Dana Medical Library

Searching the UVM Libraries Catalog

What information is contained in the UVM Libraries Catalog?
Accessing the Libraries Catalog
Quick Search
Guided Keyword search
Limits
Results
Print/Save or Email results
Patron information
Renew an item
Hold or Recall an item
Retrieving items from the LRA
Course Reserves
For more help

What information is contained in the UVM Libraries Catalog?

The Catalog provides title, author, publisher, and date information for books, and comparable information for non-book items.  It indicates in which library the item is located, what collection it is in, its call number (if applicable), and its availability. 

In some cases and to a limited degree, the contents of the item may be searchable as well. For example, the Catalog indexes the chapter titles of some books. However, it does NOT have the capability of searching for articles within journals. Instead, use an online index to the journal literature such as MEDLINE, PsycINFO, or CINAHL to search for articles.  For journals to which UVM has an electronic subscription, a link will be provided to the publisher's or vendor's website in the Catalog record.

Accessing the Libraries Catalog

The Dana Medical Library homepage http://library.uvm.edu/dana has a link for the Catalog on the top green toolbar.  It also has a search box available for quick entry at the bottom of the homepage.

Quick Search

Title

• Enter the exact title, or one or more consecutive words from the title.
  • hursts
  • infectious diseases
• Omit leading articles such as "A", "An", "The", "Les", "Los", "El", etc., 
  • old man and the sea
  • end of an era
  • miserables
• Case insensitive; caps optional
• Apostrophes optional
  • grays anatomy
  • goodman & gilmans

Author

• Enter last name, a space, and the first name or initial, if known
  • watson james d
• Case insensitive; caps optional
• Apostrophes optional
• omalley charles or o'malley charles
• Hyphens optional
  • scheper-hughes n or scheper hughes n
• If the "author" is an organization or other corporate body, enter its name in natural word order.
  • american heart association

Journal Title

• Enter the exact title, or one or more consecutive words of the title of the journal.
  • american journal of clinical pathology
• Omit leading articles such as "A", "An", "The", "Les", "Los", "El", etc.,
  • journal of biochemistry
• For many journals, the NLM abbreviations are searchable.
  • am j clin pathol
  • int j pediatr nephrol
• Records for journals available electronically will have a link to the publisher or vendor's website. No passwords are required. Note the years covered by the libraries' subscription.
• If you have trouble accessing an electronic journal, please call the Reference Desk at 656-2201 Mon-Fri 08:30 am-5:00 pm, or the Circulation Desk at 656-2200, for assistance.

Subject Heading

• Enter a Library of Congress ("LC") subject  heading or Medical Subject Heading ("MeSH"), omitting hyphens.   If you don't know the exact subject heading, you may prefer to use the "Guided Keyword" search method instead.  You may search on a personal name as a subject.
  • cardiology periodicals
  • physicians biography
  • osler william sir

Call Number

• Enter the exact call number, including punctuation.
  • RC522 .E86 2004
  • HE 1.2:C 43/9

Keyword (and, or, not)

• Perform a keyword search by entering words or phrases, and combining them with the Boolean operators "AND", "OR", and "NOT".  Enclose phrases in quotation marks.  The truncation symbol is a "?". 
  • (child? or adolescent?) and abuse and "united states"
  • ethic? and "palliative care"
• If you'd like to learn more about Boolean operators, check out this web page from Creighton University:
  • http://www.hsl.creighton.edu/hsl/Searching/Boolean_operations.html

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Guided Keyword Search

One or more terms may be entered into each of the three query boxes.  Each search box offers the option to select a relationship between the terms, i.e., "all of these", "any of these", or "as a phrase".  Each search box also provides the option of dictating the field in which the terms shall occur, i.e., keyword anywhere, title, subject, author name, standard number (ISBN or ISSN), or publication facts.

The term(s) in the first search box may be connected to those in subsequent search boxes through use of the Boolean operators "AND", "OR", and "NOT".

