Quick and Advanced Search (Catalog Help)

From the Sno-Isle Libraries home page you can quickly search the library catalog directly from the catalog search box in the upper left corner. Follow these steps:

1. Type a word or words in the Search box.
2. Click Go.

With advanced searching, you can do a complex, focused keyword search, combining several search terms and selecting a search field for each one. You do not need to know any special commands to do advanced searching.

You can combine search terms with the following connector words (also called logical operators, or Boolean operators):

• And - Search results must match the search text before And, and the search text after And.

  [Example: A search for Subject: planets And Author: Asimov finds only the works written by Asimov about planets. Any works about planets by other writers and any works by Asimov about other subjects are ignored.]

• Or - Search results can match the search text before Or, the search text after Or, or both search terms.

  [Example: The search Any field: planets Or Author: Asimov finds all works written by Asimov, as well as all works containing the word planets in any search field. These last works include titles by Isaac Asimov and titles by other authors.]

• Not - Search results must match the search text before Not, but must not include the search text after Not.

  [Example: A search that specifies Any field: planets Not Author: Asimov finds works containing the word planets in any search field, except works by Asimov.]

1. Select Advanced on the menu bar.
2. Click the first Find Any field arrow symbol, and select a search field from the list. For search field descriptions, see instructions for Browse and Keyword Searching.
3. Type the search text in the empty box next to the first field.
4. Click the first And arrow symbol, and select one of the following operators to combine the first term with the next term:
   • Select And to specify that the results must match both the first term and the next term.
   • Select Or to specify that the results can match the first term, or the second term, or both.
   • Select Not to specify that the results must match the first term, but must not match the second term. (Note: If you type one of these operators in a search term box, it is treated as search text, not as an operator.)
5. Click the second Any field arrow symbol, select a search field from the list, and type the second term in the empty box next to the second field.
6. If you want to add more search terms, repeat steps 2-5. As you add search terms, the bar at the top of the page displays your search command. The terms you entered are displayed in normal type. The search commands, operators, and punctuation that the program creates are displayed in bold type. When the search is launched, the operators will be processed according to the following order of precedence (lower values take precedence over higher values):
   • AND = 1
   • OR = 2
   • NOT = 3
   The search bar at the top of the page shows the order of precedence by placing nesting parentheses where appropriate. Terms within parentheses are processed first.

   (Tip: If you leave a text entry box empty, the operator and search field associated with the text box are ignored. As you construct your search, the form shows the active boxes in a contrasting color.)

7. To add another set of search terms, follow these steps:
   • a) Click Add or exclude another set of search terms. The plus sign next to this link changes to a minus sign, and the page expands to display another set of four search fields.

     (You can click the minus sign to collapse the page again.)

   • b) By the Add or exclude link, select an operator (And, Or, Not) to connect the two sets of search terms.
   • c) Type the second set of search terms. As you type, you see your search command in the bar at the top of the page. Your search terms cannot be greater than 1,000 characters total. When the search is launched, terms in the top portion are placed in parentheses and processed in order of precedence, the terms in the bottom portion are placed in parentheses and processed in order of precedence, then the top and bottom sections are combined according to the operator that separates them.
8. If you want to find only a certain kind of material, click the arrow symbol in the Limit by box, and select an option from the list.
9. Click More Search Options for additional ways to make your search more specific.
10. Click Go to launch the search. When the search is finished, the search results list is displayed.

[Note: When you choose to sort by publication date, the sorting of serial titles in the results may not be obvious since the publication date is not displayed in the brief results for these titles.]

11. If you want to have the search results sorted by a category other than the one displayed, click the Sort drop down box and select a sorting option.