Advanced Search Exercise

Let’s say you have a patron who is looking for comic books or graphic novels, but is not interested in anything published by DC Comics.


Step 1: Start by going to Advanced Search.


Hint: You’ll find the link close to where you’d find it on most major sites, including Google.

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Step 2: Enter the terms you are looking for (i.e. “comic books, graphic novels”). Use the drop down menu to note that these are Subject terms.

Tip: You can also use quotation marks to specify certain terms, but it is not necessary with BiblioCommons smart search features.

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Step 3: Set default to ANY – since we do not need to retrieve all these terms in a single record.

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Step 4: Now add the term you don’t want to find by entering the Publisher term “DC Comics” in the "But do not include" field.

Notice how the terms you entered are appearing in a Boolean string in the search editor above. This editing tool not only helps you formulate more precise queries, but is also a great information-literacy tool for users.

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Step 5: Now narrow your results to books available now at your branch.


Tip: Get more detailed Boolean search information by clicking the blue question mark in the top right corner of the Advanced Search area.

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