WorldCat Discovery

This search tool has several of the most commonly-used subject headings for Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island already built-in. All the researcher need do is add a keyword for a specific topic, e.g., governance, literature, policy, knowledge, etc.

Please note:

• Because these subject headings are most often added to records for books and videos, the tool works best for finding these formats but does not perform as reliably for searches for scholarly articles. (Options for a functional article search tool are being explored).
• Because the subject headings refer to Indigenous people in general, the tool won’t search for specific tribes or cultures, nor may it capture materials about intersectional identities. When searching for materials related to such groups, adding relevant keywords will help. For example: Two-spirit; women; Cree; Ojibwa; Elders etc.
• A lot of library resource description practices began in the late 19^th Century and have colonial roots. As a result, certain subject vocabularies and classifications may be considered offensive. The makers of this search box acknowledge these issues and are working towards better practices.

WorldCat Discovery is the new and improved version of the library’s discovery layer -  the search tool that allows you to search the Library's classic catalogue and database resources all at once. It searches all of the Library's print books and eBooks, thousands of articles, and videos. Additionally, it searches items that are available from other libraries, which can be requested through inter-library loan.

The library is running a trial period over the summer to smooth the transition and gradually introduce the university community to the new application. Click the red “Search WorldCat Discovery!” box on the left to launch the new tool. You can submit feedback by clicking on the grey “Send Feedback” button that appears on the bottom-right hand of the page.

WorldCat Discovery is a great starting point for your searches. However, it does not include every database the Library subscribes to. It also uses a different search algorithm than some of the Library's databases, so results in WorldCat Discovery versus a specific database may vary. To search a specific database, visit our database listings.