What It Does
Command keyword is the most powerful method of searching the online NLS International Union Catalog. Use this search method to retrieve items with selected words or phrases location anywhere in the catalog record.
When To Use It
Command keyword may be used for an untargeted, single-word search, like a keyword search. Using command keyword approach, however, allows for more complex searches that combine multiple terms from one or more fields of a record. Search limits are available for command keyword searches. Boolean searches are available. Also, special index codes may be used to focus the search.
Examples
(mercury OR venus) AND probesretrieves books on missions to Mercury or Venus:knam "beckett samuel"retrieves books by and about Samuel Beckettknam sharespeare AND 260b "oxford university"retrieves any books with Shakespeare as the subject or playwright and that were published by Oxford University Pressk110 "librarians serving blind" AND denverretrieves any publication from the Denver meeting of the Conference of Librarians Serving Blind and Physically Handicapped Individualsskey fish NOT cookeryretrieves publications about fish but not cookbooks
Truncation
Use a question mark at the end of a search word for truncation. canoe?
will search for canoe, canoeing, canoeist, canoes, etc.
Truncation may be included within quoted phrases. "bank? law"
for banking law and bankruptcy law.
Boolean Search
Combines several terms using Boolean operators AND, OR, NOT). Boolean operators may be entered in upper or lower case. Help on Boolean operators
- AND
- Narrows the search by combining multiple elements, e.g.,
mars AND probeswill only retrieve records with both terms. - OR
- Broadens the search with related tersm for each concept, e.g.,
ten OR 10will retrieve records that have only one or both terms. - NOT
- Excludes terms from the search, e.g.,
ships NOT spacewill only retrieve records that contain ships but do not contain the word space.
If you want to use the words and, or, not as search words it is
necessary to include them with other words in quotes as a phrase, e.g.,
"lewis and clark".
Combine several Boolean operators in a single search statement, using parenthesis to group concepts together. Example:
Ireland not (fiction or juvenile)
Tips
Set search limits before constructing the search. When you return to the search from from visiting the "Limiting Searches" page, the input boxes will be empty.
Enclose exact search phrases in double quotation marks, e.g., "talking
books".
Restrict words or phrases to a particular index, or area of the catalog record,
by preceding them with the appropriate index code prior to the word or phrase,
e.g., knam nobbe and skey bibliography. Help
on index codes
