General FAQs


The Basics

What is WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue) why is it useful?

What kinds of materials can I find in WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue)?


Searching and Finding

How do I search WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue)?

Can I run Boolean searches (AND, OR, NOT) in WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue)?

When I search by a title why are the results inaccurate?

How do I narrow down a list of results?

Can I put the results in a different order?

How do I determine which library owns a certain book/resource?

How do I determine the location of an item?

How do I access the full text of an article?

How do I use WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue) to search for specific kinds of materials?


Additional Features

Can I link to Interlibrary Loan through WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue)?

Why can't I access "My Library Account?"

What is a WorldCat user account and why would I want one?

How do I print and e-mail records?

How do I export citations into EndNote or RefWorks?

What is WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue) and why is it useful?

WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue) is a service that allows you to search for books, articles, videos, sound recordings, and other materials from yours Library, other University Libraries, and many other libraries (locally, nationally, and internationally), all at the same time. Items owned by the UKZN Library will appear at the top of the results list.

WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue) also searches several popular article databases such as EBSCO Academic, ProQuest, and ArticleFirst. From the Advanced Search screen, you can choose to add or remove additional databases from your search.

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What kinds of materials can I find in WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue)?

By default, WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue) searches:

  • Books (print and electronic)

  • Articles (from academic journals, magazines, and newspapers)

  • Journal titles (print and electronic)

  • DVDs and other videos

  • CDs, audio books, and other sound recordings

  • Government documents

  • Maps

  • Dissertations and theses

  • Archival materials

  • Additional miscellaneous items

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How do I search WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue)?

WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue) features a Quick Search and an Advanced Search. Quick Search (the default basic search) allows you to search by keyword or phrase. Quick Search is similar to a Google search: enter keywords (topic, author, title, etc.) in any combination. Use quotation marks to search an exact phrase. We especially recommend using quotation marks when searching by "title."

Advanced Search (accessible from the link on the default search screen) provides more options for creating precise searches. From the Advanced Search screen, you can:

  • Add or remove particular databases to expand or narrow your search.

  • Search particular fields (or combinations of fields) such as author, title, and subject.

  • Limit results to the University of UKZN or any of the University of UKZN library branches, or libraries worldwide.

  • Limit results to items published within a particular date range.

  • Limit results by audience (juvenile or not juvenile).

  • Limit results by content (fiction, non-fiction, biography, or thesis/dissertation).

  • Limit results by format (books, articles, videos, and many more).

  • Limit results by language.

For more detailed information on search options, see WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue)'s Search Tutorial.

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Can I run Boolean searches (AND, OR, NOT) in WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue)?

Yes. Use the following symbols to run Boolean searches in WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue):

  • AND: Use a plus sign (+). Example: dogs + cats (Finds dogs and cats.)

  • OR: Use the word OR in all capital letters or the pipe symbol (|). Example: dogs OR cats (Finds dogs or cats.)

  • NOT: Use a minus sign (-). Example: dogs - cats (Finds dogs, not cats.)

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When I search by a title why are the results inaccurate?

 When you know the title of the item you're looking for (book, article, etc.), put the title in quotes and then search. Ex: "Hunger Games"

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How do I narrow down a list of results?

There are several ways to narrow down your results to obtain a more precise list of materials. Use the "Refine Your Search" menu on the left side of the screen to narrow results by author, format, year, topic, or other criteria.

You can also run a new search with additional and/or different keywords. This may result in a smaller or larger set of items, depending on the keywords you enter.

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Can I put the results in a different order?

Yes. By default, WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue) lists results by relevance, which means items appear in an order based on their relevance to the search terms. This also means that you will see items owned by UKZN as the first results and then items owned by other libraries. The wording next to an item displays: "Held by University of KwaZulu-Natal Library" and indicates that UKZN Library owns it.

At the top of the results list, you can use the "Sort by" drop-down menu to change the sort order to library and relevance (items owned by UKZNs Library appear first, followed by other libraries), title (alphabetically), author (alphabetically), or date (oldest first or newest first).

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How do I determine which library owns a certain book/resource?

See the "Libraries that own this item" field next to each item to determine whether UKZN Library owns it.

To see the list of libraries that own an item not owned or not currently available from UKZN Library, click "Worldwide Libraries own this item."

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How do I determine the location of an item?

For items owned by UKZN Library, the location, status, and call number will appear next to an item. For more detail click on the title and "Check Availibity"

A "Access Online " or "View full text" button will appear for articles/eBooks owned by UKZN Library. Use this button to check for electronic full-text or eBooks.

If an item is not owned or not currently available from UKZN Library, click "Worldwide Libraries own this item" to check availability at other libraries. Use the "ILL Request" button to enter the ILL system and request items not held by UKZN Library.

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How do I access the full text of an article?

A "Access Online " or "View full text" button will appear for articles/eBooks owned by UKZN Library. Use this buttons to check for electronic full-text or eBooks.

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How do I use WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue) to search for specific kinds of materials?

The basic search screen allows you to limit your results to UKZN Library, other UKZN University branch libraries, or libraries worldwide. Advanced Search (accessible from the link on the default search screen) provides more options for creating precise searches. From the Advanced Search screen, you can:

  • Add or remove particular databases to expand or narrow your search.

  • Search particular fields (or combinations of fields) such as author, title, and subject.

  • Limit results to UKZN Library, other University libraries, or libraries worldwide.

  • Limit results to items published within a particular date range.

  • Limit results by audience (juvenile or not juvenile).

  • Limit results by content (fiction, non-fiction, biography, or thesis/dissertation).

  • Limit results by format (books, articles, videos, and many more).

  • Limit results by language.

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Can I link to Interlibrary Loan through WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue)?

Yes. Use the "ILL Request" to enter the ILL system and request items not held by UKZN Library.

Why can't I access "My Library Account?"

 All users must first create an account by clicking the "Set/reset password" link the first time they try to use "My Library Account." This only needs to be done once.

What is a WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue) user account and why would I want one?

A WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue) user account allows you to save searches, create lists of items and more. To create an account, click "Sign in" to the right of "WorldCat Discovery (iCatalogue)" (iCatalogue) on the top right.

How do I print, cite and e-mail records?

Icons for printing and e-mailing records appear at the bottom of each item.

How do I export citations into RefWorks or EndNote?

Click on "Cite/Export" at the bottom of the item and, then click the appropriate link.

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