Using the Catalogue


Search the Catalogue and My Account \| Hours and Location \| Contact Us

Using the Catalogue

You can use our online catalogue from any computer with Internet access to search our collection. The catalogue also allows you to search every other library in the Northwest Territories.

Searching

When you click on "Catalogue and My Account" a new window will open with the online catalogue in it. When it opens, you will see a place where you can conduct a "Quick Search." If you are only interested in items that the Yellowknife Public Library has, you will need to click the dropdown menu beside "library" and change "ALL" to "Yellowknife Public Library."

The other option the Quick Search gives you is the dropdown menu beside the "Search" button. Here you can select whether you want to search "words or phrase," "author," "title," "subject," or "series." If you know the exact title of the item you are looking for, selecting "title" is a good idea. If you want to search by author, enter the author's name last, following by a comma and then the first name (for example: Shakespeare, William). If you are looking for books about a specific topic, then use the "subject" search.

Power Search
You may find that using the Quick Search is yielding results that are not what you are looking for. If this is the case, click the "Power Search" button underneath the "library" dropdown menu.

The Power Search gives you more advanced search options and allows you to limit your results to specific areas of the library. It also allows you to enter several different search criteria using Boolean logic. There are 5 search lines which you can change between "words or phrase," "author," "title," "subject," or "series." You can enter text on any and all of the lines. You may only need to use one of the lines for your search. In that case, leave the other lines blank.

If you need to use two or more of the search lines, you will need to use the dropdown menus to the right of the search lines that contain "And," "Or," XOr," and "Not." Using "And" will search for items that contain "Term A" AND "Term B." If an item has "Term A" but not "Term B." It will not appear in your search results. Using "Or" will search for items that have "Term A" OR "Term B." All items that have either term or both terms will appear in your search results. Using "XOr" will search for items that have either "Term A" or "Term B," but not both "Term A and "Term B." If you select "Not" it will search for "Term A" and then it will go through those search results and eliminate any that also have "Term B."

Underneath the five search lines, there are several options:
Library - Select the NWT library you would like to search
Language - Select the language of the item you would like to search. If you select "French" it will bring up French books and DVDs as well as English DVDs that have either French audio tracks or French subtitles.
Type - Select the format you wish to search (there are many options for Type, but Yellowknife Public Library only uses some of them: Audio Book, Book, Kit, Music CD/Cassette, Northern/Rare Material, Periodical, Reference Book, Video/DVD.
Location - Select the location within the library to search (example: if you are looking for a Picture Book, select the Picture Book location. Or if you are looking for books about gardening, select Non-Fiction. By doing this you won't get Fiction about gardening or children's books about gardening.)
Match On - There are three options here. Keywords, Left to Right, and Exact Content. Searching by Keywords will search an item's entire record for those Keywords so sometimes it can yield strange results that you weren't expecting. For example, when I do a "title" search for "head shoulders" the first result is a CD called "It's Toddler Time." "Head shoulders" is not in the title at all. The song titled "Head should knees and toes" is, however, on the CD. If I do the search again, this time using "left to right," I only get 2 results and both of them start with "Head, Shoulders," and go on to say "Knees and Toes." If I use the "exact content" option, I get no results back, because we have no items that have the exact title of "head shoulders."
Publication Year - Enter the year the item was published.
Sort By - Choose how you would like the search results to be sorted (author, subject, title, relevance, old to new, new to old)

Placing Holds

While you are searching the Catalogue you will see the option to "Place Hold." Placing a hold means that you are requesting that the Library hold the item at the front desk for you. If the item is currently checked out, once it is returned it will be placed at the front desk for you and you will be contacted and asked to pick it up within 2 weeks. You can also, however, place holds on items that are not checked out, but are still in the library. Doing so means that no one else can take the book out before you get a chance to come pick it up. The library staff will pick up the item the morning after you place the hold, bring it to the front desk, and let you know that it is ready and waiting for you.

Holds can only be placed on Yellowknife Public Library material. If you would like items from another library you must request them through our Interlibrary Loan service (see below).

Once you press "Place Hold" you will be prompted to enter your library card # and your PIN#. If you need your PIN # please contact the library at 920-5642 or by e-mail library@yellowknife.ca.

Requesting Material From Another Library (Interlibrary Loans)

If, while you are searching, you find items at other NWT libraries that you would like you can request them by using the "I Need Materials" option located in the grey bar near the top of the page in the catalogue. Fill out as much information as you can about the item, as well as your library card number and submit the request.

Recommend to Order

If you would like the library to consider buying an item for the collection, you can use the catalogue to submit this request. You will have to enter your library card # (with no spaces) and your PIN # in the boxes in the upper right hand corner of the catalogue. Then, when you click "I Need Materials," a new option will appear entitled "Recommend to Order." Enter as much information as you can about the item and submit the request.

If you need your PIN # please contact the library at 920-5642 or by e-mail library@yellowknife.ca.

My Account

The Catalogue also has a "My Account" feature which allows you to renew your items online and more. Click here to find out how to use "My Account.

Using the Catalogue

About Your Library

Find Books and More

Library Events

Library Events

Library Events

Using the Catalogue

Searching

Placing Holds

Requesting Material From Another Library (Interlibrary Loans)

Recommend to Order

My Account