Using "Digital Collections" (Tri-Co)

A simple search is available from the top of every page. Enter a search term and click the “search” button. On the homepage, it will default to searching every collection in the database.

You can also limit the search to a specific collection by choosing one collection from the dropdown. Choose a collection, enter a search term, and click “Search.”

Advanced search allows you to create a tailored search by searching on facets that describe an object. You can choose whether to include or exclude words and phrases from specific fields, and you can add more than one field at a time.

List of Available Facets in Advanced Search:

• Title: The name given to the object.
• Description: A few sentences that further describe the object.
• Subject: One or more terms that describe what an item is about. The entire list of all subjects that have been used so far can be found at https://digitalcollections.tricolib.brynmawr.edu/taxonomy/vocab/subject.
• Subjects (name): This facet is for when a resource is about a particular person, for example a portrait. It can also be used for organizations like a group portrait or a poster advertising the War Resisters League.
• Linked Agent: Linked Agent is a special field that most often describes the person or entity that created the original item. It can also be used to describe a named subject. However, many items in Digital Collections have been migrated from other platforms, and this field hasn't always been completed. Searching on this field could exclude a person that is named in the description or title of an object if the link wasn't added yet. 
• Date Created: The date the original item was created.
• Local Identifier: Staff in Tri-Co use this field to link digital and physical objects.

Tip: Facets can be very helpful, but keep in mind that many objects in the collections may not have been fully described and could be missing relevant facets. Also, you must use the exact word as it was entered into the facet. A search for "children" will exclude results for "child."

Whether you browse a collection or you search the site, you will come to a results page. The options at the top of the page can help you navigate through the list.

List of display options:

• Results per page: Choose to see 10, 25, or 50 results per page.
• List or Grid: Choose between a list or grid view. The grid view will present three or more collections per line on the page and can help you survey collections more quickly.
• Institution: Choose an institution from the dropdown to quickly refine your results to get a list of the available collections from an individual college. This option appears if you browse all collections.
• Pages: Click on each page number to navigate through the pages. You can also go to the next page or skip to the last page.