Catalog Search Scopes

We offer three search scopes in our catalog:

 Search scope Online Print
Madison UW System Madison UW System
resources from UW System schools, including UW-Madison (default)
all resources from UW System schools, including UW-Madison
resources from UW-Madison

A search scope defines the resources included in you search.

In the default resources from UW System schools, including UW-Madison scope, we include all print resources available at UW System campuses; all electronic resources licensed by UW-Madison Libraries for use by UW-Madison affiliated students, faculty, and staff; and all electronic resources licensed by UW System for use on all campuses. Resources in this search scope account for roughly 80% of all library resources available on UW System campuses.

Searches scoped to all resources from UW System schools, including UW-Madison include, in addition, electronic resources licensed for use by affiliates of other UW System campuses and on site by visitors to those campuses. These additional resources cannot be used through UW-Madison, either on the UW-Madison campus or by affiliates who login through UW-Madison’s NetID. Resources in this search scope account for 100% of all library resources available on UW System campuses.

Searches scoped to resources from UW-Madison include all electronic resources available on the UW-Madison campus or to UW-Madison affiliated students, faculty, and staff; and UW-Madison print resources.

Why do we default to the broader UW System scope for print resources? We have a very efficient system for sharing print resources among UW System libraries. A book requested from a UW-Madison campus library, from a UW-Madison remote storage facility, or from another UW System campus is available for pickup within two or three days, whether the book is coming from across campus or from across the state. The default scope takes advantage of this fact to increase the number of resources readily available to you.