Library Databases Part 2

The online catalog

Outcomes Know the basic structure of a database Know how to search an online library

catalog effectively using keyword and subject searches

Know how to use Boolean logic in constructing a search query

The online library catalog

Is a database Consists of records, fields and terms Is based on the earlier card catalog

Precursor: card catalog

The card catalog consisted of drawers of cards

Each card was a record Each record contained fields, such as:

Author Title Subject

Drawer of records

Katz, Damien. "Error codes or Exceptions? Why is Reliable Software so Hard?" [Weblog] 27 April 2006. Damien Kurtz. 31 October 2007 <http://damienkatz.net/2006/04/error_code_vs_e.htm>.

A single record

Image source: University of Alaska, Fairbanks: www.uaf.edu/.../ls101/images/CatBibRec1.jpg

Fields in the record:

Author Title Place of publication Physical Description Subjects

That record today

In the online catalog at UW Libraries

Now search the SCC catalog

Open the library catalog Search the Author Field for Naske,

Claus M Select the author from the browse list Pull up the record by clicking on the

author name

What fields do you find?

Main author Other authors Subjects Publisher Location Notes

Some fields are links

These fields lead to other records The records may be related by author

or subject Linking records by fields helps us to

find related information

Access Points

The author, title, and subject fields are sometimes referred to as “access points”

They provide access to the record and/or to other records that relate to this record

Subject field (Voyager search) What is written in the subject field?

Alaska--History. This is one access point. Click on the link How many adult books are listed in

this catalog/database under the same subject? 16

Subject field The subject field contains subject headings Subject headings are a standardized way of

describing the contents a book Catalogers consider the varied contents of a

book when they add subject headings to the subject field; sometimes they will add several different headings to one title

The number of subject headings per record is growing, now that catalogers aren’t limited to a printed card… good or bad?

Subject field

When you click on Subject Browse and enter a search term you are asking the database to search and return information from only the subject field

This is an easy and direct way to find other books on the same topic

But …

What’s the catch?

Keyword searching A keyword search asks the database

to return terms from numerous fields in the record.

A keyword relevance search gives more weight to some fields (subject field) than others (notes).

Keyword searching

In Voyager the keyword search on the first simple search page is a Keyword Relevance Search

Try a keyword relevant search: Type: alaska history What do you notice about this kind of

search?

Question: Which types of catalog searching (author,

subject, etc.) do you think will be most useful to you as you begin your research?

Why?

Boolean logic basics

Computer databases “speak” Boolean We use Boolean operators to

construct a search query: AND, OR, NOT (AND NOT)

Boolean Operator AND AND – narrows the search In some databases, like Voyager, the

AND is implied. You don’t have to type it into the basic search box. In fact, don’t!

In other databases, like the UW Libraries catalog, the AND is required for a successful search.

Boolean Operator: OR

OR – broadens the search Use “or” when entering related terms Use “or” when you aren’t sure which

terms describing the same idea are in a database Ex. punk or emo

Boolean operator: NOT

NOT – removes terms from a search You won’t need this operator often Ex. cloning not dolly

Sometimes AND NOT

Search symbols

Truncation/wildcard Usually an *; sometimes a $ or a ? Broadens the search ethic* = ethical, ethics wom$n = women or woman or womyn

Search symbols

Nesting Parentheses: ( ) Use to isolate an OR phrase (or a phrase) Ex. acupuncture and (west* or scien*)

Quotation marks

Used to ask the database to search words as a phrase

Ex. “civil liberties”; “japanese internment”; “punk rock”

Sometimes this is accomplished by parentheses: (alzheimers disease)

Using symbols & Booleans

“white slave trade” and thailand “real id” and (privacy or rights) alzheimers and research scien* and acupuncture

A word to the wise

If the symbols you are using don’t work, check the database help files

If you can’t figure out how to structure your search, check the database help files

Guided keyword searching

Different catalogs will call this feature different things – advanced search, more searches, and so on.

This feature allows you to perform Boolean searching more easily (note that the operators AND, OR, NOT are already in place).

Assignment 4 Search other library catalogs for titles. Request any titles you find in our

(SCC) system. Report (upload to Files)

Topic Search strategy List and cite correctly two items Describe your search process