HELP & Search Tips

The search tips in WebVoyage are for currently for relevency searches (which is not what we are using in OPAC).

• Search Tips: enter words relating to your topic, use quotes to search phrases: "united states", use + to mark essential terms: +explorer, use * to mark important terms: *internet, use ? to truncate: comput?

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FYI: supplied by Kate M. The HELPS below are from the OPAC version before Tomcat.

Search Tips
Capitalization has no effect on search results.

Keyword(s)
Use quotes for phrases: "united states"
Use ? for truncation: child? (child, children, childhood)

Title
Omit beginning articles such as the and a
Omit beginning articles from foreign languages: le, la, les, los

Journal Title
Use full titles rather than abbreviations
Omit beginning articles such as the and a
Omit beginning articles from foreign languages: le, la, les, los

Author
Type last name first, a space, then the first name (or as much of the first name as you know)
For example: chopin kate or angelou m or dostoyevsky
Omit punctuation

Subject Heading
Use LC (Library of Congress) or Medical Subject headings
For Library of Congress Subject Headings, consult the books available at a library reference desk

Call Number
Enter a call number to browse the shelves
Include a space between the call number and year
Include a space in front of the third set of letters (if present)
To search for call number GV957.S8 A1 1973, include spaces before
the A and before 1973.

Command Search
Use AND, OR, or NOT to link terms
Use quotes for phrases: "united states"
Use ? for truncation: child? (child, children, childhood)
Use parenthesis for nested searching:
(criticism or commentary) and plath

Author Sorted By Title
Use to search for works by composers or prolific authors
To search for musical works by composer, enter last name first: beethoven l
To search for works by prolific authors, enter last name first: hemingway e
Omit punctuation