Ask Us: Catalog / Discovery

How do I limit my search to a specific location or database?

Use the Everything drop-down list on the search bar to limit your search to a specific location or database. The options are Library Search, which shows physical items in the Library; Digital Catalog, which show eResources; and Ebsco Discovery Service, which shows online articles. If you do not want to use this feature, leave Everything selected.

After searching, there are additional methods of limiting the library results:

• Click Only Show Available to limit your search to items that are available for checkout; click Include Unavailable to again include items that are not available for checkout.

How do I limit my search by title, author, subject, or another field?

Use the Fields drop-down list on the search bar to limit your search to a particular field (for example, Title, Author, or Subject). If you want to search all fields, leave All Fields selected.

How do I use Advanced Search?

You can create more specific searches so that you receive results that are more tailored to your needs by clicking Advanced Search on the search bar. Note: While there are many options to limit your search, if you select too many limits, your search may not return any results at all.

With an advanced search, you can search exact phrases or exclude terms from your search. For example, if you wanted to do a search on potters but did not want results for "Harry Potter," you could search the term "potter" and enter "Harry" in the unwanted terms box.

You can also apply any combination of limits on your search with Additional Limits, including format type, language, location, fields, availability, and targets.

Once you have set up your search with the terms and limits you want, click Advanced Search to get your search results.

How can I sort my search results?

After you have received the results of a search, you can use the Sort By drop-down list to sort the results by publication date (ascending or descending), title, or author. The most relevant results are then sorted by that option.

How do I filter the results of my search? 

Search facets limit the results of your search by filtering the results by specific characteristics, such as Author, Material Type (adult books, children's books, and so forth), or publishing date, to name a few. You can find facets under Limit Search Results on the left side of the page. Facets are listed by category, such as Author, Collection, Material Type, Electronic Format, and so forth. Here are some ways you can use facets to refine your search:

• Select a facet. Each facet narrows the search to specific works in the library. For example, if you select "Adult Books," your search results will only include items that are adult books.
• Select multiple facets. Each time you select a facet, the search results update, narrowing the search even further. For example, if you select the "Adult Book" facet and later select the facet for a specific author, your search results will only include adult books by that author.

• Include or exclude facets. Each facet has Include and Exclude buttons. Set the checkbox next to one or more facets, then click Include or Exclude. "Include" requires all displayed search results to pertain to the facet. "Exclude" removes content pertaining to the facet from all displayed search results. For example, if you want to search for "potter" but don't want to include books by J. K. Rowling, you can filter out those books by excluding the "Rowling, J. K." Author facet.

Use the More or Fewer options to expose or hide facets within a field incrementally. You can also use the View All option to open all of the facets in a separate window. Collapse All resets the facet display for that type.

Use the Publication Date facet to:

• Use the sliders to create a date range (for example, 1971-1990). Then select whether you want to include or exclude that date range in your search results.
• Enter a date range in the text box (for example, "1971"-"1990"). If you want the date range to have no end (up to the current date), leave the second text box blank (for example, "1971" - ""). Likewise, if you want the date range to go back as far as it can go, leave the first text box blank (for example, "" - "1971"). Select whether you want to include or exclude that date range in your search results.

Experiment! Facets let you be very flexible with search results. Try using the different facets and see what results you get.

How do I remove facets from my search criteria?

Any facets you have applied will appear in the Narrowed By section. Facets you have included in search results will have a  (plus) sign; facets you have excluded will have a  (minus) sign. Click  next to a facet to remove that specific facet, or remove all facets by clicking Clear All.