The Advanced search tab allows the operator to apply a greater range of filters and conditions to the search argument, allowing for complex Boolean searches, and providing for greater granularity in search results.

The search form is shown and explained below:

Main options #

Four linked textboxes are provided, preset for a combination of Title AND Name AND Subject AND Series, allowing free entry to each of the textboxes. It is not mandatory to fill each of the textboxes – indeed they can all be left blank if a further argument is selected from lower options, e.g. books in Italian.

Each of the boxes can be set as required – each has the same set of options:

• Title [default] – including Series title
• Name – individual or corporate authors, conferences
• Subject
• Series
• Anywhere – i.e. any of the above

So it is possible to create an author/title search, setting an Author selection = SMITH and Title selection = HISTORY; or two Title selections can be chosen, entering ENERGY in one and GLOBAL WARMING in the the other, and using the Boolan controls to determine whether these should be connected by AND or OR.

Boolean operators –  are selectable from a pull-down combo menu for each of the heading textboxes (apart from the first), to allow e.g. Name AND Title searching; and also for defined limits, such as language and audience:

• and
• or
• and not

Following these heading/keyword selections, an additional selection may be made according ot date of publication, allowing a range (start year, end year( to be specified.

Limits #

Geographically set in – This set of limiting options is created according to indexing of the library’s collection, related to the geographic setting code in the 008 field, and so all options will have hits (though not necessarily in combination with other arguments).

Item format – This set of options reflects the library’s defined item formats:

Council – For libraries not in a Consortium, this will always show the default ‘Any’, and no other option is available. When in a Consortium, this will select the home library’s Council by default, and allow selection of other Councils within the system.

Location – Reflects the defined locations (i.e. branches) set for the library. The default is Any.

Sub-location – This allows a specific collection (i.e. physical location) to be selected. If Location shows Any, then all sub-locations will be displayed, but if a specific location is selected then the sub-location display is limited to those associated with that location:

Language – This set of limiting options is created according to indexing of the library’s collection, reflecting the language code set in field 008, and so all options will have hits (though not necessarily in combination with other arguments).

Target audience – Reflects audience code settings in the 008 field:

Items in Statistical category 1 – If the library has defined statistical categories (set to category 1 in this case), then these may be selected using this option:

Items in Statistical category 2 – If the library has defined statistical categories (set to category 2 in this case), then these may be selected using this option.

Qualifier Check Boxes #

A group of checkboxes is provided to allow the search to be qualified:

• Must have items: search results must have items attached, regardless of status
• Must have items on-shelf: search results must have items attached, available and not with any abnormal status
• Must have items on order: This restricts results to works which have items on order
• Include records with no database subset: this option is pre-selected, and is removed automatically if a database subset is selected
• Allow Multiple Formats – When this is selected Item format in the Limiters dropdown is greyed out and a table of checkboxes appears listing all formats available in the Library system.
• Not already loaned by – this option is greyed out if no user has been selected in another screen, however the last user selected will display next to this check box allowing for searches of items the user has not previously loaned.
• Must have items on loan –
• eBook: This restricts results to works catalogued as ‘eBooks’
• Digital book (DAISY): This option is expressly provided for Libraries for the Blind, to ensure that the title returned is associated with a digital (DAISY) book.
• URL: if restricting to Internet (or local) media links, then results and links can be seen (and followed) on the Details of a work tab
• Inflectional: If this checkbox is ticked, Aurora will apply modifications to the search term to make it more ‘fuzzy’, by applying prefix and suffix modification, and allowing for plurals.
• Show Syntax  – Shows the syntax of the sql search as a pop up

Additional options #

This set of limiting options is created according to indexing of the library’s collection, using a variety of options in fields 006, 007 and 008, and so all options will have hits (though not necessarily in combination with other arguments).
The same set of options is repeated three times, allowing for variation in combinations – but please note that these only allow Boolean AND

With barcode – An item barcode may be entered (or wanded) here:

Publication date range – This allows the search to be limited to works published between two dates.

Database Subset #

If the library has defined any database subsets, these will be displayed here – each with its own checkbox. Note that Database Subset is an exclusive selection option – and so no Boolean OR is offered here, and if a subset is selected, then the earlier checkbox ‘Include records with no database subset’ is automatically deselected.

Sort options #

All title results may be sorted by the operator as required using a pull-down combo menu which is placed under the Locations and Item Formats combos – the sort can therefore be preselected, or selected after the results have been delivered, to allow a redisplay.

The sort choices are:

• Name
• Title [Default]
• Publication date
• Publisher
• Series
• ISBN
• Classification number [Note that call number prefixes may be counted as part of the classification, and that numbers file before letters]

A checkbox allows the sort to be Ascending [A-Z and the default] or Descending [Z-A]

Command buttons #

Three command buttons are provided:

• Clear: Clears all existing arguments and allows a new query to be started from scratch
• Find Items: if this option is selected, then a display is provided for each item in the selection. This is displayed in the Search items tab and options allow for export into Excel.
• Find Titles: if this option is selected, a standard search is applied, and the search results are displayed in the standard results screen.