Searching by subject is probably the most common way people use a library catalog. Most of the time, people are simply looking for books on a certain topic, and know neither particular authors nor titles.

It is very helpful for users to know that there are two ways to look for books on a certain subject: (1) search by SUBJECT and (2) search by WORD.

SUBJECT searches require that you use the Library of Congress Subject Headings.

WORD, or KEYWORD, searches are looser, allowing you to use words that may be found in the title, subject headings, or notes.

This section will teach you how to do effective SUBJECT and WORD searching.

Let’s start with SUBJECT searching