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2. Truncate Your Search

Use an asterisk * with part of a subject, keyword or name to expand the search: this also helps if you don't know the exact spelling of an author or subject. The * character may be appended to the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a word.

psych* child* will find items on child psychology or children and psychiatry
tchai* will find items by or about the composer Tchaikovsky
*house will find items on house and doghouse
h*se will find items on house and hose

3. Search with a Wildcard

Use a question mark ? with part of a subject or name to expand the search by a specific number of characters. The ? wildcard character can be appended to the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a word.

transport? will find items on transport and transports whereas transport* will retrieve transport, transports, transportation, etc.
comput??? will retrieve records containing compute, computed, computer, and computers, but not computation, computerize, etc.
wom?n retrieves women and woman

4. Expand your search by using OR between search terms:

teenagers or adolescents
dogs or canines

5. Narrow your search by using the words AND or BUT NOT

mountains and geology will find only entries that contain both (or all) of the words
viruses but not computers will find entries on viruses, but not computer viruses

Note: And is the default search mode, which is necessary only when combining search terms:

(camping or fishing) and survival will find entries that contain the words camping and survival or fishing and survival

6. Limit by Date

Singapore [d>1989] will find books written about Singapore after 1989
Dogs [d=1991] will find books written in the year 1991
Asian art history [d<1920] will find books written before 1920

7. Search for Words Near Each Other

You may use proximity and adjacency operators to specify how close your search words are to each other, and in what order. These operators will work for Words in title, Words in subject, Words in series, and Author searches only.

The (w) operator specifies that words must be next to each other (adjacent) and in the order specified.

cold (w) fusion retrieves cold fusion

The (#w) or (w#) operator specifies that words must be separated by no more than the chosen number of words, e.g., five words apart or (5w) or (w5), and in the order specified. The (w) operator may be preceded or followed by a number from 1-99.

balance (1w) trade retrieves balance of trade
george (3w) carver retrieves George Carver and George Washington Carver

The (n) operator specifies that words must be adjacent, but in any order.

john (n) kennedy retrieves John Kennedy and Kennedy, John

The (#n) or (n#) operator specifies that words be separated by no more than the specified number of words, e.g., five words apart, or (5n) or (n5). The words can appear in any order. The (n) operator may be preceded or followed by a number from 1-99.

cost (1n) benefit retrieves cost to benefit, benefit to cost, cost-benefit, benefit/cost
hillary (n3) clinton retrieves Hillary Clinton; Clinton, Hillary Rodham; and Clinton, Bill and Hillary

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Search Results

A Results List will display when you Search all categories. The Results page will present you with a list of the number of matches resulting from each index searched (keyword, author and subject.) You will also be given the option to display titles, subjects, or names beginning with your search terms. The following is an example of a search for denver west:

731 Keyword Matches

6 Author matches

17 Subject matches

Display titles beginning with "denver west"

Display subjects beginning with "denver west"

Display names beginning with "denver west"

NOTE: If your search term did not retrieve results in both the Keyword and Author indexes, you will see a Title List rather than a Results Page.

A Title List is a list of titles that match your search criteria and results from the following types of searches: Keyword, Browse by Title, Browse by Series, Browse by Call Number and Name/Word Search.

A Browse List is a list of Subject headings that match your search criteria and displays as a result of a Browse by Subject search. Once you select one of the headings, you are presented with a Title List.

A Headings List is a list of Subject headings or Authors that match your search criteria and appears as a result of the following types of searches: Subject, Browse by Subject and Browse by Author. Once you select one of the headings, you are presented with a Title List.

Click on Keyword or Author matches to see the Title List page, or click on any of the Browse links to go to the appropriate index for browsing.

Change your search by clicking on New Search in the upper right corner.

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Title List

The Title List displays the titles of your results. Each entry on the Title List will provide a basic amount of information which includes the title of the item, the author, the call number, the year the item was published, and in some cases an indication of the format of the item.

From this page, you can View the Full Record, activate the Personal List Manager feature or Display checked records this page. To narrow a results list, check the box next to the records you wish to retain, then click on Display checked record this page. The result will be the full records for the checked titles displayed continuously on one page.

To create a list of selected titles from more than one page, use the Personal List Manager feature.

Sorting

The title list is usually displayed in reverse chronological order of publication date. For retrieval sets of less than 300, you may also sort your list by Author, Title, Call number, or Date. To restore the list to its original sequence, select Original Order.

