Information Power--Get It, Use It!
Locating Books/Catalog Searching Tips
Using WebCat to Locate Books, Periodicals, Media
Go To Catalog

• Search Catalog (Basic)
• Search for Reserve Materials
• View Complete Records
• Print, Email, or Download Results
• Place HOLD on checked-out items
• How to Find Items in the Library

1. Go to the Library Home Page on the World Wide Web: http://www.palomar.edu/library
2. Click Search Catalog
3. Click the Webcat picture
4. Type a word or phrase in the search box
5. Click one of the search types below the search box ("Search Everything," "Author," "Title," etc.)

Search Tips:

1. Completing the following steps may help you get to the information that you need:
   • Think about what you are looking for by stating it in a sentence. Example: "I am writing a paper about women in the work place."
   • Type key words, ideas, or concepts about the idea. Some key words for the above topic are: women, work place, equal rights, equal pay, employment, glass ceiling.
   • If you know the AUTHOR or TITLE of an item, types those in.
2. Combine terms with and, or, not to get the precise information you need. Examples: women and employment; women and equal pay or equal rights; women and employment not military.
3. Enclose terms in 'single quotation marks' to find an exact phrase. Example: 'works of Shakespeare' will only retrieve records where these terms appear exactly like this.
4. Use a $dollar sign at the end of a term to search for possible variants. Example: type computer$ to find citations containing the terms computer or computers or computerized.
5. Use a ?question mark anywhere in a term to search for possible variants. Example: type wom?n to find citations containing the terms women or woman.

Too many citations retrieved? Try limiting your request to a specific publication year, language, item  type or location in the Library:

1. From the Search Results screen, click LimitSearch button at the top of screen.
2. In Search Limits listed at the bottom of the screen, use pull down menu to select appropriate values for the kind of limit you want (for "pubyear," type the year in the box)
3. Click Search Catalog button.

Please consult a Reference Librarian for assistance in designing an effective search strategy.

Search for Reserve Materials
        1. Click Reserve Desk button at top of screen
        2. Type instructor name, course number, or course name in box
        3. Click appropriate search type.

View Complete Results
Click the View button next to each citation to view a detailed description of the item and its location within the library.

View Tips:
Click any of the colored hyperlinks appearing in the record to view additional items with similar call numbers, authors, titles, or subject.

Print or Email  Results
    1.  Click in the box on the left side of citation (make sure a check-mark appears).
   2.  Click Print/Capture button at the top of the screen.
   3.  Choose and click the button for one of the following:
        Print: print results to attached printer
        Email: email results to an Internet address (enter in box provided)

NOTE: you can only place a 'hold' on items that are already checked out.

1. Click Request button at top of screen
2. Click Place Immediate Hold
3. Type item call number, your User ID, and your PIN number in the appropriate boxes.
4. Click Place Hold button

1. From the Search Results screen, note the following information for each citation:
   • Call number: the alpha-numeric code just above the title
   • Copies (in the Results List display)
   • Location (in the detailed View display)
2. Records will show a location in the Library indicating where it is shelved. Common locations are:
   • STACKS: 3rd floor of main library building
   • REFERENCE: 2nd floor of main library building
   • LRC: 1st floor of main library building
   • RESERVE-1, RESERVE-2: 1st or 2nd floor reserve shelves of main library building
   • ESC: Escondido Center Library
   • PERIODICALS: 2nd floor of main library building
   • CHECKEDOUT or [due date]: if somebody else has the item, "CHECKEDOUT" will appear next to "Copies" in the Results List display, or under "Location" in the detailed View display.
   • HOLD: if item is checkout out and there are already "holds" placed on it.
   • MISSING/LOST: items are lost and unavailable. DO NOT PLACE HOLDS ON THESE.

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