BLISweb Tutorial

View other tutorials on searching books and articles

Welcome to BLISweb!
To search for materials in the Benner Library collection, use BLISweb, the library's online catalog. Since Benner Library is a member of ILCSO, a 71-member consortium, it is also possible to search the collections of 64 other libraries as explained below.

First, access Benner Library's home page at http://library.olivet.edu. Locate the Find Books & Articles heading and click on BLISweb. Click on the ONU name to search the Benner Library collection.

Quick Search
Quick Search is a simple search you can use if you know an exact term, phrase, or title. To locate materials using Quick Search:
  1. Enter a search term in the Search for box.
  2. Select a search option in the Search by box.
  3. If you would like to further limit your search to a certain type of material, select from the Quick Limit scroll down box.
  4. Click Search.
Several browse search options are available in Quick Search, allowing you to browse by author, subject, prolific author/composer, or call number. Using the browse option is a great way to explore a research topic or subject.

Advanced Search
Advanced Search is a more advanced and precise search than Quick Search. Use this search when you don't know an exact search term or when you want specific items. This is the recommended search method. To locate materials using Advanced Search:
  1. Decide if you would like to limit your search by language, location, year of publication, or primary format (material type), then click on More Limits. Click Set Limits once you have made your selections.
  2. Enter your search phrase or term(s) in the Search for box.
  3. In the adjoining scroll-down box, select either any of these, all of these, or as a phrase. Selecting as a phrase is the same as placing your terms in quotation marks.
  4. In the Search by scroll down box, select a field: Any Words (the default), Author Words, Title Words, Subject Words, etc.
  5. To combine search lines, select from the buttons and, or, or not. Enter additional search terms in the Search for box, and repeat steps 3 and 4.
  6. Click Search.

Course Reserves
Course Reserves contains information on materials on reserve (i.e., materials with limited loan periods) for certain courses. To locate those materials, first click on the Course Reserves navigation tab, and then use the scroll down boxes to select the appropriate instructor, department, and course. Click Search. Course Reserves materials are located at the Reserve/Circulation Desk.

List of Records
After a successful search, a list of records will be displayed on your screen. Each record will usually include an item's title, author, publication date, location, call number, and status.
  1. To sort a list of records, click on the Sort by scroll down box located above the records list and select a sorting preference: Title, Author, Newest First, or Oldest First.
  2. To view an item's full bibliographic record and availability information, click on its title or status. Click on Titles in the green navigation bar located at both the top and the bottom of the screen to return to the list of records.

Marking Records
Mark records to keep track of records in which you might be interested in retrieving or requesting. These records can then be saved to your computer, printed, or emailed to you. To mark a record, you must be in the List of Records screen.
  1. Click in the box located to the left of the record number.
  2. After you have finished marking records on a page, click on the button Retain Selections (Click here before leaving this page). You must click on this button to save your selections.

Printing or Emailing
You may print, save, or email single records or lists of marked records. The Print or Email options box is located near the bottom of the screen. To print, save, or email records:
  1. Locate the Which Records? prompt on the far left side of the options box. Select an option and click on the corresponding button. To print, download, or email records gathered from multiple pages, choose Selected, all Pages.
  2. At the prompt Select Format, use the scroll down box to select a format. Full Record or Brief Record is recommended.
  3. To print or save the record(s), click on the Print/Save button. Either select the print option on your browser or on your toolbar, click on File and then print.
  4. To email your record(s), enter your full email address in the space provided and then click on Email. Once you see the message Your Email was sent, click on the back button to return to the previous screen.

Searching for Materials in I-Share Online
I-Share Online is a shared catalog of 76 Illinois college and university libraries – the ILCSO consortium. Olivet students, faculty, and staff can use I-Share Online to search not only for books and other materials at Benner Library, but also for materials in all of the ILCSO libraries.

To search I-Share Online, click on I-Share Catalog in the green navigation bar in the upper portion of most of the screens. If you have questions about using I-Share Online, ask a librarian or someone at the Circulation Desk.

Exiting BLISweb
To exit a search session in BLISweb or I-Share Online click on the Quit button found on the green navigation bar. The timeout interval for the online catalog is currently 9 1/2 minutes.