The Search tab pop‐up menu offers standard and advanced searching, as well as author and subject browsing. We do not have Ebooks in our catalog.
Standard Search
The Standard Search is available at the top of most pages in the online catalog.
The first box with the drop-down menu offers options of fields to search in with your search term. Changing this box to Anywhere is likely to provide the best results. You may prefer to try the Title or Author field if you are looking for a specific item.
Type your search term into the Keyword box, and click Search.
To see all of the items in our entire collection, into an asterisk * into the Keyword box, and click Search.
Advanced Search
You may choose Advanced Search from the Search menu, or click on Advanced at the end of the Standard Search bar.
The Advanced Search allows you to search in multiple data fields and to designate a format. The only formats used in our catalog are:
- DVD
- Book
- Library Kit
- Compact Disc (CD-ROM)
- CD Music
- Audiobook
- Video Cassette
To see all of our items in a certain format, such as DVD, check the box next to DVD, and enter an asterisk * into the top search field. Click Search.
Search Results
In your search results, your search terms will be highlighted, and the results will be sorted by the most recently published first.
Sorting Search Results
You can select the drop-down menu next to Sort to sort your results by Relevance, Title, Author, and more. You can click the A-Z button next to the Sort box to reverse the order of the results. For example, you could view oldest items first instead of newest.
Filtering Search Results
The orange Refine Search box on the right side of the screen allows you to filter your results by:
- Language – Mostly useful if you are looking for a language other than English. Undefined refers to old records that have not been updated yet. You could also search for the language in the search box.
- Format – DVD, Book, CD-ROM, Kit, etc.
- Prefix – Adults, Youth, or Children.
- Classification Number – Dewey Decimal Number that refers to a subject. Each item has only one classification number. Many older records are still being updated to include these numbers.
- Subject – These are Library of Congress Subject Headings. One item can have multiple subject headings. Many older records are still being updated to include these subjects
- Author – Older records will have the author’s first name first. Newer records will have the author’s last name first. Multiple authors can be assigned to one record.
- ***Genre – This filter can be extremely helpful.
- Educational films – These are mostly DVD bible studies and curricula.
- Feature films – These are movies.
- Short films – DVD content that is under 40 minutes.
- Video recordings for the hearing impaired – These DVDs include closed-captions or subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
Viewing Item Records
Click on the blue title of an item to view its full record of details:
Virtual Bookshelf
At the top of every Item details page, you will see a row of book covers. This Virtual Bookshelf shows you the items that would be next to the item you are viewing on a real bookshelf. The bookshelf order is based on Dewey Decimal numbers that are chosen based on the subject matter of the item. You can click on the images to view nearby items including the other parts of a study such as the DVD, Leader’s Guide, or Participant Book.
Item Record
The Item Record will give you the full details of an item in our catalog. Your search terms will also be highlighted on this page. Older records will have less details until we get them updated. Newer records will have most of the following information:
- Title and subtitle
- Author(s) and other contributors
- Format (DVD, Book, etc.)
- Summaries – a description of the resource.
- Subject – Library of Congress Subject Headings, Formats, and Genres
- Content Notes – a list of chapter titles and lengths of video segments.
- Notes
- UMC-approved – if the resource has been officially recommended by Cokesbury’s UMC Curriculum Resources Committee
- Title from – where on the DVD the title was transcribed from
- Special DVD or curriculum features
- Cast members and production contributors
- Audience
- DVD characteristics
- Copyright restrictions or allowances
- Author biographies
- Languages and subtitles included
- ISBN – International Book Number (Barcode)
- Place of publication
- Publisher
- Publication date
- Pages – Number of pages for a book. Length of a DVD. Contents of a kit. Inclusion of illustrative material. Size of the physical item.
- URI – links to websites associated with the resource such as sample text or video or supplemental materials such as a leader’s guide.
Record Information
The blue Record Information box next to the item details gives the following information:
- Material Type – Book, DVD, etc.
- URI – links to websites associated with the resource such as sample text or video or supplemental materials such as a leader’s guide.
- Loan History – the number of times the item has been borrowed.
- Status
- Red = number of copies on loan (currently unavailable)
- Yellow 1 = number of copies on hold (in the library but on hold for someone)
- Yellow 2 = number of copies on reserve (all copies are unavailable but this number of people are waiting for them)
- Green = number of copies available
- Call Number – Section of the library, Dewey Decimal Number, and Author’s Last Name.
- Barcode – Unique identifier for each copy.
- Due – Due date for copies currently checked-out. If no due date is listed, the item is available.
Reviews
If an item has not been reviewed, you can click on the Be the first to submit a comment & rating link.
A box will pop-up where you can enter your name, comments, and rating using a 5-star system. Enter your name in the Student field.
Click Send and a confirmation box will pop-up. The librarian will review your comments and then approve them to appear on the site.
When an item has already been reviewed, a star-based Reader Rating will show in the Search Results and on the item page. Click on Submit a comment & rating to add your review, or click on Read User comments/rating to read the current reviews.
Your User Account
Browsing the Catalog
Requesting Resources
Creating Bibliographies
Pathfinders and Other Ideas for Finding Your Next Study