WISER: HistoryAdvanced OLIS searches

Isabel Holowaty, History Librarian

Kate Petherbridge, Upper Camera Superintendent

Aims of today

Make the most of OLIS the easy way!

• How to combine searches• How to display titles by date (sorting)• How to find all books in one library/language only (limiting)• What are cross-references• How to find books on a particular subject• Questions• Hands-on

Live demo

For the demo, we’ll be using the Telnet version of the OPAC. It has higher functionality than the Web-based version.

Combined keyword searching

• combine key information about the item you are looking for in order to focus your search more precisely

For example, to find The History of England by Macaulay the easiest way is to perform the combined search aw=Macaulay tw=history England.

Sorting / Limiting results

• sort or limit your search results to find exactly what you need

For example, to find a lending copy of Macaulay’s History of England-

• sort by date to find a recent copy • limit results to a library with a lending collection (e.g. HFL) by changing search parameters

Reset parameters!!

• reset the search parameters if you want to search the full catalogue again

• please reset the parameters when you finish so they don’t impact on other library users

• check the search parameters if you only find items in one library when you search- someone may have left search limits in place

Modify your search

• lets you include such limits to your search as publication date, language and publisher

• gives a brief guide for each option to help you enter your desired limit in the correct form

• no need to reset as “new search” option starts a different search that can then be modified if needed

Cross references

• take you to the correct catalogue entry for the person, title etc. you are looking for

Remember to type the cross-reference in as a search itself in order to find the full list of relevant material.

For example, if we search a=Churchill, Winston we find a cross reference to the official catalogue heading.

Extend your search

• use terms from one catalogue entry to link to other similar items

The “extend search” option allows you search using terms from the current record such as author, title or shelfmark. You can also use subject terms to extend your search.

Use the “previous screen” options to return to the original record and expand your search in different directions.

Useful if author and/or title unknown

Use of a thesaurus Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)

Subject searching

A thesaurus

NT Birth places

NT Historic farms

NT Literary landmarks

…

Historic buildings RT Historic sitesBT Architecture

BT Broader Term – NT Narrow Term – RT Related Term

Advantages

Bring together synonyms, variant spellings, etc.

Consistent & reliable use of language

Retrieves all entries on subject regardless of language used byauthor

For gerbillurini, ammadollini, etc. use gerbils

Art - England - Oxford

Subject searches

• Information on people & organisations

• Information on places

• Information on topics

• Finding primary source material

• Finding useful reference sources

Primary source materialsUseful terms:

• Archives

• Biography

• Correspondence

• Charters

• Diaries

• Genealogy

• Interviews

• Maps

• Pamphlets

• Personal narratives

• Sources

• Speeches

• Statistics

• Wills

Reference sourcesUseful terms:

• Atlases

• Gazetteers

• Maps

• Dictionaries

• Encyclopedias

• Handbooks, manuals, etc.

• Directories

• Bibliographies

• Catalogues

• Indexes

• Registers

• Chronology

Putting it all together…

Which is the most recently published English book on

Mussolini in the HFL?

Questions & hands-on