Introduction to IUCAT: Indiana University Libraries Catalog
Description of IUCAT
IUCAT contains records for more than 6.5 million items held by the Indiana University Libraries statewide.
IUCAT contains records for U.S. Government Publications since 1976, including most serials, and scattered holdings for older documents. The following materials have been cataloged since 1993: publications received from local, state, and foreign governments; international governmental organizations, including depository receipts from the United Nations and the European Union. Records for older publications are being added to IUCAT.
IUCAT contains records from the Kinsey Institute Library, including monographs, serials, unpublished papers, reports, articles within journals, conference proceedings, reprints of journal articles, and some audiovisual items. IUCAT does not contain records for all items in the Kinsey Institute's collections. Records from the Kinsey Institute library cover all aspects of human sexuality and may contain language and content that some persons deem offensive.
IUCAT does not yet contain records for all items owned by the IU Libraries. While many regional campus libraries' entire collections are listed in IUCAT, approximately 95% of the Bloomington Libraries, holdings are listed (excluding the Lilly Library).
You must still check the card catalog or ask staff for assistance in those libraries that do not yet have all their holdings on IUCAT.
Defined Groupings of Libraries
It is possible to search defined groupings of libraries in IUCAT. The groups have been defined by the library staff. It is not possible to make more than one selection from the list. The defined groupings are geographical or subject oriented. The defined groupings appear on the top part of the drop-down libraries list on the search screens. In addition to the library or libraries described below, each of the defined groupings includes all of the online resources available to all faculty, staff and students of any Indiana University campus (i.e. the Inspire/EbscoHost databases).
ALL--all libraries in IUCAT.
Blmgtn-All Bloomington Libraries--all libraries on the Bloomington campus but the Residence Halls Libraries.
Blmgtn Kinsey Institute Library--Kinsey Institute library collections
Blmgtn Residential Programs and Services Libraries--all libraries in the Bloomington residence halls
Columbus--University Library of Columbus
East Library--IU East(Richmond)campus library
Fort Wayne--IUPU Fort Wayne campus library
Health Libraries-Medicine Dentistry Optometry--Indianapolis Medical and Dentistry Libraries and Bloomington Optometry Library
Indpls-All IUPUI Libraries--University Library, Herron, Medical and Dental Libraries in Indianapolis
Kokomo Library--IU Kokomo Library
Law Libraries-Blmgtn and Indpls Campuses--Bloomington and Indianapolis Law Libraries
Northwest Library--IU Northwest (Gary) campus library South Bend-All South Bend Libraries--The IU South Bend Schurz Library and the Learning Resources Center Southeast Library--IU Southeast (New Albany) Library
IUCAT Menu Options
IUCAT HOME: Use to return to the Basic search screen in IUCAT.
MY ACCOUNT: Use to review library books charged in your name or to renew library books.
OTHER LIBRARY CATALOGS: Use to connect to a selection other libraries' catalogs.
IU LIBRARIES' HOME PAGES: Use to connect to home pages of all the I.U. Libraries statewide.
ASK: Ask a librarian a question, or comment on IUCAT.
LOGIN Login to IUCAT to use the Request Delivery or My Account features.
Navigation Options
Go Back: Takes you to the previous screen. Use the Go Back option instead of the browser's Back option.
Revise Search: Use in a basic or advanced search to revise your typed entry or to limit your search.
Help: Takes you to detailed help screens for assistance in using IUCAT.
New Search: Takes you back to the Basic search screen in IUCAT.
Previous: Takes you to the previous page of the search results screen, or the previous record when reviewing single record displays.
Next: Takes you to the next page of the search results screen, or the next record when reviewing single record displays.
Print/Email Save: Allows you to print, email or save your records from IUCAT.
Change Display: Allows you to change the display from the Brief display to the Full or to the All display.
Limit Search: Allows you to limit your search by library, shelving location, language, format or publication year.
Related Headings: Allows you to select from a list of related subject headings.
