Catalog FAQs and Search Hints

How do I search for a book in the catalog? How do I find a video or a CD? How do I search for ISBN or ISSN or call number? Are there search rules I should know? How do I select records to print or email? Will the new catalog help me with spelling? Can I sort my results list? What is the Browse Results by Call Number option?		Can I renew a book? Can I export citations to RefWorks? Can I search the Union Catalog of the State Universities of Florida? What is Permalink? What is RSS? Is this really the same software used by Home Depot?

How do I search for a book in the library catalog?

Just enter a couple of keywords in the basic search box.
When you get a list of results use the selections on the left to narrow your search by location, format, subject, etc.
The author selection may only be selected once.

Just enter a few keywords in the search box.
When you get a list of results select Video from the format facet on the left.
You may have to select More to see the format you want.
Or -- you can use the Advanced Search screen and select video from the format limiter.

Just enter your number in the basic search box. It will search for any kind of number automatically.

Use quotes to force a phrase.
Use quotes to find a certain spelling. Example -- "behavioural" science
Records you mark will stay marked until you end your session. The end session link is at the far right of the screen.
There are no wildcards or truncation abilities -- we're working on it.

Yes! The catalog automatically returns your results sorted by relevance. You can change that option if you wish.

When you have a set of results on the screen, you can choose to browse the results by Library of Congress call number area or by Superintendent of Documents call number area.
For example, if you do a broad search in history, you can then select Browse Results by Library of Congress to see items about the history of music or political science or medicine, etc.

Yes! Select Renewals/Library Account from the link at the right.
Log in with your UNF N number and the last 4 digits of your Social Security number to renew.

Yes! Mark and View records just as you would for printing and emailing.
Select Export to RefWorks at the right of the screen.
Check your bibliography carefully! This is still new technology and will not always work perfectly --- yet!

Yes! After you do a search, you can select to also search the Union Catalog by selecting the link at the bottom left of the screen.
Your same search will automatically be redone in the Union Catalog.
If you want to begin your search in the Union Catalog, you can get to it by selecting Other Library Catalogs from the links in the gray bar in the page header.

When you click on the title of an item, you will see an option called "Permalink" beside the options to mark and view and print.
When you click on Permalink, the long URL will be shortened to a permanent URL. You will always be able to get back to this exact title using that shortened link -- called a Permalink.

RSS -- Really Simple Syndication.
If you are doing research on a particular subject, you will want to see the new items (books, government documents, videos, etc.) on your topic as soon as the library gets them. If you set up an RSS feed, you can do just that.
First you need an RSS reader. Internet Explorer 7 or the current Firefox support RSS feeds. There are many others you can use. Here's a list of feed aggregators.
Do your search in the catalog. When the results list is on the screen, select the RSS icon .
Select "Subscribe to this Feed".
Now, every time the catalog is updated, you will see any new items that match your search.

Yes! LexisNexis, Boeing, IBM, Home Depot and Wal-Mart are some of the companies that use the software designed by Endeca Technologies, Inc.
McMasters University in Canada and North Carolina State University were the first libraries to take advantage of this new technology. The libraries of the State Universities of Florida are the next group to make the change.
Library catalogs have such multifaceted records that searching them has always been a difficult and complex task. Since libraries are now competing with the Internet and Google, we had to find new search and retrieval techniques that the Internet-savvy students of today would use to take advantage of library research resources.