LOIS will tell you if we have a book when you know the author, title or subject. and a lot more. It will tell you if the book is on the shelf (Available) or checked out to somebody else (Due with a date). If you know the name of the author or the title, or the correct subject heading, these are the fastest ways to search.

LOIS has another feature, however, which works when you don't know any of the first three:
You can search by WORD. In some libraries this is called `keyword.'

Eexample:
"I'm looking for a book and all I remeber is that the title has"zones" in it."

In LOIS (the Clark State catalog) click on WORD. On the following page, type the 'zone' in the box and click search. The catalog should then show you "Your Erroneous Zones" by Wayne Dyer.

You can also use the WORD search with more than one term.

Example:
you want to do your English 111 essay on drug abuse by athletes.

If you type in athlete and drug, you'll get a quick list of 5 books on drug abuse by athletes.

You can scan the subjects listed on the individual record for each book, you'll probably come up with more ideas for subject searches. Like 'anabolic steroids.'

Hint: you'll learn a lot about the system by just reading the pages as they appear before your eyes. Most of what you need to know is right there on the screen.

Searching the OhioLINK Central Catalog
Clark State's catalog (LOIS) is part of a much larger system called OhioLINK. The OhioLINK Central Catalog is the combined or `union' catalog of more than 80 Ohio colleges and universities.
When you click on OhioLINK Central Catalog on the library's home page, you get a screen that looks almost like LOIS with some slightly different options.

You can search by author, title, subject and word. Since this database has millions of records in it instead of 30 some thousand at Clark, your searches will produce more results or `hits.' Try experimenting with the "limit" command, or the "jump" command when you get hundreds of hits from your searches. One of the staff members will be glad to help you with this, if you're pressed for time and don't feel like trying it out on your own.

When to search the OhioLINK Central Catalog:

• When you're looking for a book which is not owned by Clark State.
• When you don't know exactly what you're looking for, and you want to explore a larger database.
• When you want to borrow a book, and Clark State's copy is checked out to someone else.
• For fun--mysteries, novels, romances, sci-fi.

If you get lost, and don't remember which database you're in, it always says in the upper right hand corner of the screen.

One of the remarkable features of OhioLINK is that you can request book from another OhioLINK library and have it delivered here in about two days. You need an ID with a Clark State library barcode in order to do this. Get your barcode at the circulation desk in the library.