Search Tips and Tricks

Colgatebookstore.com is proud to offer our customers access to over three million titles that are currently in print or soon to be published. But we understand that it can be difficult to find that perfect book that you are looking for amongst millions of other titles!! Let us help you out by offering these helpful search tips.

1) Give us a call!

>> One of the things that separates colgatebookstore.com from its competition are the dedicated customer service associates available during business hours to assist you in any way that we can. If you're having trouble finding that perfect book, just give us a call on our toll-free line at 877-362-7666 and ask to speak to a member of the General Book Department, or call us directly at 315-228-7061. Books are our passion - we're always glad to assist! If you'd prefer to go it alone, try these remaining helpful search tips.

2) Let's get "literal."

>> All search engines on the World Wide Web are limited. They aren't as smart as most human beings! Let's assume you wanted to perform a search for Jack Kerouac's On the Road and entered On the Road into the search bar. The search engine is looking for all titles, authors, and citations with the words on, the, and road contained within. You will get quite a few results - everything from Cooking on the Road to The Road to Baghdad. Poor Mr. Kerouac could be buried like a needle in a haystack. If you are looking for an exact phrase, try surrounding that phrase with quotes (also called a literal string). A search for "On the Road"  will produce very different results from a search for On the Road!!

3) The more the better!

>> If you know both the title and the author of a particular book, try entering them both! A search for "On the Road" Kerouac will get you even better results than searching a title alone. Remember - search engines can only look for the words or phrases that are entered. By including the author's last name, you are shrinking that field down even more!

4) Don't be afraid to browse!

>> Did you read about a book in a Sunday paper? Perhaps heard about it on television or radio? If the name of it escapes you, try searching our best-seller and featured lists conveniently located below the search bar. Chances are if you saw it on your favorite talk show, it's made it to one of these lists. It's all the enjoyment of browsing the shelves of your local independent bookstore from the convenience of your living room couch!! We're proud to offer the Book Sense bestsellers lists. As an independent bookstore, Colgate Bookstore has the advantage of being part of a nationwide consortium of bookstores that generate their own bestsellers lists.
For the Colgate alumni out there, be sure to check for your classmates' newest tome on our "Books in The Scene" list. If you've seen it in The Scene, you'll see it here!
Finally, if you are in a browsing mood, take advantage of our advanced search feature with over 1,000 subcategories and genres. By drilling down to a specific topic, and searching with a blank search bar, you'll be browsing through the newest releases in the topics that interest you!

5) Don’t give up!

>>If you don’t find the specific book that you’re looking for in our database, you can still order it! Just call 315-228-7061 or e-mail kereynolds@mail.colgate.edu with all the information you have (title, author, ISBN, TV show it was on, etc.) and we’ll try to track it down and order it for you!

 

Thank you for taking the time to shop with your local independent bookstore today! We hope that our website meets your needs and stand ready to assist you in any way that we can should you require any help.

Happy hunting for that perfect book!!

-Your friends at Colgate Bookstore