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Why do I see an error when searching by Call Numbers in Discovery ?

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How to locate your items by a LHR Call Number search in Discovery

Symptom

  • Getting this error message when searching by Call Numbers  'Do you want to expand your search to Libraries Worldwide?  Try your search again, use different search terms, or go back to select different filtering criteria.' when trying to search by call numbers  -  when using  just  the call number  80802  OR  808.02  OR 80802TUR 

Applies to

  • WorldCat Discovery 

Resolution

When a user submits a search in WorldCat Discovery without specifying the index, our system automatically searches across all the databases configured by the library. Depending on a library's configuration, this may include WorldCat records and Central Index records. Call Numbers need an index to be used before they are locatable.

If a search index is not specified in any search ...

  • When searching WorldCat records: the search will default to a keyword search. The keyword search will search multiple indexes, including the OCLC Control Number (no:).

To conduct a Call Number search in Discovery it does require a WorldCat Index to be used nu:  to locate any of your records by a call number. You can not use the call numbers alone to search by, to locate an item in your library.

  1. This search often gets confused with an OCLC number search or an ISBN search where these can just be entered as numbers only and they do not need a WorldCat index to conduct the search correctly.  However they can also be used with an index to  (no: for an OCLC number and bn: for ISBN searches if desired).
     
  2. When searching by Call Number it will only be searching the 852 Marc tag in the LHR records and in these fields: $h $i  $j  $k $l  $m  [Not $t]  - so when searching you must only use the data in these fields for it to condcut your search correctly.
     
  3. You will be able to find your item by call number by using any of these formats  nu:80802* OR   nu:808.02* OR  nu:80802TUR OR  nu:808.02TUR  by using truncation or by using  the wildcards like  ?  For example : nu:80802?  For when you are not sure of the full Call number or want to find more than 1 item with similar call numbers.

Additional information

For further information on Searching in Discovery -  See our guide on Call numbers  and  Search 

Page ID

66948