Why is a search terms error appearing when I try to submit my search?

Symptom

Applies to

Resolution

Try enclosing the search in quotes or the phrase you believe is causing the issue in quotes. Your search query could contain a reserved operator. FirstSearch reserves a limited number of terms and characters for special operations. These reserved terms and characters, or operators, indicate that FirstSearch should combine or use words in a particular way. For example, the term and indicates that FirstSearch should retrieve the word before and after the term and but not the term and itself.

If you are searching for words or a phrase that include any of the following reserved operators, you must enclose the reserved operator in quotes to indicate that it should be used as a search term instead of a reserved operator.

List of Reserved Operator phrases and characters:

le ge lt gt
n near w with
and or not within
: (colon)      


Search examples:

to search for: type:
Jules and Jim jules "and" jim OR
jules 'and' jim
Leo Le Bon leo "le" bon OR
leo 'le' bon
Gasherbrum IV: gasherbrum "iv:" OR
gasherbrum 'iv:'

If you still receive that error after using quotation marks, please contact OCLC Support for further assistance.  

Additional information

Boolean searching and reserved operators

Page ID

66983