Use the DUQSearch Advanced Search
In searching the DUQSearch online catalog for print and Ebooks, it is best to always use the DUQSearch Advanced Search, not the default Basic Search. The Advanced Search will enable you to do a much more precise search.
How to Get to the Advanced Search
To get to the Advanced Search, start at the Gumberg Library homepage. Once there look for the search box in the middle of the page. Beneath it you will find the 'Advanced" link. Click this and you will be using the Advanced Search.
How to Find Books and Ebooks Only
Whether you use the DUQSearch Basic or Advanced Search, when you search you will retrieve a result that includes print books, Ebooks, and articles from selected databases. Usually search results are large and one of the best ways to narrow them is to use the Limits on the left of the result screen, of which there are many.
Let's say you are not, at this point in your research, interested in finding articles from journals, only print and Ebooks. How would you do this?
You would enter your search in the search boxes (more on this below), and then you would scroll down, looking for this limiter:
"All Gumberg Specialized Collection Catalogs (e.g. NINS, specialized ebooks)"
Click in the check box beneath it and your searches will be limited to only print books and Ebooks available at Gumberg Library.
Find a Subject-Specific Encyclopedia or Other Reference Work
To find an encyclopedia or other reference work to gain background information or basic facts about a topic, type the topic your are interested in in the first search box and change the menu on the right to "SU Subject Terms." In the second search box type the word indicating the sort of reference work you are interested in, such as encyclopedia and change the menu to the right of the search box to "TI Title" (which will cause the search engine to look for that word in the title of books). Then click Search.
If that does not get you anything, then change the menus to the right of both search boxes to "Select a Field (optional)" and click Search.
If you would like to find different kinds of reference works on a topic, type the topic in the first search box and then change the menu to the right of it to "SU Subject Terms." Then type this string of words in the second search box (or copy and paste it in): encyclopedia OR dictionary OR handbook OR companion. Then change the menu to the right of the second search box to "TI Title" and click Search.
Find All Books by an Author (Not Just a Literary Author)
On the Advanced Search page, type the name of the author in the first search box, then change the menu to the left of that box to "AU Author." Then Click Search. This will retrieve all books by a particular person.
Find All Books About a Person
To find all books about a person, type their name in the first search box, then change the menu to the right of the box to "SU Subject Terms." Then click Search to run the search.
Find a Specific Book by an Author (A Primary Source)
To find a book by an author type the name of the person in the first search box, changing the menu to the right to "AU Author." Usually you only need the last name. Then, in the second search box, type the title of the book you are interested in, changing the menu to the right of the second box to "TI Title."
If the original title of the book is in a foreign language, always use the title in that other language first. If that does not retrieve the book for you, try the most accepted translation of the title of the book into English.
Find Critical Works (Secondary Sources) About a Book by an Author (Primary Source)
To find secondary book sources about a primary source by an author, type the person's name in the first search box, changing the menu to the right of this box to "SU Subject." Type the name of the primary source in the second box, leaving the menu to the right of it set on "Select a field (optional)." Click Search to run the search.
Find Books on a Theme in a Secondary Work
To find books on a particular theme in a primary book source by an author, follow the instructions in the section directly above. Then type the theme you are exploring in the third search box, changing the menu to the right of it to "Select a field (optional)." Then click Search.
Find Books on a Concept, Theme, Event, Etc.
To find books on a concept, theme, event, etc., type the concept in the first search box, then change the menu to the right to "SU Subject Terms."
Find Books on a Concept in an Author's Work
To find books on a theme in the work of an author, proceed as you did directly above, then in the second search box type the author's name (last name is all you will need), and change the menu on the right to "Su Subject Terms."
If you follow these instructions but don't get anything or not very much, change the menus to the right of each search box to "Select a field (optional)."
