Skip to main content
OCLC Support

Search

  1. Last updated
  2. Save as PDF
Discover ways to search the catalogue in OLIB.

Sound cataloguing practice requires a check of the database to ensure that the item is not already in stock. The standard default search in titles is the Title search and either this or the Titles by ISBN/ISSN search should be used to check that the item is not already in stock. If the item is not already in the database then no hitlist is displayed.

Search for a new record

  1. In the Title box enter the first few words of the title, sufficient to identify the work, OR
  2. In the Other Searches box select Titles by ISBN/ISSN and enter the unique number.
  3. Press Enter or click Search.
  4. If the item is found, one or more records are displayed in the hitlist. If the item is not found, no hitlist is displayed.
  5. If the item is not in stock then click New Record to enter bibliographic details for a new record.
  6. If the item is in stock and you want to add details for another copy, check the box to select the Title and in Actions choose Add Copy At Current Location. This opens a Copy details layout for you to create a new copy - the Location defaults to the one you are logged in as. This action is available depending on how the system manager has configured it for your media types.

Alternatively click to open the full details of the Title and access the Availability-Copies section.

More information is available about OLIB basic searching.

Sort title records

The default sort order is via Title/Title Number (ascending) and is displayed at the foot of the screen. To sort by different criteria:

  1. Click the minus icon and Add More.
  2. OLIB displays a window with other sort criteria you can choose from under Add Sorting Criteria.
  3. When you click on your preferred sort criteria, OLIB reloads the search, displaying the changed sort at the foot of the screen.

Sorting Rules

The system administrator is also able to use the Sorting Rules domain in System Management to configure the sorting of Titles, if OLIB's default sorting is not always appropriate.

Refine Title searches

As for most searches in OLIB, refining/filtering the search is also possible.

For filtering on the Title fields, choose the field directly in the Refine Search link.

To filter on title related domains such as Copies, Authors, Publication, Folders, click on an item in the Linked Domains drop down. This displays e.g. the Publication fields, in Refine Search.

Depending on your refinement, various filter operators are also available.

You can also search titles within a folder.

Other searches

 Note: the other searches shown below are also normally provided, limited according to Privilege Level. These can be amended using the Search Privilege level. The system manager can remove one or more of these searches from view: Rename, Resequence and Hide Searches.

