We share our online catalog with other university and public libraries, thus the name WorldCat!
As a result, you may find an article or ebook that we do not have access to. In those instances, look for an Interlibrary Loan button to request the item.
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Interlibrary Loan is a service where if Butler Libraries does not own or subscribe to the resource, you can order it through our interlibrary loan service, and we will request that item from another library who has it.
Magazine and journal articles can often be obtained this way, and you will be notified, via email, when the item is available. Requesting an ebook is dependent on licensing restrictions.
If you are an online student, and you want to access print or physical items (DVDs, CDs), work with your Subject Librarian to identify a library near your geographic location that has the item available for check-out.
Interlibrary loan is a free service, but keep in mind that it takes time to receive the requested item. For example, it takes 1-2 business days for journal article delivery.
Take advantage of this service - just budget in the time for it!
WorldCat includes the Library's print books, ebooks, selected article databases, and media such as DVDs and streamed videos. WorldCat is a good place to start your research because it covers all subject areas.
Type your search terms in the 'Search Butler Libraries' (WorldCat) search box to start discovering our resources. The WorldCat search box is also available on the Libraries' homepage.
Need help searching? Consult the Database Searching Basics information on this page and/or contact your Subject Librarian or our LibChat service.
While databases cannot understand natural language, searches can be made precise using Boolean operators and additional search commands.
The chart below describes the most common Boolean operators as well as other operator symbols to target your searches. Most databases follow these rules, but be sure to consult the database help information for exact searching commands.
| Operator | What does it do? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| AND | Joins two concepts so that the database knows you want both to be in your search results. | cats AND felines |
| OR | Used to join two or more keywords, usually synonyms or related terms for the same concept, so that the database knows you want either or both of them to be in your search results. | trains OR railroads |
| NOT | Use to tell the database that you do not want this keyword or group of keywords in your search results. | football NOT soccer |
| " " | Holds together the words of a phrase so that the database searches it together instead of separately. | "social media" |
| * | Truncates a word so that you get alternate endings. Also known as 'stemming' | technolog* will return: technology, technologies, technological, etc. |
| # | # or ? finds words that differ by a single letter | Wom#n will return: woman, women, womyn, or womxn |
| ( ) | Allows you to group keywords and often control their order. | (trains or railroads) AND travel |
| Near or Within | Finds words within so many words of each other. |
baseball N5 teams jazz w8 concert |
•CHECK THE HELP GUIDE OF YOUR DATABASE TO FIGURE OUT WHICH SPECIAL CHARACTERS AND ADVANCED COMMANDS WORK!
Most databases provide ways to limit your search by: date, types of resources (articles, books, peer-reviewed research), full-text, language, etc. You will have options to save, download, and print your materials. And, don't forget to copy and paste the citation from the database's citation generator!
These options are explained more fully below:
| Option | What do they do? | Where located? |
|---|---|---|
| Limiters | Databases provide options to limit a search by: date; type of sources such as peer reviewed journal articles, magazine or trade publications, books, streaming video, etc. | Limiters are often found on an 'Advanced' search screen or sometimes running down the left-side of the search interface. |
| Save / Download / Print | Most databases allow you to save, download, or print your resource. Ebooks do have a limited number of pages that can be printed (usually a chapter or two). | These options are often located on the right or towards the top of the item record. |
| Citation Generator | Databases usually have a 'cite' link that will generate a citation for your resource in the citation style required for your paper or project, ex. APA, MLA, Chicago, etc. | Often found to the right or the top of the item record. |
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