General Search Tips  |  Searching for a specific item  |  Searching for information on a topic
Broadening a search  |  Narrowing a search  |  Using the Limit Feature
Exporting Records  |  Checking your Circulation Record  |  Locating books on the shelf

General Search Tips

• MaagNet is not case sensitive. Use either upper or lower case letters. 
• Punctuation is optional, unless stated otherwise. 
• Be aware that spellings vary: e.g., labour/labor, theatre/theater.
• Truncation is automatic except in the WORDS search option.

Searching for a specific item (by Author, Title, or Call Number)

• To search for a specific item: depending on the information you have, search by:
• Author
  
  
• From the MaagNet Menu, click Author
• Enter last name first
  
  
• Title
  
  
• From the MaagNet Menu, click Title
• Enter the title
• Omit words like "a", "an", "the", at the beginning of a title
• If a title search produces unsatisfactory results, always try re-entering your search terms as a WORDS search.
  
  
• Call number
  
  
• For most items: select Library of Congress Call number.
• Enter all the elements of the call number.

Searching for information on a topic (by Subject or Keyword)

• To search for materials on a certain topic: Search by Subject or Words (Keyword). These are different types of searches that can produce very different results.
  
  
• Subject
  
  
• A subject search uses controlled vocabulary--subject headings assigned by the Library of Congress. This search strategy typically results in a high number of relevant records, but it is essential to use the correct Library of Congress subject heading. To determine a subject heading, consult the Library of Congress Subject Headings book kept at the Maag Library Reference Desk.
  
  
• To search: From the MaagNet menu, click Subject. Enter the Library of Congress subject heading.
  
  
  • If you are not sure of the exact Library of Congress Subject Heading, you may want to try a word search instead.
  • If a subject search produces unsatisfactory results, always try re-entering your search terms as a WORDS search.
    
    
• Words
  
  
• A word search is an uncontrolled search using natural language. This type of search retrieves records that contain the given word(s) in the title, subject, or content notes. Although this search retrieves more entries, it can be imprecise and may result in a high number of false hits.
  
  
• To search: From the MaagNet menu, click Word. Enter a word or words. If more than one word is entered, the words will be searched as a phrase. If you do not wish two or more words to be searched as a phrase, you must type the word AND between them.See Search operators--Boolean Operators [AND] for more information.
  
  
  • Select the WORDS menu option when you know only some of the words in a title, in a subject, or in a contents note. Also use it when you wish to combine search terms to broaden or narrow your search.
    
    

Try a subject search first, and then if results are not satisfactory, try a word search. It's best to remain flexible when searching. Use different words and types of approaches to achieve the best results.

Broadening a search

• If you have retrieved too few items, you may wish to broaden your search by:
  
  
  • using the connector OR between words. Examples:
    
    
    • native OR indigenous
    • aeroplane OR airplane (finds either spelling)
      
      
  • truncating terms with an asterisk (*). Examples:
    
    
    • aborigin* retrieves the words aboriginal, aborigine, etc.
    • comput* finds compute, computer, computation, etc.
      
      
  • combining both methods to find a broader range of matches for a particular subject. Example:
    
    
    • native OR indigenous OR aborigin*
      
      

Narrowing a search

• If your search retrieves too much information, you may narrow your keyword search by:
  
  
  • using two or more keywords. Example:
    
    
    • human and cloning retrieves records with the words human and cloning
    • art and china and japan finds information about art in China and Japan
      
      
  • using a phrase. Example:
    
    
    • stock market retrieves records with the terms stock and market adjacent to each other and in exactly that order.
      
      
  • excluding terms you don’t want to appear. Example:
    
    
    • floss not dental will retrieve all items using the term floss (as in the title The Mill on the Floss) but not in the context of dental floss
      
      
  • using the LIMIT feature

Using the Limit Feature

• Use the limit feature to restrict results if you retrieve a large number of records or if you must work within certain parameters.
  