Remote Access
My Account
Faculty, staff and students of Indiana University may review a list of materials they have checked out, renew their library materials, or review and cancel materials requested by using their I.U. Network ID and Password.
The Network ID and Password are those issued by University Information Technology Services on each campus to allow access to email and other password-protected services.
After renewing your materials be sure to read the renewal confirmation list. It is possible that all items may not be renewed. For example, you may not renew materials that are on hold for another patron or if the renewal limit has been met. You may not renew materials that you have checked out from Interlibrary Loan (ILL) using My Account.
Request Delivery
Indiana University students, faculty and staff may place requests online for delivery of materials to another library. Materials that are checked out may not be requested. Requests for delivery usually takes 4-7 working days to complete.
Materials from the IUB Law Library, IUB Kinsey Library, Lilly Library ,CEDIR Library, Archives of Traditional Music Library, Cyclotron Library, University Archives Library, and the Bloomington Residence Halls are excluded. In addition, some materials (i.e. reference books, other non-circulating collections and short term loan collections) from other libraries may be excluded.
User login is necessary to provide the connection to My Account and to allow a persistent connection to Request Delivery.
Use your university ID and password to login.
If you enter IUCAT without logging in, you may still use Request Delivery but you must login first. Click on the LOGIN button under the IUCAT banner. It will be necessary to redo your search.
Borrower's Cards
Students, faculty and staff of Indiana University, persons affiliated with Indiana University, residents of the State of Indiana, CIC Scholars, and OCLC Scholars are eligible for borrower's cards. In most cases, a valid IU Identification card, a valid Indiana Driver's license or Indiana State Identification card are required when requesting a borrower's card. For more information, visit the Circulation Policies section of site prior to your visit.
Choosing the Type of Search
Basic
Use the Basic search option when to search for words in the title, and the author's name. If you are unsure of the exact title, author, or subject heading, you may type keywords in the keywords anywhere box. The Basic search is the default search, it will be selected when you first access IUCAT. The search results will include a list of library materials that contain the word(s) you entered in the search box. If there are no matches, you will see an alphabetical list of entries that is closest to the search word(s) that were entered.
Advanced
Use the Advanced search when you want to combine keyword search terms from more than one field, or when you want to limit your search. Searches may be limited to a shelving location within a library, a collection, publication year, format, or language.
Begins With (Browse)
Use the Begins With (Browse) search to search an alphabetical list of authors, titles, subjects or series that begin with or most closely match the first term(s) entered. Click on any of the headings to see the catalog records associated with that heading.
Periodical Title
Use the Periodical Title search to find Periodicals. You may search by keywords or by Exact
Title. Use the Exactsearch to find term(s) exactly as typed--in that order and in a precise
letter-for-letter match.
An Exact search is especially effective for one-word periodical/journal/newspaper titles.
Sound Recording
Use the Sound Recording search to find Sound Recordings. This is a keyword search. You may limit
your search by format (i.e. CD, LP, Tape, MP3, Streaming) and search for words in a variety of fields.
DVD/Video
Use the DVD/Video search to find visual materials. This is a keyword search. You may limit your
search by format (i.e. DVD, VHS, Streaming, etc.). You may search for keywords in a variety of fields.
Ebooks
Use the EBook search to find electronic books. This is a keyword search.
Call Number
Use the Call Number search to scan titles in call number order in a specific library, and to find books on a similar topic.
Class Reserves
Use the Class Reserves search to find a listing of materials on reserve. Search by
instructor, course name or course number.
Basic Search
Overview
Basic search is the default search. From this search you may limit your search to a particular library
The following words are stop words and will be ignored in a basic search:
a, an, as, at, be, but, by, do, for, if, in, is, it, of, on, the, to
In a basic search you may use:
Truncation
: ($ for multiple characters and ? for single characters)
Boolean and Positional Operators
: (and, or, not, adj, same)
Nesting
: (when using more than one operator in the same search)
Field/MARC Tag Searching
There is no limit on the number of characters you may type into a search box. One or more search terms may be typed in a single search term box. Include an operator between each search term. If no operators are included, the system assigns the default operator SAME.
