Advanced SearchSearch Results
Other Search Techniques
Sorting the Title ListFull Record
Printing the Title List
Additional LinksReview Search History
Holdings Information
Branch Information
Summary of Copies Owned
Placing a Hold on an Item
Sending Your Personal List via E-MailPatron Placed Holds
Placing Holds from your Personal List
Printing Your Personal List
Renewing Checked Out ItemsOther Libraries
Canceling a Hold
Status Messages
When you have selected a single database, e.g., The Catalog, Periodicals List at Central Library or LAPL Photo Database, the name of that database will appear on the Main Search page followed by a one line summary. Clicking on the database name brings you to a fuller description of that database.
Clicking HELP at the top of a page will display additional information
regarding the options available on that page.
Search Types:
A description of the search types is listed below. If you do
not choose a search type, the system will default to the keyword search.
All ten search types are valid in searching the LAPL Catalog, but all may
not be valid in other databases. The search type options are:
Keyword: If you are unsure of the exact title or subject, type key words. You may type one word, or several words in any order. The result will be a list of titles which contain your keywords. For options to limit your keyword search, click Show Advanced Search.
Author: Type in author or editor names, either personal or corporate, i.e., Joe DiMaggio, Los Angeles Lakers. (Name order is not important.) The result will be a list of titles by any author whose name contains the name(s) you typed. For example, doing this type of search on Stephen King will include titles by Anthony Stephen King, as well as the works by the author of "Carrie" and "The Shining".
If you know the exact name of the person and want more concise results, an 'Author Headings' or 'Author Browse' search would be more appropriate. However, the advantage of an Author search is that it allows limiting options not included in the other two types of searches. For options to limit your Author search, click Show Advanced Search.
Subject Headings: Type words about the subject you are looking for, i.e., Italy Art History. This search is useful if you are unsure of word order. The result will be a list of subject headings that contain your words wherever they appear within the subject heading.
Author Headings: Type in author or editor names, either personal or corporate, i.e., William Faulkner, Eastman Kodak Company. The result will be a list of author headings that contain the name you typed and from which you can make your selection. Use this search if you are unsure of name order, i.e., Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Title Browse: If you know the exact title, type it in. Do not include leading articles (a, an, the) in any language unless it is part of a proper name, i.e., El Cholo Cook Book. Most punctuation does not have to be included within the title, with the exceptions of apostrophes and exclamation points. If you are uncertain about the exact title or if your search is unsuccessful, use a keyword search. The result will be a list of titles beginning at, or closest to, the first word you typed and from which you can make your selection.
Author Browse: Use this search to browse an alphabetical listing of author headings. For personal names, type last name first, a comma, a space, then the first name, i.e., Steinbeck, John. For corporate names, type the name in direct order. The result will be a list of name headings beginning at, or closest to, the name you typed and from which you can make your selection.
Subject Browse: Use this search to browse an alphabetical listing of subject headings. Type in as much of the subject heading as you know, i.e., cancer research. For personal names, type last name first, a comma, space, then the first name, i.e., Kennedy, John. The result will be a list of subject headings beginning at, or closest to, the first word you typed and from which you can make your selection. If you are not sure of the exact subject heading, use Subject Headings instead.
Series Browse: Use this search to find titles which are published as part of a series. Type in as much of the series title as you know, i.e., Time Life Books, Nancy Drew mystery stories. Exclude the leading article (a, an, the) in all languages. The result will be a list of series headings beginning at, or closest to, the first word you typed and from which you can make your selection.
Call Number Browse: If you want to search the collection as it is shelved, type in as much of the call number as you know. Call numbers should be spaced as they appear on the books, videos, etc., and include any decimal points, i.e., 796.252 J665-2. The result will be a list of titles beginning at, or closest to, the call number you typed and from which you can make your selection.
Author/Word Searches: Authors can be combined with titles or subjects in a single search. The search must be formatted as author/word (e.g., Stephen King/shining or Roosevelt/new deal).
ISBN/ISSN: Use this search if you know the exact ISBN or ISSN number of the book you arelooking for.
Limit by Media Type: This allows you to limit your search by including "media type", e.g. Books on Tape, Large Print, as a keyword. To find the DVD of "Gone with the Wind", enter gone wind as the search terms in the keywords field, then scroll down and click the "Limit by Media Type" field and choose DVD. Now click the Search button next to your search terms. Or to find books on tape by Anne Rice, enter anne rice as the search terms in the author field, scroll down and click the "Limit by Media Type" field and choose Book on Tape. Now click the Search button next to your search terms.
