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In
general |
Keep it simple. Unless you know specific information about your source, start with a
basic keyword search. You can narrow it down later. Try related words and
synonyms if your keyword search isn't bringing up results. |
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Search by
Title
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To find a specific book
when you are sure of the title, do an Exact search then click
on title.
if you know some words
in the title, but aren't sure of the exact title, do a Keyword
search and click on title.
If you are sure of the first word of the title
(ignoring articles), it works well to use the Browse option
and title field. |
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Search by
Author |
To locate books by a
specific author, mark the Exact or Browse option, entering in the
author's last name then click on author button.
If it is a common last name and you
know both the first and last name, type them both in the box, last name
first, to focus
your search on the specific author you need. |
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Search by
Subject
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Don't do an exact
subject search unless you know the exact Library of Congress subject term,
but you can try a Keyword search in the subject field
if you think your search term is likely part of the official Library
of Congress subject heading. Otherwise, try the Browse or
Keyword
option in the words or phrases field.
Once you have found a
relevant book, you can find more books on the same subject by
clicking on the book title, then clicking on the Catalog
Record link. There you will find the official Library of
Congress subject term or terms; click on one of these to find more books on that subject. |
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Other tips |
Use the symbol $ after
the root of a word to find all forms of it, including plural.
Make use of the Xref
(cross references) and
Try these too features in eCatalog.
If your search is retrieving
too many, or irrelevant results, focus it through an Advanced Search. |
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