Search Tips

• Table of Contents

• Search

• Browse

• Browse the newest additions

• Clipboard

• Boolean Search Operators

• Advanced Search

SEARCH : Use the Search box from any page within United Church of Canada Archives Catalogue to enter a word or phrase. The search is not case sensitive. Select enter or the magnifying lens to start the search. A summary listing of archival descriptions which match your search will be returned.

Click on any title in the summary listing to read a description in full.

The full description includes a link to the full finding aid available to view or to download.

Select either the download button on the right of the description, or the blue PDF link in the uploaded finding aid field within the description, to view the finding aid. A PDF of the finding aid will appear. You can use the buttons on top right to download and save or print the finding aid from this screen.

BROWSE :Use the browse by links available on the left side of the home page, or the drop down browse tab available next to the search box on any page, to browse by archival descriptions, people and organizations, subjects, and place names.

A summary listing matching your browse category will be returned. Click on any of the titles in the summary to read a full description. This description includes a link to the full finding aid available to view or to download.

Browsing categories include:

• Archival Descriptions:a list of collections by title. Collections are titled based on the person, organization or group that either created the records or accumulated the collection such as the name of the community of faith, the name of the church department, task group, or individual church ministers and missionaries.


• People and organizations: names of record creators, either individual people or organizations within the church. Examples are Arthur Pastoral Charge or John Arthur Jewell.


• Subjects:To view the list of subjects.


• Place Names: A list of place names represented within the collection. For example Alymer, will give you a brief summary of the location including a map, and will list any archival descriptions that are directly related to this location.

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Browse the NEWEST ADDITIONS to the archive: A listing of the most recent materials to be added to the archive can be found along the lower left hand side of the home screen. Select any of the titles to view the full archival description of the new material. This description includes a link to the full finding aid available to view or to download found on the right hand side.

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CLIPBOARD: While searching or browsing you can select the paperclip icon to save descriptions for later review. To do this, from a summary listing select the paperclip icon next to the title. Note that the paperclip icon at the top left corner now has a number one hovering over it.

To view materials that you have saved to the clipboard go to the top left corner paperclip icon to access a drop down menu. Select GO TO CLIPBOARD from the drop down menu.

A summary listing of all of the archival materials that you have pinned to your clipboard will appear. If you would like to save your summary listing. Select SAVE MY CLIPBOARD from the clipboard drop down menu. A clipboard ID number will be generated. Write it down, for future use.

Once the clipboard has been saved and the clipboard ID written down. The clipboard can be cleared by selecting CLEAR ALL SELECTIONS in the clipboard drop down menu. Later when you wish to retrieve the saved clipboard select LOAD CLIPBOARD from the drop down menu. You will be asked to enter the number you were given into the clipboard ID space and select LOAD at the bottom. Note you have the choice of two actions. Select either merge saved clipboard with existing clipboard results or replace existing clipboard results with the saved clipboard.

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Boolean Search Operators :The United Church of Canada Archives catalogue is AtoM based, and allows for users to use Boolean search operators to help limit, widen, or define a search.
Some common operators include:

• AND: Use to combine search terms to narrow your search. For example Knox AND Toronto to return only descriptions that contain both search terms.


• OR: to combine search terms to broaden your search. For example Knox OR Toronto to return descriptions that contain either search term.


• AND NOT: to exclude terms. For example search Korea AND NOT Toronto to return only the descriptions that contain the term Korea but do not contain the term Toronto.


• “ ” : search terms enclosed in quotes must appear exactly as provided. For example “girl” with return descriptions that contain the word girl, but not girls.


• - : Term after “ - ” must not be in the result. For example –John Wesley requires that results must not contain the term John but may have the term Wesley.


• ? : Character Wildcard. For example Cath?rine will return descriptions for both Catherine, and Catharine.


• * : Character Wildcard. For example Women* will return descriptions with the terms Women, and Women’s.


• ~ : Fuzzy search. For example Wally~ will return descriptions that have the terms Walter, Walton and Wilson, etc.

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Advanced Search: Using the search box drop down menu or the advanced search options bar at the top of any summary listing will bring you to the advanced search screen.

On the advanced search screen you can narrow your search by selecting in which field you'd like to search for your term. You can further filter those results based on the level of description available, whether a digital object is available, what the copyright status of the material is, the general material designation, whether a Finding Aid is available or by the date range of the materials.

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