How to Use Catalogs & Databases

How to Find Multiple Types of Sources

Places where you can find multiple types of sources (books, articles, videos, and more) from the same search.

All-in-One Search: All Library Databases is a broad tool for searching multiple library resources at once. Gather information from books and ebooks; articles from journals, magazines, and newspapers; theses/dissertations; reports; reference works; & more. This search system will mix the different types of sources into one list of search results.

Here's a link:

Searching from the Basic Search Page (Main Page)

click here to view tutorial video (click again to close)

1. Access library services, such as Ask a Librarian, and Advanced Search from menu icon
2. Enter search terms in the search box and click the Search button

Searching from the Advanced Search Page

click here to view tutorial video (click again to close)

1. Change "All Fields" drop-down to search by title, author, etc.
2. Enter search term(s) in box(es)
3. Change "AND" drop-down box to adjust AND, OR, NOT options to search for all words, any words, or exclude words
4. Click the "Add a row" link to add more search box rows, if needed
5. Publication date range: enter dates to limit results by date
6. Show content type: check box(es) to limit by content type, such as book, ebook, article, etc.
7. Language: click the drop-down to limit results by language
8. Show only: check box(es) to limit by full text, peer review, etc.
9. Exclude from results: check box(es) to exclude specific types of sources from the results, such as newspaper articles, book reviews, etc.
10. Expand your results: check the box to include results that the library doesn't have; this can be useful for knowing what else may be available and making interlibrary loan requests
11. Click the "Clear Form" link if you need to clear the options and start over
12. Click the "Back to basic search" link to return to the basic search page (main page)
13. Click the Search button to start the search

Reviewing the Search Results

click here to view tutorial video (click again to close)

1. From the top:
   • Use the search box to tweak search terms, if needed
   • Click the link for the Advanced Search, if more detailed tweaks are needed
   • Click on the folder icon for saved items (articles, ebooks, etc.)
   • Click on the menu icon for additional services
   • Look at the number of results to see if there are too few or too many
   • Click on the "Relevance" link to change the sorting option to sort by date
   • Check the box for "Add results beyond your library's collection" to show items that might be useful to request from interlibrary loan
2. From the left-side menu:
   • Refine your source: click on options to refine results by source characteristics (full text, peer-review, etc.)
   • Content type: click on options to limit the results by content type (newspaper article, book/ebook, journal article, etc.)
   • Discipline: click on options to limit results by subject or discipline; click on the "More" link to show the full list of disciplines/subjects available
   • Publication date: enter dates to limit results to items published within a specific date range
   • Subject terms: click on options to limit results by subject terms, which are related to how the sources are indexed or categorized
   • Language: if sources are in several languages, options will appear to limit the results
3. From the right-side options:
   • Look for definitions from Encyclopædia Britannica
   • A Related Topics section will suggest topics or phrases that the system thinks are related to your search terms; may be useful for adjusting the search when the results aren't quite right
4. For each source:
   • Click on the "Preview" link to view a preview of the source (a panel will open below the source's title)
   • Icons: there are several icons with additional options
     • Click on the quotation mark (citation icon) for the citation generator
     • Click on the email icon to email the source information to yourself or someone else
     • Click on the folder icon to save the source to your account
     • click on the ellipses icon to export the source information to a citation manager (Zotero, etc.)
   • Availability: look for the availability or source location information
     • for print books, this will be a call number to locate the book in the library
     • for electronic sources (ebooks, articles, etc.), this will be a link to the database that has the source
   • Source title link: click on the title of the source to go to the full text for that source
     • for print books, the link will go to the library catalog

Previewing a Source

click here to view tutorial video (click again to close)

1. Click on the "Preview" link to view a preview of the source
2. If the source is an article, an abstract will appear. Otherwise, a brief excerpt from a book or longer source will appear
3. There will also be source information that will be using for citing your source or locating print sources - publication date, call number, etc.
4. Click on the "Permanent Link" link to view a permanent link to the source in Charger Search: All Library Database. This link will always work. (Copying the URL from the location bar in the browser won't always work because those URLs tend to time out.)
5. Click on the "Preview" link again to close the preview

Viewing the Full-Text of a Source

click here to view tutorial video (click again to close)

1. From "Full Text Online"
   • Click on the link for "Full Text Online"v to be taken to the item's summary page
   • Sign in with your MyCN login information
   • The summary page will be from the database where the item is hosted (such as Gale, EBSCO, etc.)
   • Depending on the database, the full text may be on the summary page (Gale, JStor, etc.) or you may need to click a button on the side for the "PDF Full Text" or "HTML Full Text" (EBSCO and others)
2. By clicking the title:
   • Click on the title of the material you would like to view to be taken to the item's summary page
   • Sign in with your MyCN login information
   • The summary page will be from the database where the item is hosted (such as Gale, EBSCO, etc.)
   • Depending on the database, the full text may be on the summary page (Gale, JStor, etc.) or you may need to click a button on the side for the "PDF Full Text" or "HTML Full Text" (EBSCO and others)