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Federal Publication Locator

Jointly developed by Library and Archives Canada and the
Depository Services Program [http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/index-e.html]

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Appendix

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Select a topic below

Punctuation & Abbreviations
A list of punctuation and abbreviations used in searching and holdings
Buttons & Commands
A list of all the buttons and commands
Indexes & Limiters
A list of all the indexes and limiters
Record Contents
A list of the contents of the record

Punctuation & Abbreviations

Punctuation Used in Searching

You can ignore punctuation except when searching subjects and class numbers.

The punctuation below can be useful to narrow or broaden a search.

Use the exclamation point to narrow a search to a precise term. Example: peters a! finds works by A. Peters but excludes A.G. Peters, A.H.M. Peters, etc.

" "

Use quotes to search by a phrase. Example: acid rain searches for the words together rather than as acid and rain

Use the question mark to replace one or more characters. Example: neighb?rhood finds both neighbourhood and neighborhood

Use the number sign to replace a single character. Example: ethiopi#n finds both Ethiopian and Ethiopien (French form)

Abbreviations & Punctuation Used in Library Holdings

Only the current issue of the item is in this library

Only the current month of the item is in this library

Only the current week of the item is in this library

Only the current year of the item is in this library

There is an unbroken range of holdings for the item. Example: v.1-30 means the library has everything from the start of volume 1 to the end of 30

[ ]

The holdings for the item are incomplete. Example: [1950] includes some parts of 1950

The holdings information is uncertain. Example: v. 18-42? may include volumes 18 to 42

A single physical item with two connected volumes. Example: v. 12/13 indicates that volumes 12 and 13 are contained in a single physical item.

There is a gap in the holdings for the item. Example: v.1-3, 5 means the library has volumes 1 to 3 and 5 but not volume 4

;

There is a publication break (not a gap) in the holdings. Example: v.1-3; 5- indicates that after volume 3 the publisher jumped to 5 without publishing volume 4

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Buttons & Commands

Buttons

Buttons are specific to each screen. To use a button click it once.

AND

Combines terms in an advanced search to narrow your search

Clear

Clears the entry box on the Search screen

Clear selections

Clears the selection boxes on the Results screen

Display selections

Displays the items selected on the Results screens

Locations

Displays the libraries which have the item

Shows the next record or the next page of the index or results

NOT

Combines terms in an advanced search to narrow your search

Combines terms in an advanced search to broaden your search

Shows the prior record or the prior page of the index or results

Record

Returns to the record from the Locations screen

Results

Returns to the search results from the Record screen

Sort

Sorts the search results by name, title or date

Submit

Starts the search

Commands

Advanced search

Enables you to search multiple indexes

Basic search

Enables you search a single index

Enables you to email comments to Library and Archives Canada

Français

Switches to the French search screen

Help

Displays the help file

New search

Enables you to start a new search

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Indexes & Limiters

Indexes

You can search the indexes below.

AMICUS no.

Enter as found. An AMICUS number search bypasses the Results screen to go directly to the record. Example: 2345678

Any keyword

Enter any significant word in a name, title, subject, note or publisher name. Use with caution. Example: healthy aging

ISBN

Omit hyphens, price and qualifier (pbk) in the International Standard Book Number. Example: 0838423620

ISSN

Omit hyphens and slashes in the International Standard Serial Number. Example: 03161196

Name keyword

Enter any significant word in a name. Avoid common words ("canada"). Example: armenian

Gov't Cat. Number

Enter as found. Example: R2-188/2001E Publisher Enter any significant word in the publisher name. Examples: acadia house and porcupine

Subject keyword

Enter any significant word in a subject. Avoid common words ("canada"). Example: individualism

Title keyword

Enter any significant word in a title. Avoid common words ("canada"). Example: illiteracy

Limiters

You can narrow a search with the limiters below. You cannot search by a limiter alone.

Publication type

Serials, monographs or statistics

Date

Items with a specific date (=) or items before (<) or after (>) a specific date

Format

Braille, large print, microforms, computer file, sound recordings, video recordings, web documents

Language

Any, English, French

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Record Contents

Record

AMICUS number
Bibliographic level: such as Monograph or Serial
Names: Main author (with an asterisk) or uniform title heading
Titles: Main title and statement of responsibility
Edition: example, Revised ed.
Publisher: includes place and date of publication
Description: includes pagination and volumes published
E-Location: URL for the item
Series: traced series
Notes: includes serial information and selected relationships
Numbers: ISBN, ISSN
Subject headings
Names: additional names, such as joint authors
Titles: additional titles, such as, cover titles, parallel titles
Series: both traced and untraced series statements
Notes: complete notes including all relationships
Numbers: Canadiana, CONSER, report and other numbers
Classification: Dewey and LC class numbers

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