Simple search
As soon as the user is logged in, the system presents the default search form for that user (either Simple, Advanced or Command Search). When a user accesses a page for the first time, the page will revert to the default settings. Once a user starts changing the settings, the system remembers their personal preferences using Statefulness and the usual defaults are overridden.
The Simple Search page provides access to a range of functions to help you find the information you are after.
In the top right-hand corner of the search screen, you will find the Help link. This provides general information on Libraries Australia such as contact details, advice on logging-in and out, an online help guide and information on the Libraries Australia service. The Help link is located on every screen of LA Search. By clicking on this link you will be taken to help relating to the page you are viewing.
At the bottom of each of the Search screens are links to information to support users using the Search interface and information about the Libraries Australia Services.
Above the Search box you will find the Navigational Toolbar. This will display on all subsequent screens and provides a means of accessing frequently used functions. The Navigational Toolbar options includes Search (Simple search, Advanced search, Command search, Search history); Results (Search Results, Full view, Compare Records); and Browse (Select Browse, Term List).
Searching tips
The search box, located in the middle of the simple search screen, allows for simple searching, ie a single search query. The functions of the search screen are similar to those used on search engines such as Google. For example:
- you can search in both upper and lowercase
- you can search a phrase by inserting inverted commas around the phrase, eg "Jane Austen", or "wind in the willows", and only records containing that exact phrase will be retrieved
- you can use the * symbol immediately after a word stem, or after an initial in a name, to retrieve words beginning with that word stem, or initial. For example: when searching a word stem, if you search: child* you will retrieve both the word "child" and words with the stem "child" such as: child, children, childhood etc. When an author has used both his full name and initials on different publications, you can use the * symbol to find all his works; remember also to search for his name as a phrase, eg "Lee L?".
- you can use the ? symbol as a wildcard, eg organi?ation will retrieve both "organisation" and "organization" and nurs??? review will retrieve "nursing review" . This feature is useful if you are not sure of the spelling of a word or an exact title or subject heading.
Note: The ? wildcard is only supported by ANBD, WorldCat and LA Authorities databases.
To search terms such as Dewey Classification, ISBN, ISSN etc, use Advanced Search and for more complex searches use the Command Search option.
Boolean operators
The simple search screen also uses Boolean operators. See the Boolean operators page for more information.
Limit to
The LA search screen enables you to limit your search by material group type by allowing you to tick one or more of the checkboxes located under the search box. For example, if you type in "Edmund Barton" as a phrase in the search box and also tick the Interviews check box, your results will relate to interview recordings on or about Edmund Barton. More information on this area can be found at Limits.
To search other, non default databases
When you login to LA Search the most highly used databases are available on the Search form itself. When you access a page for the first time, the page will revert to the default settings (Australian National Bibliographic Database (ANBD)). Once a user starts changing the settings, the system remembers their personal preferences using Statefulness and the usual defaults are overridden.
You can search many other databases available via LA Search. The More databases button at the bottom of the search screens takes you to the list of available databases. This list is determined by both library access and the user account access.