1600 Louisiana St, Longview, WA 98632

360.442.5300

Online Catalog Help

The Longview Public Library uses Horizon Information Portal (HIP) to provide graphical, Web-based access to the library's catalog.

Basic Search Help
Advanced Search Help
Internet Browsers & Technical Help

Doing a Basic Search

The Basic search is one of Information Portal's three searching tools. Basic search lets you search your library's catalog by a single author, title, or subject keyword.

Note: From the Welcome page, you can enter an author name, title, or subject keyword in the Search field.

To do a Basic search
   1. Click the Search tab.
   2. Choose the search index you want to use from the Search drop-down menu.
   3. Enter the search term that you want to use in the Search field.

Tip: You can also search for items using a "wildcard" symbol or a truncation symbol. This is useful if you do not know the exact term for which you want to search. (For example, you may not know how to spell an author's name.)

The wildcard symbol represents a group of unknown characters in addition to those in your search criteria. You use the asterisk ( * ) for the wildcard. (For example, if you enter "man*" for an Author Keyword search, Information Portal displays titles by authors named "Mansen," "Mandell," "Manhattan," and so forth.)

The truncation symbol represents a single character in addition to those in your search criteria. You use the question mark ( ? ) for truncation. (For example, if you enter "man?" for an Author Keyword search, Information Portal displays titles by authors named "Man," "Mang," "Mann," "Mans," and so forth.)

   4. Click Go.

Doing an Advanced Search

The Advanced search is one of Information Portal's three searching tools. Advanced search lets you refine your search by entering more criteria than you can use with the Basic search. Advanced search also lets you define limits and lets you sort your search results by specific criteria.

To do an Advanced search
1. Click the Search tab.
2. Click the Advanced link below the Search tab.
3. Enter your search terms in one or more of the fields provided. Your list of search results will be smaller as you enter more information.

Tip: You can also search for items using a "wildcard" symbol or a truncation symbol. This is useful if you do not know the exact term for which you want to search. (For example, you may not know how to spell an author's name.)

The wildcard symbol represents a group of unknown characters in addition to those in your search criteria. You use the asterisk ( * ) for the wildcard. (For example, if you enter "man*" for an Author Keyword search, Information Portal displays titles by authors named "Mansen," "Mandell," "Manhattan," and so forth.)

The truncation symbol represents a single character in addition to those in your search criteria. You use the question mark ( ? ) for truncation. (For example, if you enter "man?" for an Author Keyword search, Information Portal displays titles by authors named "Man," "Mang," "Mann," "Mans," and so forth.)

4. If you want to use a pre-defined limit, choose a limiting option from the Limits list. You can choose multiple limits by holding down CTRL and clicking each limit that you want to use.
Note: Information Portal does not limit search results for Z39.50 broadcast searches.
5. If you want to define your own limits, choose a limit type and operator, then enter the limiting value under User Defined Limits.
6. If you are limiting by multiple limit criteria, choose another limit type and operator, then enter the limiting value under User Defined Limits.
(For example, you can limit your search results to titles published between 1990 and 2000.)
7. Choose the sorting option that you want from the Sorting drop-down list.
8. Click Go.

Internet Browsers & Technical Help

The information below provides information about which internet browsers work best with the catalog and how you can disable any dial-up accelerators while you are using HIP. If you are still having problems using the online catalog, feel free to call us at 360.442.5300.

Note: Some catalog access problems are not technical. If your library card has expired or is close to expiring you may not be able to renew books. If your card has not yet expired, you may renew your books in person or over the phone. If your card has expired, you can renew it by bringing in current proof of address.

What browsers work best with the HIP library catalog?

• Internet Explorer version 6.02 or higher
• Netscape version 7.1 or higher
• Mozilla 1.4
• Safari 1.2.1

You can check your browser version by clicking Help on your browser's menu bar and selecting "About [browser name]". We recommend that you keep your operating system, browser, and antivirus current with the latest updates.

A quick list of things to check if you're having problems:

• Clear your browser's cache or temporary files.
• Make sure your browser is set to accept cookies.
• Clear your browser's cookies.

  Note: If you have websites which you visit regularly set up to remember your password and other preferences, you may need to re-enter these after deleting cookies.

• Does your internet service include an accelerator?

  Internet services with accelerators (AOL TopSpeed, NetZero HiSpeed, EarthLink Accelerator, MSN Dial-up Accelerator, Propel) can cause problems with the way the catalog looks or displays. If you use one of these services and are having problems, try turning off the accelerator feature.

• Are you behind a firewall?

  If you are connecting from home and you have a firewall set up on your computer, try disabling the firewall before you connect. If that solves the problem, you can configure the firewall to allow access to the catalog and/or databases. Consult your firewall's documentation.

  Note: Windows XP and Vista have a built-in firewall. If you've recently upgraded your service pack, your firewall may have been turned on or changed without your knowledge.

• Is your library card up to date?

  If you can login to the catalog but some of the functionality is missing, there could be a problem with your library card itself. Blocks due to outdated addresses or overdue items can have an effect on your ability to access certain functions of the catalog. Please contact your local library if you feel this might be the case.

• Have you tried at a different time?

  Sometimes the catalog and/or databases are down temporarily. You may be able to access them if you try again later.

Last updated February 17th, 2012