Searching WorldCat: Index Quick Reference
Note: Browsing and whole phrase search are not available in WorldShare.
Index type
Access method (word)
Label
am:
Example
am:ftp zonnetje.swidoc.nl
Access method (phrase)
am=
am=ftp zonnetje.swidoc.nl
Access restrictions (word)
Access restrictions (phrase)
rs:
rs=
Action note
Authentication code
io:
ac=
rs:unrestricted
rs=unrestricted online
access
io:digitized
ac=dlr
Author (word)
Author (phrase)
Canadian class number
Canadian subject (word)
Cataloging source
Character sets present
Corporate/Conference name (word)
Corporate/Conference name (phrase)
Corporate/Conference subject (word)
Corporate/Conference subject (phrase)
Date created as MARC
Descriptors (word)
Descriptors (phrase)
Dewey Decimal class number
au:
au=
ca:
he:
cs=
vp:
cn:
cn=
nc:
nc=
dm:
de:
de=
dd:
au:Shakespeare
au=Shakespeare, William
ca:s592.6c35
he:explorers
cs=ocl
vp:gre
cn:enron
cn=enron corp
nc:general motors
nc=general motors
dm:20100401
de:history
de=history AND criticism
dd:616.46
Dewey Decimal edition number
Genre Form (word)
Genre Form (phrase)
Geographic coverage
Government document number
d2:
ge:
ge=
gc:
gn:
d2:22
ge:novel
ge=spanish literature
gc:Madrid
gn:nas12sp146
Holding library
Internet
li:
mt:
ISBN (number)
bn:
td: chi,ma,of,s AND li:occ
mt:url
not mt:url
bn:0824771427
ISBN (phrase)
ISSN_L (number)
ISSN_L (phrase)
ISSN (number)
bn=
ik:
ik=
in:
bn=0824771427
ik:0264-2875
ik=0264-2875
in:0018-165x
ISSN (phrase)
in=
in=0018-165x
Keyword
Language
kw:
ln:
kw:space
ln:eng
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−
Notes
Ignores http: and https:
Punctuation is treated as spaces
Ignores http: and https:
Include spacing characters ~ ^ _
Include these characters: . @ ? % = _ , \ ‘~ ^ |
Keeps other leading text (for example, ftp// or gopher//). Omit the colon. Enter
with the slashes or substitute a space.
−
−
−
−
To limit a search by authentication code, enter ac=[code]
To exclude records by authentication code, enter not ac=[code]
formats: last name or first name
format: last name, first name
− Qualifier
− Do not use commas
− Enter date in the format: yyymmdd (y=year, m=month, d=day)
Include all letters and numbers
Include the period
Omit all other punctuation
Omit spaces
Searches retrieve records containing first set of numbers following the period (up
to first prime), if present, including records that contain groups of numbers
following the first set
− Use mainly to limit searches
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
Enter all numbers and letters
Omit spaces and punctuation
Index label not required
Qualifier
Qualifier
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
Label is not required
Enter all numbers and letters
Use this index if it is the first or only search term
Omit spaces and hyphens
If the ISBN ends in x, enter * to truncate
Always include the hyphen.
