Research Essentials

Quick Tips

• Use quotation marks to search as a phrase.
• Use "+" before a term to make it required. (Otherwise results matching only some of your terms may be included).
• Use "-" before a word or phrase to exclude.
• Use "OR", "AND", and "NOT" to create complex boolean logic.
• Truncation and wildcards are not supported - word-stemming is done automatically.
• Access more help at the KB

Basic Search

The main search page defaults to searching by Keyword in All Fields. You can limit your search to Title, Author, or Subject from this page. Limiting searches can be helpful if you're looking, for example, for the book Alice in Wonderland, not books about Alice in Wonderland. 

Advanced Search

Choose Advanced Search for more search options to search for multiple concepts at the same time. Or to refine searches so that only the most relevant items you want show up right away. 

Results Page

After entering your search term(s) you will probably get many results. Look at the categories listed on the left side of the page. They can help you narrow your search if needed. ​

From the search results page you see the brief records for each item. 
For the full record, click on the title.

The full record has more information and options.

Step 1: Identify the correct IU Library:

• IUCAT includes items from ALL IU Libraries (not just IUB).
   
• To find the IU library for an item, look in your search results for "Copies at:" 
   
• To limit your results to records from a single library, click on "Campus" (bottom left of the search results page).
  Choose the relevant campus (e.g., Bloomington). 

• Most items not on the Bloomington campus Libraries can be requested. (From the IUCAT catalog record page, click the button  .

Step 2: Identify the item's library location: 

• Each catalog record has a call number that indicates its location within the given library.

  • A call number is like an address, telling you an item's location in the library. The call number is taped to the physical item and is listed in IUCAT under the "Holdings" section. 

  • Library of Congress call numbers are used at IUB Libraries (and at most academic libraries).  

• For book locations at IUB, see the Research Collections Map.

Interlibrary loans allow you to borrow material from non IU Libraries.

*First time users will be asked delivery information for their materials*

How to Request:

• You will need your IU username and password to request material

• Visit the Submit a request page OR search Worldcat.

• • To use the Submit a request page, have the book information (title, author, etc) ready.
     
  • In Worldcat the "Request materials from ILL" link will fill in the book information for you.

• Photocopies of journal articles can also be request through the Submit a request page.

You will receive an email from Interlibrary loan when your materials are ready for pickup.