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How To Use Library Search

By default this search box will search libraries worldwide in addition to The Claremont Colleges Library’s holdings. Use the tab menu to only search The Claremont Colleges Library.

About Library Search

Use Library Search to gain access to resources owned by The Claremont Colleges Library, and to find millions of resources from libraries worldwide that we do not own. In addition to physical materials housed in the library, Library Search also provides access to items indexed in subscription databases, including:

  • Articles
  • E-books
  • Multimedia (streaming videos, sound recordings)
  • Dissertations

Library Search is built on, and harnesses, the WorldCat platform and knowledgebase, which has been integral to connecting libraries and making content accessible for decades.

Advantages & Features of Library Search

Advantages:

  • Search for any format using one search option, allowing for more efficient searching
  • Better user experience for novice researchers as it removes the need to choose a search tool when beginning the research process
  • Makes content previously buried in smaller or obscure databases more discoverable
  • Creates opportunities for online serendipity by seeing different formats among search results

Useful features:

  • If you encounter items that The Claremont Colleges Library does not own, you will see a “Get This Item” button that takes you to a pre-populated Resource Sharing (also known as Interlibrary Loan) form to easily submit requests.
  • Faculty can make purchase recommendations from within Library Search for items we do not own by using the “Get This Item” button.
  • The default setting in Library Search is to search Libraries Worldwide, but you can easily change that to search only The Claremont Colleges.
  • There are currently 3 relevance options in Library Search that allow you to sort results in a way that makes the most sense to your information needs:
    • Library: this is the default relevance algorithm of Library Search. It prioritizes items owned by The Claremont Colleges Library at the top of the list.
    • Best Match: returns the most relevant results, regardless of whether the library owns them or not.
    • Recency: prioritizes more current items, regardless of whether the library owns them.
  • You must use uppercase Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT), otherwise they will be searched as keywords
  • Use Library Search Index Codes to focus and narrow your results. For additional index codes you may also refer to OCLC’s comprehensive listing of indexes.
How-To Videos

The following videos demonstrate how to use some of the features of Library Search.