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Classic Catalog

How to search

  • Keyword searching using Boolean Operators
    • AND - results must contain each word:  puppy AND kitten
    • OR - results contain either word:  (puppy OR kitten)
    • AND NOT (book searches) excludes word:  puppy AND NOT kitten

[ boolean operators ]
 

"public relations" AND "team-based approach"  

classroom AND (discipline OR management)


("Kansas City" AND NOT Missouri) and 
crime
  • Does the library have the book "____________________"?
  • Click on Title - enter the title you want to locate. (Pro tip: If title doesn't display, remove the subtitle (colon and all text after it)
  • Searching by Author - an author search allows you to browse for items by author. 
    • An author is the person, artist, composer, government body or organization responsible for the creation of the content of a work.
      • Mark Twain
  • Searching by Corporate/Non-Personal Author
    • A corporate author is any group or organization that is responsible for the content of a published work. They include organizations, corporations, governmental entities, and musical or artistic groups.
      • Ford Motor Company 
      • United Nations
    • For corporate bodies that are best known by their abbreviations, search using the abbreviated form.
      • Example: (CNN)

What are wildcards?

  • Use an Asterisk (shift/8) to find all variations of a word

EXAMPLE:  ethic* finds any results with ethic, ethics, ethical

  • Use a Question mark to replace one character within a word 

EXAMPLE:   wom?n finds both woman and women

How do I request an item in MOBIUS or Prospector?

  • MOBIUS (multiple libraries within Missouri and others)
    • Below the search box, click Advanced Search 
      • Enter search terms
      • Limit to Book/Journal
1. After you have found the book you want, select the Request it tab to the right of your search result.
2. Select MOBIUS - KCTOWERS click submit. 

3. Enter your name followed by your ID number (919#) and (NW) (Example: 919111111NW). Choose your pickup location. 

4. 
Your book has now been requested. You will receive a Northwest email when your book is available for pickup.

 

  • PROSPECTOR 
    • If the book(s) is not found in MOBIUS, click Prospector
    • After you have found the book you want, select the Request it tab 
    • Select MOBIUS - KCTOWERS and click submit.
    • Enter your name followed by your ID number (919#) and (NW) (Example: 919111111NW). Choose your pickup location 
    • Your book has now been requested. You will receive a Northwest email when your book is available for pickup.

How do I renew items online?

  • Click My Library Account
  • Enter your name and 919# followed by "NW" --->Example: 919123456NW​​

[ library account graphic ]

check the box in the "Renew" column to the left of the title

  • click the "Renew Selected Items" button at the top of the table (or click the "Renew All" button to renew everything listed)

How do I search for children's books?

  • Click the Advanced tab
  • Enter search terms
  • In the "Specific Library Location" area, select NW Owens Juvenile (or NW Horace Mann Library)

How do I find K-12 curriculum materials?

CURRICULUM MATERIALS - are educational resources that provide curriculum and instructional experiences for K-12 students, they are used to develop lesson plans and may also be used in actual instructional situations with students

 

  • Enter keyword(s) (Math, Algebra, English, Science...)
  • change the location of the search results to NW Owens Curriculum Matls in the search location section.
  • select the submit tab to conduct your search, select the displayed search results that match your topic and use the call numbers to locate the materials within the library.

How do I search for music scores?

  • Click Advanced 
  • Enter search terms
  • Other Format: select MUSIC SCORE

How do I search for multimedia?

  • Click Advanced
    • Enter search terms
    • In the "Other Format" area select VIDEO/FILM
  • Click Advanced
    1. Enter search terms
    2. In the "Other Format" area, select MUSIC AUDIO

How do I find NW field studies & research papers?

  • FIELD STUDIES -  a general method for collecting data about users, user needs, and product requirements that involves observation and interviewing. The result of a field study search will bring up past studies by NW graduate students.
    • Type in your search using the format "field study" and your keywords
      EXAMPLE: if you are looking for field studies about school violence, enter 
      "field study" and "school violence"
    • Click Search 
    • Select the item that matches your topic to view the call number and location of the field study in the library
  • RESEARCH PAPERS - the culmination and final product of an involved process of research, critical thinking, source evaluation, organization and composition.
    • Type in your search using the format "research paper" and your keywords
      EXAMPLE: "research paper" and "art therapy"
    • Click Search
    • Select the item that matches your topic to view the call number and location of the research paper in the library

How do I find primary sources?

A primary source provides direct or firsthand evidence about an event, object, person, or work of art. Primary sources include historical and legal documents, eyewitness accounts, results of experiments, statistical data, pieces of creative writing, audio and video recordings, speeches and art objects.


Add any of these words to your search, preceded by s:

  • s:sources
     
  • s:correspondence
     
  • s:personal narratives
     
  • s:diaries
     
  • s:speeches
     
  • s:pictorial works
     
  • s:archiv*
     
  • s:material culture
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