Browse Collections allows you to explore the authors, titles, subjects, or call numbers in the Library Catalog in alphabetical order.
Use an author browse to find the Library Catalog’s official entry for a person or organization. Entries for persons generally begin with the last name.
The “author” is any creator or contributor to a work, such as translators, former owners, editors, or governmental agencies. The Library Catalog uses the Library of Congress Name Authority Files for most author names.
You will find multiple versions of a name entry. The entry with the largest number of associated records is typically the current preferred form. The other forms of the name are cross-references for former versions or from other name authority lists.
Use a title browse to more efficiently find items that come in multiple series or are known under multiple variant titles. You will find listed every kind of title that might be included in a Library Search record (variant, series, former, succeeding, etc.).
Browse also allows you to limit results to items whose full title is an exact match. For example, books and journals with one-word titles can be difficult to find via Search because your results will list all items that include that word somewhere in their title.
Pro Tip Omit initial articles such as the, le, ein. If you cannot find the title you are looking for, try again with the initial article, in case of a cataloging error.
Note that Library Search alphabetizes the ampersand symbol (&) ahead of numbers. Library Search also removes hyphens for Browse, whereas in Search a hyphen is treated like a space. These rules may differ from those you are used to from other systems, in particular for numbers, symbols, and other special characters. There are also sometimes differences between search and browse.
Use a subject browse to explore how your topic is organized and subdivided in the Library Catalog's subject headings.
Pro Tip: create a new search that mixes and matches terms you find in the subject browse list. Go to Advanced Search, select "subject" from the "any field" drop-down and add different combinations of subjects and subheadings.
Note: you will find many subjects in "Catalog & Articles" that are not included in Library Catalog. These subjects, which are not available for browsing, come from a much larger and less controlled array of taxonomies.
Use a call number browse to explore items in shelf order. It’s a great way to find related materials that might be missing from your search, or to explore collections that are not open for browsing.
Enter all of the initial letters and at least one number of a call number used at BGSU. Include all spaces and punctuation.
You must identify the call number system to browse. Most collections at BGSU use a Library of Congress call number, though some use Dewey or a local classification system. Choose “other” if the system you’re searching for is not listed in the drop-down menu.