OCLC has been in the process of changing the FirstSearch Web interface to something new called New FirstSearch. The Brooklyn College Library links to the six OCLC-provided databases now go to New FirstSearch.

So, whereas you used to click on World Cat and get a simple search screen that looks like this:

You now get a basic search screen that looks like this:

The FirstSearch Database you are in is identified on the screen.

Your left navigation bar options include

• linking to the Home screen, or the First Search Home screen, where you can select a topic or a database
• Database links where you can see all your database options and topic options listed
• other Searching options including Basic, Advanced, and Expert
• other browser Options including changing the default size of each screen in your hits list, adding your e-mail address, turning on and off javascript, and increasing or decreasing the text size and
• the ability to change the search interface from English to Spanish or French. You will also find this last option on the Brooklyn College Library list of databases.

Search Options

Basic Searching includes one text entry box and three field choices for keyword, author and title. Keyword is the default field.

Advanced Searching allows for three terms searched in the default keyword field or for searching in any of the other fields shown in the pull-up menus to the right of each search term box. Limits listed below the search boxes, depending on the database you are using, may include year, document or record type, language, supplier availability and/or library code (in WorldCat). The library code for Brooklyn College is VDB. The default for the radio check-box that also allow for limiting, in this case to "Items in my library," limits to ZCY, the CUNY central office.

Search Results

Your search results will produce a list of records with brief citations and linked titles to detailed records. The number of records found appears in a gray bar at the top of the results screen.

Once you have a results list, your left navigation bar now offers results options, including the options to display detailed records in sequence, the option to display only marked entries, and the option to see your previous searches. You can mark entries by checking the box to the left of each short entry in the results list. Seeing your previous searches, or your history, allows you to combine searches.

The detailed records, or complete bibliographic entries are hyperlinked wherever possible, in particular in the subject and author fields. The gray icon bar at the top, depending on the FirstSearch database you are using, allows you to sort, expand, limit, e-mail, or print your search.

  Sort: Title, author or date by ascending or descending order
  Expand: On author or subject headings
  Limit: By author, subject heading, year, document type or language
  E-mail: Brief or detailed record in plain text or html format
  Print: Reformats what you see on the screen for a cleaner looking printout