Skip to main content

Search results

Using the search bar at the top of the screen.

With the catalog, you can search in your own library, libraries in your province, and nationwide with just one search query.

Type your search term in the search bar. If you search with multiple terms separated by a space, the results will contain all of these terms. As you type, you will see suggestions for spelling and additional options below the search field.

Press <ENTER> or click on the magnifying glass to start the search. Click on the cross to clear the search bar.

  • You can also search using AND, OR, and NOT (boolean operators).
    • AND ensures that both search terms are present in the results. For example, cat AND dog will display results with both cat and dog.
    • OR shows results that contain either one or both of the words. For example, cat OR dog will display results with cat, dog, or both.
    • NOT excludes words from the results. For example, cat NOT dog will only show results with cat and not with dog.
  • Place "double quotation marks" around a phrase to search for that exact phrase.
  • The search engine ignores most punctuation marks such as question marks, commas, periods, exclamation marks, colons, and semicolons. The same results will appear with or without the punctuation mark.
  • * (asterisk). By default, this is a wildcard character when searching in the catalog. Use an asterisk in place of one or more characters. This will give you more search results with different variations of the words you have searched for.
  • ' (apostrophe). Can be part of a search term. For example, search for Let's dance.
  • - (hyphen). Can be part of a search term. For example, search for merry-go-round or life-size. It's important to note that in some cases, such as in the Dutch language, a space before a hyphen may not affect the search results. For instance, searching with voedselallergie en -intolerantie will give the same result as searching with voedselallergie en intolerantie.

Are you looking for a title that is available in multiple languages? When searching, you will find both translations and the original titles. For example, if you search for "Northanger Abbey", you will also find the Dutch translation "De Abdij van Northanger".

Search in different catalogs

In the catalog, you will find a wealth of information. The Item location filter helps to make this information more organized. At the top left of the screen, you can choose a location filter under "Search in different catalogs".

The catalog searches through all catalogs simultaneously. Next to each filter, you will see a number indicating the number of search results. The active catalog is highlighted at the top. You can choose a different catalog if by clicking it.

Filter

A search query can yield a large number of results. To assist you in finding the right title, you can use filters. You can filter by:

  • Available now
  • Material type: For example, Book, Large Print Book, DVD
  • Author
  • Audience: Youth or Adult
  • Contents: Fiction or Non-fiction
  • Subject
  • Genre
  • Series
  • Language
  • Year of publication
  • Source: Available when searching external sources or e-books.

Search results

You can view basic information about the titles found on the search results page. Additionally, there is a button showing the availability of the title. If you are logged in, you can perform the following actions directly from the search results:

Click on the title of one of the results to view the full title. Here you will find much more information about the title and additional options.

Availability

When viewing the search results, you will see the availability for each title:

  • Available: There are one or more copies available at your library.
  • Reference: There are no copies available for checkout, but they can be viewed.
  • Checked out: All copies from your library are currently on loan.
  • Not available: This copy is not available at your library.
  • [any of the above statuses], available elsewhere: If there are no copies available at your library, but they are available in the region or elsewhere in the country, you will see the addition 'available elsewhere' in the availability button.

Sort search results

In most cases, you can sort by:

  • Relevance: Results that best fit your search query will appear at the top.
  • Series: Sort by series number, so that all parts with number '1' are listed first, even if the series name is different. This way, translations and reissues are grouped together.
  • Popularity: Popularity is determined by the average rating in the Wise Community, the number of votes, and recent circulation numbers.
  • Publication year
  • Author
  • Title: Articles at the beginning of the title are not included in the search. If multiple titles have the same name, the catalog will sort by author.

This manual explains how to use the catalog of a library. Not every library uses the same settings, so some functions may work slightly differently.

Need more help?

Ask your question to the library's customer service. They are happy to assist you.
Find my library