This guide presents basic instructions for searching in PantherCat.

Select a search type by using the "Search by" menu. Scroll down to view all options. The most common search types include:

Title: Enter the exact title of a book, journal, video, or other item. OMIT any articles (the, a, an, la) at the beginning of the title. Example:

Author/Editor/Composer: Enter the author name in last name, first name order, separated with a space, not a comma. Example:

Journal/Magazine/Newspaper Title: Enter the EXACT title of the publication. This search cannot be used to find articles within magazines, journals, or newspapers. For articles, click on the "databases a-z" button at the top of the PantherCat screen. Example:

Keyword (and, or, not): Enter words and/or phrases with Boolean operators for a more specific search. Phrases should have "" (quotation marks) around them to search as a phrase. Example:

Limiting a Basic Search
The "Quick Limits" menu provides options for restricting the search, for example: Multimedia Library, English language, Internet Resource. For additional options, use the button.

For the Advanced Search, click on the Advanced Search tab. Enter words or phrases in the "Search for" box. Use the drop-down menu after the search box to indicate the search method: as a phrase, any of these, all of these. Use the "Search by" drop-down menu to restrict the search to a specific part of the entry, e.g., publisher name. To include additional criteria in the search, use the next search box and menus, below the AND connector.

The Titles List displays the results of the search. For each item, the title, author, date, location, call number, and status are shown. To see the location and status of all items in an entry, when the library owns multiple copies or volumes of that title, access the full record by clicking on the title. To further limit the results from the Titles List, click on the "Limit Results" button.

To save the titles of items located during a search for a later review, the records can be put in a "My Saved Titles" file. Log on to your Personal Record, then do the search(es) of interest. Each title can then be saved to this file and will remain there until removed, emailed, or printed. See the guide "My Saved Titles" for additional information.

To print, save, or email specific entries on the Titles List, select desired entries by clicking in the box next to the item number. If there are more than 50 entries, click on the "Keep Marked Titles" button near the bottom of the Titles List before moving to the next Titles List page. Note: Marked entries will be lost if the "Keep Marked Titles" button is not clicked on each page before moving to the next screen.

To print, save, or email all of the entries on the current page, leave the boxes unchecked.

Scroll down to the Printing/Save/E-mail Options table at the bottom of the display screen.
Emailing: To email entries, enter the full email address and click on .
Downloading: To save entries to a disk, click on , select File, then Save As from the menu on the web browser. From the "Save in" menu, choose the a:\ drive, type a file name, and click Save.
Printing: To print entries, click on , select File, then Print from the menu on the Web Browser.

To renew items that you have checked out, access your Personal Record in PantherCat.

1. Click in the Renew? box to the left of the item or items to be renewed. To uncheck items, click the Reset button.

2. Click the Renew Items button. Verify that the item has been renewed by reviewing the text in the Status and Renewal Status columns. This text should change from "Checked Out" to "Renewed" and an updated due date should appear. If the item(s) is not renewed, please seek assistance at the Circulation Desk in the main lobby of the west wing or call 414-229-4132. There are some circumstances in which books or other materials may not be renewed. Circulation staff can provide answers to these questions.

3. After completing the transaction, click Logoff and Exit to ensure the privacy of your library record.