advanced search • basic search
See SEARCH EXAMPLES below for an explanation of search results plus help using operators, wildcards, and searching specific fields.
| 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 |
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 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 |
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 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 |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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.) |
| Search Example | Expected Results |
|---|---|
| * for Search Term with Korean selected in Language menu | All materials in Korean |