HCLL has recently added a new search function to its online catalog called Advanced Keyword Searching.  It provides several new improvements.  Key features include:

• Phrase searching using quotation marks.
• Keyword searching by field (global or specified).  For example a search can be run with “Minnesota” anywhere in the record and “mold” only in the title field.
• Ability to pre-limit searches by location, year of publication, publisher and material type.
• Proximity searching using “NEAR” -terms within 10 words of each other or WITHIN a specified number of words of each other, e.g., WITHIN 3.
• Boolean operators “AND” “OR” and “AND NOT”.
• Relevance ranking.  Users have a choice of ranking search results by date (most recent listed first), by frequency of occurrence of their search terms, or alphabetically by title,

Here’s an example of the same initial search run in different ways.  If you are looking for recent materials on employment agreements in Minnesota, here are four possible searches (click the links to try them):

1. Advanced Keyword Search:  employment agreement* Minnesota – yields 111 results (assumes employment AND agreement* AND Minnesota anywhere in the record).
2. Advanced Keyword Phrase Search:  “employment agreement*” Minnesota – yields 26 results (assumes “employment agreement*” as a phrase and Minnesota anywhere in the record.
3. Advanced Keyword Proximity Search:  employment NEAR agreement* AND Minnesota in Any Field – yields 46 results
4. Advanced Keyword Proximity Search:  employment WITHIN 3 agreement* and location (Minnesota Reference) and year(after 1999) – yields 13 results

As you can see, Advanced Keyword Searching allows you to do proximity searching and pre-limit results by location and date in one step.  It gives more relevant results in less time.  Give it a try!  Please call the Reference Desk at 612-348-2903 if you have any questions.

The Hennepin County Bar Association and HCLL will once again be hosting an orientation program to acquaint summer law clerks with the Law Library and the services we provide.  We offer our program, which includes a tour and light refreshments, on four different dates:

There is no charge for participants, but we ask that you please register to help us plan for refreshments and printed materials.

Register Online

HCLL is providing space for Thomson/West to conduct its Westlaw Paralegal Proficiency Certification training, a program to support the paralegal profession:

• Designed to address the specific needs of paralegals
• Basic Westlaw research strategies
• Statutory research
• Cost-effective research
• Searches and databases for paralegals

Classes meet from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

• Wednesday June 7
• Wednesday July 12

Register Online