Availability and Use Restrictions:
In-Library
Use: Available at all the Central Library Only.
Remote Use: Not available for this database
Searching
There are five search screens: Quick, Advanced Expert, Index, and
Thesaurus.
Quick Search
- Type a word or
words in the search boxes.
- Choose any combination
of options to help narrow or broaden your search by using the
pull down menus in front of the search boxes.
- Narrow your search
if desired by adding an author or using the limiting options for
dates and publisher.
- Click SEARCH.
Advanced Search
Allows you to build complex search expressions.
- Click Change Search/Display Level
- Select Advance Search, click Continue.
- Type a word(s) in one or more search boxes.
- Use the Boolean operators or combine multiple fields to broaden
or narrow the search.
- Click SEARCH.
Expert Search
Use to create complex search sets which can be combined.
- Click Change Search/Display Level
- Select Expert Search, click Continue.
- Type a word or words in the search box, using Boolean operators
as needed.
- Use the Thesaurus, T, and Index, I, buttons to
find terms and phrases to search.
- Click the arrow after FIELDS GUIDE to find the specific
search-field tag.
- Click SEARCH.
Index/Thesaurus Search
Use to browse terms and to find all the permutations of a term.
- From the Quick Search or Advanced Search screens, click on the
Index or Thesaurus button to the right of the search
box.
- Type a word or words in the search box.
- A list of terms will appear, click the box in front of the term
to select it.
- Click the Add to Search Box button to add the term to
your search.
- 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: flute and woodwind
Use NOT to eliminate separate concepts. NOT narrows
your search.
Example: piano not violin
Use ( ) to group words or phrases with Boolean operators
to show the order in which relationships should be considered.
Example: (Donizetti and bel canto) and opera
Truncating Terms
Use * to replace one or more characters at the end of a
search term.
Example: song* (retrieves song, songs, songster)
Use ? to replace one character within a search term.
Example: wom?n (retrieves woman, women)
Proximity Searching
Use near# to find terms within a specified number(#) of
words of each other and in any order.
Example: white near2 constance (retrieves White, Helen Constance;
or Glenn, Constance White)
Use adj# to find terms within a specified number(#) of words
of each other and in the specified order.
Example: white adj2 constance (retrieves White, Helen Constance;
but not Glenn, Constance White)
Displaying Search Results
Search results are displayed in citation format.
- Use the scroll bar to move through the list.
- Click NEXT to display more entries, click PREV
to move back to the previous display.
- Click the arrow next to SELECT DISPLAY FORMATS
to change the way results are displayed.
- Click VIEW DATABASE RECORD to see individual records.
- Use the scroll bar to move through the record.
- Click BACK TO CITATIONS to return to the list of results.
Marking Records
- Click in the check box next to the citation on the Results List.
- This works with the current set of results only, it is not cumulative.
Once you do a new search, the old marked records are deleted.
Printing Search Results
- To print a group of records, select the desired records in the
results. To print the current page, click on the Print this
Page button.
- Click the arrow by select Output Format to choose the
way you want to see the results.
- Click PRINT. If you are using this database within a
BPL location there is a charge for computer printing.
Downloading Search Results
- Select the desired records in the results.
- Click the arrow by select Output Format to choose
the way you want to see the results.
- Insert a formatted disk into a floppy drive.
- Click SAVE.
- Type the disk drive, the filename and .txt in the FILE NAME
box. Example:
a:myfile.txt
- Click SAVE
Emailing Search Results
- Select the desired records in the results.
- Click the arrow by Select Output Format to choose the
way you want to see the results.
- Click EMAIL.
- Type your email address in the EMAIL TO box.
- Type your email address in the FROM box.
- Type a subject and notes if desired.
- Click EMAIL RECORDS.
Beginning a New Search
- Click SEARCH SCREEN.
Exiting
Click Home at the top of the screen to return to the Boston
Public Library Web site.
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