How to search the Catalogue

Watch a demonstration of simple searching after Keyword search below. 

Keyword

The Keyword search allows you to search for a word or words in a title, subject, author, corporate author or note. Use a Keyword search if you know some of the words but are unsure of the exact title or author's name, the complete subject heading or the order of words in the heading, or the correct spelling of one or more words. A Keyword search can also be used if other searches have not located the information you require.

• Enclose phrases in quotation marks or they will be searched as separate words joined together with “and”. Phrase searches will find records that contain all the words you typed, in the same order.

• Truncation (*) or wildcard (?) may be used after a minimum of two characters.
  (*) A single asterisk finds up to five characters in the middle or at the end of a word.
  (**) Two asterisks finds unlimited characters at the end of a word.
  (?) A question mark may be used to find any single character in the specified place in the word.

• If you don't find what you are looking for, try changing your search words and limit options. Click on the MODIFY SEARCH button on the search result screen to return to the original search screen. Make some changes and try again.

Click for Demonstration

Author

The Author search allows you to search for a specific author, editor, or organisation. Use an Author search to find works by individual authors, editors, compilers etc. or corporate bodies such as government departments and institutions. To find works about an author or corporate body, use a Subject or Keyword search.

For personal (individual) authors, type the author's surname or the surname followed by the first name or initial and press ENTER or click on Submit Search.

Title

The Title search allows you to search for a specific title of a book, journal, video or other work. Use the Title search when you know the exact title or the first few words in the title of a work. If you know some words but not the exact title or order of words, use a Keyword search.

Type as much or as little of the exact title as you want and press ENTER or click on Submit Search.

Subject

The Subject search allows you to search for items about topics, authors, individuals and organisations. If you are unsure of the exact heading or the order of words, search for relevant materials using a title, author or keyword search. Then cut and paste a subject heading from one of the items in the search results into a subject heading search.

Type as much or as little as you want of the subject heading and press ENTER or click on Submit Search.