  
  • After conducting a search, click the Limit/Sort button at the top of the screen. This will take you to a list of potential limits.
    
    
  • You may limit your search by:
    • Language (English, French, German, etc.)
    • Material type (e.g., audio-visual, map, microform)
    • Words in the author
    • Words in the title
    • Words in the subject
    • Publisher (e.g., Simon & Schuster)
    • Where the item is located (Serials, Microforms, Government Documents, etc.)
    • Publication date (after [year] and before [year])

The most common or often-used limit is year of publication. As always, follow the on-screen directions, which will take you through the necessary steps.

Exporting Records

The Export feature can be used to create a list of selected bibliographic records. This can be useful to assist in preparing a bibliography or list of works cited for a research paper. This list can then be viewed on screen, printed, emailed, or downloaded, in a variety of formats: Full Display, Brief Display, MARC, End-Note, or Pro-Cite.

• To mark and save records:
  • While you are viewing a list of titles, click the box to the left of the title for each item you wish to save.
  • Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click the "Save Marked Records" button.
  • Note: you must save records on the screen you are viewing before moving on to the next screen
  • You may save individual bibliographic records for export while they are being viewed.
    
    
• To export records:
  • Click "Export Saved Records" at any time to display the saved records as a list.
  • Select the format of the list.
    • Brief display will show the bibliographic citation (author, title, publication information) and call number.
    • Full display includes all the information from the record.
  • Select where you want the list to go:
    • Choose "E-mail" if you wish to send the list to an email address.
    • Choose "Screen" if you wish to print out the list. Use your browser's print button to print the list displayed on the screen.
    • Choose "Local Disk" to save the information to your computer.
      
      
• Clear the records when you are finished.

Locating the books on the shelf

• To locate a book in Maag Library:
• Note the book's call number, location, and status shown in MaagNet.
• Consult the Library Material Location and Availability Guide (http://www.maag.ysu.edu/help/location.html) to determine which collection the item is in.
• Consult the Maag Library Building Guide (http://www.maag.ysu.edu/info/build.html) to figure out where (floor and location or collection) to find an item.
• Circulating books (books you can check out) are arranged by call number in the General and Oversize Collections on floors 3-6A
• The Government Documents collection is on floor 6
• Items in Reference, Serials (periodicals, microforms), Multimedia, and the Special Collection do not circulate--these items must be used in the library
• See Reading Call Numbers for additional information
• What the call numbers represent:
• Most materials in Maag Library are assigned Library of Congress Classification numbers which begin with a letter or a combination of letters. Each item in Maag Library has a unique classification number. The initial letters represent broad subject areas. Items in each collection (location) are arranged by these numbers.

Checking your Circulation Record

In order to check your circulation record you will need a library barcode. If you do not have a library barcode you can obtain one at the Circulation Desk (Main Floor lobby) of Maag Library.

• To view your circulation record:
  • Go to the Maag Library home page (http://www.maag.ysu.edu/)
  • Look in the red bar on the left side of the page under Quick Links. Find and click Your Circulation Record
  • Enter your name and library barcode number (no spaces) and then click on Display record for person named above.
  • Alternately: 
    • Connect to MaagNet: by typing the address http://jupiter.ysu.edu/ in the location bar of your browser.
    • Click View Your Circulation Record.
    • Enter your name and library barcode and then click Display record for person named above.
      
      
• What may be displayed:
  • Your name and address
  • Your status and college (for example, sophomore, Arts & Sciences)
  • List of Items checked out and dates due
  • List of items requested (on hold) and status of each
  • Fines for not returning materials on time
  • Renewal status (You may renew items online. Simply choose renew all items or renew selected items).
  • If you have a barcode but have not checked out any books or placed any requests, the only information displayed will be your name and status.

• Click the Start Over or Log Out

Maag Library Home | Need Help? | Info and Services | Site Index | YSU Home
Top of Page

Last updated: May 19, 2003.