Summon is a single, unified search of library resources, including physical and digital formats. Summon searches across library databases, journals, books, and e-books in one combined search with both simple and advanced search functionality. Direct links to full-text materials make finding and accessing resources easy and fast.
Not all of the library's journals, journal articles, and databases, are indexed or accessible through Summon. If you are searching for journal articles, use the library's databases on the Databases page or contact your subject librarian.
If you need assistance or have questions, please reach out to a librarian or email the Library at tuc.library@touro.edu to find the best tool for your information need, or if you would like a demonstration of Summon.
Basic Search
The Summon search box is on the main page of the Library website. Similar to other search engines, like Google and Google Scholar, it’s a simple search box where you can type in words associated with what you’re looking for and find results (journal articles, books, book chapters, videos, etc.) that contain those words, or are related to the search terms you entered. Use this option when you are looking generally to see what types of items might be related to your area of interest.
Advanced Search
The advanced search link allows you to enter a more complex search. You can search using a combination of factors, including the title of the item you are looking for, the author, format (journal article, book, video, etc.), and find results that match or are related to these factors.
Features to the Left of the Search Results List: Facets and filters (Refine your Search, Content Type, Author, Publication Date, Database, Discipline, Subject, Language, Library Location)
Limit your results using the Refinements at the top of the filters to limit to only things you can access on the computer (full text online), only items that are scholarly or peer reviewed (using the Peer Review filters), only items that are available without logging into your library (Open Access), or only available at the library (Library Catalog). Remember that you can always use the Library's Interlibrary Loan Service, so it is best not to limit to full-text when looking for journal articles.
Use the Content Type facet to filter out results that aren’t the format (journal article, book, film, video, etc.) that you would like.
Filter results to items that are from a specific date or date range.
Help ensure more relevant results by selecting the discipline(s) that best fit the subject you are researching.
Another way to filter results to more relevant items by selecting subject terms that match what you are researching.
If you are looking for items from a particular language, you can filter to only items in that language.
Filter to results found only particular locations within your library or institution.
Features Included in the Search Results List: Record Content and Display/ Preview/ Availability/ Full Text Online vs. Citation Online
You will see “Full Text Online” link at the bottom of the result if the Library has access to the journal article or ebook. If the item isn’t available in full text you will see “Citation Online” at the bottom of the record. For citation online items, you can request that the library find you the text of the item using Interlibrary Loan (the library will borrow the item from another library). To request an interlibrary loan, click on the title of the article and then "Request" on the right side of the page.
The main title of the work is at the top of the citation record in large font. If the work is part of a larger work (for example, an article in a journal), then the title of the larger work (journal, in this case) will display below the authors. If it is a book or ebook, it will display the Series Title, Edition, and Year, if available.
Clickable author(s) (highlighted below) link the patron to new author searches if needed. Summon maintains the author order as received from the provider and is generally in principal order.
The Summon record includes select citation information and a snippet of full text (maximum of 160 characters) when available. Any search terms are displayed in bold.
The bottom of the record is also where call numbers and real-time availability of items in your library catalog are displayed.
