Help: Research Tools: CU Library Catalog: Advanced Search Features:

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Canned Searches

Canned searches allow you to provide a dynamic link to a particular title or set of records. Building and copying a search can allow you to pre-define specific types of information (i.e. all periodicals about biochemistry). Canned searches can also provide a quick search method for a long string inquiry (i.e."alcohol abuse" OR alcoholism OR "problem drinking" OR "alcohol? intoxication"). Faculty can build course reserve searches to link their reserve readings directly from a course Web page.

Because the links created in the Library Catalog do not persist over a certain length of time, you cannot use the link in your browser bar; you must create a permanent link. The easiest way to do this is to use a tool called the Voyager Canned Search Generator, which has been provided by Texas A&M University. Simply paste the URL from the browser into the Canned Search Generator, select "Generate New URL," and then copy and paste the resulting link. Be sure to check your link after approximately 20 minutes have passed to make sure that it still works.

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If the Canned Search Generator is unavailable and you need to make a persistent link manually to a catalog or course reserve search, please use the directions below.

These instructions are best used for canned keyword searches that return fewer than 100 titles (Note).

• Building a Search
• Copying a Search
• Building a Course Reserve Search

 

Building a Search

Building a search is the process of creating a URL that will pre-define specific types of information. It involves adding or removing sections of the existing URL that you get when you perform a search within the catalog. To build a search and make a link from it, the following components are needed. The arguments (everything after http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?) are separated by an &. However, you do not need an & between http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi? and your first argument, which needs to be DB=local.

1. http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi? tells it to search the Cornell Library Catalog and must be first.
2. DB=local must be the first argument.
3. CNT=25+records+per+page (Note).
4. CMD=CODE+SEARCHTERMS where CODE is replaced by the desired four-letter keyword search code and SEARCHTERMS is replaced by the desired search terms (Note).

Example:
When combined on one line, the following URL pieces would find all titles with the author carson and keyword nature:

http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&CNT=25+records+per+page&CMD=nkey+carson+AND+skey+nature (Try It)

(Note the addition of the DB=local argument directly after the /Pwebrecon.cgi?)

Copying a Search

To copy a search and make a link from it, do the following:

1. Perform the search in the Cornell University Library Catalog
2. Once you're done with the search, copy the resulting URL in the address bar at the top of the browser screen.
3. The resulting URL is made up of several parts, some of which must be included and some of which must be deleted for the canned search to work correctly as an HTML link:
   -- The URL must start with http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?
   -- The arguments (everything after http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?) are separated by an &.
4. You do not need an & between http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi? and your first argument, which needs to be DB=local.
   
5. You must have the following:
   -- DB=local
   -- CNT=25+records+per+page (or some other number)
   -- CMD=CODE+SEARCHTERMS where CODE is replaced by the desired four-letter keyword search code and SEARCHTERMS is replaced by the desired search terms (Note).
   -- You must not include the PID=blah, SEQ=blah, or SID=blah arguments.
   -- The optional argument HIST=blah may be omitted.
6. If it's a Guided Keyword search, you do not have to include the values for blank elements (like the second or third search boxes, boolean selectors, etc).

Example:
After performing a Guided Keyword search looking for environment in the subject field AND looking for policy in the subject field, you would have the following URL:

http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi
?Search_Arg=skey+environment++AND+skey+policy&
Search_Code=CMD&PID=16486
&SEQ=20020308095819&CNT=100&HIST=1

...which can be reduced to (all on one line)...

http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&CNT=25+records+per+page&CMD=skey+environment+AND+skey+policy (Try It)

(Note the addition of the DB=local argument directly after the /Pwebrecon.cgi?)

Building a Course Reserve Search

1. Perform the course reserve search in the Cornell University Library Catalog.
2. Once you are done with the search, copy the resulting URL in the address bar at the top of the browser screen.
3. The resulting URL is made up of several parts, some of which must be included and some of which must be deleted for the canned search to work correctly as an HTML link:
   --The URL must start with http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?
   --The arguments (everything after http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?) are separated by an &.
4. The DB=lcoal argument must be the first one in the string. It needs to be placed directly after the initial http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?. However, you do not need an & between http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi? and your first argument.
5. You must have the following:
   -- DB=local
   -- CNT=20+records+per+page (or some other number; the number 20 can be replaced by another number up to 100)
   -- CRSE=COURSENAME where COURSENAME is replaced by the full name of the desired course
   -- You must not include the PID=blah or SEQ=blah.
   -- The optional argument HIST=blah may be omitted.
   -- You should omit the values for elements not used in the Course Reserve search (INST=Any, DEPT=Any, SECT=Any).

Example:

After performing the Course Reserve search for the class AEM 555, Environmental Management Policy, you would have the following URL (all on one line):

http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?
INST=Any
&DEPT=Any
&CRSE=AEM+555%3A+Environmental+Management+Policy+%282999%29
&SECT=Any
&PID=6664
&SEQ=20020905124149
&HIST=1
&CNT=20+records+per+page

...which can be reduced to (all on one line)...

http://catalog.library.cornell.edu/cgibin/Pwebrecon.cgi?
DB=local&CRSE=AEM+555%3A+Environmental+Management+Policy+%282999%29&CNT=20+records+per+page

(Note the addition of the DB=local argument directly after /Pwebrecon.cgi?)

 

Notes:
When the URL returns more than one page of results, there is an error with using the Next button. You are taken to a screen that has a results table and numbered boxes, but no titles. To avoid this, you may wish to set the CNT=25+records+per+page variable up to 100 and avoid using canned searches that bring up large numbers of results.

If the search terms have colons, quotes, or spaces, you must replace them to ensure the URL works correctly:

• Replace spaces with %20
• Replace quotes with %22
• Replace colons with %3A
  
  For instance, "Journal of Algorithms" would be %22Journal%20of%20Algorithms%22 in the URL.

It may be helpful to use the example URLs as a reference source when creating your particular link. Oftentimes copying and pasting a URL into a web-authoring program like Dreamweaver can add certain character entities that are different than those in the original URL. For example, in our sample URL the parentheses from the original URL have been replaced by %28 and %29 character entities.