Library Services Platform Migration

The new library search experience uses the same tabbed navigation you might remember from the old library search, but with a few important changes.

Previously, you could use the OneSearch tab on the library homepage to search across books, articles, and many more content types in the library collection. 

The new search is organized based on the type of resource you wish to access, and there is no single search option. The tabs on the library homepage search box have been renamed and organized to reflect this change:

• Books (formerly OSCAR)
• Articles
• Videos
• Databases

The rest of this guide will walk you through each search tab, as well as the "Advanced Search" and "Journal Finder" links available below the search boxes. 

Need help?

Ask a Librarian via 24/7 chat support, email, or a research appointment. SCU librarians are available to help you learn our new search tools.

The Books tab is the new library catalog. This tab allows you to easily find books and ebooks in our collection.

Like the old catalog (OSCAR), it also allows discovery of other material formats in the catalog, such as government documents, microfilm, theses, journals and newspapers, and video.

This tab does not search for individual articles from academic journals, newspapers, or magazines.

After you have conducted a search, filter options appear to the left under "refine results" and include:

• Format
• Year of publication
• Library (University Library or Mabie Law Library)
• Shelving location
• Author
• Language
• Subject

You can 1) change how your results are sorted (relevance, date, call number, author, etc), and 2) email, export, print, or save results to your library account.

The advanced search link on the Books search tab allows you to:

• 1) Specify the field you are searching (e.g., title, author, publisher, etc.)
• 2) Construct a search using multiple terms
• 3) Limit your results preemptively by call number, language, format, location, and publication year

Want to see the Books tab in action?

Check out this short video demonstrating a search.

[Video coming soon]

The Articles tab is where you can search for individual articles from academic journals, newspapers, magazines, and other serials.

After you have conducted a search, filter options appear to the left under "refine results" and include:

• Full text
• Peer reviewed
• Format
• Source (database name)
• Year of publication

The advanced search link on the Articles search tab allows you to:

• 1) Specify the field you are searching (e.g., title, author, subject terms, etc.)
• 2) Construct a search using Boolean logic
• 3) Limit your results preemptively by peer reviewed, publication year, and more

Can't find what you need?

This tab primarily returns results from EBSCO databases.

If you wish to search in a specific database, use the databases tab from the homepage to access it.

If you are searching for a specific article and it does not appear in your search results, search for the journal in which it was published or ask a librarian for help. Articles not in our collection may be requested through InterLibrary Loan.

Want to see the Articles tab in action?

Check out this short video demonstrating a search.

[Video coming soon]

The Video tab is where you can search for video content across our collections in a variety of formats. Use this tab to search for specific titles or to browse for video on a topic. Results will include streaming media, VHS, and DVDs.

After you have conducted a search, filter options appear to the left under "refine results." Use the format filter to limit your results to streaming media (select the electronic option) or physical formats (select the VHS or DVD option). 

Need more help?

Check out our streaming video guide.

The Databases tab allows you to quickly access the nearly 300 research databases the library subscribes to.

From this tab, you can:

• Search for a specific database by name
• Browse databases by subject
• Browse databases by title

To access a full list of databases, select "Browse All" under the Browse by Title option and click the arrow button to search.

The books and articles tabs include a link to a new Journal Finder page. This page replaces the Journals & Magazines tab on the old library search.

You can use the new journal finder page to search for a specific academic journal, magazine, or newspaper by title.

Your results will include access options for that title across our library holdings.