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UC Library Search: Simple Search

This guide gives tips on how to use the UC Library Search system.

Simple Search

The search box on the UCSB Library website directs you to the Simple Search for UC Library Search by typing a title or one or more words into this search box will return results that contain all or part of your specified terms.

UC Library homepage displaying six menu tiles with, "UC Library Search; Course Reserves; Articles & Databases; Research Guides; Alexandria Digital Research Library; Archives & Manuscripts"

Once you have been directed to your results from the UCSB Library website, you will find this Simple Search box remains at the top of your screen. 

Simple Search Box: Inside the UCSB Library Search Interface

When typing into the Simple Search box from the top of your screen, you will be given a drop down menu where you can choose from a variety of scoping options.

Scoping options for a Simple Search in UC Library Search with options displayed for, "Articles, Books, and More; UCSB Library Catalog; UCSB Course Reserves; UCSB Special Research Collections; UCS Discovery Network"

Scoping Options:  

Articles, Books, and More: Everything provided by all UC Campuses plus other libraries

UCSB Library Catalog: Resources only from UC Santa Barbara

UCSB Course Reserves: Resources reserved for courses offered at UC Santa Barbara

UCSB Special Research Collections: Resources only from UC Santa Barbara Special Collections

UCS Discovery Network: Resources from all University of California Libraries.

Boolean Operators:

AND, OR, NOT: Change the operator between your search terms or phrase to expand or narrow your results.

UCSB Library Advanced Search, Operators AND, OR, NOTAND: Requires both terms are present in the result list. Results will decrease as both terms must be present.

OR: Either term can be present in the result list. Results will increase as one or both terms can be present.

NOT: Removes a results with a given term. Results will decrease as results with that term will be omitted.