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English Resources: Finding Books

Library Catalog

Search the Library Catalog

Vanderbilt University Library Catalog

Selecting the best search scope for your research needs

Search Scope What is included? When should I use it?
Library Catalog
  • broadest search scope
  • results will include books and ebooks, articles, and media like DVDs
  • agreat option when you are just beginning your research process.
  • use Library Catalog when you want to survey the research landscape for your topic
VU Collections
  • focuses on VU owned items, physical and digital
  • results will include books and ebooks, and media like DVDs
  • digital collections like the TV News Archive will also be included in your results
  • you have defined your information needs
  • use VU Collections when you are ready to create a tailored search for your topic
Articles
  • content from selected VU databases
  • popular and scholarly articles
  • use Articles to find popular and scholarly articles on your topic.
  • the Articles scope does not search across all databases accessible to the Vanderbilt community.
  • not finding the articles you need or want more database options?

For a more detailed explanation of your search scope options consult What am I searching?

 

Basic Keyword Search

  • Use AND to narrow a search and return only records that contain both terms.
  • Use " " around phrases.
  • Don't forget to select a search scope!

Screen shot - basic catalog search

 

  • Use OR to broaden a search and return all records that contain either term or both terms.
  • Don't forget to select a search scope!

Screen shot - Basic search using OR

Finding Books About an Author (Author as Subject), Including Criticism

  • Select Subject and enter the author's name (last name first).
  • Special characters like accents and umlauts can be ignored.

Screen shot - Advanced search (subject)

 

Finding Individual Works in a Collection

  • Select Any field and enter keyword(s) in the title of the work.
  • Select Author/Creator and enter the author's name (last name first).

Screen shot - Advanced Keyword search

 

 

Finding Criticism on an Individual Work

  • Select Any field and enter keyword(s) in the title of the work.
  • Select Subject and enter the author's name (last name first).

Screen shot - Advanced keyword search

SEARCH TIPS:

  • Use AND to combine terms & narrow your search
    • example: exile AND Ovid
  • Use OR to search for related terms & expand your search
    • example: poetry OR epic
  • Use NOT to exclude terms from your search
    • example: poetry NOT epic
  • Use * to truncate a word & return all possible endings
    • example: matriarch* (will return matriarch, matriarchs, matriarchal, matriarchy, etc.)
  • Use ALL CAPS for AND and OR and NOT