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Introduction
New
and Improved
Method for Searching the Library’s Collection--
The Fletcher Free Library card
catalog has been replaced by an On-Line Catalog called iBistro.
“On-Line” refers to the fact that it is accessed by computers
that are connected, through both a network within the Library, and the
Internet outside the Library. Now
there are more options for finding Library materials, and more information
is available:
- Remote
Access: The On-Line Catalog is accessible through a link on the
FFL website (www.fletcherfree.org), so one can search the Library's
holdings from any computer with internet access.
- Enhanced
Search Options: Searching can be done by Author, Title,
or Keywords. "Power"
searching will restrict the search in various ways, to a certain type
of item such as DVDs, for example.
- Links
Within Records Provide More Search Options: After selecting an
item from the search results list, clicking links on the Catalog
Record tab will display new results lists.
For example, click on the Author’s name to see other items by
that Author.
- Expanded
Item Descriptions: The records of some of the newer items in
iBistro include plot summaries and reviews (these items have “A Look
Inside” tab).
- Find
It Fast and Kids' Library for click-on-category searching.
- Access
to Catalogs from Other Vermont Libraries.
- Reading
Recommendations: Award-Winners, Best-Sellers, and the items most
frequently borrowed.
- Popular
Internet Sites to explore (not available on the Library OPACs).
- Help
resource.
Access
to Your Account, from Anywhere, Anytime--
In addition, iBistro is electronically linked to the Library's
software that manages membership and borrowing, so every member can access
their "Account" through iBistro. The following activities
are available:
- Reviewing
a list of currently checked-out items with their due dates.
- Renewing
currently checked-out items.
- Placing
holds on items that are checked out by another member, or are on
order.
- Viewing
lists related to your recently-borrowed items.
- Changing
your PIN number.
To
help members take full advantage of the services offered by iBistro, we
have prepared the instructions below.
If you need more assistance, you can get on-line help by clicking
on the Help icon on the light
blue command bar, or call the Reference Desk at 802.865.7217.
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Using
the Library’s On-Line Card Catalog
Opening iBistro’s Search Page
1.
Access the On-Line Catalog from any computer with internet access,
including the On-line Public Access Catalog computers (OPACs) in the library:
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From
outside the Library:
-
Go
to the Fletcher Free Library web site: www.fletcherfree.org
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Click
on the first link: ON-LINE CATALOG
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From
a Library OPAC:
-
Click
on the Catalog link on the Desktop
A Basic Search
1.
Type your Search Term in the white box to the right of "Search
for". The Computer
searches for your Search Term in the field corresponding to the Search
Category you select below. Tips:
-
If
you aren’t sure how to spell a word, guess at the first few letters
then type a dollar sign ($, shift-4).
This “wildcard” tells the computer to search for all words
that start with the letters you typed, followed by any other letters.
-
When
using the Title Search Category, if you aren’t sure of the
exact title, guess at one word—your results list will include all
items with Titles containing that word.
-
Note
that “not” is a Search Term operator, so omit typing it if it is
part of a title.
-
When
using the Author Search Category, the first name is not
necessary, but can be included to narrow the search.
-
When
using the Word or Phrase Search Category, the computer searches
the entire Catalog Record for your Search Term.
-
Use
this Search Category if you don’t know titles or authors, but want
to find items about a certain person, place or thing.
Start with one word-- if the Item Search Results list is too
long, narrow the search by adding words and searching again.
-
The
Subject Search Category similar to the Word or Phrase
Search Category, but may result in a shorter list that is more
specific to the Search Term.
2.
Click on the Search Category that corresponds to your Search Term (the
buttons are below the Search Term window):
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Title
-
Author
-
Word
or Phrase
-
Subject
-
Series
-
Periodical
title
3.
If no item record containing information matching the Search Term
is found, a Browse list of links related to the Search Term may be
shown, and can be browsed using Next and Previous in the
light blue Navigation Bar above the list.
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Using the Item Search Results List
1.
The number of items found is shown at the top of the list.
2.
If there are many items found, the Item Search Results list will
use more than one page, and numbered links to the additional pages will
appear at the top and bottom of the list.
Alternatively, pages can be browsed by clicking on Next and Previous
in the light blue Navigation Bar above the Item Search Results list.
3.
The list shows brief information about each item:
-
The
Call Number is at the upper left of each record.
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Publication
date is at the
upper right of each record.
-
The
availability and location of the item is at the bottom of each
record.
4.
To see more information (where available) about each item, click Details
to the left of the record.
-
The
Details page lists links to related search lists and may show these
tabs. Click on the tab
name to see the information on that tab (the selected tab name is blue
on white, the others are white on blue):
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Item
Information
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A
Look Inside
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Catalog
Record
-
Click
on any link in the box to the left of the tab area and in the
Catalog Record tab to view related results lists.
