Renew or Reserve a Book

De Soto Public Library has a new catalog that makes it even easier to find what you need! With our new catalog, you will be able to more easily search for materials and opt in to keep track of items you’ve already borrowed.

Basic Search for Library Items

The first thing you will see when you go to our catalog is a search box with tabs for “catalog” and “articles.” The default setting for that search box is a keyword search (not a title, author, or subject search).

• Type in a search term
• Choose “catalog” for library results
• Click the arrow icon

Advanced Search

You can use the Advanced Search function to search more specifically. Click on Advanced Search under the search box, and fill out the form:

• Select title, author, or subject, and enter a search term
• You can add or exclude a second search term by selecting “and,” “or” and “not” (called booleans on the form)
• You can also specify format, location, collection, and year

Understanding Your Results

The results page shows you how many results your search terms have in the catalog, and you will be able to refine your results by:

• Whether the item is available at the library or online
• Whether your search term is part of the title, author’s name, or subject
• Format, library location, collection, and language

You can drill down by clicking on any of these refinements, or you can start a new search at the top of the page. You can also toggle to the “articles” tab to see just the results that are available in five of our library databases.

Item Records

Once you have found a title you are looking for, click on its title to see its format and call number. You will also be able to see:

• If the item is available
• If the item is checked out and the date it is due to be returned
• How many holds/requests have been placed upon it

You can place a request and have it sent to the De Soto Public Library.

These are just a few of the highlights of our new catalog. If you need any assistance or have any questions, please Ask a Librarian or call or visit us. We’re here to help!