Encore Frequently Asked Questions

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What is Encore?

Encore is the library's new discovery platform, a new interface to the library catalog. It features:

• A simple starting point – just type in your search terms and go!
• Many options for refining your search, by format (book, DVD, etc.), year of publication, subject heading ("tag"), and more.
• Suggested titles ("popular choices") that match your search.
• Integration with Research Pro to search our research databases and the web.
• A better spell-check feature.

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Do I have to capitalize my search, or type the author last-name-first?

No – Encore is very flexible. (Back to Top)

Are my search results in some kind of order?

Yes. The default sort is relevance, but you can change the sort by clicking on Title or Date (publication date, most recent first) under the orange bar. The relevance sort works like this: Titles are grouped into relevance categories based on things like which fields your search terms were found in, if they were found together or separated, etc. Within those categories they are sorted by publication year, most recent first. Before the first title in each relevance category you'll see a cell-phone bar icon and, in parentheses, the numbers of the records in that category (like 1-23). (Back to Top)

How can I find titles by a famous person and not about him or her?

If you search for a famous author like Mark Twain, but all you see on the top of the list is books about Mark Twain, just click on "Author" on the left, under "Refine by: Search Found In." (Back to Top)

What are those different-sized words on the lower right?

That's a "tag cloud," something you see on other web sites. In this case, the "tags" are the subject headings of items that match your search. The bigger the words, the more items in your results have that subject heading. You can click on a tag to narrow your search. These tags can help you get at precisely the items you want, and may lead you to things you didn't know existed. (Back to Top)

How can I request items that are on order?

For most items you'll see "request this title" on the search results screen, but not for items that are on order or in processing. To request one of these, click on the title in your search results, then choose "request this title" on the left side of the next screen. (This will be improved later this year.) (Back to Top)

Can I still use the old catalog?

Yes. The old interface to the library catalog is still available. On our web site, just click "Catalog – Classic" on the left-hand "quick links" menu; on our catalog computers in the library, click "Classic Catalog" on the lower right-hand side. (Back to Top)

Does Encore search a different library database than the classic catalog?

No, they both search the same database of library materials, but Encore displays the information in a way that better leverages the rich data contained in our records. (Back to Top)

Why can't Encore do everything the classic catalog can do?

Encore is a very new product. It's on the fast-track for development, so new features will be added from time to time. (Back to Top)

Is Cuyahoga Falls Library's Encore connected to the changes that Akron made?

No. We added Encore on top of the core software that we've had for years. Akron-Summit County Public Library changed their core software and added Encore. The two libraries are independent from each other. (Back to Top)

See also: About Encore