Note: since the format term(s) are being retrieved as keywords, items retrieved may not necessarily be in the format specified.
Limit by Language: This allows you to limit your search by language, e.g. Japanese, French, etc. To find Japanese translations of John Grisham novels, enter John Grisham as the search terms in the author field, then click on the "Limit by language" field and choose Japanese. Now click the Search button next to your search terms. Or to find math books for children written in Spanish, enter mathematics as the search term in the keyword field, scroll down and click the "Limit by format" field and choose juvenile; then click on the "Limit by language" field and choose Spanish. Now click the Search button next to your search term.
Limit by Date: This allows you to limit your search by publication date. After entering your search term(s), scroll down to the Date Limit fields and click in the box that you wish to limit by. To limit the results of a search on cancer treatment to titles published since 1997, enter 1997 in the "Year is later than" field, then scroll down and click the Search button. Date limiting is functional only on search results of 500 or fewer titles.
Limit by Agency: You can also limit your search to include only titles that are owned by a particular agency. By clicking "Limit by agency", you will go to the page that will allow you to select the agency of your choice. Verify that your search term(s) and desired search type, i.e., keyword or author, are displayed. To choose an agency, click the radio button next to that agency name then click Search. Do not select "Central Circulation" or any agency name preceded by a "~". (These agencies either do not own materials or are agencies whose materials are not available for holds.) There is no guarantee that the titles you've displayed are available for checkout.
Note: All limiting options can be combined into a single search.
For example: computer (keyword), DVD's media type, Spanish (language)
and >1998 (date). Once all information is entered, you can also choose
"Limit by branch".
Other Search Techniques
Boolean Searches
The Boolean operators (and, and not, but not, and or)
allow you to broaden or narrow your search.
The Boolean operator and is implied and does not need to be typed in when two or more words are entered. For example, the search solar energy California will find solar and energy and California anywhere within the record, not just next to each other.
If you wish to narrow your search, you can separate terms with but not; e.g., viruses but not computer, abuse but not drug.
If you wish to broaden your search, you can connect synonyms within parentheses with or, e.g., Kellerman (Jonathan or Faye);cancer (colon or prostate).
Searches using Truncation
You can use an asterisk (*) with part of a word, subject or author
to expand your search. Truncation is also useful if you don't know
the exact spelling of a word or name. The search term eutha*
entered as a keyword search will return a list of titles that include the
word euthanasia and the search term dosto* entered
as an Author Headings or Author Browse will return a list of authors including
Fyodor
Dostoyevsky.
A Browse List that begins with your search will display your Author Browse Results, Subject Browse Results or Series Browse Results. Once you select one of the headings, you are presented with a Title List.
A Headings List that matches your search will display your List of Author Headings or your List of Subject Headings. Once you select one of the headings in your results list, you are presented with a Title List.
A Results List displays Keyword, Author and Subject matches, and additional browse options. This list appears when you have entered a search against more than one database or if a search type is not specified.
To print your search results while they are displayed, click your browser
Print
button at the top of the page.
New Search
After you have executed your first search in a database, your previous
search term(s) will be retained in a search box at the top of the search results
page so that you can modify
your search as needed. Clicking New Search will return you to the beginning search
page
To view the Full Record of an individual title, click on the highlighted link.
You can change your search by clicking New Search at the left of the page.
Usually, results are sorted in reverse chronological order, that is,
the most current items first. If your retrieval set is 300 or fewer,
you will be given the option to Sort the Results - by Author
(alphabetical), by Title (alphabetical), by Date, or by Call Number
(numerical). If your result set is greater than 300, you can use the
Advanced Search function to limit your results.
From the Full Record page, you can Place Hold, go Back to Title List, Review Search History, activate the Personal List Manager , E-mail records, or View Your Account.
At the Full Record page, to view another record, either return to the Title List to select another Title, or click the Next or Previous link at the top or bottom of the page to take you to the next or previous Full Record.
You can change your search by clicking New Search at the left of the page.
To print or e-mail Full Records, see Printing
and E-Mailing Records.
Links in the Electronic Access field allow users to either access an electronic book (if Call Number is "Ebook") or to browse another web site while keeping the session open. If you do not have an existing ebook account, exit the Catalog and select "Electronic Books at LAPL" from the main menu. If you used the link to visit another web site, click the browser Back button to return to the Full Record.
When searching the Library's Photo Database, you can view the full image
by either clicking the image itself or the Click for Image link
within the Full Record. To return to the Full Record,
click the browser Back button.
