Catalog Search Tips: Quick Library Search Basics

People say to us all the time, "I just searched for that and came up with nothing! How did you find it?!?" The simple answer is that we do this all the time, but that doesn't mean that you can't learn to search just as effectively as us. We're starting a series of search tips based on actual queries, but before we dig in too deep, let's cover some basics of searching the catalog.

1. If you just want to see what is in OUR library, use the top dropdown box to select "Mukwonago Community Library."

 If you want to see what is in EVERY library, you can search this CAFE page (referred to in the dropdown menu as "CAFE--All Libraries").

2. If you're searching for a known author, type his/her name like this: Last Name, First Name. Usually, a dropdown pops up and you can select the appropriate author. This will give you the greatest number of results.

3. If you're searching for a known title, just type it in and hit enter. If you decide, upon seeing the results, that you want an audiobook instead of a print book, use the left-hand navigation to limit your selection. In this specific case, you would want to select "Nonmusical Sound Recording."

4. Use that left-hand navigation liberally, especially when you're searching a subject (like our example below, "deer"). You can limit by so many facets, but the ones we use most often are Type of Material, Target Audience, Library, and Literary Form.