FAQs: Searching for Items

Our catalog search bar runs a basic keyword search. It does not have the mind reading abilities of Google or Amazon, but it is highly effective if you know how to work it. Read our best tips for searching and give it another try!

If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, please submit a purchase suggestion so that we can try to get the item for you.

You can limit your results by item type (book, DVD, audiobook) on our advanced search page. When you’re looking through your search results, be sure to check the item’s material type to make sure you’re ordering what you want.

Don’t miss more of our best tips for searching!

We own thousands of DVDs, and we’re adding more constantly. You can search a complete list of DVDs by visiting the advanced search page in our catalog. Simply select DVD, Juvenile DVD, and Spanish DVD and click Search. To refine your results further, consider adding a date range to your search.

Don’t miss more of our best tips for searching!

Begin on our advanced search page. Leaving everything else blank, select the item type you want and limit the publication date range to the current year.

Note: This search is the best way to gather the results you want, but it is imperfect! Items are re-published constantly, so your results will include both the latest blockbusters and re-released classics. More information about searching can be found here.

When you find an item in the catalog, click on its title to be taken into the item’s record. On this page, you can see the current location for each item, as well as the item’s call number. If you’re not sure where to begin looking, jot the call number down and take it to a librarian. They will help you locate the item, and may even give you a brief tour of the library if you’re interested!

If you’re curious: Librarians use codes (Dewey Decimal!) on the books and in the catalog to figure out where each item should be shelved. If the code has numbers in it, it’s nonfiction. If it has only words, it is fiction or a biography. If it has a ‘J’ it is a children’s item. ‘E’ stands for picture book, and DVDs say ‘DVD.’ Audiobooks say ‘CD’ and Music CDs say ‘MUS.’ In our libraries, we try to shelve all like items together, so that it’s easier for you to find what you’re looking for!

Please let us know! You can tell a librarian or fill out a purchase suggestion form. This form can be found on the left-hand side of your account summary page each time you log in to our catalog. It is our goal to purchase items that people in our communities want us to have, and we appreciate these suggestions! The process generally takes four weeks or less, and there is no charge.