-
The
“Nearby Items on the Shelf” link can be useful when searching the
non-fiction collection, because these items may be related to the one
you are investigating.
-
Once
the Details display has been chosen for one record, the Details of
each item in the Search Results list can be viewed by clicking on Next
and Previous in the light blue Navigation Bar above the record. Go Back will show the Item Search Results list again.
5.
To create a list of records that can be printed or emailed, click Keep
to the left of the record. To
view, print or email this list, click Kept in the light blue Navigation
Bar. (Printing is not available from the Library’s OPACs.)
6.
To start a new search, click Search/Home above the light
blue Navigation Bar.
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Other Ways of Searching
1.
Power, or Advanced Search
-
This
is used to narrow a search by:
-
entering
Search Terms in more than one Search Category
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searching
for only a chosen Type of item
-
searching
in only a chosen Location in the Library
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Click
on “Power Search” below the Search Category buttons.
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Type
one or more Search Terms in the white boxes to the right of the Search
Category boxes.
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In
addition, you may narrow the search by choosing a specific item
Language, Type or Location:
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Below
the Search Category boxes and the “Search” button, Click on the
down-arrow buttons to the right of the desired field, and select a
subfield. For Example:
clicking on Caldecott Books will result in a Search Results list
containing all the items in the Library’s collection that have won
the Caldecott award.
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You
can choose the order of items in the Item Search Results list by
clicking on the down-arrow button to the right of the last Search
Limiter option: “Sort By”.
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Hit
the “Enter” key or click on the “Search” button.
2.
Browse Search
-
Using
this type of search will result in an alphabetical list of the
collection, sorted by the chosen field.
This is a good way to find an author if you are not sure how to
spell the name.
-
Click
on “Power Search” below the Search Category buttons.
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Click
on BROWSE in the “Catalog Searches” box to the right of the white
Search Term boxes.
-
Click
in the white box to the right of “Browse on” and type a Search
Term, even if it’s just the first few letters.
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Click
on the appropriate search field button below (for example,
“Author” if you typed an author name).
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The
number to the right of the entries in the Browse Search Results list
indicates the number of items that match that entry.
-
Click
on the desired entry in the Browse Search Results list to see the Item
Search Results list.
3.
Call Number Search
-
Using
this type of search will result in a list of the collection, sorted by
the call number. As with
Power, or Advanced Search, it can be limited to Type or Location.
-
Click
on “Power Search” below the Search Category buttons.
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Click
on CALL NUMBER in the “Catalog Searches” box to the right of the
white Search Term boxes.
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Click
in the white box to the right of “call number” and type the
beginning of a call number. Tips:
-
Typing
“B A” (without the quotes) will bring you to the beginning of the
list of Biographies of people whose last name begins with A. (Instead of “B”, use “M” for mysteries, “F” for
fiction)
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Typing
“COMPACT DISC” (without the quotes) will bring you to the
beginning of the list of books on CD.
The non-fiction is listed first, ordered by call number,
followed by the fiction, ordered by author.
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Typing
“DVD” (without the quotes) will bring you to the beginning of the
list of videos on DVD. The
non-fiction is listed first, ordered by call number, followed by the
fiction, ordered by the first 3 letters of the title.
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Hit
the “Enter” key or click on the “Search” button.
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Your
search can be limited to a Type and/or Location by clicking on the
down-arrows to the right of the “Type” and “Location” field
boxes and clicking on a selection from the drop-down menus.
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First
letters of
call numbers
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B:
Biography
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BASIC:
Adult Basic Reading
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ESL:
English as a 2nd Language
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F:
Fiction
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LARGE
PRINT: Includes F, M, Non-F
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M:
Mystery
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OVERSIZE:
2nd Floor
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PERIODICAL:
Magazines
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R:
Reference
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Y=Youth,
YP=Youth Picture Book, YE= Youth Early Reader, YA=
Young Adult
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See
Dewey Decimal number list for Non-Fiction categories
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Youth
call numbers, detail
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Y=Youth,
YP=Youth Picture Book, YE = Youth Early Reader, YA = Young Adult
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YP
followed by holidays: Halloween, Jewish holiday, Valentines Day,
Easter, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Thanksgiving
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Award
winners: Caldecott, Red Clover, Coretta Scott King, Newbery, Michael
L. Printz
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Fiction
and Mystery Call Numbers, Note: If
there are more than three authors of a Fiction or Mystery title with
the same last name, the first words of the title serve as the call
number.
4.
Find
it Fast!
-
Click
on this link in the dark blue area above the light blue Navigation
Bar.
-
Without
any typing, click on icons or pictures showing the topic of items
you’d like to find.
5.
