For an Author Search:
Type in the author's name, last name first, as in: Christie Agatha.
Press the ENTER (RETURN) key.
For a Subject Search:
Type in the subject, if your subject is a person, type the last name
first. Press the ENTER (RETURN) key.
Reading the lists, find the item you want and type in the number of that line. Press the ENTER (RETURN) key. Continue to select line numbers until you reach a screen that displays information on just the item you selected.
IN GENERAL:
If there is a "call number" listed, it is used to locate the item on the
shelf in the library.
If there is no number, the item is shelved alphabetically by the author's last name within "genre" sections (e.g., Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Western).
If the item is "Not at this library" or "Not at this location", continue to press the (Return) key until you reach the screen that display the Copy Status. You can then ask the reference staff at the information desk to request the item for you, or you may place the hold yourself.
For more in-depth searching techniques, see the Helpful Hints below or ask at the information desk. Read the command line at the bottom of the screen for other searching options.
Contents Searching:
Items that contain collected works (several short stories, or several plays,
etc.) have each title listed in the contents notes. If you are searching for
something that might be in a collection, try contents searching. See
keyword
searching above as CONTENTS is a keyword search.
Magazine Searching:
This allows you to find out if the community library you are using subscribes
to a particular magazine, or if the issue you need is available. Type in
the title of the magazine (Popular Electronics) you are searching and
press the ENTER (RETURN) key. You may request issues at the information
desk.
Truncation (Alphabetical Search):
You do NOT need to match terms exactly or type in the entire word to find a
heading. This is helpful if you can't remember an author's first name or
how to spell a word.
For example, if you type "Czech" in alphabetical TITLE or SUBJECT search, the computer will display the section of the complete alphabetical list that is closest: "Czech-Americans," etc.
Boolean Searching:
You may group terms by using parenthesis (). This asks the computer to
search for any headings that contain EITHER term.
For example, if you type in the subject heading "pollution (air water)" and press the red (RETURN) key the computer will display all subjects containing the terms "air pollution" OR "water pollution".
Related Works:
Once you have selected one catalog record for an item that might help you,
you can use type RW and press the ENTER (RETURN) key to find other items
either on the same subject, related subjects, or by the same author. This
command is helpful when you are searching by title and realize thatyou
want to see other items on the same subject, or by the same author, as
the item you found.
Search Limiting:
This feature is most helpful when you have been shown a list of items, any
of which could have the information you need. You may ask the computer to
display ONLY the titles owned by a particular library
Press
the CATALOG function key labeled "IN THIS LIBRARY" or "F-3" to do this.
Have the computer limit the display to any community library. Type
in the code /AGENCIES=[XXX] and press the ENTER (RETURN) key. In place of
the
XXX use the 3 letter code for the community library you want to display:
LOM = Lompoc LOB = Buellton LOV = Lompoc Village SMM = Santa Maria SLO = San Luis Obispo SBA = Santa Barbara PRL = Paso Robles BSP = Blanchard Santa Paula
Help:
At any point you may press the CATALOG function key labled "HELP"
(or type a question mark (?) and press the (RETURN) key)
for an explanation of the screen you are looking at and possible commands
you may use to proceed.
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