9.1. Basic Search

Last Updated 04/02/2024

How to Perform a Basic Search

From the Basic Search screen, you can conduct a search of all materials owned by all libraries in the NC Cardinal Consortium.

This search can be as simple as typing keywords into the search box and clicking the Search button. Or you can make your search more precise by limiting your search by fields to search, material type or library location.

The Homepage contains a single search box for you to enter search terms. You can get to the Homepage at any time by clicking the Another Search link from the leftmost link on the bar above your search results in the catalog, or you can enter a search anywhere you see a search box.

You can select to search by:

Keyword: finds the terms you enter anywhere in the entire record for an item, including title, author, subject, and other information.
Title: finds the terms you enter in the title of an item.
Journal Title: finds the terms you enter in the title of a serial bib record.
Author: finds the terms you enter in the author of an item.
Subject: finds the terms you enter in the subject of an item. Subjects are categories assigned to items according to a system such as the Library of Congress Subject Headings. Note that you can also perform searches for genre headings, as well, using this search.
Series: finds the terms you enter in the title of a multi-part series.

To search an item copy call number, use Advanced Search: Numeric

Formats

You can limit your search by formats based on MARC fixed field type:

All Books
All Music
Audiocassette music recording
Blu-ray
Braille
Cassette audiobook
CD Audiobook
CD Music recording
DVD
E-audio
E-book
E-video
Equipment, games, toys
Kit
Large Print Book
Map
Microform
Music Score
Phonograph music recording
Phonograph spoken recording
Picture
Serials and magazines
Software and video games
VHS

Libraries

If you are using a catalog in a library or accessing a library’s online catalog from its homepage, the search will return items for that library. If your library has multiple branches, the result will display items available at your branch and all branches of your library system separately.

Knowledge Tags

search /

This page was: Helpful | Not Helpful