Below you will find a variety of useful search tips for simple and advanced searches, refining searches, use of filters, sorting and mailing your search results.

Simple searches

By using the search box, you can search for instance a specific author, person or subject. If your search consists of more than a single keyword, the results will display one, a number or all of these keywords. This can generate a great many search results, not all of which are relevant.

Your search is not case or accent sensitive. For example, searching for chloe would also include results for Chloë. However keep in mind that the collection has material in different languages, a Dutch word in a English text might give a unusual hit.

Filter searchresults

You can use the filters on the left, make a choice between book, photo’s, archives and so on. Or choose language or wether it is digital available.

Refining your search

You can refine your search with search operators. For example, you can deploy the correct word order and exclude or combine search terms.

Searching by subject

When searching by year, you can indicate a particular period, for example: ‘from 2010 to 2015’. If you wish to search on the basis of a single year, you will then opt for ‘from 2015 to 2015’.
The Women’s Thesaurus is a useful tool for searching by subject. You can read all the tips about thesaurus terms and searching by subject at The Women’s Thesaurus.

Advanced search

An advanced search allows you to combine multiple searches and to specifically search the following fields:

• All fields
• Title words
• Author
• Year
• Thesaurus term
• Journal title

When searching by thesaurus term, you will be shown a drop-down list of possible terms that can be used in your search.

You can combine one search with another by clicking +. By default, AND has been entered in the search operator, and you can select OR or NOT from the drop-down list. The other search operators for refined searches can also be used for advanced searches.

Filtering search results

Normally you will search the entire collection; this generates search results such as books, digital documents, photos, archives, diaries and magazines. However, you can also deploy the filters in the left-hand column so as to indicate any collection you wish to search. This is achieved by adding or removing the check marks next to the collections in question.

Digitally available: Opt for this if you only wish to receive collection search results that can be viewed online or web articles such as news reports and specials.
Select catalog: Use this if you want to view everything in Atria’s collection, irrespective of whether it is available digitally.

Sorting search results

By default, the search results are displayed with the most recent ones first. However, it is possible to sort the search results with the most recent ones last and also by relevance.

Saving search results

You can choose ‘add to selection’ for each record. Your selection will be available under ‘selection’, which you can then email to yourself. This selection is stored temporarily.

Searching further afield

If, despite every effort, you have failed to find what you’re looking for, you can also opt for AdamNet. Here, the catalogs of most of Amsterdam’s libraries are fully searchable online. Alternatively, you could try WorldCat, a joint collection of libraries throughout the world.

Questions

You can contact the information desk at info@atria.nl with any questions and also for help when searching.