multiple terms. Use OR to search for synonyms or related terms. Use single quotes ' to search for an exact phrase. Use the truncation symbol $ to search for terms with the same root. | television AND violence sports OR athletics 'breast cancer' delinquen$ |
| AUTHOR keyword | Search for works using part of an author’s name, especially in cases where there are multiple authors or the full name of an author is unknown. | shakespeare rutgers university |
| AUTHOR (last name first) | Search for all works by a particular author. Enter last name first to retrieve an alphabetical list of authors linked to a set of matching records. | freud sigmund plath sylvia |
| TITLE keyword | Search for works using part of a title, especially in cases where the full title is unknown. | doctor moreau introduction AND chemistry |
| TITLE begins with (omit first article) | Search for works where the full title is known. Enter the first few words of a title to retrieve an alphabetical list of titles linked to a set of matching records. Omit initial articles such as 'a', 'an', 'the', etc. | catcher in the rye old man and the sea |
| SUBJECT keyword | Search for works about a particular topic, person, place, or title when an exact subject heading is unknown. | racism |
| SUBJECT begins with | Search for works about a particular topic, person, place, or title when the exact subject heading is known. Enter the first few words of the heading to retrieve an alphabetical list of subject headings linked to a set of matching records. | racism--united states--history--19th century |
| ISBN (omit hyphens) | Search for works by ISBN (International Standard Book Number), omitting any hyphens. | 0192827804 |
Book location and availability
To find out whether the book you want is available and where it is located, look for the following information toward the bottom of the record:
| Library Name/Campus | The name of the library that owns a copy of the item and the campus on which that library is located |
| Sub-location | The place in that library where the item is shelved |
| Status | The current status of the item, i.e., whether it is currently on the shelf |
| Call Number | The location code indicating the shelf where the item is located |
| Type-Circulate | The item type and whether or not the item can be checked out (Y=Yes; N=No) |
More information
For more information about using the library catalog, including search tips, requesting items, and managing your account, see the Library Catalog User Guide.
