Searches ignore punctuation and are NOT case sensitive.
The default is the Simple Search for keywords. It looks for the query terms in all indexed fields in the record. Use Advanced Search to target a specific field such as title or subject.
To search for an exact phrase across all indexed fields, use the Simple Search with quotation marks around the query phrase. Use Advanced Search to target a specific field.
Refine search results using the options to the left on the initial results screen, under "Tweak my results." Options include Resource Type, Subject, and Publication Date.
The default sort is by relevance. This can be changed to date-newest or data-oldest, also under "Tweak my results."
Electronic Resources in the Catalog
Most ebooks and ejournals available at Cooper can be found using the library catalog. See also on the search widget tabs for E-Journals and for Articles & Databases. You can also browse many e-resources available at Cooper on the CU Library website
NOTE: Some electronic resources are free and publicly available, and some are licensed by one or more of the libraries in our Consortium. Due to licensing restrictions you must be at those libraries in order to use their databases. If you are prompted to enter an NYU or New School NetID, then the link will not work from your current location.
In BobCat, e-resources that are freely available may have a link label such as "Online Access" or "US Government Documents." Others may indicate access only for specific institutions.
When looking at the initial search results, you can use the Limits on the left for Genre to narrow the list down to "Electronic books" or "Electronic journals."
If you want only physical books (not e-books) at Cooper, use the Limits on the left under Library (Cooper Union) and select any collection except Restricted Internet Resources, such as General or Closed Stacks.
An extensive collection of multidisciplinary ebooks and ejournals covering life, health and physical sciences, social science, and the humanities. Browse journals here.
After you do a search, the first results screen shows a brief record for each item. Clicking on the title will show you a more detailed description of the item. The brief record also indicates availability, such as:
- "Available in your library and other locations" indicates that there should be a physical copy at the Cooper library. Click to get the locations and call numbers.
- "Online access" indicates an online resource. Click to go directly to the resource.
- "Available in consortium" or "Available in consortium and other locations" indicates that the item is not available at Cooper but should be available at one of the Consortium libraries. Click to get the locations and call numbers.
- "Check Availability" indicates that the physical copy may be on loan, stored Offsite, or not available for another reason. Click to get more specific information.
If an item is on loan or stored Offsite, you can request that it be returned specifically for your use. Use a Login link to sign in to your library account, then follow the instructions on screen.
Generally, you will not find specific articles from journals or conferences in the catalog. For that, use one of the article databases. In those databases, some full text articles are included, but often your search results will contain citations and abstracts without full text. For instructions on how to find an article from a citation, see the research guide Finding an Article or Book from a Citation.
By default, search terms are connected with a Boolean AND. You can also use OR and NOT if you enter them in ALL CAPS.
Searches are not case sensitive (with the exception of the Boolean operators mentioned above).
You can easily switch between searching the holdings of The Cooper Union Library, the entire Consortium, and Course Reserves without re-entering search terms. Just switch the option at the right side of the search box.
Don't give up if you don't get any results. Think of synonyms and related terms, and try again.
