Combine these terms with the event or person you are researching (ex. Civil War diaries). Also search by subject for specific people or events, then scan the titles for these keywords such as memoirs, autobiography, or personal narratives.
Searching in the OPAL catalog for your topic:
SUBJECT AND KEYWORD searches are not the same. The catalog uses controlled vocabularies for subjects. Keywords are natural language. If you find an appropriate book using a keyword find similar books by searching the same subject headings.
A CONTROLLED VOCABULARY like Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) helps ensure the same topics are described using a formalized terminology. The terms are based on broad and narrow topics. Other controlled vocabularies include: Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), or LC subject headings for children's literature.
SEARCH TIPS on the catalog page explain combining words for the most efficient way to find what you need. Or, look at the help link to decide how to search.
A BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD in the online catalog will give important information including the title, author, publisher, publication date, subject headings and the Dewey decimal call number.
THE DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM is a classification scheme used to organize books. Other libraries may use the Library of Congress Classification System. HOWEVER: the library will be reclassifying to the Library of Congress Classification System in future.