Printing the Title List

To print the Title List page (which contains up to ten titles), click on your browser’s Print button at the top of the page while the Title List page is displayed. Use the Personal List Manager to compile a list of selected titles.

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Full Record

To view the Full Record, click on the highlighted title link.

The Full Record is detailed information about the item, including its exact title, author, physical description, call number (which will guide you to its shelf location), subject headings associated with this item, and other bibliographic information.

Most Full Records have links to enable you to look at other records which have an element in common with your selected record. For example, you may find links in the Name field, the Author field, the Subjects field, the Other Entries field, etc. Clicking on one of these links will initiate either a browse or a search on that index.

eBooks and other electronic resources will display a URL at the top of the record. Click on the link to view the item. Note that some resources may require that you enter your library card number and last name or that you create an account. See eBooks for details.

Full Status lists specific information about the location and availability of each copy. Branch indicates the owning branch or department. Click on the Branch name to find its address, phone number, hours, and a map. Location indicates the section of the library where the item may be found. Date refers to the most recent date of activity of the item: if the copy is Checked Out, the date shown is the due date. For copies that are Not Checked Out, the date refers to the last time the item was returned to the shelf. The Call Number provides the shelf location of the item. Status indicates the availability of the item.

Select MARC Record to see the fully coded MARC (Machine Readable Catalog) record. Select Return to Full Record at the top of the page to get back to the normal view.

To view another record, either return to the Title List and select another title, or click on the Next or Previous link at the top or bottom of the page to take you to the next or previous Full Record in the Title List.

To print, save, or e-mail Full Records, see Printing, E-Mailing, and Saving Records.

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Available Copies

Click on the Available Copies button on the left side of the Full Record page to display a list of locations that own a copy of the title, and how many of those copies are available. Available copies are those with a status of Not Checked Out.

This option is useful when there are many copies of an item. Available copies reorganizes the information to show you the information by branch/department.

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Placing a Hold on an Item

Denver Public Library cardholders may place a hold on circulating items that are either Checked out or not available at your site. To place a hold on an item, click the Place Hold button on the left side of the Full Record page. You will be prompted for your Library Card Number. Enter your library card number: D010000001. The first character is always the letter D. The second character is always the number 0 (zero). You will be prompted to enter your last name. Choose where to pick up the item on the Pickup Location page. Select the location from the scrolling window and click Enter at the bottom of the page.

You will receive a confirmation as to whether the hold has been placed. The confirmation screen will let you know whether or not your hold was successfully placed, how many holds are already on the item, and the number of holdable copies of each item.

Note: Some materials do not qualify for this service, including the Western History and Genealogy Collections (WH/GEN), items with call numbers beginning with C or G, titles designated REF, electronic resources and certain other materials. There is also a limit to the number of holds you may have at one time. If a hold may not be placed on an item(s), you will be instructed to contact library staff.

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Printing, E-Mailing, and Saving Records

There are three ways to print and save records:

1. To print a single Full Record, view it on the Full Record page and click on your browser Print button at the top of the page.
2. To print, e-mail or save up to ten Full Records which appear on the same Title Page: From the Title Page, check the boxes to the left of the Titles you wish to print. Click on Display Checked Records on the left side of the page. The records you checked will now display in full format on one continuous page. You can now:

1. Print this page using your browser print button;
2. Click E-mail record(s) on the left side of the page. (see Sending your Personal List via E-Mail)
3. Click the Save record(s) to disk on the left side of the page (see Saving Your Personal List to Disk)

3. To print, e-mail or save 10 or more Full Records see Personal List Manager.

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Branch Information

By clicking a highlighted branch name link on the Full Record page, you will arrive at the Branch Informationpage. This page provides pertinent information about a specific branch of your library such as its address, phone number, hours, and a map. To go back to the Full Record, click on the Back button on the browser.

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Personal List Manager

With the Personal List Manager you can create a list of selected records. Once you have placed your selected records on your Personal List, you can save them as a file, send them to an e-mail address, print them, or place holds on any or all of the items on your list at once.

From the Title List, you can select specific records by checking the box to the left of each title, and then clicking Add checked records from this page to my list. You can also select one or more titles from the Title List page by clicking Add all records from page to my list, or Add all records from this search to my list. Add all records will add a maximum of 200 records from your search. You can cumulatively add a maximum of 1000 records to your Personal List.

After you have selected and added the titles to be stored in your Personal List, you can click on View my list. From this page you can go Back to Title List, Delete all records, Delete checked records from this page, Place hold(s), Save record(s) to disk, or E-mail record(s).