If you'd like to learn more about Boolean operators, check out this web page from Creighton University: http://www.hsl.creighton.edu/hsl/Searching/Boolean_operations.html

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Limits

• Limits apply only to Title, Journal Title, and Keyword searches.
• To set limits from the Quick Search screen, make a selection from the Title/Keyword Quick Limits drop-down box. 
• To limit after running your search, click on the      button on the upper right corner of the results screen.  Select limits for language, location, date, etc., from the drop-down boxes, then click the     button. 
• Limits remain in effect until you cancel them or close the session, or the system times out.

Results

The records in the Catalog are created using a standard format, whereby the first section contains generic information, followed by sections for UVM library holdings.  In some cases there may be more than one record for a particular item.

For example, consider this Catalog record for a book. The first section provides general facts about the book such as title, author, edition, publisher, etc.,  The next section provides information specific to UVM libraries such as where the item is shelved, its call number, and whether it is currently available for checkout.

Compare this with a typical record for a journal. Although journal records are somewhat more complicated because of multiple formats and different locations, the same record structure is utilized.

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Print/Save or Email results

• Check the appropriate boxes to select records. 
• To save selections as you navigate to subsequent pages, click on Retain Selected. 
• To print, email, or save results, scroll to the bottom of the results screen to the Record Options box. 
  • Choose the records and download format.
  • Click on the appropriate button. 
  • You can also save the results for later use by clicking Save to Bookbag.

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Patron Information

• view a list of materials you currently have checked out and their due dates
• renew items
• place a hold or recall on an item
• save results to the Bookbag

To access your personal information, log on with your UVM NetID and password, or your last name and 14-digit UVM barcode number.  If you are using a library computer, be sure to logout and close the browser after your session for privacy. 

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To Renew an Item

• Click on Patron Info on the top toolbar, and log in with your UVM NetID and password, or your last name and 14-digit UVM barcode number.
• Check the box next to the item you wish to renew, and click Renew Items.
• Note the new due date.
• Be sure to logoff and close the browser after your session.
• You may also renew a book by calling the Dana Library Circulation desk at 656-2200 or sending an email to danacirc@uvm.edu
• You will not be able to renew an item if another patron has placed a Recall on the item, if you have reached the maximum number of renewals, or if you have a lost item or an outstanding fine.  If you are unable to renew an item, please call the Circulation desk at 656-2200 to resolve the problem.

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To Hold or Recall an Item

• If an item you want is checked out, you may place a Hold or Recall on that item.
  • A "Hold" will prompt the Circulation desk to hold the item for you upon its return.
  • A "Recall" will prompt the Circulation desk to notify the patron to whom the item is currently checked out, requesting that they return the item. 
• Log on through Patron Info using your UVM NetID and password or your last name and UVM barcode.
• To place a Hold or Recall, run a search in the Catalog and identify the desired item.
• From the item record, click on Hold/Recall on the top toolbar.
• Select either Hold or Recall from the pull-down box, and click OK.
• Indicate at which library you would like to pick up the item, when the request will expire, and any additional comments.
• Click Submit Request.
• Be sure to logoff and close the browser after your session.

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Retrieving items from the LRA

• The Library Research Annex (LRA) houses lesser-used items such as duplicate copies, superceded items, and older issues of journals.  Any patron, regardless of affiliation, may request an item from the LRA.
• In general, Dana Library journal issues from 1985 or earlier are housed at the LRA.  Before placing a request for material from the LRA, please check the UVM Libraries Catalog to verify the item's location.
• To place a request, go to the Dana Library homepage, and click on Services.  Then choose Material from LRA.
• There is no cost for retrieval of a book or bound journal.
• There is a $5 charge for a photocopy of a journal article, payable in cash or via UVM budget number or FAHC cost center number.

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Course Reserves

• To find reserve books and visual materials, go to http://library.uvm.edu/dana/reserve/findreservebooksandvisualmaterials.html.
• For additional information on Course Reserves, please refer to http://library.uvm.edu/dana/reserve/index.html, or call Brenda Nelson at 656-4401.

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For more help

• Dana Medical Library Circulation desk 802-656-2200, or email danacirc@uvm.edu
• Dana Medical Library Reference desk 802- 656-2201 (Mon-Fri, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm), or email danaref@uvm.edu

fd 03/17/06