Searching in WorldCat and WorldCat Local

WorldCat can be searched from either a Basic Search screen or an Advanced Search screen. Here is the Basic Search screen for CTS:

Because of its simplicity, Basic Search is a great place to start your research. Below you'll find a video tutorial and tips on

Here is a short (< 8 minute) training video that explains most aspects of WorldCat Basic Search. (Adobe Flash player required.)

By default, WorldCat Basic Search at CTS is set to search only materials located at the Christian Theological Seminary Library. You can expand your search to include all PALNI libraries, all Indiana libraries, or even all libraries worldwide via the dropdown next to the search input box.

To search for records containing certain key terms, but not necessarily in any particular order, simply enter terms into the search box on the left. By default, terms you enter into the search box are treated as part of a keyword search. WorldCat will look only for items that contain all of the search terms somewhere in the record. (Note: The search box is not case-sensitive.)

As you enter search terms, WorldCat will automatically provide recommendations based on the most popular searches using those terms. If one of the recommendations expresses what you want to search for, simply select it from the recommendations list.

To search for records containing a specific phrase, such as book title, place your search phrase in quotes (" "). WorldCat will then look only for items that contain that exact phrase somewhere in the record. (Note: The search box is not case-sensitive.)

WorldCat uses a relevancy algorithm to return your results that takes into account the following factors:

In the regular search results, WorldCat will first display items owned by the Christian Theological Seminary Library, then items owned by PALNI (the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana), then items owned by Indiana Libraries not affiliated with PALNI, and finally items owned by WorldCat Libraries (i.e., libraries outside of Indiana).