To access the advanced search, click on the words "Advanced Search" to the right of the basic search box.
If you are using a mobile device, tap the three dots in the top left corner of your screen, then tap the words "Advanced Search".
Access advanced search on a PC.
Access Advanced Search on a mobile device.
Advanced Search allows you to perform more complex searches and is a great option if you have multiple search terms or want to find specific resources. Let's break down the different parts of the advanced search in the next few slides.
To navigate through these slides, click the arrows to the right or left, or click on one of the dots below these slides. You can also click and drag right or left to progress through the slides.
Search for: At the top of the search form, you will have the option to Search for which enables you to search within a specific category of materials, called a scope. Some of the most common search scopes are described below.
The query builder is the main purpose of the advanced search in your library's catalog. Use this builder to create specific searches, or queries, to find the information you need.
Build your search query with help from the slides below.
You can use Filters to limit your search results by specifying material or resource type, language, or publication date range.
Note the query preview at the bottom of this image - this gives a linear example of the search query you've built. It can be helpful to visualize your query this way if a complex search is becoming overwhelming. Don't forget that you can always ask your library staff for help when building queries - they are here to help you!
Click the word "SEARCH" to submit your search!
The query builder is the main purpose of the advanced search in your library's catalog. Use this builder to create specific searches, or queries, to find the information you need. Let's go through how to use this builder in the next few slides.
To navigate through these slides, click the arrows to the right or left, or click on one of the dots below these slides. You can also click and drag right or left to progress through the slides.
You can specify how you want the terms searched:
You can search all fields or narrow the search to a particular field. Examples of fields to search include author and title.
A "field" is a certain part of each item's information. The collective information that the library catalog searches for a particular item is called that item's record. Each piece of information within the record is called a field. These fields serve the same purpose across each record; the Title field always has the title information within it, the Author field always has the author information within it, and so on.
As an example, think of a song you like. That song has a record of information. What is the name of the song? Who wrote it? When was it released? What genre of music does it fall into? All of this information goes in particular fields within the song's informational record.
Operators – You can use AND, OR, and NOT when entering your search terms in the search box. Operators will allow you to narrow or broaden your search. In addition, the Operator drop-down list enables you to select the operator that is used between search lines.
Here is an example of an advanced search using operators. Resources returned will include either "pet therapy", "dogs", or "canines" anywhere in their record. They will also include either "mental health" or "anxiety" anywhere in the record. Finally, all resources returned will include the keyword "college students" anywhere in the record.
Note the query preview at the bottom of this image - this gives a linear example of the search query you've built. It can be helpful to visualize your query this way if a complex search is becoming overwhelming. Don't forget that you can always ask your library staff for help when building queries - they are here to help you!
