Online Catalog (PALS) Commands


Author: Mark England

Reference 231-8886   Circulation 231-8888   Interlibrary Loan 231-8885

Basic Search Commands

To Search Command Pattern Example
Author AU [last name first name] au crichton michael
Title TI [exact title of item]
TT [key words from the title]
 ti eaters of the dead
tt eaters dead
Combination CO [author's last name first word of title] co crichton eaters
Term TE [key word or words] te north dakota sugar beets
Subject SU [Library of Congress subject heading] su learning disabilities
Subject terms ST [subject heading key words] st learning psychology
Reserves RES [instructor's last name, course name or number res kloberdanz res chemistry 120

Truncation

Truncation is used when you are unsure of the spelling of a word or when you want to get variations of a word or phrase. You can search all forms of a word or phrase in one search by placing a # at the end of a search word or phrase. Or, you can search multiple forms of a word or phrase by replacing each missing letter or word with a ?. This feature, called truncation, can be used with the AU, TI, CO, TE and SU searches.

Word Truncation: Can be used with AU, TI, CO, TE and SU searches.

To search for the words Type
sports, sportsman(s), sportsmen(s), sportmanship, sportswoman(s), sportswomen(s), sportsmanlike, sportsmanship, sportsmedicine, sportswriter TE sport#
woman, women, womans or womens TE wom?n?

Phrase Truncation: Can only be used in SU or TI searches. It is particularly useful in subject searching since it allows you to get all subdivisions of a particular subject. The question mark is substituted for a specific word or word while the pound sign is used to get any number of endings to a phrase.

To search for Type
both: Liability for marine accidents
Liability for traffic accidents		 SU liability for ? accidents
astronomy and all its subdivisions:
Astronomy
Astronomy-- Ancient
Astronomy--Yearbooks		 SU astronomy #

  Displaying Results

To Command Pattern Example
Display results DI [record number or numbers] di[displays a list of the first 20 records matching your search]
di 2[displays the citation for record number 2]
di 3 5 8 [displays citations for records numbered 3, 5 and 8]
Recall list of titles RE re[returns to the listing of records found]
Display availability DS orDSD ds or dsd [lets you know if an item is checked out]

Limiting Search Results

To Limit By Command Pattern Example
Year Greater than GT [year] gt 1989 [limits results list to items dated 1990 and on]
Less than LT [year] lt 1988 [limits results list to items older than 1988]
Equal to EQ [year] eq 1989 [limits results list to items published in 1989]
Language LA [first three letters of language] la fre [limits results list to only items in French]
Format FO [code] FO BO (Books) DI (Disk)
FI (Filmstrip) MA (Map)
MI (Microform) MO (Motion Picture)
OT (Other) SC (Score)
SE (Serial)SL (Slides)
SO (Sound Recording)
VI (Video Recording)

Printing Search Results

 MAIL [your e-mail address]
To Command Pattern Results
Print screen Click left printer icon on toolbar prints current screen
Print a full-text article from PALS Click right printer icon on toolbar prints the full text of an article (if it is marked with an * in the list of records found) to the printers in the Reference Room
Send results of a search to your e-mail address
print mail mjohnson@badlands.nodak.edu
Send a full-text article to your e-mail address PRINT MAIL TXT [your e-mail address] print mail txt mjohnson@badlands.nodak.edu

Searching Indexes on PALS

File Name Indexes Command
General Magazine Index over 1500 popular magazines and the New York Times file gen
Expanded Academic Index scholarly and general interest periodicals file eai
Business Periodicals Index more than 800 business publications and the Wall Street Journal file bus
Company Profiles brief information on over 172,000 U.S. businesses file cop
ERIC journal articles and documents in the field of education file eri
Health Index 205 medical journals and consumer health magazines file hea
Journals in Education over 700 periodicals in education file jie
Government Publications federal government publications file gpo

To return to book catalog type file cat

Searching Other Libraries and Library Systems

To Search Command Pattern Example
Moorhead State University [search command] TRM [search term] te trm film studies
Concordia [search command] TRC [search term] au trc angelou
Tri-College [search command] TRI [search terms] te tri sugar beet#
Minnesota State University System [search command] SUS [search terms] te sus australian poetry criticism
Entire PALS System [search command] SYS [search terms] te sys civil war sources
List PALS libraries SHO LIBS sho libs
List library systems available SHO HOSTS sho hosts
Set host SET HOST [code] ODN= UND and other North Dakota Libraries.(Once connected, search just like PALS.)
LUM = University of Minnesota
CAR = CARL (Colorado Alliance of Regional Libraries)		 set host odn
To return to NDSU catalog SET HOST LOCAL set host local

Placing Holds and Checking Your Patron Record

To Command Pattern Example
Recall something that is checked out HLD [your barcode] [your password] hld 20104000111111 smith
Display a list of items checked out to you DPT [your barcode] [your password] dpt 20104000111111 smith
Renew a book (use item numbers from DPT search) REN [your barcode] [your password] [item numbers] ren 20104000111111 smith 2 7

Requesting items not owned by NDSU from Interlibrary Loan

To Procedure
Request an item on ILL request forms Go to the Interlibrary Loan Office at the Library and fill out an Interlibrary Loan form for each item needed.
Request an item found on PALS Display the record for the item needed and then enter:
ILL [your barcode number] [your password] [date needed by]
for example ILL 10109000321123 Jones 10/09/97
Request an item via WWW /ill/ill-form.html
Request an item via E-Mail nulibill@badlands.nodak.edu

Advanced Searching Techniques

 Saving and Combining Sets

The online catalog allows you to save and combine searches. This feature is useful in doing complex searches on a very specific topic. To save a set, enter SA immediately after the computer responds to your search command (you may use DI to display sample records first). BO (BOOLEAN) tells the computer to combine two or more specified sets using AND, OR, or NOT. For example, try this search:

You Enter Computer Responds
SU DRUG ABUSE # 577 RECORDS MATCHED THE SEARCH
SA WORK AREA SAVED IN SET 1
TE ALCOHOLISM 513 RECORDS MATCHED THE SEARCH
SA WORK AREA SAVED IN SET 2
BO 1 AND 2 107 RECORDS MATCHED THE SEARCH

The final 107 records will only include those records on both drug abuse AND alcoholism.

You Enter Computer Responds
BO 1 OR 2 983 RECORDS MATCHED THE SEARCH

The final 983 records will include records on either drug abuse OR alcoholism OR both.

You Enter Computer Responds
BO 1 NOT 2 470 RECORDS MATCHED THE SEARCH

The final 470 records will only include records on drug abuse but NOT alcoholism.

You can work with up to nine sets. Your saved sets will be available until the terminal disconnects or the BE (BEGIN) command is given. Other useful commands when working with sets are:

To Command Pattern Example
Retrieve a set into your work space GE [set number] GE 5
List your saved sets LI LI
Delete a saved set DE [set number] DE 3
Delete all your saved sets SC SC

Miscellaneous Commands
HE Help with commands
HRS Library Hours
TIME Time






PALS is also available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/webpals.html