The result of a keyword search is a list of titles. The number of matches will appear in bold text underneath the navigation options. Use the Previous and Next navigation options to move through the list. At the bottom of the list is a Search Again feature. At this point you may reconstruct your search and apply the limits that may be applied in the Advanced search.
Titles appear in a "last in, first out" (LIFO) order. This means that the item added to the database last will appear first on the list. The search results may be sorted by author, title, or publication year. Scroll to the bottom of the results screen and select the preferred sort option. If a search produces no matches or related headings, a browse list closest to the first term will be displayed.
Entering Words in the Search Box
Type your word(s) in the box. Think about the fields you wish to search when entering the word(s) in the box.
The system is not case sensitive, it does not matter if you capitalize proper nouns.
Title
Title will search only the title fields of a record. It will not search for stop words. Do not use initial articles: a, the, la, das, etc.
Type any of the words in a title.
| Examples : | old man sea |
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scarlet letter |
Type any of the words in a periodical title.
| Examples : | journal information science |
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art design |
Author
Author will search only the author fields of a record. Included are personal names, organizations, agencies, corporation, conferences, etc.
Type an individual last name or part of last name:
| Examples : | hemingway or heming |
|
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beethoven |
For common names, include all or part of the first name to narrow your search. Since you are conducting a keyword search, the order of the name does not matter.
| Examples : | carson rachel or rachel carson |
For contracted surnames include the apostrophe or exclude it without leaving a space.
| Examples : | o'connor or oconnor flan |
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l'estrange or lestrange |
For hyphenated names you may or may not include the hyphen.
| Examples : | birket-smith or birket smith |
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shachar-levi or shachar levi |
Organizations or corporations might be authors:
| Examples : | american medical association |
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microsoft corporation |
Keywords Anywhere
Keywords Anywhere will search for words anywhere in a record. If you know a specific MARC tag you may search by that tag. See Field/MARC tag searching for more information.
Enter the word or phrase to be searched in the record.
| Examples : | child$ |
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wildlife and conservation |
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wom?n |
Enclose an exact phrase in single quotation marks:
| Example : | 'single parent families' |
Type any of the words in a series.
| Examples : | SUNY Series Women in Education |
Type any of the words in a subject heading.
| Examples : | french literature |
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afro american biography |
Type any of the words in a medical subject heading.
| Examples : | cancer united states |
|
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cellular immunity |
ISBN and ISSN
Use the appropriate MARC Field Tags to search the ISBN or ISSN.
Type the ISBN without hyphens followed by the MARC field tag 020 in curly brackets.
Type the ISSN with hyphens followed by the MARC field tag 022 in curly brackets.
| Examples : | ISBN search: 0838981577 {020} |
|
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ISSN search: 0013-1954 {022} |
Limiting to a Library
Limiting your search to a specific library is optional.
The options are to select ALL to search all libraries, select a defined
grouping of libraries (i.e. Bloomington libraries or Indianapolis libraries),
or to select one library.
When limiting a search to a group of libraries or a specific library,
the word(s) entered will be searched only in the specified library or libraries.
A default library will be pre-selected for you.
If you do not change this limit, the word(s) you entered in the
search box will be searched only in the default library catalog.
The drop-down list of libraries is divided into two parts. The first part includes the
defined groupings of libraries that may be searched. For example, you may now
search all of the Bloomington Libraries or all of the Indianapolis Libraries
together in a single search.
The second part begins below the double line and is arranged in alphabetical order by location of the library.
All of the libraries located in Bloomington are listed in alphabetical order,
followed by Columbus, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, etc.
There are three exceptions, East, Northwest and Southeast are listed as East, Northwest and Southeast,
not Richmond, Gary and New Albany.
To select a defined group of libraries or a specific library:
Click on the arrow on the right side of the box.
Scroll through the list using the bar on the right side of the drop-down menu.
Highlight and click on the library that you wish to search.
The drop-down menu disappears and the selected library will appear in the box.
