Skip to Main Content
Go to Penn Libraries homepage   Go to Guides homepage

Using the Library Catalog

Limits

How limits work

Limits are predefined categories of information and the values within those categories. Limits display on the left of the catalog search screen, and may be used before or after a search is executed.

Available limits

  • Access
  • Format
  • Author/Creator
  • Subject
  • Language
  • Library
  • Specific Location (within the various Libraries)
  • Genre
  • Classification (LC Class Number)
  • Recently Published
  • Recently Added

How to use limits

To use Limits, click on a value in a limit box. This will bring up all the items in the catalog that share that characteristic.

Format box with two options for limiting: book and video

Limits originally display by frequency. To see all values for a given limit, click on "more..."  in that limit's box. Choose the A-Z Sort button to re-sort the limit values alphabetically. 

Subject limit box with several subject options to limit, including time travel, cyborgs, science fiction, and more. At the bottom of the box, the word "more" is circled in red

A pop-up box with many subject terms now sorted alphabetically, starting with African Americans in popular culture. The A-Z sort button at the bottom right is circled in red

 

Display of selected limits

Each selected limit will be displayed at the top of the page. Limits are retained ("sticky") until removed or the Start Over button is selected.

To remove a selected limit from a search, click the X next to that limit at the top of the page. The search will immediately execute without the limit. Choosing Start Over will also remove limits in use.

A search for "science fiction" with several limits selected. Immediately under the main search bar are buttons to Start Over and Edit Search, and next to them are indicators of the selected limits, including the keyword search "science fiction", Subject: Afrofuturism, and Recently Published: Within 5 years. Next to each limit is an X which can be used to deselect the limit

Penn Libraries Home Search the Catalog
(215) 898-7555