El Paso Resources and Service Learning Agencies: Keyword

Keyword searches look for resources using any words that describe your topic.

You learned how to create a keyword list under the topic of "How to Get Started."

Now you can take the words from the list and combine them to search the catalog.

Put one word in the search box and search and see what you get. (Example: El Paso)

If you get too many hits or they aren't relevant to your topic, add another word to narrow the search (Example: El Paso AND History)

If you don't get any hits, change the words you are using (Example: El Paso AND 1850, El Paso AND Mexican Americans)

To search for books and videos using keywords:

1. Go to the Library Catalog.
2. Click on Keyword.
3. Enter words in the search box that describe your topic. (Words from the keyword list you made earlier under "How to Get Started") 
4. The catalog will search through all of our records looking for those words in the title, author, notes, publisher, etc...
5. A listing of books/videos matching those keywords will be retrieved.
6. If you find a book you would like to see, click on the title to get the call number and location information.
7. When the record for the book opens on the screen you will see your keywords highlighted in red to show you why this book came up on the list.

For topics on El Paso, try the following keyword searches:

• El Paso
• El Paso 
• and History
• and Chicano
• and Rio Grande
• and Border
• and Missions

St Joseph's Sanatorium, 1901 Grandview Avenue. (Fye, 66)

(El Paso Public Library: Otis A. Aultman photo collection A5278)

Don't put an entire sentence in the search box!

Start off slowly.

Put one word and then search.

Then add another.

This way if all of a sudden you don't get any hits, you know you should take the last word added and change it to something else.