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Using OneSearch and Off Campus Access to Library Resources

Topic guide that provides tips for using OneSearch and Accessing Licensed Resources from Off-Campus

Physical Requests in OneSearch and Library Pickup Lockers

During our transformation, requests for physical items such as print books are more varied.  The three-minute video below demos the "four flavors" of request, shown in order of estimated arrival speed.

Library Pickup Lockers have been set up at Dexter Plaza (near Subway). Your physical requests will be delivered there. To learn how this works, see the page on the left titled "Library Pickup Locker Instructions."

What is OneSearch Searching?

OneSearch brings up results from Kennedy Library, the CSU, and a gigantic discovery index beyond those holdings.  For immediately available electronic results, use the filter on the left: "Available Online at Kennedy."  With or without this filter, you can use filters for books or articles or peer-reviewed, depending on your need.  Many results will link out to full-text in databases. If you are signed into OneSearch any record for an item not immediately available will give you clear options for getting articles, chapters, or whole books.   (Hint: Items that say Crandall or Retrievable Collection are the fastest to be delivered to the lockers.)

Why Sign In?

When you are logged into OneSearch it will recognize you and provide ALL the options for online access, requesting items, or borrowing items.  To sign in you will need to have an active PolyCard.  (See Sign-In Troubleshooting Box).

Search and Filter: The Simplest Strategy for OneSearch

The simplest way to find materials is to search with keywords and then use the many filters on the left to narrow your results.  

For more targeted searching you will gain more accuracy by resorting to ADVANCED SEARCH where you can use pull down menus for title, author, language, format, etc.

How do I Find?

How Can I tell if Kennedy has a Specific Book Available in Print? (Easiest) 1) type title and author's last name into Main Search Box; 2) after results appear, filter on the left by Robert E. Kennedy Library.  Kennedy physical items all have a call number in a bright blue box.

How Can I tell if Kennedy has a Specific Book Available in Print? (More complex)  If easiest route fails, use main search box, then filter on left by author/creator, AND filter by Robert E. Kennedy Library.

How Can I tell if Kennedy has a Specific Book Available in Print? (Most complex/most accurate) Click on the "spyglass" icon to the right of the search box.  On the new page, click on "Advanced Search (to the right of the search box). On Advanced Search, use left pull down to title, and middle pull down to "contains" enter title and search - or even "contains exact phrase" and then enter title into search box.

How Can I tell if Kennedy has a Specific Book Available as an e-BOOKFollow instructions for print book above- easy, more complex, or most complex/most accurate - but filter on left by "Book" and "Online Access."  (Ebooks have no call numbers highlighted by a blue box.)

How Can I tell if Kennedy has a Specific Journal or Newspaper? On the Kennedy Library Home Page use the Journals link just below the main search box. Or from OneSearch use the Journal Search link on the top banner. You can search by title or ISSN. You can also browse by subject category. For specific journals, the search results will provide key information about date ranges for online and print access. 

How Do I Find Content From Peer Reviewed Journals?   After searching with keywords, filter on the left by Peer Reviewed Journals. (But remember these journals also include book reviews and editorials - so results are not NECESSARILY articles!  If you specifically need an article, look at results for clues such as decent length (minimum 5 pages), citations, abstract, and methodology.)

How Do I find a Specific Article? Use the main search box and filter on left by "Articles"  Tip: a chunk of the title in quotes and the author's last name often gets you right to the article, for example:  "maggot in the brain" Weller 

How Do I Find Course Reserves? Two Ways: 1) on the Kennedy Library Homepage, right beneath the OneSearch box, or 2) from the OneSearch Page use the Course Reserves link on the top banner. You can search either place using Course number or Instructor.

How Do I Find Senior Projects? Use ADVANCED search: set lefthand pull down to LOCAL COLLECTIONS and type in Senior Projects. Then type in author and/or title information as relevant in another box. This will retrieve Senior Projects on microfiche prior to Fall 2009. To find digital Senior Projects (Fall 2009 and after) the DigitalCommons@CalPoly provides good access.  

How Do I Find Streaming Videos, DVDs, or Even ... yes ... VHS  In ADVANCED SEARCH, type in the title, then pull the left drop down of Material Type. To find streaming video content, select Videos on dropdown. To find DVDs, select DVD on the dropdown. Due to inconsistencies and the presence of legacy VHS, you may also filter to the left of a results list by Robert E. Kennedy to find DVDs, or Available ONLINE at Cal Poly to find Streaming Video.

How Do I Find Fiction in print books? In BASIC Search, type enter    fiction   as a keyword.  Filter results on the left -  click on Good Reads to see current fiction located on the 2nd floor collection.  To see fiction that is also held in the Main Collection, use the same keyword search, but use the filter on the left that says Robert E. Kenedy.

How Do I Find Items in Different Languages?  Two ways to do this.  1) Use the main search box, then filter on the left by Language.  or 2) Use ADVANCED SEARCH and on a right-side pull-down men choose from one of four languages and then enter your search terms.

Bespoke LInks for Specific Collections

Below are bespoke links for a few specific collections.  Clicking on the link will bring you all items in that collection alphabetically.  If you then click on Advanced Search (or "Search Criteria" in a few cases), you can search within the results by typing in the blank lines in the advanced search screen. 

Google Scholar (A Side-Door Entry into OneSearch)