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Browsing & Searching Minnesota Reflections

Minnesota Reflections now runs on version 6.1 of CONTENTdm, database management software from OCLC. This upgrade brings new features and functions to Minnesota Reflections.

The Minnesota Digital Library provides you with this tip sheet to help you get the most out of these new features. We also provide tips on "viewing an object," "special features," and "advice on newspapers."

If you have suggestions for how to improve these guides, please contact MDL Outreach Coordinator Marian Rengel, mrrengel@stcloudstate.edu or 320-308-5625.

Browsing Minnesota Reflections

Browse the entire Minnesota Reflections collection

Simply click "Browse All" from the homepage:

• This takes you to a results page which shows 50 titles at a time. To the left are menus for narrowing your browsing by collection and by various features of the original objects such as photograph types and document types.
• Click on "Show ### more" to select only those collections you want to browse. A new window will open. You may click on the box next to "Select All Collections" to uncheck the box and then choose only collections you wish to browse. Or you may scroll through the list and click on the box next to names of organizations you do not wish to browse to uncheck them. When finished, click "OK" in the lower right corner.

Browse by suggested topics:

• On the Minnesota Reflections homepage, look to the list on the lower right side. Here you will find a thematic list under "All collections." Click on any of these words to browse by that theme.
• Note: This same list of themes appears on the lower left side of all search results windows.

Browse individual collections

From the Minnesota Reflections homepage:

• In the large window on the left side of the window, scroll through the list of collections from contributing organizations to find the specific collection you would like to browse.
• Click on the organization's name or its thumbnail.
• You will be taken to the landing page for that collection.
• To browse only this collection, click the button below the Minnesota Reflections header that says "Browse (name of collection)." You will be taken to a results page for that organization's collection.
• Note: if you click on an image in the carousel or in "Recent Additions," you will be taken to the window that contains only that item for viewing.

From Search Results pages:

• The "Browse all" button appears on search results pages whenever you have not chosen a specific collection, or set of collections, to search through.

Searching in Minnesota Reflections

Simple Search

With a simple search, from the window near the top of the homepage, you search all fields and all collections for any word or words you put in the box and in any order. The search automatically puts "and" between words. (Use "Advanced Search" when you want to use phrases, limit your search to specific collections, or otherwise refine your search.)

• From the homepage, type search terms into the search box.
• Click "search." You will be taken to a search results page.
• To refine your search, type additional words in the search box at the top of the results page and click "Search" again. Your results will be narrowed to all of the terms you have entered.
• To conduct a new simple search from this results page: You will find a search box below the main tool bar. Type your search words here, BUT click on "within results." A small menu will open. Click on "new search." Now click the "Search" button.
• You may narrow this search to specific collections. "Add or remove other collections to your search" highlights the first 5 collections. Below this short list is a link to "Show ### more." Click this link.
• A pop-up window appears. First, click on the checked box next to "Select All Collections." Then look through the list and click on the box next to the name of each collection; you may choose one, several, or many collections. When finished, click "OK" in the lower right corner. The program will run your revised search, in only those selected collections, and return you to a new results page.
• To conduct a new search from this results page, you will also need to click on "within results" in the search window and choose "new search" from that small menu. You will also need to click on the "Show ### more" link and click on the box to the left of "Select All Collections." This way you will once again search all of Minnesota Reflections. If you do not complete this step, your new search will be only in the collections you used to narrow your previous search.

A tour of the Search Results page

The main window shows results of your search. Default is 50 titles at a time.

• Each result features: a thumbnail image, the title, the date created, the first lines of the description, and the collection or contributing organization name.
• Quick View: Hover over the thumbnail or the title and a small window will appear with additional information on the object, including type of original object and format of the original.

The top of the main window, options and methods for viewing the collection:

• Sort By: Relevance
• Click on the down arrow. You may choose from 8 additional ways to sort your results.
• Display: 50
• Click on the down arrow for options on how many results to show on one page.
• Display options
• Allows you to turn off the Quick View and to view your results as a grid rather than the default list.
• Results menu
• Features buttons that allow you to move to additional pages of search results.

Above the main window:

• Information on your search, including:
• "You've searched" – the number of collections you have searched.
• The field(s) you have searched (most often "all fields"). Note the blue "x" following terms or fields. Click this "x" to remove this choice.
• The search box
• You may add terms here to narrow your search.
• Note: the default is "within results." You may change this to "new search" by clicking on "within results" and choosing "new search" from the drop-down menu.

To the left of the main window you will find options for narrowing your search:

• "Add or remove other collections to your search"
• You may narrow your search by choosing collections from specific contributing organizations.
• Click on "Show ### more." A popup window will appear that lists the collections in Minnesota Reflections.
• Either click on the box next to "Select All Collections" to unselect all and the work through the list of collections and check the boxes next to the names of collections you want to search.
• Or to remove only some of the collections, leave the box next to "Select All Collections" checked and click on the boxes next to the names of collections you want to remove from your results.
• "Narrow your search by"
• We have provided five ways to narrow or limit your search results. Explore these options.
• Example: If you want to see only black-and-white photographs:
• Click on "Format."
• Choose "black-and-white photographs."
• The page that returns will be only the black-and-white photographs in your original simple search.
• To return to your original results, look above the main window. You will see that "Format" has been added to the list next to "All fields." Click the "x" next to format. You will be returned to your original results.

Advanced Search

An advanced search allows you to search by many terms and phrases in many fields of information. Explore this area to see how tightly you may refine your searches.

Start at the homepage:

• Click on "Advanced Search" next to the "search" button.
• A new window appears containing one line that allows you to choose 2 ways to limit your search.
• Look first to "Find results with:" "All of the words" appears by default.
• Click the up/down arrow for this button to see and choose alternatives.
• You may add lines to your advanced search.
• Click the "Add another field" link. A second line will appear. Choose the fields you need for your search.
• Note that a window appears to the right of each line. This contains the "and/or" option.
• Note also that a "remove" link appears to the right of second and third lines in an advanced search. Click this link to remove lines.
• To narrow your advanced search to specific collections, look to the right of the search option or below the search options for "Searching collections:"
• Here you may choose to "Add or remove collections." Click on this link.
• A new window opens with an alphabetical list of collections.
• To easily narrow, first uncheck the box next to "Select All Collections."
• Click on the empty box in front of the name of each collection you want to search.
• Click "OK" in the bottom right corner of this window.
• Or click "Cancel" to return to "select all collections." You will return to the advanced search page.
• Notice that "Searching collections:" now contains a list of the collections in which you have conducted your advanced search.
• When you have finished entering your information and adding lines and choosing collections to search, click "Search." Your results will appear in a search results window.