Library of Congress Online Catalog: Help Pages

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  SEARCHING:
  Basic Search Overview
  Keyword Searches:
  - Keyword
  - Title Keyword
  - Author/Creator
  - Subject Keyword
  - Name/Title
  - Series/Uniform Title
  Other Searches:
  - Expert Search
  - Title Begins With
  - Author/Creator Browse
  - Subject Browse
  - Call No. Browse (LC)
  - Call No. Browse (Other)
  - Number Search
  - Author Sorted by Title
  Guided Search


  Limiting Searches
  Search History
  Boolean Searching

  INDEX CODES:
  for Guided Searches
  for Expert Searches

  SEARCH RESULTS:
  Brief Record
  Subjects/Content
  Full Record
  MARC Tags


  Headings List
  Titles List
  Titles List (Keyword)
  References/Scope Notes
  Save, Print, Email

  OTHER TOPICS:
  Headings List Types
  Material Types
  Database Selection
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Name/Title Keyword

Use Name/Title Keyword to search for any word (in any order) or phrase found in established name/title headings, crossing subfields. This search is particularly useful for finding works of musical composers, as well as for authors whose works may have been issued in multiple editions. Use this type of search when the exact order of the words in the name/title heading is NOT known.

Name/Title Keyword
retrieves titles grouped by name/title headings matching keywords in any order.
Name/Title Keyword screen

NOTE:
Search limits are NOT available.
Boolean AND operator is automatic.

Basic Search Examples:

To find the Subject Heading . . . Enter the words . . .
Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870. The adventures of Oliver Twist.   or  Dickens, Charles, 1812-1870. Oliver Twist. dickens oliver twist
Lee, Rupert, 1887-  Mozart: The magic flute.  or  Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, 1756-1791. Magic flute. mozart magic flute

References and Scope Notes:

In search results, some retrieved headings will not link directly to catalog records, but will supply the user with links to related headings or scope notes (marked with the [ More Info ] icon) as illustrated in the screen below.

Search Tips:

  • Enter words or phrases in any order.
  • All words will be searched (including articles and conjunctions in all languages, such as and, or, not, the, a, la, das, etc.).
  • Enclose words in " " (quotation marks) to retrieve the exact phrase (e.g., "san joaquin estuary")
  • Use a ? (question mark) to replace multiple characters either inside or at the end of a search term (e.g., ecumen? will retrieve ecumenical, ecumenism, etc.).
  • Use a % (percent sign) to replace a single character, either inside or at the end of a search term (e.g., col%r will retrieve color, coler and colur, but not colour).
  • Search results are returned as a Headings List. Each row of the Headings List display lists a heading with the number of title hits matching that heading. Selecting the heading will display a Titles List for all titles matching that heading.

Alternative Search Options:

When the exact form and word order of an author heading is known, try Author/Creator Sorted by Title.  Author/Creator Sorted by Title retrieves materials by author name, with results sorted by title and grouped by edition.

Use the browser's [Back] button to resume searching.

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June 25, 2008