Kids’ Library
-
This
works like Find it Fast!, only the Item Search Results list includes
items from the Youth Library only.
-
Click
on this link in the dark blue area above the light blue Navigation
Bar.
-
Without
any typing, click on icons or pictures showing the topic of items
you’d like to find.
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Searching the Collections of other
Vermont Libraries
1.
In the dark blue area above the light blue Navigation Bar, click
“Knowledge Portal”.
2.
Click World Wide Web.
3.
Click either UVM Library Catalog or Vermont Department of Libraries
-
The
UVM Library Catalog web site has a search window similar to iBistro,
to the lower left of the home page.
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Enter
a Search Term in the white box.
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Choose
the Search Category you’d like to use by clicking the drop-down
arrow.
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Hit
enter.
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On
the VT Dept. of Libraries Catalog home page, click on a link to any
one of the regional libraries, then click Multiple Library Search at
the top of the page.
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Now
you can choose the libraries whose catalogs you’d like to search by
clicking in the check-boxes by their names.
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Then
enter a Search Term in the white box below, and click Keyword.
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The
results list will show the libraries that have items that fit your
Search Term. Click on a
library to see a list of their items.
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Each
record will give brief information about the item and a link to that
library’s database, if available, for more information, such as
availability.
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Click
the Help link to the upper left of the screen for more usage details.
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Note
that My Account does not lead to a log-in to your Fletcher Free
Library account.
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Click
here for the addresses and phone numbers of Vermont libraries: http://dol.state.vt.us/GOPHER_ROOT5/LIBRARIES/DIR/dir.html
Understanding the Dewey Decimal System
of Classification of Library Materials
Non-Fiction
items are assigned Call Numbers based on their content.
Online
Computer Library Center, Inc. briefly describes how these numbers are
assigned, and gives the list of numbers with their corresponding
categories:
http://www.oclc.org/dewey/resources/summaries/deweysummaries.pdf
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My
Account: Review, Renew, Place Holds
1.
Logging In to My Account from any computer, anywhere, with Internet
access:
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Go
to the Fletcher Free Library web site: www.fletcherfree.org
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Click
on the first link on the Home page: ON-LINE CATALOG
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In
the white boxes at the upper right corner of the screen, enter the
Barcode number and PIN from your Library Card (if you don’t know
your PIN, bring your card to the Circulation Desk).
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Click
on the “Login to the e-Library OPAC” button.
The screen will refresh, but appear similar (without the Login
area, and with the addition of “My Favorites”).
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Now
click “My Account”, below the Login button.
-
Note
that the term “charge” refers to at item that you have borrowed
(it does not refer to a fine).
2.
Review My Account:
-
Click
on this link to see lists of:
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All
items you have currently borrowed (“Checkouts”)
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All
items you have placed On Hold (“Holds”)
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Any
fines that you owe (“Bills”)
3.
Renew My Materials:
-
Click
on this link to renew some or all of the items currently borrowed.
-
Click
on the radio button by either All or Selected.
-
If
Selected is chosen, click in the check boxes by the items you want to
renew.
-
Check
Due Dates (“Due/Recalled”) in Review My Account to be sure all
items were renewed.
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Please
note that even
though Due/Recalled column in iBistro includes the time (23:59), the
actual time due is the Library closing time on the Due Date.
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If
another patron has placed a hold on an item that you have currently
checked out, you will not be able to renew.
4.
Placing a Hold:
-
After
searching iBistro and finding the record of an item you would like to
borrow, see the availability line at the bottom of the record—if it
reads “No copies currently available”, you may place a hold on the
item.
-
Click
on the Details button of the record.
-
In
the list of links to the left of the screen, click on “Place Hold”
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A
new screen will appear announcing “Hold placed”. Click “OK”
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Now
check Review My Account to confirm that the hold has been placed.
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The
Circulation Desk staff will call you when the items you have placed
holds on are available.
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To
remove a Hold, go to Review My Account, click in the check box to the
left of the item you no longer want held for you, then click on the
blue button below “Cancel selected holds”.
5.
User PIN change:
6.
My Favorite Authors & My Favorite Subjects:
-
If
you would like to retain a list of the authors and subjects of the
items you have borrowed, click on My Profile in the light blue
Navigation Bar under Search/Home.
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Click
on the check-box by “I want all authors and subjects of items I
check out to be counted automatically as My Favorites”.
(Note that the “Tell Me When” feature is not available.)
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Click
on Search/Home in the dark blue area above the light blue Navigation
Bar.
-
Toward
the lower right of the screen, the new list categories “My Favorite
Authors” and “My Favorite Subjects” will be added as you check
out new materials. To see
complete lists, click “MORE” below these lists.
