How do I search for resources on Library Search using a phrase?
Answer
To search for a phrase on Library Search, type quotation marks around the phrase. You can combine both words and phrases in your search. For example, to search for global warming as a phrase, type "global warming" into the search box.
If you don't enclose the phrase with quotation marks, the system will find items that contain the individual words in the phrase, regardless of whether these words are located next to each other in the order specified.
Searching for any specified words or phrases
You can search for items that contain at least one of the words or phrases you type in the Search box. To do so, type OR between the words or phrases. For example, to search for items with the word Irish or the word Celtic, type Irish OR Celtic into the search box.
If you search for words or phrases without specifying OR or NOT, Library Search assumes that you are searching for all the specified words or phrases. To use Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) within search phrases, you must enter them in uppercase letters. Otherwise, Library Search removes them and performs a simple search that includes all search phrases.
Excluding words or phrases
You can exclude items that contain specific words or phrases. To do this, type NOT and then type the word or phrase to exclude. For example, to search for items with the word Celtic and exclude any of these items with the word Irish, type Celtic NOT Irish into the search box.
If you search for words or phrases without specifying OR or NOT, Library Search assumes that you are searching for all the specified words or phrases.
Searching using Wildcard characters
You can include the following wildcard characters in your searches:
- Enter a question mark to perform a single character wildcard search. For example, type wom?n to search for resources about woman and women.
- Enter an asterisk to perform a multiple character wildcard search. For example, type cultur* to search for resources including the words culture, cultural, and culturally.
The system ignores wildcard characters placed at the beginning of search terms. For example, the system treats the search terms ?aying and *aying as if you had searched for aying.
Grouping search terms
You can use brackets to group terms within a search. For example, to search for art and either Ireland or Eire, type art (ireland OR eire) into Library Search.
