How to Use the Online Catalog

To prepare for a Keyword Search:
go to the CCM Library Home page,
in the red box, click on "Search for CCM Library Materials,"
in the Advanced Key Word Search menu, click on the "Keyword" tab.

The Keyword Search can often be the the simplest and most effective way to search the catalog. It is also similar to other online searching that you do every day.

Before searching, think about search term(s) that describe the item(s) that you seek. Unlike for other online catalogs you may know, when using this online catalog, keep your searches simple. In Keyword Searches, fewer specific search terms lead to optimal searches.

Remember what you learned about how music is described in the online library catalog. To search for music scores or recordings, keep these tips in mind as you search – especially for works with generic titles:

• Always give genres in plural, and titles in "catalog" (reverse) order,

sonatas violin piano

• Always include any available numbering. If you don't already know it, looking it up in a thematic catalog or a music dictionary may help you (see the CCM Library guide to Thematic Catalogs or composer work-lists in Oxford Music Online).

sonatas violin piano op 12

• Combine different search elements in one search field: include name (composer, performer), title, and format words whenever possible.

beethoven sonatas violin piano 12 parts

sibelius tapiola karajan

mozart figaro vocal score

Efficiency hints:

• Because the system will change or ignore them, omit capital letters.
• In titles, omit initial articles in any language (a, an, the (English); der, die, das, ein, eine (German); la, le, lo, los, un, una, une, uno, etc. (romance languages)).
• For optimal search results, avoid using multiple search fields when possible.

Trouble-shooting

• If a search doesn't lead to expected search results, double-check the "Add limits" section to make sure all elements are correct. In particular, is the "Limit all future searches to" option as you mean it to be? When you start a new search, that field does not clear from a previous setting (e.g. it may still be set to Music Scores, when you now wish to search the entire collection).