Library

OneSearch is the Brandeis Library's main catalog and database search tool. When using OneSearch, use the drop-down menu to the right of the search bar to choose the following:

• Library Catalog: Your first stop to find and access items that the Library owns or has immediate access to.
• Brandeis and More: Use this if you want to broaden your search beyond Brandeis and request materials from other libraries through interlibrary loan.
• Course Reserves: Search for books and films that have been set aside for your courses. Physical items on reserve are for in-library use only.
• Archives and Special Collections: Search for rare and unique materials (both physical and digital) held within Brandeis Library.
• Brandeis ScholarWorks: Search for research and creative works by Brandeis faculty, students, and staff.
• Newspaper Search: Search for newspaper articles within hundreds of newspapers.

Well, not everything.  If you’re looking for more scholarly articles, more newspapers, or more Archives and Special Collections materials, you may need to try one of our other library services. 

Contact our Research Help librarians for help choosing a database or stop by the Research Help Desk on the first floor of the library.

In addition to the Archives and Special Collections (A&SC) drop-down option in the OneSearch search bar, you can use the Location filter under “Tweak My Results” on the left-hand side of the results page to limit searches to “University Archives” or “Special Collections” materials. Many A&SC collections have detailed inventories, also called “finding aids,” which can be accessed from the collection page on OneSearch. Look for this language: “Finding aid (Inventory to this collection).”

If you are interested in browsing digitized A&SC materials, you can do so by visiting the A&SC Brandeis DeisGallery page in OneSearch. In addition, several other digital resources are available via the Archives and Special Collections website.

Please note that while most A&SC materials are cataloged in OneSearch, some are not. While more are being added all the time, it is always advisable to contact Reference & Instruction Archivist Chloe Gerson if you are not finding what you are looking for.

Yes. From your search results screen, under the heading “Tweak My Results” and the subheading “Availability,” choose “Peer-reviewed Journals.”

Please note that this filter gives you journals that publish peer-reviewed, academic, and scholarly articles, but the journals may still contain other article types such as letters to the editor or book reviews, which do not go through the peer review process. If you have questions, please contact your subject librarian, reach out to Research Help, or stop by the Research Help Desk on the first floor of the library with any questions.

You can do this one of two ways. If you know the name of the journal, or the ISSN (a unique numerical identifier for journals), use the “Find Journals” link at the top of the OneSearch page to search by title or ISSN. 

You can also use the Advanced Search option in OneSearch. From the library homepage, select “Go to Advanced Search,” or from OneSearch, click the “Advanced Search” option to the right of the search bar. You can then change the “Resource Type” drop-down to “Journals” and search by title.

All physical items in the library have a call number. You can find this under the title information in OneSearch. The call number is the book’s address. Use the “Map It” button at the end of the call number to see what floor and approximately what aisle the book is housed in, and then you can use the call number to find the exact book location. 

We understand it can be difficult to find books by call number, so you can always ask our Information and Borrowing staff for help in locating a book by call number.

You can also request items for pickup at the Information and Borrowing Desk.

You can request the item from another library via interlibrary loan (ILL) or you can request to recall it from the other borrower. You can do all that right from OneSearch. See information about interlibrary loan. If you have any questions, contact ill@brandeis.edu.

You can place a request for materials in storage through OneSearch. Search for the item in the catalog and select "Request Brandeis Copy." Please note that you must be signed into OneSearch to see this option.

You can use our interlibrary loan (ILL) service to request a copy of the item from another library. Scroll down until you see the “Get It Through interlibrary loan and Scan on Demand” section and make a request. You will need to log in to your OneSearch account to place the request. You can also make a request using our interlibrary loan form.

If you can’t find the item you’re looking for in OneSearch, start by using the “Expand Search: Include items you can request from other libraries” option at the top of the result list. If you still do not see what you are looking for, you can submit a request using the interlibrary loan form to request items. Learn more about interlibrary loan.

Find the title in OneSearch, then scroll down until you see the “Get It Through interlibrary loan and Scan on Demand” section and make a request for the specific chapter you would like. If you can’t find the item you’re looking for in the OneSearch results, fill out the interlibrary loan form (also used for digitization and scanning requests).

After running a search in the catalog, use the filters under the heading “Tweak My Results” to select “Books & EBooks” under “Resource Type” and then “Available Online” under “Availability” to see only ebooks.

A small sample of newspaper articles are searched by default in OneSearch. For a more comprehensive search, you can use our dedicated Newspaper Search tool.

Yes. Use the Advanced Search option, which is linked from the library homepage and on the right-hand side of the OneSearch search box. Under the heading “Search filters,” choose “Title” or “Author/Creator” in the drop-down menu and type your search terms in the corresponding box.

Go to the Advanced Search option (linked to the right of the OneSearch search bar), enter a “?” into the search box, and then select a language, resource type, or publication year from the drop-down menus.

Those tabs allow you to quickly narrow your search to a specific resource type. They give you the same result as using the Resource Type filter on the left-hand side of the screen.

Use the “Sign In” link in the upper right hand corner of the page to log in to your OneSearch account. Once you have signed in, click on your name and choose “My Loans” to see the items you currently have checked out (this will include both Brandeis books and interlibrary loan items) along with their due dates. If the item is renewable, there will be a link to renew. If the item is not renewable, that will also be noted. You can also see the requests that you have made, any outstanding fines and fees, and other details associated with your account. Please contact borrowing@brandeis.edu with any specific questions about your library account or the items you have checked out.

Use the “Sign In” link in the upper right hand corner of the OneSearch homepage to log into your OneSearch account. In your list of search results, a pushpin icon appears next to each result. Click on  this icon to save or remove items from a list called “My Favorites.” To view “My Favorites,” click on the pushpin icon at the top of the screen to see your saved items.

Use the Zotero connector in your web browser to save items as usual into your Zotero library. To learn more about how to use Zotero, see our Zotero guide.

Under the heading “Send to, select the option for EndNote or EndNote Web, depending on the version you are using.” 

• EndNote: This exports an RIS file to your computer's Downloads folder. RIS files also can be used with other citation management programs.
• EndNote Web: This will open a new tab in your browser where you can import the item into your EndNote Web library.