Springfield Library: Tips for Using the Online Catalog

Tips for Using the Online Catalog

The "front page" of the catalog contains a button for each kind of search you can do. To start one of these searches, just click on the button. Help is available on each search screen. Search buttons include:

	or composer, performer, illustrator, etc.;
	start with the first word of the title, excluding words 'a', 'an' or 'the';
	helpful for prolific authors or for common names or titles;
	This is a phrase search. Otherwise, use AND, OR, NEAR, AND NOT in between words;
	exact subject headings; and
	such as call# and ISBN/ISSN searches.

If you know:	Use this search
The name (title) of a book, video, or magazine	TITLE
Who wrote the book	AUTHOR
The general subject	KEYWORD
Exact subject heading	SUBJECT
The name (title) of a play	TITLE
Who wrote the music	AUTHOR
A few words from the title	KEYWORD
Who starred in the video	AUTHOR
Part of the author's name and part of the title	AUTHOR/TITLE
Who performs the music	AUTHOR
The name of a song	KEYWORD

Once you have started your search, you can modify the results in several ways by using the button at the top of the screen.

Limit This Search:

by publication date
by material type (videos, sound recordings, books, large type, ebooks, etc.)
by language (Spanish, English, French, Russian, Vietnamese, etc.)
by location (branches or other libraries)
by words in title, author, subject, and publisher fields
to sort results by year

Search tips:

click on the blue title link to get the call# and location
check your spelling if you don't get the results you expect
keyword searching acts as a phrase search. If you don't want a phrase search, use AND in between words.
to get back to a list of results, click the button
use the and buttons to move around a list of results
once you find a suitable book, follow the subject links at the bottom of the record to find similar items
use the ** for truncation
Boolean searching is available in the keyword field only (using AND, OR, NEAR, AND NOT)
use the drop-down menu to change a Title or Subject search to a Keyword search
use the drop-down menu to search in a different library or in all Western MA libraries
Ask a Librarian for help!

Catalog features include:

Ability to search the holdings of the Springfield Library or any other libraries in the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System.
Access to your library record online (see below for details)
Boolean searching in the keyword field only (using AND, OR, NEAR, AND NOT)
Truncation with an **
Links to free electronic books
Create a list of marked records and email them to yourself or someone else!

Your Library Record:

You can view your library record online, including items you have charged out, fines you may owe, and items you have on hold. You may also renew materials you have borrowed. The first time you access your record online, you will be prompted to choose a PIN (Personal Identification Number). Choose a word or set of numbers that you can remember easily. If you forget your PIN, go to the Circulation Desk at your local library for assistance. The librarian will ask for a positive form of identification before resetting your PIN.

If you need assistance, call the Springfield Library Reference Desk at 413-263-6828 ext. 213 or use the online Ask a Librarian service.

Springfield Library
http://www.springfieldlibrary.org
220 State Street
Springfield MA 01103
413-263-6828

This page last updated: 3/24/04