SearchStar Worksheets
These worksheets are designed to enable children
to teach themselves how to search the library
catalogue. They are graded in difficulty and a
certificate of achievement is included at the end.
The worksheets can be freely photocopied. They
are also included on the CD-ROM and can be
amended and reprinted if required.
SearchStar
Worksheet 1
Name ……………………………………………………………… Class ………………………
How do I use drop down lists to search SearchStar?
1. Look at the SearchStar screen and carry out the following tasks.
2. Click this arrow and look at
all the words on the list.
Don’t forget to use the scroll
bar to see all the words.
3. Now click on Number to
select it
6. In the next box type
4. Click this box and look at
the words in the list.
5. Now click on Equal To
to select it
70 and click Go
7. Write down the title of the book which appears
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8.
Now try Number
Equal To 99
9. Write down the author and title of the book which appears
Author
……………………………………………………….
Title
……………………………………………………………………………………….
SearchStar
Worksheet 2
Name ……………………………………………………………… Class ………………………
How do I search by Class number and by Author?
Click on this arrow to
see the list. Find
Class and click on it
to select
Click this arrow,
then select
Type 59
Beginning with
Click Go
or press
Enter
1. Look at the list of books you have found. What are
they about?
…………………………………………………………………………………
Click this arrow
and select
Author
Select
Beginning with
Type b in
this box
in this box
Click Go
or press
Enter
2. Write down 2 Authors’ names from the list
…….……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
SearchStar
Worksheet 3
Name ……………………………………………………………… Class ………………………
How do I search by title and keywords?
1. Select Title, then Including. Now type
the box and click Go, or press
cars in
Enter
Write down the title and class (Dewey) number of one of the books
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. Select
then
Keywords,
Including. Now type fish
and click Go (or Enter)
Write down the title and class of a book you have found
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Next search for Keywords
Including music.
Look in the numbers at the top right of the list.
How many items have you matched? ……………………………….
4. Search for Title
Including Frank
Have you found any books about
How many? …………………….
Anne Frank.
SearchStar
Worksheet 4
Name ……………………………………………………………… Class ………………………
How do I search for different authors and subjects? - A
1. Find an Author Beginning with
D
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Find a Title Including the word
flight
……………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Find the Title of a book with a Class (Dewey) number
beginning with
2
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. Search for books about
nature. Write down
the Class number of one of the books.
Class …………………………………………
5. Write down the Title
Title ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
SearchStar
Worksheet 5
Name ……………………………………………………………… Class ………………………
How do I search for different authors and subjects?-B
1. Find the author of a book about
castles
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. Find the class and title of a book about
weather
Class ………………………………….
Title ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Search for books about the
body
What is the main class number for the body? Class…………….
4. Look for class
780
What are these books about? ……………………………………………………
5. Search for books about ghosts. Write down the
class, author and title of one book
Author
……………………………………………………….
Class
………………………………….
Title
………………………………………………………………………………….
SearchStar
Worksheet 6
Name ……………………………………………………………… Class ………………………
How do I search for different authors and subjects?-C
1. Find books about stars.
How many items have you found? ………………………..
2. Write down one of the titles.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. Click on one of the titles in the list. Next click View on
the left of the screen to look at the record card.
Write down all of the
Keywords for that title
……………………………..
……………………………..
……………………………..
……………………………..
……………………………..
……………………………..
Click Close to return to the list.
4. Search for books about
space.
What Class number(s) do they have? ……………………………..
5. Find a
Fiction book about space. Write down the author and title.
Author ………………………………………… Title ………………………………………………………………
SearchStar
Worksheet 7
Name ……………………………………………………………… Class ………………………
What can I find out about the Library Catalogue?
1. How many books are in the Library catalogue? ……………………………………
2. Search for Class NOT Including Fiction
How many books are left? ……………………………….
3. Search for books about Insects. How many did you find?
……………………… Now click the New box at the top
of the screen and select Or, then Keywords Including
Bugs. Press Enter. Did you find any more titles? ……………………
4. Click New and look for books about Art.
5. Then click New and select And. Next look for
books about animals. You should find books about
drawing or painting animals.
Write down the class and title of a book you have found.
Class …………….. Title ……………………………………………………….
6. Search for pets. Select And and search for rabbits.
If you find a book, write down the author and title.
SearchStar
Worksheet 8
Name ……………………………………………………………… Class ………………………
Author ……………………………
Title ………………………………………………………………….
What else can I do when I search the Catalogue?
1. Can you find any books about the Romans?
Write down the Class, Author and Title of one book.
Class ……………………………….
Author …………………………………….
Title ……………………………………………………………………………………………
Now click on the Author column at the top of the list of books
How has the order of the Author list changed?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. Look for Class Greater than 500 And Less than 600.
What are these books about? ………………………………………………
Click on the Class column at the top of the list of books. How
has the order of the list of Class numbers changed?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Write down the Class number of the first title in the list …………………………
and the last title in the list ………………………………………
3. Does your Library have any audio tapes?
Search for Media Including Audio.
How many titles did you find? ………………………………..
SearchStar
Worksheet 9
Name ……………………………………………………………… Class ………………………
What is Boolean searching?
1. Search for Tudors AND Stuarts
Write down the Class, Author and Title of one of the books:
Class ………………………………….Author ……………………………………………
Title ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. Search for books about Animals
OR
Birds
Sort them into Author order.
Write down the details of the first book
Class ………………………………………Author ………………………………………………….
Title ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. Find Class beginning with 79
AND
Keywords Including football
How many books did you find? ……………………………….
What is the Class number for football? ………………………
4. Search Author beginning with D AND Class beginning with 821
Have you found any poetry books by Roald Dahl?
Title ………………………………………………………………………………………..
SearchStar
Worksheet 10
Name ……………………………………………………………… Class ………………………
Wordsearch
l
r t i
o w c l b
h h t x c a r
t c s y p b r k a
u r v e z j a c e l r
a a h x a c d r o y k z i
b e u m x r l e c d b g u m a
l s w i z g c a w o e o r i d z n
c c i o l u z h s e d r a t i t l e s
a o b b x y s s y e e r m o u s e
t m r k a t n q l a d s z u s
a p a k a u o a d e j j d
l u r r m y b e x w r
o t y b l e r r o
g e e y l g w
u r v s y
e w e
k
Look for these library or computer words in the Wordsearch grid
library
keywords
mouse
catalogue
author
dewey
computer
titles
class number
search
searchstar
keyboard
barcode labels
librarian
barcode reader
SearchStar
Certificate of Achievement
awarded to
………………………………………………………………………………………..
for the successful completion of the following Worksheets
Simple searching
1. How do I use drop down lists in SearchStar?

2. How do I search by Class and Author?

3. How do I search by Title and Keywords?

Intermediate searching
4. How do I search for different authors and subjects?-A 
5. How do I search for different authors and subjects?-B

6. How do I search for different authors and subjects?-C

Advanced searching
7. What can I find out about the Library Catalogue?

8. What else can I do when I search the Catalogue?

9. What is Boolean searching?
