Have we got what you’re looking for? Use the online library catalogue| to check out what’s in Falkirk Libraries and where. Every search you do checks all Falkirk Libraries. If your local library doesn't have what you're looking for, you can reserve| it.
You don’t need to use full stops, commas, or “quotation marks” as part of your search, and the little words (like a, and, if, the, to) get ignored.
The three most popular search types are:
Keyword search
This is the most common type of search. You can type in up to four words, which can be author names, titles or a combination of the two.
You can abbreviate words if you’re not sure of the spelling.
Title search
This search will help you find all the different versions of a particular title: searching for 'Lord of the Rings' will show you the hardback, paperback, video, DVD etc.
You can just type in the first few letters of the title, the results will show you an alphabetical list of titles for you to pick from.
Author search
The author search will help you find all the works by a particular person. You could use this to search for everything by Charles Dickens or JK Rowling. You can also use it to search for artists such as Mozart or The Darkness.
The search looks for matches for a person's last name. For example, Dickens or Rowling. You can just type in the first few letters of the surname, the results will show you an alphabetical list of names for you to pick from.
For common surnames like Smith or Singh you will find it helpful to add a first name or initial. Add the name or initial after the last name. For example 'Smith John' or 'Singh B'.
Understanding your search results
When you have done your search you will get a list of results. You will see the name of the author, the title, the year it was published, and what kind of item it is (eg. book, CD, video). To the right of this you can see instantly how many reservations have been put on it and how many copies are in Falkirk Libraries. 'More details' gives you information about which libraries keep a copy.
It will also tell you whether this item is on loan to someone, or it will say 'On Shelf'. This means that you may be able to borrow it, but if you are making a special journey or you need it today, please ring the library first and ask them to find it and keep it aside for you to collect.