Research Guides > Searching the Catalog
- Basic Search
- Advanced Search
- Types of Searches
- Anatomy of a Search Result
- Limiting and Sorting Results
- How do I...
Basic Search
The catalog can be searched from the Legal Research Center (LRC) main page, using the search box at the left of the page. By default, it searches all Drexel Libraries, but you can restrict it to LRC-only. This search box performs a Keyword search, meaning it searches all fields in the record (title, author, subject, notes, etc.).
Advanced Search
For more search options, choose the Search the Catalog link under Resources on the LRC main page. This will let you choose what type of search to use:
As well as what location you would like to search:
Types of Searches
- Keyword – searches entire record, including title, author, subjects, and notes
- Title – searches the title of all items
- Author – searches for author (last name, first name)
- Subject – search by Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Journal Title – searches the titles of both print and electronic journals
- ISBN/ISSN – International Standard Bibliographic Number (ISBN) is used to identify books, and differentiate versions of a book (editions, publishers, etc.) You will see ISBN information on Amazon and a number of other sites. International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is a similar identifier used for journals, magazines, and other periodicals.
Anatomy of a Search Result
- Title – click on this to bring up the full record of an item. In the full record you can see all information, including subject headings and notes.
- Location – tells you which of the 4 libraries the item is located in, as well as the section you will find it.
- Call # - the exact location of the item. Clicking on this link brings up a list of nearby items (good for browsing a subject to find related items).
- Status – tells you whether an item is available to check out, checked out, for in-library use only, etc.
- Item type – an icon indicating the type of item (book, DVD, electronic resource, etc.)
- Save box – check this box to mark the record, then click “Save Marked Records” at the top of the page. Once you’ve created a list of saved records, go to “View/Export Records”, where you can e-mail the list, export it to EndNote/Refworks, or save it to disk.
Limiting and Sorting Results
- For more detailed searching, you can use limiters on your searching to restrict by Date, Language, Material Type, etc.
- For Title, Author, and Subject searches, click on the
button at the top of your results list. You will then be able to limit the search by several criteria:
- For keyword searches, the Limit/Sort Results button is unavailable from your results screen. Instead, you have to use an Advanced Keyword Search, which is the link to the right of "Keyword" on the right menu of the catalog. From this search screen, you will specify all of your limiters before you submit the search. Advanced Keyword Search is also what you would use if you need to combine multiple search items (such as an author and subject query).
For further information on searching the catalog, see the Drexel Libraries’ Catalog Search Guide.
Find a book (print or electronic)?
- From the Legal Research Center main page, search for the Title, Author, or any part of the Title in the Catalog Search box.
- For more precise searching, go to the Search the Catalog page and choose which type of search you'd like to do (Title, Author, Subject, etc.)
- For print titles, once you've found the correct catalog entry, note the Location, the Call Number, and whether the item is available.
- Electronic Resources will be labeled as such. Use the "Click for resource" link to access them.
Find an article in a journal (print or electronic)?
- To find articles through the catalog, you will need to search for the journal the article is in, not the article itself.
- From the Legal Research Center main page, search for the journal title or any part of the title in the Catalog Search box.
- For more precise searching, go to the Search the Catalog page, choose "Journals (All)" from the dropdown menu, and search for the journal by Title.
- For print journals, once you've found the correct catalog entry, note the Location and dates of the issues available.
- E-journals will be labeled as "[electronic resource]". Use the "Click for resource" link to access them. You will be presented with a list of one or more databases that have the journal. Check the Availablilty to find a journal with appropriate coverage, then click Go.
Find a database?
- You can find a list of all Law databases on our Databases page, accessible from the Legal Research Center main page.
- A complete list of databases can be found on the Drexel Libraries' Databases/Article Indexes page. Here you can browse databases by subject, or an A-Z list.
- Some of the most popular databases are listed on our Quick Links, on the left of each page.
- You can also search the catalog for databases. From the LRC main page, search for the database name or any part of the name in the Catalog Search box.
Find a Westlaw or Lexis treatises, HeinOnline libraries, newsletters, and more?
- You can also search our catalog for Westlaw and Lexis treatises, and many other federal and state materials available on the platforms. This can often be faster than finding the materials within Westlaw or Lexis, and allows you to browse by subject to find related materials. If you know the title you can enter that, or just search for “Westlaw” or "Lexis" with other topical keywords (for example: “Pennsylvania civil procedure Westlaw”).
- Our catalog also includes almost all libraries from HeinOnline, including Legal Classics, Session Laws, and U.S. Congressional Documents.
- Among other items you will find in the catalog:
- Newsletters from BNA.
- Electronic U.S. government documents available on the Web.
- Online legal encyclopedias
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