• From the Ely Library Home Page <http://www.lib.wsc.ma.edu/>, click on Quick Links to Databases.
• Click on FirstSearch Databases, or on any database name coming from FirstSearch (see list).
• Once you are logged in, select the database you wish to search (Not all of those listed are FirstSearch Databases!).  You will have options to search more than one FirstSearch Database at a time once you make a selection from this list (See below).

Once you are on the FirstSearch Home web page, Enter a word or phrase in the Search for box and click on the dropdown menu next to In: to select a Topic (e.g., Education, Life Sciences, Business and Economics) or specific database.  Selecting a topic will provide more options than limiting yourself to one database.  Click on Search.

This search will find words anywhere in a record. You can choose a different command language on the bottom bar of this page. To search by Title, Author, and Abstract, use the Advanced Search.
Important: Use the buttons, links, and tabs on the bar at the top to navigate through FirstSearch screens. When you want to stop using FirstSearch, click on the FirstSearch Exit button (top, left).
 

At the top bar, use the icons   to Sort, find Related Subjects or Authors, Limit, E-mail, Print, or Export your search.  The available icons and commands will change depending on the screen you are viewing.  Online help is always available.

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List of Records (printing, saving, and more)

Once you run your Basic Search, FirstSearch displays a List of Records screen containing results.  If your search found no records, FirstSearch displays a screen containing information to help you redo the search. To return to the Search screen, click on Searching.

Help--provides help related to the current screen and allows you to access other help topics.

Up to ten records are listed on each page of the List of Records screen if your search retrieves any items. The records are numbered and listed in the order they were added to the database, with the most recent usually occurring first, but not always.  Use the Rank by feature to order results by Date.

Here are the primary options available on the Search Results screen:

• To print or save the list, click on  or  , then use your browser command: File/Print Preview or File/Save As.
• To email the list, click on 
• To see more of the list, click on (next) or (previous).
• To jump to a particular place in the list, click on "Go to Page" and select a page number. Press Enter. In response FirstSearch displays the page of the list that has the number you selected.
• To see the full display of a record, click on the linked title in the list.
• To Mark Records for viewing, printing, or e-mailing, click in the box before each record.
• To redo the search and limit the records from your search, click on .
• To redo the search and expand the records from your search, click on  or .
• To Interlibrary loan an item, click on .  To find out which libraries own the periodical, look for  (available here), or  (a list of other libraries).  Check our Full Text Periodical Titles link for a complete list of what is available at Westfield State College online and in print.
• To begin a new search, click on Searching.

If the following icon appears on your screen: , look for the journal or book in the Ely Library Catalog or Full Text Periodical Titles list. Otherwise, to identify other libraries that have the item, click on . The default display is Massachusetts, then the Northeast region.

It is possible to request an item (that we do not own) through Interlibrary Loan (ILL):

• Click on "see more details for locating this item."  Then select: "Borrow this item from another library (Interlibrary Loan)."
• If we do not own the item, fill in the request form to obtain the item through Interlibrary Loan.
• Fill out the information form. You must enter: Name, Address, Telephone #, Email, and Status.
• When completed, click on the Submit button. The Record and information that you typed will be sent to the WSC InterLibrary Loan department.
• You will be contacted when the material arrives.

If you enter a term and select a Topic at the initial search screen such as Education, Life Sciences, or Engineering, you will be provided with a list of databases associated with the topic and estimated results for the word you searched.  You may choose up to three databases at a time before clicking on Select to retrieve the results list.  To see more than the first database results, select the others from links above results.
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1. Do not use your browser buttons or commands, such as Back and Forward, while marking records. Use only the FirstSearch buttons such as (Next) or (Previous).
2. On a page of the List of Records, click on a checkbox by each entry whose record you want to print, save, or e-mail.  You can mark a maximum of 100 records.
3. Click on Next or Previous to go through the list as you mark entries.
4. To view the marked records, click on Marked Records under Results in the left-hand column. FirstSearch displays the Marked Records.
5. To print or save the Mark Records list, click on File (Netscape toolbar), then Print Preview or Save As.
6. You may return to the List of Records by clicking on that link in the left-hand column without losing your previously marked records.
7. To clear all marks so you can mark other entries without duplicating your previous marks, click on Clear.

You can get more information about FirstSearch by reading the online . It is structured so you can access help about the current FirstSearch Web screen. Other FirstSearch Web Online Help topics include unique information for individual databases.

AGRICOLA--National Agriculture Library    1970-        Updated Monthly.

ArticleFirst® Database--OCLC January 1990 -   Updated Daily

Electronic Collections Online (ECO)- OCLC    1995 - Updated Daily

GPO Monthly Catalog--U. S. Government Printing Office    July 1976 -     Updated Monthly.

 

PapersFirst® Database--OCLC 1992 -     Updated Biweekly.

ProceedingsFirst® Database--OCLC 1993 -     Updated Biweekly.

 

The World Almanac--Primedia Reference, Inc.    Current.     Updated Annually.

WorldCat Database (OCLC Online Union Catalog) - OCLC  11th Century -   Updated Daily.

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Page maintained by Corinne Ebbs

Last updated 11-16-11/bh