Connecting to RILM

1. Go to the Randall Library's Homepage (http://library.uncw.edu)
2. Go to middle of the screen. Click on "Databases & Articles." Databases are listed alphabetically.
3. Select RILM Abstracts of Music Literature from the list.

If you are connecting to RILM from off campus, complete instructions for off-campus set up are located at https://uncclc.coast.uncwil.edu/screens/pin.html.

How To Search RILM

1. SEARCH STATEMENTS:

RILM Search statements consist of a) literal words and b) logical words

Literal Words
Literal words are key words that are important to the topic. Let's look at a topic: you want information on rehearsal strategies in choral conducting. The literal (key) words you should choose would be rehearsal,"strategies", "choral", and "conducting". 

Logical Words
Logical words, also called "operators," instruct the system to retrieve records containing the literal words according to the logic assigned. (Ex: "and", "or")

2. COMBINING SEARCHES:

AND retrieves records containing BOTH words. For instance, the search statement, "rehearsal strategies and choral conducting," retrieves records that contain all words. AND is restrictive.

VARIANTS OF "AND"

WITH retrieves records with both search terms in the same field. For example, the statement "social with class" retrieves records in which the two words, "rehearsal" and "strategies" appear in a single field, but they may be separated by several sentences.

NEAR retrieves records with both search terms in the same sentence. For example, the statement "rehearsal near strategies" retrieves records in which both terms, "rehearsal" and "strategies" appear in the same sentence, but in any order.

**NOTE: Add a number next to near to specify how close the terms are to appear to each other.
For example "rehearsal near2 strategies" retrieves records in which the words "rehearsal" and "strategies" appear within two words of each other.

ADJ retrieves records with search terms next to each other in a specified order. For example, the statement
"rehearsal adj strategies" retrieves records in which the term "rehearsal" immediately precedes strategies."

3.COMPLEX SEARCH STATEMENTS--USING PARENTHESES:

Search statements are complex when you use more than one operator in a statement, especially "AND
(or one of its variants) and "OR."

Ex. choral and (Koch or McEwen)

Placing parentheses around "McEwen or Koch" nests those two words, so that the system knows the order in which to search. To put it simply, the numbers of records comes out right when you use parentheses.

4. After you enter the search statement, click on Search

Does Randall Library Own the Article Cited

To find out if Randall Library owns the periodical cited, click on "Check Library Catalog for Title." A catalog record for the periodical displays if Randall Library owns it.

How to Search the Index

Searching for entries on a particular work or an author

        1.Click on the "Indexes" link (top of screen)
        2.Type name of work in Browse box. If you are searching for an author, type last name in first.
        3.Select work from the list that displays.

If you need anymore help searching RILM click on the Help link at the top right of the page.

Last Update: December 11, 2007