Search Description
Title Search Type in the first few words of the title of the item(s) in which you are interested and press Enter. WorldView searches the database and displays a list of items found. For more specific results you can type in the first few letters of the author’s surname, forename and/or initials.
Title Search (exact Match) This search enables you to locate titles which would be difficult to retrieve when the standard normalisation rules are applied, e.g. titles which contain single letters or a single, common word. It is not case sensitive, and it does not use automatic truncation. It is slower than a normal search because of the way the search is constructed.  Type in the exact words of the title. The search will not be extended beyond the terms you enter; no leading articles or spelling variations and so on, are accounted for.
Keyword Search This is a broad search on many of the fields in the bibliographic record. Type in one or more Keywords and press Enter. WorldView searches a range of fields in the database and displays a list of items containing the keywords you entered.
All Titles This search is extended to include any information held in 'other' titles beside the main Titles - Subtitles, Series Titles, Alternative Titles. The main Title is shown in the hit list.
Titles by Author This search retrieves items by a particular ’r;name’, e.g. by author surname, corporate body or conference name. The principles of fuzzy matching and ’extended’ search are also applied. You can extend your search to include the forename and initial fields as well if required.  
Titles by Subject Heading This search retrieves all items catalogued using the specified subject heading. The principles of fuzzy matching and ’extended’ search are also applied. You can enter up to four subject headings. Titles will only be retrieved if they are linked to all the subject headings you enter. For example, if you enter ’history’ in one field and ’art’ in another, a title will only be retrieved if it is linked to both the ’history’ and ’art’ entries in the Subject Headings authority file.  
Titles by Series Titles are retrieved which are linked to any series records which match the series title you enter. The series title search is automatically truncated and is not case sensitive.
Titles by Series Number Titles are retrieved which are part of a series and whose volume number in that series matches the volume number you enter here. It is automatically truncated and is not case sensitive. However, note that it is a text search rather than a number search because the series volume number field is a text field. For example, if the title’s series volume number was entered as ”Vol.1” during cataloguing, you will not retrieve the title in this search simply by entering ”1” as your search criteria. You need to enter ”vol.1” or ”%1” to retrieve the title in this search.  
Titles by ISBN/ISSN  This is an extended search using the title’s ISBN, ISSN or other code entered on the Title IsxN screen. You can perform an exact match search for one control number or enter the first few digits to find several matching titles. A search on an ISxN that has an invalid format will still retrieve the item.
Titles by Classmark This is an extended search using a specific class number. You can perform an exact match search for one class number or enter the first few digits to obtain all matching titles, e.g. 658 would retrieve all management titles classified at 658 and more detailed break downs of 658. From OLIB 9 Service Pack 10 a second classmark search box is available so you can search for titles containing either classmark. There is an implicit OR between the search boxes so that a search beginning e.g. 330 in the first box and 941 in the second box returns a list of titles that are linked to classmarks beginning either 330 or 941. The default sort order is by the Primary classmark in the Classmark column. For example, if a title is linked to classmark 500 and to classmark 821, with 500 as the primary classmark, and you then search for 821, the title record will be included in the hitlist but it will be sorted by the 500 classmark, not by the 821 classmark.
Titles by Title Number This may be useful for support purposes and refers to the OLIB generated unique number for each title record, displayed on the Related Items and Control Data screen. This is an exact match search.
Titles by Publisher This search retrieves all items catalogued using a specific publisher. The principles of fuzzy matching and extended search are also applied.
Titles by Title and Subtitle This option enables you to search by main title and subtitle in the same search. It is automatically left- and right truncated. Thus, you can enter the subtitle without including the % symbol at the start to retrieve titles with that subtitle.  
Titles by Subtitle Search by subtitle is automatically left- and right truncated. Thus, you can enter the subtitle without including the % symbol at the start to retrieve titles with that subtitle.
Titles by Control Number This option enables you to search by the control numbers you have entered in the Control Nos. field.
Serial Issues by Serial Number This search lists a journal’s issues, but it is limited to those issues for which there is at least one copy which has still not been received.
Serial Issues by Serial Title This search lists all the issues of the journal title you have entered. The principles of fuzzy matching and extended search are applied to this search.
Outstanding Serial Issues by Serial Titles This search lists a journal’s issues, but it is limited to those issues for which there is at least one copy which has still not been received.
Cartographic Material by Scale This search option retrieves all cartographic records whose scale matches the scale you enter. Cartographic records are identified as title records with the media type of Maps.
Titles by OS Grid Reference Use to search for titles of photographs taken at this location.
Titles by OS Grid Reference Range Use to search for titles of photographs taken at this location.
Titles by Copy Barcode Search Use to search by Copy Barcode, right-truncated and not case sensitive.
Titles by Author (Resp.Type1,2...) This search retrieves titles that match the author entered, if they have a Responsibility Type containing Code 1 , 2 and so on.
OCLC Record Number Search Search by specific OCLC Record Control Number supplied during the import of a MARC21 record. This field is visible in the Title record (Control details in the General layout).
RCN Number Search Search using the Import Record Control Number for this title record.
Keyword Search (Index 2-10) Retrieves titles that match keywords from the other keyword indexes (2-10), rather than the main keyword index.
Titles by Film Number If you have the films domain configured, you can search on film number.
Titles by Supplier Use to search for Titles from a specific Supplier used in Acquisitions.
Z39.50 Search for Titles by OCLC Number A search option for the OLIB Z-Server for integration with WorldCat Local.

External databases can be searched using Z39.50.