Advanced Search
Overview
Advanced search is a keyword search which allows words to be searched anywhere within records, within specified indexed fields, within designated MARC tags, or in any combination of these.
The following words are stop words and will be ignored in a keyword search:
a, an, as, at, be, but, by, do, for, if, in, is, it, of, on, the, to
The Advanced search screen consists of a series of drop-down menus for the search fields, text boxes to enter your search words, and drop-down menus for Boolean operators.
The fields that may be searched from the drop-down menu are: Keywords Anywhere, Author, Title, Periodical Title, Series, Subject, Medical Subject and Kinsey Subject.
The Boolean operator drop-down menu works between two boxes, not within a box. To operate the drop-down menus: click on the arrow on the right side of the box, highlight and click on your selection.
The Advanced search allows you to place limits on your search through a series of drop-down menus. Searches may be limited by: library, shelving location, collection, publication year, format and language. You may also sort your search results.
In an Advanced search you may use:
Operators: Boolean and Positional
: (and, or, not, adj, same)
Truncation
: ($ for multiple characters and ? for single characters)
Nesting
: (when using more than one operator in the same search)
The result of an Advanced search is a list of titles. The number of matches will appear in bold text underneath the navigation options. Use the Previous and Next navigation options to move through the list.
Titles appear in a "last in, first out" (LIFO) order. This means that the item added to the database last will appear first on the list. The search results may be sorted by author, title, or publication year. Scroll to the bottom of the results screen and select the preferred sort option.
If a search produces no matches or related headings, a browse list closest to the first term will be displayed.
Constructing Searches
There is no limit on the number of characters you may type into a search box.
Review
Entering Words in a Search Box for more information on how to enter search words.
Select a search field option from the drop-down menu on the left side of the screen.
Example
:
author
Enter the search word(s) in the first search box.
| Example : | Mark Twain |
If you wish to combine the search word(s) with additional word(s) from another field, select a Boolean operator from the drop-down menu on the right side of the screen.
| Example : | and |
Select a search field option from the second search field option.
| Example : | title |
Enter the search word(s) in the second search box.
| Example : | huckleberry finn |
If desired, repeat numbers 3-5.
If you do not want to limit or sort your search results, click the Search button. Pressing the Enter key on your keyboard will not start the search.
Limiting the Advanced Search
At the bottom of the Advanced search page you may
limit your search to any one or more of the following conditions:
You may do a search on one or a combination of search limits without entering a search term.
This would allow you to find all the visual materials (format limit) in the
IU Southeast Library (library limit), for example.
After applying the limits, click the Search button.
Pressing the Enter key on your keyboard will not start the search.
Library
Limiting your search to a specific library is
optional.
The options are to select ALL to search all libraries, select a defined
grouping of libraries (i.e. Bloomington libraries or Indianapolis libraries),
or to select one library.
When limiting a search to a group of libraries or a specific library,
the word(s) entered will be searched only in the specified library or libraries.
A default library will be pre-selected for you.
If you do not change this limit, the word(s) you entered in the
search box will be searched only in the default library catalog.
The drop-down list of libraries is divided into two parts. The first part includes the
defined groupings of libraries that may be searched.
The second part begins below the double line and is arranged in
alphabetical order by location of the library.
All of the libraries located in Bloomington are listed in alphabetical order,
followed by Columbus, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, etc.
There are three exceptions, East, Northwest and Southeast are listed as East,
Northwest and Southeast,
not Richmond, Gary and New Albany.
To select a defined group of libraries or a specific library:
Click on the arrow on the right side of the box.
Scroll through the list using the bar on the right side of the
drop-down menu.
Highlight and click on the library that you wish to search.
The drop-down menu disappears and the selected library will
appear in the box.
Shelving Location
There are hundreds of shelving locations in the drop-down menu.
ANY is the default shelving location.
If you do not limit the search to a shelving location, the system will search all shelving locations.
The shelving locations are arranged in an alphabetical list.
