advanced keyword search

advanced search • basic search

See SEARCH EXAMPLES below for an explanation of search results plus help using operators, wildcards, and searching specific fields.

Search Terms Limit by Audience Age, Building, or Format

only show me AVAILABLE items

Use the Ctrl key to select multiple choices in the Material Type, Language, or Location menus

Material Type:
Language:
Location:
Year:After and Before
Publisher
Search and Sort:
Start Over
Search Result Groups
Search Example Expected Results
home decorating 1st group of results:
Items with "home decorating" as a phrase in the main part of the title

Example: The smart approach to home decorating
2nd group of results:
Items with "home decorating" as a phrase in the subtitle (the part of the title after the colon) or in the author field

Example: Paint alchemy : recipes for making and adapting your own paint for home decorating
3rd group of results:
Items with home and decorating found next to each other in any order in the subject headings, notes, series title, or alternate author fields

Example: Curtains & shades : a step-by-step guide to creative window treatments with series title of Practical home decorating
4th group of results:
Items with home and decorating found SEPARATELY in the title fields

Example: Decorating without fear : a step-by-step guide to creating the home you love
5th group of results:
Items with home and decorating found SEPARATELY anywhere in the record. These are the least likely to be relevant results for your search terms.

Example 1 (not a relevant result): Bob the Builder. A Christmas to remember with a summary note containing "Bob's can-do crew is busy decorating for the holidays..." and "...it seems that Tom won't be making it home for Christmas.
Example 2 (a relevant result): Before & after decorating with an alternate title Home & Garden Television before & after decorating
Boolean Operators
Search Examples Expected Results
western or music All records with either or both "western" or "music," adjacent or not (broader set of results)
espionage and not fiction Only records that contain "espionage" but not the word "fiction."
america within 3 economy Only records with "america" and "economy" within 3 words of one another in the same field in the record. You decide what number to place after within to specify the maximum number of words that may appear between search terms.
home near decorating Only records with "home" and "decorating" within 10 words of one another in the same field of the record.
Wild Cards & Truncation
Search Examples Expected Results
wom*n
colo*r
Matches both "woman" and "women" since * matches up to 5 characters.
Matches both "color" and "colour" since * matches up to 5 characters.
inter** Matches "internal," "internet," "international," etc. since ** matches any number of non-space characters.
Searching Certain Fields
Search Example Expected Results
n:"love me tender" All records with "love me tender" in the notes field.
Available fields are a: (author), t: (title), d: (subject), and n: (note - good for finding song titles or short stories.)
Searching for All Materials in a Certain Language
Search Example Expected Results
* for Search Term with Korean selected in Language menu All materials in Korean