The Summon search box is the orange search box located on the RIT Libraries' homepage. Summon allows you to search almost all of the library's content from a single search box! In some ways, it is similar to a Google search of the library website. Just as with a Google search, a Summon search will typically deliver many, many results. The key to success is to utilize the filters located in the margin to the left of your Summon search results.
View the tutorial to learn more about the features and tips for best using Summon.
Try Summon here or use the search box in the column below!
You can also search the Library catalog. This is a good tool when you know you only want book results. Book results are included in a Summon search.
When using Summon, you can easily limit to those resources available at your campus library. To do this, run your search in Summon. Once your results are displayed, look at the refinement filter options in the left column. Scroll down until you see the heading entitled "Library Location". From here you can select your campus library. Once you select your library location, click "apply" and the results will be filtered to contain only those materials located at your campus library.
You can do a similar limit when using the library catalog, too. Click on the "Advance Word Search" beneath the search box. From the "advanced search" screen, you can enter your search and then limit your results by location. Choose your campus library and click the "submit" button. Your modified list of results will display only those located at your campus library.
Check to see if we have the full text of your item whenever you see the MORE button! If a copy is not automatically found, an option to submit an order for the full text will appear! Click the button now to see what happens!
After you have generated your results list in Summon, look at the left margin column to select the options for filtering your results. Your original results list will likely contain sources that are books (print and electronic), journal articles, newspaper articles, magazines, streamed media, etc. If you are interested in focusing your results to only books, choose the "Book/Ebook" option to filter your results to only that type of source.
The RIT Library has a continually growing collection of e-books in a diverse range of subject areas. You can easily locate e-books using the refinement filters within Summon. Conduct your Summon search, refine your search to "items with full text online" and limit the content type to "Books/ebook". Your list of results will now be only e-books.
Use of RIT resources is reserved for current RIT students, faculty
and staff for academic and teaching purposes only.
Please contact your librarian with any questions.
