Library Search Options

The search form has been designed so that you can simply type your query and click on the Execute Search button, or else change the default search options in order to perform a more expert search. For more information on using the search form, click on one of the following options:

Default Search
Query and Index
Search Options
Display Options

Default Search

The form has been preset with the most commonly-used search options for this database. As a result, you can often perform your search simply by typing your query (search terms) and clicking the Execute Search button. Make sure, however, that the index shown in the Index drop-down list box is the one that you want to search.

Query and Index

Query - The Query text box allows you to type in the partial words, whole words or sentence fragments that make up your query or search statement.
Index - The Index drop-down list box allows you to select the index you wish to search. You may select the most pertinent index and enter an appropriate query.

Search Options

Any word (OR) - If you choose this option, the system will search the index you have selected and will find any records that have at least one of the words in your query (with the exception of "the", "if", etc.). It is important to note that if you enter many words, the system will most likely return a lot of records. Sometimes, this can be advantageous (if you're not quite sure what you're looking for), but otherwise it can be a time-consuming way of searching.
All words (AND) - If you choose this option, the system will search the index you have selected and will find any records that contain all of the words in your query (with the exception of "the", "if", etc.). It is important to note that if you enter many words, the system will most likely return very few records. This option is thus useful for very precise searches.
Partial words (right truncation) - If you choose this option the system will search the index you have selected and will find any records that contain at least one of the partial words in your query. Note that the system uses the right truncation operator when you search for a partial word or words. Thus, if you enter the partial word mo, the system will find all records having the word moat, mob, mock, modern, moet, etc., but not the word Alamo, almost, ammo, etc., in the index field you have selected.
Begins with - Choose this option if you know the first part of the name, title, subject, phrase, etc. that you are searching for. If you were performing a search in a database of popular music, for example, and you had chosen the title index, you might enter Raindrops keep fall, which would inevitably turn up the song Raindrops keep fallin' on my head. Note, however, that if you entered keep fall, the system would not find the song because "keep fall" is not at the beginning of the title.
Browse the index - Choose this option if you simply want to browse an alphabetic list of all the entries in the index you have selected. If, for example, you selected the name index in a historical database, and you entered Madison as your query, the system would position you at the first record where the name Madison appeared at the beginning of the name field. You would then be able to browse backward or forward through the entire database from this point.

Display Options

Number of records per page - Sometimes when you perform a search, the system returns a large number of records. If the number is especially large, you don't want the system to try and display them all at once, as this would slow down your search. For this reason, the number of records displayed per page is limited. Thus, if you select ten records per page and your search returns 50 records, you will be able to view (or scroll through) the first ten before you have to click on the Next page button to see the following ten records.
Summary or Full display - If you choose Summary display, the system will show a brief list of search results. Each item in the list will be a link to a full record. If you choose Full display, the system will show the same list, but instead of links, the full records themselves will be displayed.