Always include the hyphen
Label is not required
Always include the hyphen
Omit spaces
Label is not required
If the ISSN ends in x, enter * to truncate
Use Boolean operators if using multiple keywords
Available for searching with three-character code only
Qualifier
Language (word)
ln:
ln:eng
Language of cataloging
ll:
ll:eng
LC childrens subject (word)
LC childrens subject (phrase)
LCCN (number)
hc:
hc=
nl:
hc:poetry
hc=junevile poetry
nl:32000014
LCCN (phrase)
nl=
nl=big band music
LCSH (word)
LCSH (phrase)
Material type
MeSH (word)
MeSH (phrase)
Musical composition
NAL Subject (word)
NAL Subject (phrase)
Name (word)
Name (phrase)
NLM class number (word)
hl:
hl=
mt:
hm:
hm=
mc:
ha:
ha=
au:
au=
lm:
hl:fractions
hl=big band music
mt:cda
hm:diabetes
hm=womens health
mc:ballads
ha:corn
ha=corn industry
au:sagan
au=sagan, carl
lm:hq1381
NLM class number (phrase)
lm=
lm=hq1381 c 524w 1976
Notes
OCLC number
Other subject (word)
Other subject (phrase)
Personal name (word)
Personal name (phrase)
Personal name subject (word)
Personal name subject (phrase)
Physical description (word)
Publisher (word)
Publisher (phrase)
Publisher location
Publisher number (number)
nt:
no:
ho:
ho=
pn:
pn=
na:
na=
p3:
pb:
pb=
pl:
mn:
nt:letterpress
no:10998406
ho:stars
ho=supergiant stars
pn:shamu
pn=sitting bull
na:conrad
na=conrad, joseph
p3:miniature
pb:vintage
pb=vintage books
pl:Stockholm
mn:co1979ab51
Publisher number (number phrase)
mn=
mn=co 1979ab51
Publisher (word)
Publisher (phrase)
Report number
pb:
pb=
rn:
pb:vintage
pb=vintage books
rn:FE-218-7
RVM subject (word)
hr:
hr:liaisons
RVM subject (phrase)
hr=
hr=liaisons dangereuses
Sears subject (word)
Sears subject (phrase)
Series (word)
Series (phrase)
Standard number
hs:
hs=
se:
se=
sn:
hs:aids
hs=aids and devices
se:fairies
se=rainbow magic
sn:0720500478
− 2-character codes are in ISO 639
− Use to limit a search to records with one or more languages
− If no 040 b is present, the system assumes that the language of cataloging is
English.
− Searchable only by code.
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
Enter with or without hyphen separating the year from the serial portion
Include year portion (two or four digits)
Omit spaces
Use circumflex (^) to exclude LCCNs that have prefixes
Enter with or without hyphen separating the year from the serial portion
Include year portion (two or four digits)
Use circumflex (^) to exclude LCCNs that have prefixes
− Qualifier
− Use coded values available for fixed field element Comp/Form of composition.
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
Retaining the first comma is optional
Indexes subfield a only
Enter all numbers and letters
Include periods, but omit all other punctuation and spaces
Indexes subfield a and b together
Enter all numbers and letters
Include periods, but omit all other punctuation
Include spaces
− Enter with index label and punctuation
− Retain first comma if it is not the last element of a subfield
Enter letters and numbers
Omit punctuation and spaces
Enter letters and numbers
Omit punctuation
Spaces can be used except for in parenthetical data, which is indexed as a
separate word
− For multiple numbers, see entry in Searching WorldCat Indexes on the OCLC
web site.
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
−
Enter all letters and numbers
Omit punctuation except hyphens
Omit spaces
Retain first comma in name if the comma is not the last element of a subfield
Retain hyphens in dates
Retain first comma in name if the comma is not the last element of a subfield
Retain hyphens in dates
− Enter all letters and numbers
− Omit punctuation and spaces
Subject (phrase)
Subject (word)
Subject (phrase)
Title (word)
Title (phrase)
Uniform title (word)
Uniform title (phrase)
su=
su:
su=
ti:
ti=
ut:
ut=
Unique serial title
Universal Decimal Class Number
tk:
ud:
Year
yr:
ISO 9001 Certified
su=french language
su:horror
su=french language
ti:existentialism
ti=canterbury tales
ut:Beowulf
ut=beowulf and how he
fought grendel
tk:horses
ud:368.4
yr:0099
yr:1980
yr:1980-1989
−
−
−
−
ISBN and ISSN numbers are indexed up to the first parenthesis only
Retain first comma in name if the comma is not the last element of a subfield
Retain first comma in name if the comma is not the last element of a subfield
Retain first comma in name if the comma is not the last element of a subfield
− Omit initial articles
−
−
−
−
Enter all numbers and letters up to the first parenthesis
Include periods
Omit all other punctuation and spaces
Qualifier
The following OCLC product, service and business names are trademarks or service marks of OCLC, Inc.: CatExpress, Connexion, DDC, Dewey, Dewey
Decimal Classification, OCLC, WorldCat, WorldCat Resource Sharing and “The world’s libraries. Connected.”
In addition, the WorldCat symbol and OCLC symbol are service marks of OCLC. Third-party product and service names are trademarks or service marks of
their respective owners.
OCLC grants permission to photocopy this publication as needed.