Luther Rice University Bertha Smith Library

1. Luther Rice UniversityBertha Smith Library Learning to Use the Online Library Catalog

2. Click on the “Catalog Search” link from the Main Menu in the Library Home page at http://library.lru.edu/.

3. Catalog Layout Spectrum offers a very user-friendly search interface. Search terms are typed into the text boxes, Search types are listed in drop down boxes, And several large icons across the bottom of the screen offer other options.

4. Searching the Catalog To run a search, enter a search term into the text box. Then choose the type of search from the pull down menu to the left of the text box. The “Key Words” search finds the term in any major category, such as subject headings, author, title, contents, etc. The “Title” search looks only through the title lists. The “Author” search finds the names of the author(s). The “Call Number” search looks for items near specific call number. And the “ISBN” and “LCCN” searches focus on an items International Standard Book Number and Library of Congress Classification Number, respectively. The “Subject” search finds the term in the subject headings field.

5. Searching the Catalog To run a search, enter a search term into the text box. Then choose the type of search from the pull down menu to the left of the text box. You can also use the three “Boolean Searches” to refine or expand your search results The “And Not” search looks for the first, but not the second term. This refines results. The “OR” search looks for EITHER term. This expands results. The “And” search looks for BOTH terms. This refines results. With all of your search terms enter, click “Search”

6. Searching the Catalog The results page displays material titles that match the criteria of your search, their author, call number, and material type. Notice that E-books use dewey decimal numbers. Click the title of the material that interests you for more information.

7. Accessing Results On this page you see the call number and bibliographic information, such as title, author, ISBN, etc. This page also shows the item’s subject heading(s) and any added entries. Any of the hyperlinked texts can be clicked to perform a new search using this keyword. For example, clicking “Temple Mount (Jerusalem)” will search for items with that specific subject heading.

8. Searching the Catalog If the material is available, use the bibliographic information when submitting requests for books from the Library. If the “Status” column says “In”, then the item is available. If the “Status” column says “Out”, then the item has been checked out by another patron. If the “Status” column says “Lost”, then the item is no longer in the Library and needs to be replaced. To find out if an item is available, click “Show Copies.”

9. Advanced Search Tips • The Online Catalog includes several features that can make searching and referencing easier. Some of these include: • The Bookbag: Select your item and click “Bookbag” at the bottom of the page, and it will be stored and kept in future references. Useful when building a bibliography • Bibliography: On the results page, click “Bibliography” to display in print format the bibliographic entries for all items in your bookbag. • Clicking the “Keep” box on the results page lets you run a new search but have the selected items reappear on the new results page, regardless of whether or not the items fit the search criteria. This is a useful feature if you want to keep track of a particular item but need to do more searches. • To reserve a book online, click the “Copies” button beside each item on the results page. Click “Reserve” on the following page. PLEASE DO NOT PLACE BOOKS ON RESERVE THAT HAVE COPIES LISTED AS AVAILABLE! • Sometimes, it is useful browse the call numbers near an item of interest. This has exactly the same result as going to a physical shelf and seeing what is near an item. As materials are mostly shelved with like-materials, this can be a great way to find other sources. • Be sure to remember that some items are E-Books. These can be accessed directly without contacting the Library. Simply click the weblink at the bottom of the title info page to take you to the book (hosted at NetLibrary). A tutorial on searching and accessing E-Books is also available on the Library website.

10. For further help . . . Congratulations! You’ve completed the Bertha Smith Online Library Catalog tutorial. If you have any further questions, you can: • Request assistance from any of the Library staff, or • Send questions to library@lru.edu or call 770-484-1204 ext. 263. Happy researching!