Unlock the full resources available to you through CMU Libraries via Smart Search
Welcome back to CMU for spring semester! New courses often mean new research needs, which can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, CMU Libraries offers resources to make it easier, including Smart Search.
Located on the center of the CMU Libraries homepage, https://library.cmich.edu, Smart Search is a tool that allows you to conduct a search over the entire University Library collection as well as many of the Clarke’s materials. Smart Search does this by looking for the words or phrases you typed in anywhere in the item’s title, author, subject headings, and descriptions.
On its own, this feature makes Smart Search a helpful resource. In addition, Smart Search has features that can be used to narrow one’s searches even further. These two features are its built-in filters and Advanced Search.
Located along the lefthand side of your screen after conducting your search, filters allow users to limit the search results by selecting categories such as material type, availability, date of publication, topics, and location. Advanced Search, on the other hand, allows you to narrow your search before conducting it. That feature allows users to search for phrases within specific parts of a source, and users can limit sort features by material type or publication date.
No matter your research topic, Smart Search is an extremely valuable tool. If you have questions regarding Smart Search, feel free to reach out to us via Ask A Librarian.