Library and Internet Skills

Finding works by an Author

Individual Authors | Works by organizations | Multiple Authors | Pen names and Pseudonyms |

Quick Overview: Author Search

Using the basic search screen click on "starting with" and choose "author" from the drop down menu. Click on Search.

Detailed Instructions

Looking up works by individual authors.

• Click on "starting with."
• Choose "author" from the drop down menu.
• Enter the author's surname first.
• Consider using only the initial of the first name, unless the surname is very common. For example: Atwood A
• Capitalization and punctuation are not necessary.
• For hyphenated names, be sure to include the hyphen

Example:

to find Audre Lorde:

The second link in the list should be a link to the libraries' collection of works by Audre Lorde

When the author is an organization

• Enter the name as it is usually used.
• Leave off articles at the beginning of the name, such as 'the,' 'le,' 'la,' etc.
• Capitalization and punctuation are not necessary.
• For hyphenated names, either keep the hyphen, or leave a blank space.
• For long names, enter only the first few words.

Example:

World Health Organization

Type in the name of the organization (world health organization). Choose "begins with" and then select "author" from the drop down menu. Click on "search"

Find the name of the organization in the results list. Click on the name of the organization.

You will now see a list of all of the publications that the organization has produced that are in the University's collections.

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Two or more authors, editors or translators

Choose "Containing" using the radio buttons and author using the pull down menu. Enter two or more last names separated by the word "and"

Example:

To find "the Native Creative Process" by Douglas Cardinal and Jeannette Armstrong.

Pseudonyms or Pen Names

If an author uses a pen name, or more than one name, try the name you know. If this is not the version used by the Library Catalogue it will often refer you to the preferred version.

Names in Non-Roman scripts

The Library catalogue can only be searched with roman characters. Names in other character sets such as Arabic, Cyrillic, Japanese, etc have been transliterated into roman characters.

If you are not sure how a name in a non-roman script will be entered in the Library Catalogue, try the spelling that you are familiar with. Usually sounding out the name will work. The Library Catalogue will often refer you to the spelling used in the catalogue.

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Not sure of the exact name?

Not sure of the exact name? Try the following techniques below.

Use "Contains" instead of "Starting with"

• Use "contains" instead of "Starting with" if you don't know the correct order of the names. Example: If you're not sure whether to start with Elliott or Clarke as 'George Elliott Clarke's' surname, enter:
• If you're not sure of the exact name of an organization, enter key words that you think will be in the name.
• Use Truncation. If you are not sure of the exact spelling of a name, you can use a dollar sign to find variations.

Example: If you can't recall whether the author Deborah McDowell spells her name "McDowell" or "MacDowell"

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This page was last updated . Your comments and queries are welcomed.
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