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Using the Library Catalog

Creating Links to Catalog Records

Link to a single record

Using the URL provided in the address bar of a specific catalog record page is the best way to link back to an individual record.

If the bibliographic record number is known, this URL format can be used to access that record:

https://find.library.upenn.edu/catalog/9959180943503681

To create a search that pulls in multiple individual records use the mssid: field followed by the bibliographic id number, which is provided in the direct link. Combine ids with OR:

mmsid:9940973723503681 OR mmsid:9959180943503681

Link to a search

Search queries, as they appear in the browser URL line after the completion of a search, are stable URLs that can used to regenerate a search.

RSS Feeds

Turning searches into RSS feeds

Any catalog search can be turned into a RSS feed by appending &format=rss to the end of a URL string.

https://find.library.upenn.edu/?search_field=all_fields&q=octopi

becomes

https://find.library.upenn.edu/?search_field=all_fields&q=octopi&format=rss

RSS feeds for new items

To create an RSS feed which checks for new items, before or after doing a search, click on a Recently Added facet value. Take the URL that displays at the top and append &format=rss to the end of the URL.

This search looks for items with the subject heading keyword Cookbooks and sorted by date added (new to old):

https://find.library.upenn.edu/?q=subject_search%3Acookbooks&search_field=all_fields&sort=added_date_sort+desc%2C+title_sort+asc

When we add &format=rss to the end, the URL now looks like this:

https://find.library.upenn.edu/?q=subject_search%3Acookbooks&search_field=all_fields&sort=added_date_sort+desc%2C+title_sort+asc&format=rss

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