Holdings Information displays the detailed availability of each copy owned. Each branch that owns the title is listed with an indication of how many copies are owned and how many are available, including notes indicating special locations within the agency. Click on the "+" next to each branch name for more detailed information about whether the copies are reference Books (REF) or available for check out (CIRC). A message will indicate if no copies are owned. A hold cannot be placed if there are no circulating print copies.
Branch Information
Branch Information will appear when you click a highlighted branch name. If the agency is a subject department of the Central Library, a floorplan will display. If the agency is a branch library, you are taken to that agency's page, with detailed information including agency hours, programs and a map. When finished, click the browser's Back button. Note: for more general information, return to the LAPL home page and click "About LAPL", then either Branch Libraries, or Central Library.
In order to place a hold, you must search and find the title you want. (see Search Techniques) From the Title List page, click the highlighted link for the title to bring up the Full Record page. On the Full Record page, check under Holdings Information and verify that the Library owns a CIRC copy of the title (REF copies do not circulate). If there are no CIRC copies, a hold cannot be placed.
On the left side of the Full Record page, click Place Hold. If the cursor is not already in the Library Card No. box, move it there. Enter your 14 digit LAPL card number (no spaces), Tab once and enter your 4 digit PIN (last 4 digits of Phone Number), then click ENTER. You will then be taken to the Select A Pick-up Location page. Scroll through the list of options and click on the agency name where you want to pick-up the item. If you want to designate Central Library as your pick-up location, select "Central Circulation". If you do not want the item if it will not be available by a certain date, click the box labeled "Automatically remove this hold if it can't be placed before" and enter your deadline date.
To process the hold request, click Place Hold. You will
be given a confirmation of whether or not the hold has been placed. If the hold is successful, the confirmation page will indicate your position in the holds queue and the number of copies eligible to fill the hold.
If you have any questions regarding why a hold could not be placed or are
directed to contact staff, call or visit your local library agency for
assistance. If your hold is successful, and your e-mail address or phone number is
part of your patron record, you will be e-mailed or notified by phone when the item
is available for pick-up. If you did not supply an e-mail addressed or phone number or if the automated
phone notification system is unable to leave a message, you will be notified
by postcard. Once the status is "Ready for pickup", you will have
ten days to pick-up the item. If you do not pick up the item by the date
specified a $1 fine will be assessed to your account. If no copy becomes available, your hold may be automatically cancelled.
To print a single Full Record, view it on the
Full
Record page and click Print button at the left of
the page. Note: a Full Record includes detailed information for
all copies owned. If your title has many holdings, such as the latest
best-seller, you may want to print only pages 1-1 or pages 1-2 to obtain
just the bibliographic information. You can also click Display Print Version
for more printing options.
To print a list of titles from the Title List page, click the checkbox next to each title you want to print and then click Print Checked Records. The print screen will give you options as to how you want your printed list to appear. Make your selections and click Print. your entire Title List can be printed in this same way, one page at a time.
To e-mail a single Full Record, view it on the
Full
Record page and click the E-mail record(s) button to the left
of the page.
Fill out the following boxes:
Receipients' e-mail addresses: Be sure to type in the complete e-mail address, including the domain name.
E-mail Subject:
After entering all required information, click E-mail.
To print more than 10 Full Records or e-mail 2 or more Full
Records from one database, or combined records from more than one database,
see Personal List Manager.
From the Title List, you can select specific records by clicking the checkboxes to the left of each title, and then clicking Add checked records from this page to list. You can also select the first 10 titles displayed on the Title List page by clicking Add all records from page to list, or select all records by clicking Add all Title Records to list. Add all records will add a maximum of 200 records from your search. You can cumulatively add a maximum of 500 records to your Personal List during a single session.
After you have selected and added the titles to be stored in your Personal List, you can click View Personal List. From this page you have a variety of options, including Placing Hold(s), Back to Title List, E-mail record(s), View Your Library Record, Print Selected Items, or Sort Results by Author, Title, Call Number or Date.
The titles you've selected from various searches during a single session will all be added to the same list. This feature enables you to add records from various databases to one Personal List. You can Delete Records, either all or selected ones, from your list at any time.
Placing Holds from your Personal List
This feature is page specific. To select titles, click the checkboxes to the left of each title you want to reserve. Then click Place Holds on Checked Items on This Page.
If the cursor is not already in the Library Card No. box, move it there. Enter your 14 digit LAPL card number (no spaces), tab once and enter your 4 digit PIN(last 4 digits of Phone Number), then click ENTER. You will then be taken to the Select A Pick-up Location page. Scroll through the list of options and click on the agency name where you want to pick-up the items. If you want to designate Central Library as your pick-up location, select "Central Circulation". If you do not want the item if it will not be available by a certain date, click the box labeled "Automatically remove this hold if it cannot be placed before" and enter your deadline date.
