Welcome to the TWI Library on-line catalogue. Here you will find details of every item added to stock since 1986, and much else besides. Not only does it list books, conferences and reports, but it also has details of periodicals, current and non-current, and links through to certain items that are available only electronically.
To the left you will see three groups of buttons: Search, Links and My Account. To search the Library catalogue click on one of the Search buttons or follow the links below to find out more about how the system works. Links buttons take you to other websites, and My Account is presently de-activated.
If you cannot find what you are looking for please ring 2284 or e-mail library@twi.co.uk. The Library staff will help you to work out the best way of searching for what you want.
The five Search options are:
Click on any button to start a new search.
All searches generate a hit list with four columns of information. All except the Name search feature:
|
Tick to select |
for later printing |
|
Title |
|
|
Main Author |
first or most important author |
|
Media |
book, microfiche, etc. |
If it is a very long list you can shorten or revise it. Click on Filter to limit the search by media type, e.g. Books or Microfiche, or date; or on Edit Search.
The Name hit list includes:
All titles – total number
Click on the number to reach the standard hit list.
The “wild card” in all searches is %.
Enter the exact first few words in the Title field; or put % in front of the words if you think they may not be at the beginning. If you are not sure of the title use the Keyword search below.
For standards enter the numbers rather than titles, e.g.: type in just BS 5950.
If you cannot find a corporate author try inputting its initials, e.g.: ASM, ASME, ASTM, AWS or BSI.
Use Restrict by publication date to screen out older (or newer) titles. Published before/after means precisely that, so 2000 in the …published after field will retrieve items published only in 2001 and years following.
The hit list is alphabetical by title.
Use this option for free text searching. The keywords are taken from the author, title, classmark, series, and notes fields. If you enter a phrase like friction stir welding you have the options to look for the exact phrase, the individual words or similar words.
If you are familiar with Boolean operators you can use “and”, “or” and “not”, so friction not welding will find material on friction that is not related to welding.
The hit list puts the titles in groups, with those most closely matching your search terms coming first.
Use this option if you want a brief summary of all items by or about a person or organisation. The hit list is of the names with the number of entries for each. Click on a number to bring up a hit list of titles.
Every catalogued item has at least one subject term. This is especially useful for books not in English, or works where the subject matter may not be obvious from the title, or where we want to emphasise certain aspects of the contents. Subject indexing also gathers together documents on a single topic that can be referred to in different ways, and standardises spelling such as the American aluminum and the British aluminium. You may search for only one subject term at a time. To search for two or more simultaneously use the Advanced search below.
The hit list is alphabetical by title, and will probably differ from the Keyword search list – use both to cover all your options.
Use this option for a more precise search. You can combine subject headings or mix authors, titles, classmarks, subjects and keywords. The hit list is alphabetical by title.
… click on the title box of an item in the hit list. This brings up a much fuller entry and for most categories except Journals and Internet sites the details include:
Classmarks
– where you will find it on the shelves; but it could also indicate if it is On order or On request
At the bottom of each entry are details of the Library’s copies:
For a Journal (or Serial to use the catalogue’s term) the details include:
Issues Rec’d – in reverse chronological order
Holdings – brief note of dates covered
For an Internet site the important information is in:
Files – the Web address: if you click on this you should go straight to the appropriate site but you cannot by-pass any registration formalities required for the site itself.
To navigate through your list click on Return to hitlist or follow conventional Prev. and Next arrows.
If you find the items you want and they are available you can come and consult them in the Library at any time; or you can ring us (on 2457, 2284 or 2209) or email library@twi.co.uk to have them put by for you. If you are not based at Great Abington we can send items out to you.
All books, journals, and reports from outside bodies are on the system, as are most British standards, many pamphlets and all items added since 1986. Other older items may be indexed only in the card catalogue in the Library. However, always check online for earlier titles first since we are gradually transferring all the old records. In fact, thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, we have had an extra member of staff for 18 months who has added over 8000 records for older material to the system.
If you have any other queries about Library services ring John Ayres on extension 2284 or Joanne Cooper on 2209, or e-mail library@twi.co.uk. For loan, photocopy and inter-library loan requests ring Lorna Laken on 2457. If they don’t know the answer they can usually find someone who does.