The titles you select from various searches during one session will all be added to the same list. This feature enables you to add records from multiple searches to one Personal List. You can Delete Records (will delete ALL records) from your list at any time.

Sorting

Your Personal List is displayed in the order the items were added to the list. You may also sort your list by Author, Title, Call number, or Date. To restore the list to its original sequence, select Original Order. Sort your list by Call number to easily search the library stacks for your items.

Note: A Personal List is not saved after you EXIT the catalog. Once you have exited or timed out, you will not be able to retrieve your personal list.

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Placing Holds on multiple items in your Personal List

After you have added the desired Records to your Personal List, click on View my list. To place holds on multiple items at once, click on the boxes next to the items on the list that you want, then click Place hold(s) on the left side of the Personal List Manager - Title List page.

You may also click on the button on the left hand side of the page that says "Place holds on all items on this page."

Denver Public Library cardholders may place holds on circulating items that are either Checked out or not available at your site. You will be prompted for your Library Card Number. Enter your library card number: D010000001. The first character is always the letter D. The second character is always the number 0 (zero). You will be prompted to enter your last name. Choose where to pick up the items on the Pickup Location page. Select the location from the scrolling window and click Enter at the bottom of the page.

You will receive a confirmation as to whether the holds have been placed. The confirmation screen will let you know whether or not your holds were successfully placed, your place in the holds queue (i.e.--how many people have a hold placed on each item before you), and the number of holdable copies of each item. If a hold may not be placed on any item(s), you will be instructed to contact library staff.

Note: Some materials do not qualify for this service, including the Western History and Genealogy Collections (WH/GEN), items with call numbers beginning with C or G, titles designated REF, electronic resources and certain other materials. There is also a limit to the number of holds you may have at one time. If a hold may not be placed on an item(s), you will be instructed to contact library staff.

Printing your Personal List

To print your Personal List as a Title List, select View Personal List. Records will be displayed in sequential groups of 10. Click your browser's Print button. Click Next to print the next group of 10 records. Note that the Title List does NOT contain the complete bibliographic citation.

To print one Full Record from your Personal List, view the page, and click your browser's Print button at the top of the page.

To print Full Records of your entire Personal List, select View Personal List. Then select View these full records. Records will be displayed in sequential groups of 10. Click your browser's Print button. Click Next to view the next group of 10 records. The maximum number of records that can be viewed or printed at one time is 10. There is not an option to view or print a list of more than 10 items at a time.

Sending your Personal List via E-Mail

After you have selected the Records you would like on your Personal List, click on View my list. To e-mail your records, click on E-mail records on the left side of the Personal List Manager - Title List page.

Fill out the following boxes:

Send to: your own or someone else's e-mail address. Be sure to type in the complete e-mail address.

Subject: Will display as the subject line of the e-mail message. Tip: If you are sending information to someone else, you may want to use this field to indicate who is sending the records.

Comments: Will appear in the body of the e-mail message.

Record Type: Select Title List or Full Records. A title list is made up of brief entries consisting of the author, title and call number of an item. A Full Record is the complete record for an item, including the bibliographic record and the library's holdings.

Record Format: Select Plain Text or HTML Format.

If you are not sure whether the recipient's e-mail reader can interpret HTML, select Plain Text.

So that your records will be downloaded and e-mailed efficiently, they will be sent in sequential groups of 25 per e-mail message. After each group is sent, you will be given the opportunity to send the next group of 25.

The e-mail address, subject and comments are retained for the duration of the session so that you can mail sequential lists without having to edit these fields. You may edit them if desired. To ensure that your Personal List and e-mail information is deleted, be sure to click on EXIT at the end of your session.

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Saving your Personal List to Disk

After you have selected the Records you want on your Personal List, click on View my list. To save your records electronically, click on Save Record(s) to Disk on the left side of the Personal List Manager - Title List page. On the Personal List - Save to Disk page, select from the following options:

Record Type: Title List or Full Records
Record Format: Plain Text or HTML Format

For efficiency in processing, records are downloaded in sequential groups of 10. After each group is downloaded, you will be given the opportunity to download 10 more. Each group of 10 will append to the previous group so that all of the downloaded records will be saved to one file.

If you are using Netscape:

After you click on Download records now, a browser-generated window entitled Unknown File Type will appear.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT CLICK on More Info or Pick App, as these selections do not relate to CARLweb.

