Course Reserves and Author/Title Search

As you’re entering fourth quarter, one of the places in the new catalog that you’ll want to make use of is the link to the search for Course Reserves: this link can be found on the right half of the first catalog page under “Other Sources”. Once you click the link, you’ll see two tabbed options for searching. You may choose to search the books on reserve by course (letters and number) or by instructor (last name first). Click the appropriate course or faculty name, and you’ll find a list of all the items placed on reserve for that class or by that instructor along with the call number for the reserve item. Bring the call number to the circulation desk, and we’ll get you the book!

Another search that may be helpful as you’re doing research at BPL is the Author and Title Search. A form of advanced searching, this option is also listed under “Other Sources” on the main catalog page. This is an especially helpful search if you’re looking for a very common title (e.g., Acts) or are unsure of the exact name of a work. In the instance of the latter, you could type “Calvin” in the author box and “Commentaries” in the title and find 30 items that fit your stipulations. You’d get 50 retrievals if you did the same thing in Keyword search. So, author/title search can save you time if you have an item in mind but you’re just not sure where it is and don’t want to spend a long time finding it.

There are lots more features like these in the new BPL catalog: take some time to check them out, and please let us know if we can help you as you discover new search options.

Catalog Redux

One of the first things you’ll notice when you encounter the new BPL Web Catalog is the change in the interface. Don’t worry: all the same resources you know and love are still in there, but now there are new and better ways to locate them. The structure for all basic searches is tabbed across the top of your screen, and here’s a quick introduction on how to use each:

• Keyword: The default search. Keyword searches across author, title, subject, and notes (e.g., table of contents) fields to match your inputted query.
• Title: Title search searches the title proper as well as the table of contents to match your input, but you can select to sort by a variety of options, including title (an alphabetical browse), author, and year.
• Author: Author search will find authors (type last name, then given name) and corporate authors such as Episcopal Church General Convention. Select an author in the results list to get to the author’s works.
• Subject: Subject searching works within an authorized set of subject and name headings. If you’re not sure about the proper form for a subject heading, you can try out the subject search, or you can find a similar item in keyword and then click the authorized heading in the “More Like This” tab to find other items categorized in that heading.
• Call Number: You can use this search to browse items as if you’re standing in front of the shelf. If, for instance, you know that Form Criticism of the Old Testament is Call Number BS1182.T892, you could input BS1182 to find similar items.
  
• ISBN/ISSN: This search will find items based on their International Standard Bibliographic or Serial (periodical) Number. This is the most precise search for a specific edition of a specific work; if you’ve found something on a publisher’s website that looks great, you can just copy and paste the number into the catalog search to see if BPL has it. Note, however, that a different edition of the same item will have a different standard number (even hardcover and paperback versions of the same book have different ISBNs), so you may want to doublecheck your search in another tab if you don’t find it.
  

We hope you find this guide helpful as you begin to explore the new catalog. We’ll get more into depth with features in upcoming posts, and please let us know if there’s something you can’t find or if you’re having trouble navigating the new system. We’re always happy to help!

Welcome to the BPL Blog!

The Bishop Payne Library is pleased to announce the creation of a weblog in conjunction with the launch of our new integrated library system. As many of you are aware, BPL has been migrating its software to better serve you as patrons. The next time you visit the Library catalog and databases, you’ll find a brand new interface, more powerful search functions, and a variety of other features.

To ease the transition from the old to the new, the BPL blog will provide tips and tricks for the new system, offer one-click access to licensed electronic databases, and present featured resources for you to investigate and utilize.

This page can be accessed through the Library Information page in the new catalog, and it can also be bookmarked in your web browser. If you’d like to make checking in a little easier, you can add this blog to your RSS feed in a few different ways:

• If Firefox is your browser of choice, click the RSS button in the web address box and add this page as a Live Bookmark
• If you already have a news reader, you can add this blog by clicking at the bottom of the page
• Or you can subscribe at Bloglines or other RSS aggregator sites.

The BPL Blog is currently in a trial phase, so please let us know what you think of it or make suggestions for improvements by commenting here.
Thanks for visiting, and we hope to see you soon!