Approximately 100 shelving locations on the list are shared
shelving locations. For example, many libraries have A-V, Atlases,
Children's and Reference shelving locations. Not all libraries have all shared
shelving locations listed. For example, the Education Library does not use the
Theses or the Atlas shelving locations.
The remaining shelving locations are unique to a specific library.
Example
:
South Bend Circulation Desk CD's
Publication Year
Searches may be limited to a single year or a range of years.
Format
There are eight formats that you may use to limit your search.
ANY is the default and will search all of the formats.
Books (includes monographs in paper and other formats, such as microfilm)
Computer/Electronic/Online
Journals/Magazines/Newspapers (includes all serials)
Manuscripts
Maps
Musical Scores
Sound Recordings
Video/Slides, Etc. (includes all visual materials)
Language
Limits the search to a specific language.
The first two entries in the list are ANY (no limit) and English.
Following these are two separate lists of languages:
the 10 languages most heavily represented in the IU Libraries collections,
and an alphabetical list of the rest of the languages represented in the IU Libraries.
Collection
Limits the search to special collections.
Collections include: the Philanthropic Library in Indianapolis,
the Folklore Collection in Bloomington, the East Asian Collection in
Bloomington, and Indiana University Performances in the Cook Music Library
in Bloomington.
Operators
Operators tell the computer the relationship between the search
terms you enter in one box or between the each search box on the Advanced Search screen.
Entering operators into a single search term box
One or more search terms may be typed in a single search term box.
Include an operator between each search term.
If no operators are included, the system assigns the default operator SAME.
Terms may be "nested" (enclosed in parentheses) to combine like terms.
When you add parentheses to a search you tell the computer in which order
keywords should be searched. Without parentheses, the computer will search the
most specific operator first. The sequence from most to least specific is:
adj, near, with, same, and, not, xor, or.
Example
:
(television or TV) and advertising not (children or youth or teen$)
Boolean Operators
And
All terms entered in the box must be present in the records chosen. Narrows your search.
| Example : | children and poverty |
Or
Any of the terms in the search box may be present in the records.
Or broadens your search. Can be used for synonyms or variant spellings of a word.
| Example : | television or TV |
Not
Excludes all records found in the search
that include the next term in the box or the term in the next search box.
Narrows your search.
| Example : | pollution not air |
Xor
Either one or the other search term must be present but not both. Narrows your search.
| Example : | rats xor rodents |
Positional Operators
Same
The terms in the search box must all appear in the same field of a record (author, title, subject, etc.).
| Example : | gun same control |
Adj
Terms in the search box must appear in the record next to
(adjacent to) each other in the same order as you enter them in the box.
| Example : | civil adj rights |
Near
Terms in the search box must appear in the record next to (adjacent to) each other, but may appear in any order.
| Example : | financial near plan$ |
With
Terms in the search box must appear in the record in the same sentence and in the same field/part of the record.
| Example : | merchant with venice |
You may also add numbers to the positional operators "adj" and "near" to specify how many words apart the two terms can be.
| Example : | juvenile near4 courts |
Use a truncation symbol to find variant forms of a search term.
IUCAT has two different truncation symbols:
$ Retrieves all terms beginning with the same root.
The $ may replace more than one character.
Must be used at the end of a word. You may specify the number
of characters you want the computer to find.
? Takes the place of one character.
It maybe used in the middle or at the end of a word.
| Example : | comput$ |
| Finds words such as computer, computers, computing, computation. | |
| Example : | alcohol$2 |
| Finds words with 0 to 2 characters following the l, including alcohol or alcoholic, but not alcoholism. | |
| Example : | wom?n |
| Finds woman or women. | |
Nest terms by using. parentheses ( ). This is useful when combining like terms.
Example
:
(television or TV) and advertising not (children or youth or teen$)
Adding parentheses to a search tells the computer in which order keywords should be searched. Without parentheses, the computer will search the most specific operator first. The sequence from most to least specific is: adj, near, with, same, and, not, xor, or.
To search for an operator as a word, put it in quotes (" ").
| Examples : | "not" by bread alone |
|
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"near" death |