DO CLICK on Save File (or Cancel if you have changed your mind about saving).

A Save As window will appear. Save as you normally would save a file in a Windows or Macintosh application. The default file name will be records.txt or records.html.

From the Denver Public Library, you must save your file to your own disk on the a:\ drive. In the File name box, enter a:\records.txt or a:\records.html or a filename of your choice.

If you are using Internet Explorer:

After you click on Click here to stop and save the downloaded records to disk, your record(s) will be displayed as a page in your browser. Click on the File drop-down menu at the top of the screen, Save as, and name your file.

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Journal Issue Availability

Click on Individual issue information on a Full Record screen for a periodical or other serial, to see a list of issues for the journal title, the current status of each issue, and a check-in date for each issue.

Right above the list is a form that allows you to search for issues in a particular year. You can choose any year from the present back to 1988. (Not all titles will have holdings back to 1988)

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My Library Card

(Items Checked Out, Overdue, Lost, Holds, Fines)

Enter your library card number: D010000001. The first character is always the letter D. The second character is always the number 0 (zero). You will be prompted to enter your last name. You will then be taken to the Library Account Summary page. Click on any of the available links for summary information on Checked out, Overdue items, Lost, Holds, or Fines. Links on these summary pages will lead to pages containing detail on each item.

NOTE: If you are having trouble gaining access to your patron information, we recommend clearing the cache in your browser. If you are using Internet Explorer, go into "Tools" and "Internet Options", and then click on "Delete Files" under "Temporary Internet Files". In addition, in the “Temporary Internet Files” area, under “Check for newer versions of stored pages,” select “Every visit to the page.”  If you are using Netscape, go into "Edit" and "Preferences", click on "Advanced Category", select "Cache", and click on the "Clear Disk Cache" button. See Technical Assistance.

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Renewing Checked Out Items

Click on Renew all items from the Library Account Summary page to renew all items without reviewing the list. A confirmation screen will appear to confirm your renewal.

Checked Out Summary

The Checked out link on the Library Account Summary page will take you to a summary of all the items that you currently have checked out and their due dates. From the Checked Out Summary screen, you can either click the Renew all items button to renew all of your checked out items, check the boxes next to the specific items you would like to renew and click Renew selected items, or click on a specific title link to go to a Checked Out Detail screen. From there, you can click on the Renew this item button to renew that item. A confirmation screen will appear to confirm your renewal.

Overdue Summary

The Overdue Items link on the Library Account Summary page will take you to a summary of your overdue items. To renew overdue items, click on Checked Out Summary.

Hold Summary

The Holds link on the Library Account Summary page will take you to a summary of items for which you have placed a hold. The Status column indicates whether the hold is pending or the item is ready for pickup.

Hold Detail

Click on a title to see details including status date, your place on the hold list and the deadline to pick up your items from the hold shelf. The meaning of the status date differs depending on the status:

Request Pending You are on hold for the item. There may be others ahead of you on the list or the item may be On Order. Your place in the holds list is indicated at the bottom of the page. Hold Placed date indicates the date the hold was placed.

Note: New titles that are On Order will display as only 1 copy until the order has been received. If you are on a long list with only one copy, it may be that the order has not been received yet. Check the Library Catalog to confirm that the title is On Order.

Intransit - sent -> You are at the top of the holds list. The item has been returned and is being sent to your pickup location. Hold Placed date indicates the date the item was returned by the previous borrower.

Ready for pickup The item is on the hold shelf at your pickup location. Hold Placed date indicates the date the item arrived on the hold shelf.

Canceling Holds

If you have placed a hold on an item and have decided that you no longer need the item, click the Hold Summary button on the Library Account Summary page. This link will take you to a summary of all the items that you currently have on hold. Click on the title of the hold item that you want to cancel. On this page, click the Cancel this hold button. A confirmation screen will appear to confirm your cancellation. Only items with status Request Pending can be canceled in this way. Please contact the pickup location to cancel holds that are Intransit or Ready for Pickup. See Locations & Hours for telephone numbers.

Sorting

You may sort your Checked out or Holds list by Author, Title, Date or Status. Sort your Checked out list by Date to see which of your items is due first. Sort your Holds list by Status to display items that are Ready for Pickup at the top of the list.

EXIT: Ending a session

Click the EXIT button at the top of the page to exit the catalog and return to the Denver Public Library home page. This will delete your Personal List and any e-mail information to prepare the catalog for the next user.

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Last updated: 07/16/2004