Using Your Library Module #1 : How to find materials in Danforth Using Your Library Module #1 A Short Paragraph of Library History : A Short Paragraph of Library History Most libraries have made it possible to search their collections online in what is known in the library world as an:
Online Public Access Catalog or OPAC for short.
Danforth is no exception to this. However… : However… To provide more resources and a better catalog to it’s users, Danforth Library belongs to a consortium (or collective) of libraries called GMILCS. All of the GMILCS libraries share one online catalog together. Because of this… : Because of this… Searching the online catalog for material can sometimes be confusing. This will give you a step-by-step guide to searching, and hopefully will give you some tips to doing better and more productive searches. Step #1: Get to the catalog. : Step #1: Get to the catalog. To search the catalog, you need to be there.
Go to www.nec.edu/library.
On the left hand side, there will be a link that says “Library Catalog.”
Click on this link. This is what your catalog looks like. : This is what your catalog looks like. Four top tabs : Four top tabs Very general info about the library. Brings you to the default search screen(the same one you get when you click on the link to the catalog). Allows you to look at your library account after you log in, and view your information. Provides you with very basic help with your account (how you view fines, how you place a hold). Bottom Tabs: Keyword : Bottom Tabs: Keyword Clicking on the “keyword” tab is the same as the “default” screen. In this search mode, you can type in any subject, author or title you want and click on the “GO” button. This will give you the MOST results, but they may not be the most relevant. Keyword Search Strategies : Keyword Search Strategies To get more precise results, you can type in your term in the “Keyword” box, and use the “Search By” drop down menu to choose a specific method (such as title, author, or subject). For example, if you want a book by Stephen Hawking, you can type “Hawking” into the Keyword search box, and then select “Author” from the search by menu. Keyword Search Strategies # 2 : Keyword Search Strategies # 2 You can also choose to use the “Narrow Search by” drop down menu. This allows you to type in a term in the Keyword box and narrow your search by a certain TYPE of material. This is particularly helpful if you are looking to see what material on your topic is available at New England College. ( Select “Danforth items only” from the menu). Keyword Search Strategies #3 : Keyword Search Strategies #3 There is also a “Sort by” drop down menu, which allows you to choose in which order you would like to receive your keyword search results. Browse : Browse The “Browse “ tab allows you to do just that! Browse what the library has by subject, title, or author by entering a term. Phrase : Phrase The “phrase” search works much like keyword search. The only difference is that if you type in a string of words (a phrase), it will search the catalog for that exact sentence, and return all matches. The example shown uses “stitch in time” as the phrase, and it returned a book with that title, as well as some other results. The “other”tabs. : The “other”tabs. You will most likely use the other tabs on the catalog less, but the next slide will provide a quick rundown of their functions. Other tab functions : Other tab functions The “advanced” tab has the most of the same functions as your Keyword searches drop down menus (like, “narrow search” and “sort by” options). The “Boolean” search allows you to search for terms with “AND” or “OR” in between. (Ex: college AND writing) “Dictionary” allows you to find definitions for words. “Thesaurus” finds synonyms for words. Step 2: Example Search : Step 2: Example Search The next few slides will go through an example “subject” search for material in Danforth Library. First… : First… Type your term into the Keyword Search box. For this example, we will use the term “globalization.” Next… : Next… From the “search by” menu, select “Subject”. Then… : Then… From the “Narrow Search By” drop down menu, select “Danforth Items Only.” Finally… : Finally… Click on “GO”! Your results! : Your results! You should get a list of results that is pertinent to your subject topic. That’s great! How do I get this book? : That’s great! How do I get this book? Next, we will take a look at the search results and find out how to read an item record. What a record looks like… : What a record looks like… Title Call #: (where the book is in the library). Click on the “availability” button to see if it’s checked out. Click on the “full display” button for a more detailed record. Slide 24: The “full display” of a record allows you to see more detailed information. The terms in blue that are listed under “subject” are additional keywords related to your search that may have relevant materials to your topic. It also has content information about the book when available. Slide 25: The availability button allows you to see what libraries have this book and where they are located. What if you don’t have what I need? : What if you don’t have what I need? We have ways of handling this! If the Danforth Library does not have something that you need, you can always request it through Interlibrary Loan, by filling out a form on our website (www.nec.edu/library).
Request Forms What if I am not on campus? : What if I am not on campus? If you are an off campus student, you have a few options. If the material is located at Danforth Library, we will most likely mail it to your home (unless it is an irreplaceable item). If we do not own it, we will find another library that owns it near you. We always do our best to accommodate requests, so please contact us if you need anything! Contact Information for the Library : Contact Information for the Library H. Raymond Danforth Library
98 Bridge St.
Henniker, NH 03432
Phone: (603) 428-2344