Guide to Checking the Library Catalog from Within a Search Result

When conducting a search in FirstSearch databases you must also check the local catalog to determine whether the item you seek is available at WMU. It is now possible to check the local catalog, WestCat, while viewing search results in many FirstSearch databases.

The FirstSearch database search provides the journal citation, that is the journal name, volume number, date, and pages where an article can be found. The WestCat record shows journals available locally and it's location and call number. Here's how it works.

Steps in using the Search the Catalog feature:

Step 1. Do search as usual in a FirstSearch database, this example in Figure 1 is from the ERIC database.

Figure 1. FirstSearch search results screen.

Fig 1

Step 2. Click on blue citation title to open record and view the full record (Fig. 2). Note the line "Search the catalog at Western Michigan University Libraries".

Step 3. Click on the "Search the catalog at Western Michigan" link while viewing the abstract. This opens a temporary window in FirstSearch and initiates an immediate search of the local catalog at WMU to determine if the journal cited in the search result is available in the WMU libraries.

Figure 2. FirstSearch detailed record showing link to WMU WestCat catalog search.

fig 2

fig 2a

Step 4. If the journal cited is found in the local WMU WestCat catalog you will be shown the details, including the location and call number.

Figure 3. The WestCat record for the journal cited in the FirstSearch results.

Note:

You should copy the journal name, volume number, issue number, page numbers and date of the article from the citation in the FirstSearch record.
Also copy the local call number and the local location for the journal from the WestCat screen in order to locate the journal or magazine in the WMU Libraries.

Step 5. To return to FirstSearch click the RETURN button (Fig. 3 top right corner).