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Omni - Library Discovery Search

Omni replaces Summon as our public-facing discovery layer for navigating physical and electronic resources from OCAD U Library and beyond! This guide will cover everything you need to know to get started and make the most of Omni.

Simple Search in Omni

Searching in Omni is a lot like searching in Summon, however Omni provides three search options: Search OCADU, OCADU + Omni Libraries, or Course Reserves.

Image of Omni's search bar

Search Features

This page describes how to search Omni from the simple search box. The table in this section summarizes the main features you can use to search Omni, while the Simple Search Details section below provides more detailed explanation

Search feature Example
Type some text and press Enter to search for results that contain all search words furniture chair craft victorian design
Use "quotation marks" to find exact phrases "abstract expressionism" 
Use an *asterisk* to find multiple endings of a word canad* for canadian or canada or canadienne 
Use OR to find results with at least one of multiple words (use parentheses) (iphone OR smartphone OR cellphone)
Use NOT to remove results that contain a particular word* "blue jays" NOT baseball
Use AND to limit results containing all words (this is similar to entering search terms without AND, but it helps you keep track with long search strings) architecture AND "international style" 
Use (parentheses) to control how Omni processes a search fashion AND (1990s OR grunge OR alternative)
Combine the above features into complex searches design AND (inclus* OR disab*) AND ("higher education" OR university OR "postsecondary education" OR PSE)

Screen capture of Omni's simple search bar

For more information see Performing Basic Searches in Primo VE.

This page was adapted with permission from Bibliothèque de l’université d’Ottawa | University of Ottawa Library