Library Search Tips & Features

Do you need help searching for library resources?  The information on this page can help you identify what searches to use in the new, upgraded search.

The upgraded search combines information about resources from the Mason Catalog and databases, media (streaming and physical formats/music and video), and other collections including Mason dissertations and theses, the MARS research repository, images in LUNA and more.  The upgraded search also makes it easier to search for resources at our Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC) partner schools (see list here https://www.wrlc.org/membership).

Our new search provides features you have used for searching in the past including:

• Title, author, subject and call number searches,
• Exact phrase searching (use quotes around your search terms!)
• Boolean searching using AND, OR, NOT,
• Truncation and wildcard searching, and
• Search limiters and filters including resource type, peer-reviewed articles, date and more!

Below is what you'll see on https://library.gmu.edu. 

You can also access the new search as well as more search options on this page: 

https://wrlc-gm.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?vid=01WRLC_GML:01WRLC_GML&lang=en&sortby=rank  

Use the information in this guide to help you identify which search you should use in the upgraded search.If you want more help, contact us using one of the methods on the Ask a Librarian page (http://library.gmu.edu/ask).Also check the Library Workshop calendar (http://library.gmu.edu/workshops) for workshops on searching.