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Search Tips:  

Limiting in Basic Search  

 Limits may only be used with Keyword, Title, Journal Title, Author & Corporate Names, Keyword Everywhere and Command searches.
Limits are retained between searches until they are removed.
Use Quick Limit to apply a single, commonly-used limit to your current search.
Use Limits to apply one or more limits (such as years, languages, locations, etc.) to your searches. Remember, limits are retained between searches until removed.
Quick Limit and Limits cannot be used simultaneously.
 
Keyword   This keyword search is a relevance search that defaults to 'AND' between  terms.
For example: dogs cats will retrieve all items containing both dogs and cats somewhere in the record.
To truncate, use a question mark. For example: child? will retrieve child, child's, children, childhood, etc.
To search phrases in Basic Search, use quotes. For example: "French Revolution".  Phrase searching does not work in Advanced Search.
 		  
Title and Journal Title   Omit initial articles (a, an, the, el, la, etc.) when doing a title search:
lewis and clark journals NOT the lewis and clark journals
Author & Corporate Names For individuals, enter last name first, followed by first name, if known:
shakespeare william
For organizations or groups, enter the name:
american psychological association
It is ok to enter just the first couple of words in the name and the search will automatically truncate.
 
Subject Keyword Anywhere   Searches by Library of Congress Subject headings. This search may match individual words in more than one heading. The Library of Congress Subject Heading books (the red book) located in the Reference Collection may help you determine the correct heading.
If the search does not retrieve the results you expected, try a Keyword search.
 
KW Subject, Title, Author    This keyword search defaults to 'AND' between terms and searches only the subject, title and author fields.
Call Number Searching   The Albertsons Library uses several types of call number searches. Call Number Browse will search any of these types. For all, type as much of the call number as you know, including spaces and punctuation.
  • LC call number example: ND553.M37 A4 1986
  • Dewey Decimal call number example: 808.02 Sh25a 2002
  • Government Documents call number example: PrEx 2.2:B 62
  • Other call number examples:
                a.   MATH Elem. Allyn (for CRC textbooks)
                b.   MICROFICHE 123
                c.   M 1183 (for phonorecords)
                d.   MSS 021 (for manuscript collections)
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    Quick Limits     Use Quick Limit to apply a single, commonly-used limit to your current search in Basic Search. Examples:
  • None - no limits selected
  • BSU Albertsons Library - items held by Albertsons Library
  • BSU E-books - electronic books held by Albertsons Library
  • BSU Albertsons Library Curriculum Resource Center - items held by Albertsons Library, housed in the CRC
  • BSU Albertsons Library Reference - items held by Albertsons Library, housed in Reference
  • BSU Albertsons Library Theses - items held by Albertsons Library that are BSU student theses
  • BSU Albertsons Library LC NonBook - items held by Albertsons Library that are specifically non-book items and have been assigned a Library of Congress call number
  • Videorecording - items that are DVD or VHS
  • Sound Recordings - items that are CD or sound cassettes (music or books on tape)
  • Music Scores - items that are strictly musical scores
  • Serials - items that are journals, magazines, or periodicals


    • Quick Limits and Limits cannot be used simultaneously.
    Limits   Limits can only be used with Keyword, Title, Journal Title, Author (Person or Corporate), Keyword Everywhere, and Command searches on the Basic Search Screen, but can be used on all searches on the Advanced Search Screen.
  • Location - sets limits to where the item is held, same as the Quick Limit
  • Medium - choose the type of format such as computer file, videorecording or posters, photographs, pictures
  • Item type - choose the type of item such as musical sound recording, map, or kit
  • Date - choose a range of years, before or after certain dates, or a specific date
  • Language - choose from over 100 languages the item could be published in
  • Place of publication - choose from over 200 countries worldwide and all US states

    Limits and Quick Limits cannot be used simultaneously.
    		•

    Help Contents

    This file last modified 08/11/09