Cuesta Library Search: Getting Started with One Search

In a Basic Search you'll receive results that contain all of your search terms. These may match keywords in a title, author names, subjects, abstracts, or other descriptions.Use the Advanced Search to pre-limit your search to specific fields, material types, or publication dates.

• Tweak your results using the Filters on the left side of the screen to limit to items available online or physically available in the library. You can also include or exclude particular material types, dates, authors, subjects, or library locations.
• Change one option/limiter at a time. Each one you choose will focus your results even more. 
• Type an asterisk * as a wildcard in place of one or more characters. [Example: recycl* will find recycle and recycling]
• Search for phrases by enclosing your terms in quotation marks. This will only return results with an exact match. [Examples: "global warming", "Affordable Care Act", "mutual funds"]
• Separate terms with Boolean operators AND, OR, NOT. [Example: "World War II" AND battles NOT Pearl Harbor]
• Click here for a visual example of Boolean Operators 

One Search makes it easy to find books, journal and magazine articles, eBooks, videos and streaming media from a single search box, with one list of results and options for refining them.

Getting Started

• Go to the Cuesta Library's One Search box on the Library Home Page or myCuesta (under Resources tab)
• Type in any keyword or phrase and choose the Search icon or Enter key on your keyboard
• For the broadest results, do not change the default search (Everything)

Understanding Your Results

• Your results are sorted by relevance to your search term(s)
• The results list contains books, articles, and videos 
• Each entry on your results list includes the title, author, date, and type of source
• Items available online in their entirety say Available Online through Cuesta College

To find print books

• Find the location, call number, and availability of the book at the end of the entry
• Write down the call number to find it on the library shelves

To find articles

• Click on the title of the article
• Click on the database title under the heading "View Online"
• Choose the PDF full text link

If you want to view a complete list of the databases the library subscribes to, or to go directly to a specific database, click on the Databases A-Z link from the Library home page or under the Resources tab in myCuesta.