To process the hold request, click Place Hold. A confirmation page will identify the holds successfully placed, your place in the holds queue and the number of copies eligible for holds. If necessary, a section will identify holds not placed and the reason why. Be aware, however, that the system limits you to 30 holds at any one time, and only eligible titles from the LAPL Catalog may have holds placed on them. For an overview of the holds feature, see Patron Placed Holds.
From the confirmation page, you can view your personal library information
by clicking View My Account.
Fill out the following boxes:
Recipients' email addresses: Be sure to type in the complete e-mail address, including the domain name.
E-mail Subject:
After entering all required information, click Email.
So that your records will be downloaded and e-mailed efficiently, they
will be sent in sequential groups of 10 per e-mail message. After each
group is sent, you will be given the opportunity to send the next group
of 10.
To print from your personal list, click the checkbox next to each title you want to print and then click Print Selected Items. The print screen will give you options as to how you want your printed list to appear. Make your selections and click Print.
To place a hold on a single item, see Placing a Hold
on an Item
To place holds on items in your Personal List, see Placing
Holds from your Personal List
If your hold is successful, and your e-mail address or phone number is part of your patron
record, you will be e-mailed or notified by phone when the item is available for pick-up.
If you did not supply a phone number or if the automated phone notification
system is unable to leave a message, you will be notified by postcard.
Once the status is "Ready for pickup", you will have ten days to pick-up
the item. If you do not pick up the item by the date specified, a $1 fine will
be assessed to your account. If you have questions regarding why a hold could not be
placed or are directed to contact staff, call or visit your local library
agency for assistance. If no copy becomes available, your hold may be cancelled automatically.
Borrower Status indicates whether your account is in good standing with the library. If your status is "Blocked" or you believe any other information displayed is incorrect, call or visit your local library agency for assistance.
Click New Search at the left of the page to return to
LAPL on the Web.
To renew items, you can click the Checked Out link on the Account Information page. This link will take you to a summary of all the items that you currently have checked out. From the Checked Out Summary page, to renew all items, click Renew all. To renew several items, click on the checkboxes to the right of the desired titles, then click Renew Checked. A confirmation page will appear to indicate your renewal(s), any items not renewed and the reasons renewals were denied. If overdue items are renewed, the appropriate fines will be posted to your account. Possible reasons why your items may not have been renewed are that you've reached the renewal limit (for most items there is a limit of two renewals), there are pending holds on that item, the item is not renewable (video, DVD, or reference) or your borrower status is "Blocked". To renew a single item, click the link for that title to go to the Checked Out Item Detail page. From there, you can click Renew this item to renew that one item. A confirmation page will appear indicating whether or not that item was renewed. For information regarding items that did not renew, call or visit your local library agency.
If you have placed a hold on an item and have decided that you no longer need the item, you can click the Holds link on the Account Information page. This link will take you to the Hold Summary page. Click the highlighted link for the title that you want to cancel. From the Hold Item Detail page, you have the option to click Cancel hold (if the status is "Request pending"). A confirmation page will appear to confirm your cancellation. Note: If the item you want to cancel has a status of "Available for pickup", staff at your pick-up location can cancel the hold for you. Any hold may be cancelled automatically if no copy becomes available.
From the Hold Summary page, you can click the highlighted link
for a title to see more specific information. The Hold Item Detail
page will show you the status of the item. Progressively, the status
will be: "Request pending" and the date will reflect when the hold was
placed. At the bottom of the page, your place in the holds queue
will display. The subsequent
message will be "Intransit sent" and the date will reflect this change
of status. The status "Ready for pickup" appears as soon as the item
has been received at the pick-up location; notification is made the following
day by e-mail, phone or postcard. To allow for proper processing of
your item, please do not visit your pick-up location the same date as the
"Ready for pickup" status date. The date the item(s) will be held until
appears in the "Pick up by" field. To change pickup location or to postpone a hold,
contact staff.
When you select Other Library Catalogs, the current default is Local Libraries, which are the LAPL databases. From that page, you may select one database, or hold the Control key (Windows PC) or Command key (Macintosh), while clicking up to six databases to be searched simultaneously. Click the Select these databases now button, which will take you to a beginning Search page.
If you want to search databases other than those in the scrolling list, click one of the buttons on the left side of the page, i.e., Public Libraries, Academic Libraries, etc. If you click one of these, a list of relevant databases will appear in the scrolling list. If you click All Databases, you will see the entire list.
Last updated: 5/3/04