Encore Catalog Search

Try an Encore Catalog Search

What is Encore?

Encore is the library's new interface to the OSL Catalog that functions more like a search engine. It features:

• A simple starting point– just type in your search terms and go!
• Many options for refining your search, by format (book, DVD, etc.), year of publication, subject heading ("tag"), and more.
• Suggested titles ("popular choices") that match your search.

Encore is an innovative new way to find materials in the library collections. It functions like a search engine, so you do not need to search by title, author or subject.

Type what you are looking for in the search box and click the button! Encore will return a list of related items. Use "quotation marks" to search for words together as one phrase. Type in partial terms to search a wide range of related topics (e.g., enviro* pol* will yield books on environment, environment politics, environment policy, etc.).

If you do not see what you are looking for in the results, use the "Refine by" options to narrow down what you are looking for by format, subject, or library location.

Encore Frequently Asked Questions

What can I find in Encore?

You can search a variety of library collections including books, audio books and music, videos, digital audio books and ebooks; digital archives (manuscripts, photos and sound recordings); government documents, recent obituaries, and more. [ TOP ]

Do I have to capitalize my search, or type the author last-name-first?

No, Encore is very flexible. [ TOP ]

Are my search results in some kind of order?

Yes. The default sort is relevance, but you can change the sort by clicking on Title or Date (publication date, most recent first) under the orange bar. The relevance sort works like this: Titles are grouped into relevance categories based on things like which fields your search terms were found in, if they were found together or separated, etc. Within those categories they are sorted by publication year, most recent first. Before the first title in each relevance category you'll see a cell-phone bar icon and, in parentheses, the numbers of the records in that category (like 1-23). [ TOP ]

How can I find titles by a famous person and not about him or her?

If you search for a famous author like Mark Twain, but all you see on the top of the list is books about Mark Twain, just click on "Author" on the left, under "Refine by: Search Found In." [ TOP ]

What are those different-sized words on the lower right?

"Refine by tag:" is a "tag cloud," something you may have seen on other web sites. In this case, the "tags" are the subject headings of items that match your search. The bigger the words, the more items in your results have that subject heading. You can click on a tag to narrow your search. These tags can help you get at precisely the items you want, and may lead you to things you didn't know existed. [ TOP ]

Can I still use the old catalog?

Yes. The old interface to the library catalog is still available. On the main pages of our web site, just click "Catalog" link in the left-hand menu. [ TOP ]

Does Encore search a different library database than the classic catalog?

No, they both search the same database of library materials, but Encore displays the information in a way that better leverages the rich data contained in our records. [ TOP ]

Why can't Encore do everything the classic catalog can do?

Encore is a very new product. It's on the fast-track for development, so new features will be added from time to time. [ TOP ]

Why can't I check my record or request items in Encore?

Encore is a finding tool to help you locate various items from among the library's many collections. At this time, the borrowing and account features are not integrated into Encore. When you want to place a request in Encore, the request link will bring youto the familiar request screens in our classic catalog. Once you have placed your request, you will need to close this window/tab to return to Encore. [ TOP ]