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Browse Searching

The Browse Search lets you browse lists of authors, titles, subjects, series, or periodical titles. (If you remember the library's old card catalog, you may think of this as being a little like flipping through "virtual cards" in a catalog drawer!) 

In the Browse On box, type in a search term.

Select the library branch to search under, or select "choose all libraries" to search all branches.

Click on the type of search you want to perform:

  • Author
  • Title
  • Subject
  • Series
  • Periodical Title

Subject Example

A browse search looks for cataloged headings beginning with the first word of the search string. The search produces an alphabetical list of items matching the search string. For example, a Subject browse search for Pottery returns results such as this:

Title Example

To look for a title, type each word in order in the Browse On box and click Title. (The articles "a," "an," and "the" can be skipped when they appear at the beginning of a title, but they don't have to be.)

Example:  lord of the rings

Author Example

To use Browse Search to look for an author, type as much of the author's name as you know in the Browse On box and click Author. (The author's last name should be typed first.)

Example:  clark mary higgins

Browse List

The browse list contains catalog record headings in the alphabetic vicinity of your search word. To the right of each item on the list, the number of records attached to that heading displays. If available, related headings also display in the list.

Once the browse list displays, click any heading item to see the Search Results for that item.

Call Number Browse

If you know the call number of the item you wish to find, you can switch to a call number search from Advanced Catalog Search by clicking Call Number Browse.

In the Call Number box, type in the item's call number.

Select a library to search under in the Library box. You cannot browse multiple libraries or branches for a call number.

You can select the catalog record item Type, if known.

You can select a library shelving location to search under in the Location box.

Click Browse to begin the call number search.

Once you search, you are taken to a results list that is arranged by call number. You are virtually walking through the shelves of your selected location.