Why do a subject search?

• A subject search increases the relevancy of your search results but can limit the number of results that you get back. For the best outcome, try searching by many different subjects in Quicksearch Books+.

How can I modify these subject headings?

• After performing a subject search in Quicksearch, you will see facets on the left for subject subdivisions and related terms, also for categories narrowed by era, geography, and genres.
• Click on subjects and their subdivisions from the foot of any catalog record to find similar titles with the same subject.

• Guides, handbooks intended for choir directors are often filed under the subject: Choirs (Music)
• Works about specific organizations can be found under the subject: Choral societies
• Works about opera, oratorio, etc. as genres can be found under their singular forms in Orbis.
• For sound recordings of particular works, it is better to search by title.

What is a subject search?

Items at the Music Library are cataloged by subject headings devised by the Library of Congress. These headings are used by most American academic libraries. The purpose of subject headings is to provide a uniform means of classifying items.

To retrieve the most relevant items, search for materials using these headings.

How do I do a subject search?

In Quicksearch Books+, do a basic search. Type a subject heading (ex. "choruses") into the search box, then select "subject " from the drop-down menu. A list of different results related to the subject will appear. Scroll down to see the Subject facets on the left.

You may do an Advanced Search to combine subject terms with other terms such as composers, performers, and titles. Try to limit the number of terms or "phrases within quotation marks" to two per box, for greater precision.