Help - Searches

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to the top Search

Search is the main entry point to the Catalogue. You can select from the dropdown menu and carry out any of the Catalogue search types from this screen.

Refer to the relevant sections of this Help for help with each search type.

to the top Keywords search

Keywords looks for your search words in all parts of a catalogue record including Author, Title, Subject, Notes and Publisher. You may truncate your search words and combine them with Boolean operators.

Use Keywords:

  • if you cannot otherwise find what you want
  • to do a broad search of the Catalogue, for example:

nardoo
will find items that contain that word anywhere in the record

world war and 1914 and diary
will find items that contain those words anywhere in the record.

  • to find items published by a particular publisher for example:
    Jacaranda Press
  • to search subject headings and authors simultaneously, for example: talking books and Dick Francis will find items with the words talking books (in the subject headings) and Dick Francis (in the author field).

For further help check Selecting keywords.

Title (keywords)

If you do not know the exact title, select Title (keywords).
The keywords search will give you a list of titles which contain your word(s) in any order. For example:

children honour
will find 'Honour And Other Peoples Children Two Stories'

Woomera will find every title containing that word.

You may also truncate and combine your search words with Boolean operators. For further help check Selecting keywords.

Title (starts with)

If you know the first word(s) of your title select Title (starts with).
Type as much or as little of your title as you want or know, for example:

don't take your love to town
don't take

to the top Subject search

Use Subject to find all of the items in the Library on a particular topic. While authors use titles to describe the contents of their books, library catalogues describe books and other items using subject headings from an internationally accepted list.

Subject (starts with)

Subject (starts with) finds a list of the subject headings the Catalogue uses to describe your topic. Clicking on a heading will give you a list of titles which have been allocated that heading.

To do a Subject (starts with) search you need to know the exact words and word order used in your subject heading, for example:

Art Australian aboriginal Artists.

This will give you a list of subject headings that begin with these words. Then click on a subject heading to see a list of items to which it has been assigned.

If you do not know an exact subject heading, find a relevant item in the catalogue by doing a Title (keywords) search, then search for other items with the same subject headings. For example:

  1. to find books on aboriginal artists, first do a Title (keywords) search on aboriginal artists
  2. in the Result list, click on titles to see the full bibliographic record including the subject headings allocated to each title.
  3. click on a subject heading to go to the subject headings list, and click again to see a complete list of titles on that topic.

You can also do a Subject (keywords) search.

Subject (keywords)

If you do not know the exact subject heading select Subject (keywords), it will give you a list of titles with subject headings containing your search word(s). For example, in Subject (keywords):

birds cranes
the results will include:
Enora and the black crane / Arone Raymond Meeks
With the migratory birds to Africa / trans. by F. R. Barton
Messengers of the gods: cranes in the life of man.

Click on a title to see the full bibliographic information including the subject headings and location.

You may also truncate and combine your search words with Boolean operators. For further help check Selecting keywords.

to the top Author search

Authors can be organisations, companies and government departments, as well as individuals. Like subject headings, library catalogues use standardised versions of authors' names, especially for organisations and government bodies.

Author (starts with)

Author (starts with) gives you a list of author names to choose from. Click on the correct name to find items by that author.

To find a personal author using Author (starts with) search, type surname and then first name, for example:

Prichard, Katharine Susannah
Prichard, Katharine
Prichard

If you use the wrong word order you will be prompted to search again.

To find an organisation or government body using Author (starts with) search, type the name in the exact order used by the catalogue, for example:

Australian Medical Association
New South Wales Dept. of Community Services
Australia Dept of Employment Education and Training
Telstra Corporation

NB: Use the abbreviation 'Dept' for Department in the Author name. Use 'New South Wales' in full in the Author name.

If you do not know the exact current name of a government department or organisation, you can refer to The Australian Government Directory at http://www.agd.com.au/home.html or ask at the Information Desk.

Author (keywords)

If you do not know the author's exact name, select Author (keywords). The keywords search will give you a list of titles by authors whose names contain your search words in any order, for example:

Ruby Langford
will give you 'Don't take your love to town' / Ruby Langford and 'Haunted by the past' / Ruby Langford Ginibi

You may also truncate and combine your search words with Boolean operators. For further help check Selecting keywords.

to the top Author /Title search

This search combines an Author (starts with) search with a Title (keywords) search. You need to enter search words in both the author and title boxes.

Type the author's family name first, or family name only, for example:

Buzo
Buzo, Alex
Buzo, A

Then type all or some of the words in the title, in any order, for example:

Kiwese

To find items by an organisation or government body, type its name in the exact order used by the Catalogue, for example:

New South Wales Dept of Community Services

Then type all or some of the words in the title box, in any order for example:

equal employment

You may truncate your search words in the title box in this search. For further help check Selecting keywords.

to the top ISBN or ISSN search

To search for an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) or ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) use Quick search and select 'ISBN/ISSN' from the dropdown box.

Type in as much of the ISBN/ISSN as you know. You do not need to enter hyphens, for example:

18751
1875173056
0028
0028 0836


to the top Call number search

Call number search is available under the Quick Search drop-down box.

Use a call number search to locate items with a known call number or see a list of items with the same or similar call number.

Enter as much of the call number as you know, including the letter prefix, for example:

994.0049
N994.0049
NQ994.0049
DS994.03
S994.03

994.0049
will not find NQ994.0049 or any other letter prefix

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