-
Note
that clicking on any author or subject link will not necessarily
result in a complete list of items by that author or pertaining to
that subject. To see
complete lists, click on the Details view of one record, click on the
Catalog Record tab, and then click on the author or subject link
there.
7.
Logging out
8.
Make sure to keep the Circulation staff up-to-date on changes in your
phone number and email address if you have one, so that we can inform you
of holds available!
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Frequently-Asked
Questions
How do I search for just a certain
type of item (like Books on CD)?
Go to Power Search, and choose the item type under Type, and enter
your Search Term(s) in the appropriate field(s).
Can I peruse the entire DVD collection
on line? Yes: Use Call
Number search, type “DVD” (without the quotes). This will bring you to the beginning of the list of videos on
DVD. The non-fiction is
listed first, ordered by call number, followed by the fiction, ordered by
the first 3 letters of the title.
Can I get book recommendations?
Yes! Click on
Search/Home in the dark blue area above the light blue Navigation Bar,
then click on any of the links under the categories “Recommended
Reading” or “Best Sellers”. Also,
If you’d like to read something by an author you’ve enjoyed in the
past, jog your memory by logging in to your account and click on My
Favorites to see the authors and subjects of items you’ve checked out.
In addition, go to the Database and Readers’
Advisory pages on our website to use on-line search engines.
Can the Library obtain a copy of an
item not in its collection? Maybe.
Ask at the Reference or Circulation Desk for an Interlibrary Loan
or Request for Purchase form. New items are not available via Interlibrary Loan.
To exclude Fiction from a search for
Non-Fiction: Use the Word
or Phrase Search Category and type “not fiction” after your Search
Term.
To Find a Music CD
by a specific composer:
Use Power search, type the composer in the Word or Phrase or
Author search box, and choose Type = Compact Disc
Collection.
To Find New Books: Use Power search, Type = New Books Youth, Adult
Fiction, Adult Non-Fiction, Adult Mystery, or Adult Biography.
To see a list of the
Magazine collection:
Use Call Number search using the Search Term “Periodical”.
To Find Books in
German: Use Power Search using Language = German, Type
= Foreign Language Collection.
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Glossary
of Terms
Call
Number:
Numbers and letters found on the spine of the item to identify it in
the catalog.
Catalog
Record: Cataloging
information about an item, found on the “Catalog Record” tab of the
record’s “Details” link.
Charges
or Checkouts:
A borrowed item (does not refer to a fine).
Cursor:
The blinking (so you can more easily locate it on the screen)
vertical bar indicating where typed characters will appear.
Desktop:
The screen
visible when all windows are either closed or minimized.
Field: A place where the
computer looks for specific information.
Hover: Point to a link and pause; this often results in a screen tip
popping up.
Icon:
A button with a picture on it which, when clicked, will perform an
action described by the picture.
Item:
Anything
(for example: book, video, or DVD) that is part of the Library’s
collection.
Keyboard
keys, some which provide
an alternative to using the mouse:
Arrow
keys reposition the
cursor when typing, and scroll bars with the mouse.
PageUp
& PageDown scroll in
large intervals.
Home
& End move the
cursor to the beginning & end of a line in one keystroke.
Backspace
deletes the character to the left of the cursor.
Delete
deletes the character to the right of the cursor.
Enter
is sometimes an alternative to a click of the mouse.
Link:
Text or pictures that, when clicked on, will open a new page or move to a
new place on the currently-open page. Links
are usually a different color from text—in iBistro they are light blue.
Point: Position the pointer on the screen, using the mouse or other
“pointing device”. When the
pointer changes from an arrow to a hand with pointing finger, the pointer is
positioned over a link, so if you click now, the linked page will open.
Radio
button: For
making a selection between multiple choices, this white circle will have a
black dot in it when clicked. It’s
similar to a check-box, but only one radio button can be selected at a time,
whereas multiple checkboxes may be selected if desired.
Record: Information about an item.
Reposition
the mouse: If
positioning the pointer on the screen requires moving the mouse off the pad,
pick up the mouse and place it back on the center of the pad.
Results
List or Hitlist:
A list of items that fit the criteria of a search.
Screen
Tip:
A description of what will happen if you click on the link the
pointer is hovering over.
Scroll
bar:
A vertical or horizontal section of the window with arrow buttons and
a sliding bar for moving the contents of the window vertically and
horizontally using the mouse.
Search
Term or Search String:
A word or words typed into the Search Term box to tell the computer
what items to show in the Search Results list.
Title
Bar:
The horizontal section of a window displaying the name of the window
contents followed by the name of the software the window is using.
Toolbar:
A horizontal
section of a window displaying icons.
Windows:
A computer
operating system in which each software program provides a window on the
screen through which is a view into whatever the software provides (, a web
site in Internet Explorer).
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