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Searching in the GIL Catalog 
Video Tutorial
  

GIL is VSU’s online catalog.  This catalog is made up of descriptive records of all the materials available at Odum Library.  These materials include books, videos, musical scores, government documents, and print journals.  Each GIL record represents one item and provides detailed information about the record, such as the author, title, subject headings, and the call number for the item.  GIL is available online and no password is needed to search Odum Library’s catalog.

 

Accessing GIL

A simple search option is available from Odum Library’s homepage, http://www.valdosta.edu/library/ under the Books tab.  Select the Exact Search option (located under the Search box) if you would like to conduct an Exact Search. A complex keyword search (with multiple search boxes) is available by clicking Keyword Search.

 

Search Options

Quick Search provides limited options for searching .  It works best of simple one or two word searches involving unusual terms. If you were searching for books written by Kurt Vonnegut, type in the author’s name vonnegut and hit enter..

Screen Shot: Books Tab 

 

The Quick Search option should be used only for basic searches. If you need to conduct a more specific or narrowed search, please try one of the Advanced Search options.

To access these other search options, click the GIL@VSU Library Catalog Link link.

Advanced Searches allow the user to conduct very specific and narrowed searches.  There are three types of advanced searches, Keyword Search, Exact Search, and Course Reserve. 

 

Keyword Search

Use the Keyword Search option if you are searching for materials related to a specific subject.   

  • From the library’s home page, http://valdosta.edu/library/, left click on the Advanced Search link (located right side of Quick Search box)
  • Type African American in the first search box and select the as a phrase option from the drop down menu located to the right of this search box
  • Left click in the circle located to the left of AND
  • Type Writers in the second search box and select all of these from the drop down menu located to the right of this search box

  • Left click on GO or press the enter key
  • Review the results list of the available titles on the subject of African American AND writers.  The Title, Author, Date of Publication, Library Location, and Call number is available from the results list

 

  • Left click on the 3rd title, African American Writers, to review detailed information on this book

The Subject(s) section is a list of the official Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) that has been assigned to a particular record.  If you wanted to find more records related to one of these subject headings, left click on one of the LCSH 

  • Left click on African American authors –Biography –Dictionaries.  You will see that there are12 titles available on this LCSH

 

  • Left click on African American authors Biography Dictionaries to receive a list of the 12 titles related to this LCSH

 

Exact Search Search

Use the Exact Search option if you know the exact title of a book, journal, or video you are searching for in the GIL catalog.      

  • From the library’s home page, http://valdosta.edu/library/, left click on the Advanced Search link (located right side of Quick Search box)
  • Left click on the Exact Search tab

 

Let’s see if the GIL catalog has a record for the journal, African American Review.

  • Type African American Review in the Find This: box
  • Left click in the circle to the left of the Journal Title*

  • Left click on GO or press the enter key

There are two African American Review journal titles available in print at Odum Library.

  • If you want to view more details about one of these records, left click on the Journal Title
  •  

Course Reserve

Use the Course Reserve option if you would like to search for materials that your instructor has placed on reserve at Odum Library.     

  • From the library’s home page, http://valdosta.edu/library/, left click on the Advanced Search link (located right side of Quick Search box)
  • Left click on the Course Reserve tab

  • Select the name of the instructor you are searching for course reserve materials from.  For this example select Bell, Lynn
  • Left click on GO or press the enter key

 

Lynn Bell has several items on reserve for students to read.  Below is a list of some of these items:



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