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Why use this database?
This database is useful as a guide for anyone doing biographical
or genealogical research. Citations from this database can lead
to many sources of information.
Description: Indexes current, readily available reference
sources, as well as the most important retrospective works that
cover individuals, both living and deceased, from every field of
activity and from all areas of the world.
Availability and Use Restrictions:
In-Library Use:
Available at all library locations
Remote
Use: Boston Public Library card required.
Searching
There are three search screens; Name, Advanced, and Expert.
Name Search
- Type a name in the search box.
- Check Name Contains or Start of Last Name.
- Click SEARCH.
Advanced Search
Allows you to build complex search expressions.
- Type a word (s) into one or more search box(es).
- Use the Boolean operators to broaden or narrow the search.
- Enter the date of birth or death if known
- Click SEARCH.
Expert Search
You can create search queries that meet very specific criteria which
may not be searchable using the available pre-defined search options.
- Enter in parentheses () a two-digit abbreviation for a field, followed
by the terms you wish to find in that field.
- List of fields:
NA Name
PR Prefix (e.g., Sister, Dr., etc.), Suffix
and Functional Title (e.g., Jr., Sr., III, etc.)
FN First and Middle
Name(s)
LN Last Name
YB Year of Birth
YD Year of Death
SC Source
Citation (provides the title, edition, place of publication, publisher,
year of publication, notes, source title code, and portrait indicator,
as applicable
PT Source Title, or Title Code
PV Portrait Availability ("Yes")
NC Number of Source Citations
TX Free Text
- Use Boolean
operators to broaden or narrow your search.
- Sample Search: To
identify individuals that have reigned as King or Queen during the
Middle Ages, construct your search like this: (NA king or queen
and YB >= 500 and YB <= 1500)
- Click SEARCH.
Using the Boolean Operators
Combining Terms
Use OR to connect similar terms. OR broadens your
search.
Example: hispanic or latino
Use AND to connect separate concepts. AND narrows
your search.
Example: doctor and surgeon
Use NOT to eliminate separate concepts. NOT narrows
your search.
Example: kennedy not politician
Truncating Terms
Use * to replace one or more characters at the end of a
search term.
Example: drug* (retrieves drug, drugs, druggist)
Use ? to replace one character within a search term.
Example: >wom?n (retrieves woman, women)
Proximity Searching
Use n# to find terms within a specified number(#) of words
of each other regardless of the order.
Example: white n2 constance (retrieves White, Helen Constance;
Glenn,Constance White)
Use w# to find terms within a specified number(#) of words
of each and in a specific order.
Example: white w2 constance (retrieves White, Helen Constance;
but not Glenn,Constance White)
Displaying Search Results
Search results are displayed in a citation list:
- Use the scroll bar to move through the list.
- Click the PAGE NUMBER or RIGHT ARROW or LEFT
ARROW to display more entries.
- Click an entry to display the matching full record.
- Use the scroll bar to move through the record.
- Click RESULTS LIST to return to the list of results.
Marking Records
- Click in the check box next to the title on the Results List.
- You can mark results from multiple searches to print/email/download.
- Click UPDATE MARK LIST.
- Click VIEW MARK LIST to display the list of selected
records.
Printing Search Results
- Display the record, or marked records to be printed.
- Click PRINT.
- A print friendly version of the page will appear.
- Click FILE then PRINT PREVIEW.
- Make sure the pages are what you want. If you are using this
database within a BPL location there is a charge
for computer printing.
- Click PRINT on the print preview window.
- Click PRINT on the print command window.
- Click BACK to back up.
Downloading Search Results
- Display record, or marked citation list to be downloaded.
- Insert a formatted disk into a floppy drive.
- Click PRINT.
- A print friendly version of the page will appear.
- Click FILE then SAVE AS.
- Type the disk drive, the filename and .txt in the FILE NAME
box.
Example: a:myfile.txt
- Click SAVE.
Emailing Search Results
- Display record, or marked records to be emailed.
- Click EMAIL.
- Type your email address in the MAIL TO box.
- Choose the format of the message.
- Click SEND.
- A confirmation message appears.
- Click BACK to back up.
Beginning a New Search
- Click in the search box at top of page and enter a new term.
- Or, click Advanced Search or Expert Search.
Exiting
- Click HOME at the top of the screen to return
to the Boston Public Library Web site.
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