Using the Library Online CatalogFall 2010

Anne BardolphAcquisitions LibrarianFSU College of LawResearch Center

Objectives

Access the library online catalog. Search in the library catalog. Request an item which is charged out. Create folders, export to RefWorks. Renew books and view your library

account. Find electronic resources at FSU. Learn about other FSU Law Research

Center services.

The library catalog is a database containing records of library resources available at all FSU Libraries.

FSU Law Research CenterStrozier LibraryScience LibraryMedical LibraryCollege of Information LibraryMusic LibraryCareer Center Library

Resources available may be print, electronic, or other forms of media.

Access the catalog from the Research Center homepage www.law.fsu.edu/library

Or from the FSU Libraries’ homepage www.lib.fsu.edu

To access electronic resources from off-campus you need to login.

Login with your FSUID or Library card number.

There are three search options in the catalog. Basic Search finds keywords anywhere or within specified fields.

Use the Browse Search (“Search Begins With”) for locating a specific known item such as an exact title.

Advanced Search allows you to combine keywords from different fields such as author and title and limit the search by location, format, language or date.

Keywords

Limit by

Advanced Search also offers the option of Boolean Searching.

Other search features:

Use quotes to find a phrase. The search legal research finds 22,510 entries; “legal research” finds 924 entries.

Use an asterisk for truncation. A search for the term behavior* finds entries with the terms behavior, behaviors and behavioral.

spell-check

phrases

truncation

Search results show number of hits and how many are available online. Results are sorted by relevance but can be re-sorted.

Search results can be narrowed by a number of facets.

Facets can be removed from search.

Each record shows call number and circulation status. Some have book jackets that link to more information about the book.

Click on FLOOR MAP to see detailed location.

Terms in red on the catalog record are links which initiate a new search of the entire catalog.

Click to search by this author

Click to search by any one of these subject

headings

Icons show the type of resource. Click on the link to go directly to e-resources. Availability shows for each title.

If a book is charged out you can place a hold on it.

Link to e-books

Available

Individual items can be added to a folder, printed, or sent by email or text.

Folders can be printed, emailed or sent to Ref Works.

Choosing “cite this” gives you standard citation formats for the individual entry.

Exporting to RefWorks allows you to save entries to work with later for creating bibliographies.

The catalog has links that allow you to repeat your search in larger databases to get more results.

UNION CATALOG --holdings of all libraries in the State University System of Florida

WORLDCAT --holdings of libraries around the world

GOOGLE BOOKS --searches the full text of the books that Google scans. Sometimes full books are available to view, sometimes only parts

You can set up an RSS feed on a search if you want to know when new materials of interest are added to the catalog.

What is RSS? RSS -- Really Simple Syndication. If you are doing research on a particular subject, you will want to see the new

items (books, government documents, videos, etc.) on your topic as soon as the library gets them. If you set up an RSS feed, you can do just that.

First you need an RSS reader. Internet Explorer or Firefox support RSS feeds. There are many others you can use.

Do your search in the catalog. When the results list is on the screen, select the RSS icon .

Select "Subscribe to this Feed". Now, every time the catalog is updated, you will see any new items that

match your search.

You can check your library account and renew books online.

Login with your library ID number

Click here

After signing in, you can renew materials and see what you’ve placed on hold.

Many electronic resources are available to FSU students. Electronic resources include:

Databases Electronic Books

Electronic Journals

(Full text articles)

Electronic books and journals have individual entries in the catalog. Journal entries are for the journal title, not the article within the journal.

Click on link to access full text. Some journals are available from multiple

databases. HeinOnline has law journals in PDF format.

E-book

E-journal

The Research Center webpage links to a list of law databases and to a list of all databases available through FSU.

This list includes resources like LEXIS, WESTLAW and BNA that are

only available to law students.

Databases available to all FSU students.

Complete list of law and law related databases http://www.law.fsu.edu/library/lawdatabases.html

Numerous research guides are available on the Research Center website. There is also an archive of workshops.

Other important FSU Law Research Center Services:

You can email us your reference

questions.

Register for our lunch-time workshops.

Join us on Facebook or

Twitter. Read our Blog.

The End

Questions?