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GIL Information

What is GIL?

GIL@CSU is the online catalog of the library collections held by Columbus State University. GIL@CSU is part of the statewide GIL (GALILEO Interconnected Libraries) project, initially funded by Governor Miller and the General Assembly, with continuing funding from Governor Barnes and the General Assembly for the Citizens of Georgia. GIL@CSU provides bibliographic and holdings information for the Music Library and the Simon Schwob Memorial Library collections.

General instructions in the use of the catalog may be found by selecting the HELP option at the GIL site or by clicking here.

Searching for music materials may present some unique challenges. What follows are some tips for finding music items in GIL.

FAQ

1. Which search menu should I use?
   You will find that the KEYWORD SEARCH tab works best for finding music materials because it provides greater flexibility in tailoring your search at the initial search statement.
   
   
2. How do I restrict my search to a specific format?
   Before you enter the text of your search query in one of the white boxes, begin your search by clicking on the NARROW MY SEARCH button in the lower right corner of the screen. To search for ...
   
   • Books: highlight BOOK in the ITEM TYPE box
   • Scores: highlight MUSIC SCORE in the ITEM TYPE box
   • Sound recordings: highlight MUSICAL RECORDING in the ITEM TYPE box
   • Video recordings: highlight VIDEORECORDING in the MEDIUM box
   
   After you have selected the desired format(s), click on the NARROW MY SEARCH button (in the lower center of the page) again. This will bring you back to your first search screen. Complete the search by typing your search statement in the white box(es) and then click on the SEARCH button in the lower center of the screen. You may change or clear your limits by clicking on the CLEAR SETTINGS button.
   
   
3. How can I search just for compact discs?
   Follow the directions outlined under no. 2 above to access the NARROW MY SEARCH screen, then highlight MUSIC CDs in the LOCATION box.
   
   
4. How do I look for things just located at the Music Library?
   You may restrict your search to the Music Library by clicking on the NARROW YOUR SEARCH button, highlighting Music Library in the LOCATION box, and then clicking on the NARROW YOUR SEARCH button.
   
   
5. How do I know if I've found all the various editions of a musical work owned by CSU in my search?
   It is very difficult to determine if you've displayed every edition of a particular work because several factors can affect your search result, e.g. restricting by format, works published in more than one language, alternate titles a work is known by, variations in cataloging practices over the years, and typos in the database.
   
   If you are doing a comprehensive search on a topic or work, it is always recommended to try more than one search strategy. You might wish to begin exploring various searches by searching on the uniform title of a work as well as the title a work is commonly known by, or the title that appears on the score or container.
   
   For example, if you were looking for Mozart's opera The Magic Flute and you searched on the keywords MOZART and MAGIC and FLUTE today (9/24/02), you would retrieve 24 items. Display one of the bibliographic records. You will find that under the first title that displays, a second title appears in German: Zauberflöte. This is the uniform title for The Magic Flute. Every manifestation of the work that we own should have this second uniform title assigned to it. In essence, it brings together all the variant forms of the title under one heading.
   
   Try another keyword search typing in the words MOZART and ZAUBERFLOTE instead of the words MAGIC FLUTE. (You will note that you should not enter initial definite or indefinite articles in your search statement.) You will retrieve 36 items, or 12 more items than in your first search. Most, though not all, musical compositions have uniform titles assigned to them. Use them - they are your friends!
   
   
6. Can I use GIL to find music journal articles?
   No. You may use GIL to find out which journal titles, and what issues/volumes of those titles, are represented in our collection. To search for articles on a particular subject, you will need to search a periodical index, a subject bibliography, or browse through a particular journal's table of contents. Library staff is here to help you through the process of identifying which sources may be relevant to your needs.