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This page provides some tips around searching for resources, from very specific searches to broad searches.
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When searching for resources, sometimes you know the exact title, author or artist. Other times you'll search by keyword or combinations of keywords.
| Keyword Search |
| When you do a keyword search, FindIt will retrieve results that contain that keyword anywhere within that resource record (or even from within the resource itself if it is a digital resource). This often means you’ll retrieve a large number of resources. Keyword searches are great if you have a specific term in mind. Combining keywords will often create searches that are more specific. |
How can you browse when you don't know exactly what it is you're looking for?
You can browse in a couple of ways: by subject heading or by call numbers (only applicable to print books and physical library resources). Remember you can filter these results even further in order to make your search more specific.
| Subject Headings |
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Each resource is usually given a series of subject headings. Think of them as tags, but tags that have been carefully chosen by librarians to ensure accuracy. Longer subject headings usually denote a more specific topic. Subject headings are often hyperlinked in the FindIt results, so once you find one relevant resource, it’s to find other related content. You can also search FindIt by subject too, meaning you’re not relying on whether an author has used a particular keyword. Here are some broad subject headings: |
Items in the library are shelved according to call numbers so that related materials are kept together. Visual arts are found within 700-780. Each successive number indicates a more specific level (for example, 700 = Arts, 790 = Decorative arts, Recreational and performing arts, 792 = Stage presentations). The below table will give you an idea of where to look for specific visual arts topics:
| Call Numbers | |
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391 Costume 750-759 Painting 770-779 Photography
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790-799 Recreational and performing arts |
The below video takes you through the basics of using FindIt, Melbourne Polytechnic library's discovery tool:
