Be aware that there are two ways to search for names, subjects, etc.: using keywords (natural language), and controlled vocabulary (Library of Congress subject headings, LC forms of name, etc.). Using both will give you the best chance of finding the best sources for your project. Sometimes the natural vocabulary and controlled vocabulary terms are the same, but it’s important to know how to find controlled vocabulary terms.
To find controlled vocabulary terms, go to the library home page, then to the Advanced Search tab (in pink) below the main search box in WorldCat. The advanced search tab will pull up a search screen with three boxes, pre-labeled with keyword, author, and title. Any of these boxes can be changed to any of the supported search terms. Enter your keyword terms into one or two boxes and search. When the search results come up, look to find a record that looks like a good match for you topic and click on it. This brings up the record for that item. Go to the Description tab and click. This brings up a description of the item, including the Library of Congress subject headings and forms of name. Write these down to remember them. Also the subject headings and names are hot links, so clicking on them brings up every record in the WorldCat database that uses that term. We will discuss ways to limit your searches in class.
For your research project, start a research log. Write here every keyword and controlled vocabulary term you use and not if it’s useful or not. This will help you refine your search. Be aware that some databases use their own controlled vocabulary, so find out what that is and add those terms to your list.
When searching for buildings, be aware that some do not yet have Library of Congress forms of name, and there may be no form of name in the Description portion of the record for an item. Instead you may need to search using the kind of building (hotel, skyscraper, etc.). Also remember that many buildings have had more than one name over their lifetimes (even relatively new buildings can have several names), so keep track of these names. Without them, you’ll only get part of your building’s history. Some buildings also have formal names and informal or nicknames, or variant forms of name, including spellings (theatre versus theater, for example). Try all of these, and keep track of which forms are the most useful.
LC=Library of Congress subject or name
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