• Search using both singular and plural words.
• Search using words and/or phrases.
• Search using the Browse command.
• Search on multiple keywords using the Boolean Operators.

• Key words are important words in a topic or sentence.
• They are chosen by you and may or may not match  words in the databases you search.

• Subject headings are chosen by librarians and indexers from a specific list of subject headings.
• You must match these subject headings exactly if you want to find all of the resources under that subject heading.

• When searching for titles,  omit the words "a, an, and the."  Most databases don't search on these words.
• Use the title search when you know the exact title; use the keyword search if you are not sure.

• Most databases list the author by last name, then first     name.  
• If you put in the first name first, you may or may not get books by the author.
• Use last name first when searching for a biography.
• Kings, queens, chiefs, emperors, conquerors and rulers use first names: e.g. Philip II, King of Spain; Cleopatra; Sitting Bull; Alexander.

Subject headings are directed at the most specific subject that material is about.  You may find information about specific subjects in a general book by using the index.  For example, you will find material on the subject of all native American peoples by using general terms.

• Native Americans
• Indians of North America
• First People
• American Indians

Subject headings for specific materials may not include the general terms.   For example, the more general topics above can be broken into more specific subject headings below.

• Names of Indian Nations: e.g. Iroquois Federation
• Names by geographic area: e.g. Indians of North America—Eastern Woodlands; Indians of North America--Great Basin.
• Names of Tribes: e.g. Sioux, Comanche, Hopi, Navajo, Powhatan
• Names of chiefs or other notable people: e.g. Pocahontas, Geronimo, Maria Tallchief, Hiawatha
• Names of events in history: e.g. Battle of Little Bighorn, Lewis and Clark Expedition; Black Hawk War