How to search by sub-collection

On this page

• About searching using collection codes
• Sub-collections
  • The Merrilees Collection (Canada, by Train)
  • Electronic Collection
  • Federal Publication Locator
  • French-Canadian Newspapers (1808-1919)
  • The Glenn Gould Archive (published material)
  • Index to Federal Royal Commissions
  • The Jacob M. Lowy Collection
  • PIKA Canadian Children's Literature Database
  • Public Opinion Research Reports (PORR)
  • Rare Books
  • Sheet Music from Canada's Past
  • Special Editions of Canadian Newspapers
  • Theses Canada
  • Virtual Gramophone

 

In the published holdings of Library and Archives Canada (LAC), you can search sub-collections and limit results based on format, type or theme.

Some sub-collections have a separate search portal on LAC’s website and the link will be available below. For most of the sub-collections, however, you must search Aurora using the specific search strategies recommended below.

About searching using collection codes

Use caution when searching by collection codes (codes starting with “coll”) as some codes are no longer being applied by LAC cataloguers. This means that searching with certain codes will not find materials recently catalogued. We recommend that you also search using the other recommended technique(s) described below in addition to searching with collection code.

To search using the collection codes below, enter "ot=coll" and add the relevant number in the main search field or in the keyword search index in Advanced Search.

You can combine a collection code search with a keyword or other index search, or simply use codes to obtain a list of all relevant materials for a particular code.

 

You can use the ? and * symbols to replace characters and to truncate your search terms. For more instructions on using these techniques, please see Approximate term queries.

Sub-collections

The Merrilees Collection (Canada, by Train)

Search Aurora with collection code coll12.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, use your keywords and add "ot=coll12”
• Searching with this code will find only older publications

Electronic Collection

Search with collection code coll11 and coll20.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, use your keywords and add "ot=coll11 OR ot=coll20”
• Searching with these codes will find older publications only

Federal Publication Locator

Strategy 1: Add a search term for searching for government publications.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, include the search string “mt:ngp”. This will return government publications from national/federal institutions
• Using this search will find new and older publications
• You could see results from national/federal institutions from other countries

 

Strategy 2: Search with collection code coll14.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, use your keywords and add "ot=coll14”
• Searching with these codes will find older publications only, so you will receive fewer results

French-Canadian Newspapers: An Essential Historical Source (1808-1919) (Database)

Search Aurora with collection code coll102.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, use your keywords and add "ot=coll102”
• Searching with this code will find only older publications

The Glenn Gould Archive (published material)

Search Aurora with collection code coll91.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, use your keywords and add "ot=coll91”
• You must use Aurora to search for published material in the Glenn Gould fonds. To search for archival materials in the Glenn Gould Archive, you must use LAC’s separate search portal

Index to Federal Royal Commissions

Search Aurora with collection code coll90.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, use your keywords and add "ot=coll90”
• Searching with this code will find only older publications

The Jacob M. Lowy Collection

Search Aurora with collection code coll4.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, use your keywords and add "ot=coll4”
• Searching with this code will find only older publications

 

Search by the shelving location for Lowy, also called “Lowy”.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, use your keywords and add “b8:Lowy”

PIKA Canadian Children’s Literature Database

Strategy 1: Add a search term for searching for juvenile publications.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, include the search string “mt:juv”
• Using this search will find new and older publications

 

Strategy 2: Search with collection code coll6. This will retrieve fewer results than Strategy 1.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, use your keywords and add "ot=coll6”
• Searching with these codes will find older publications only

Public Opinion Research Reports (PORR)

Strategy 1: Use the separate search interface to search for a PORR report. This is the easiest option and provides additional functionality.

Strategy 2: Search Aurora with collection codes coll27 and coll28.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, use your keywords and add "ot=coll27 OR ot=coll28”
• Searching with these codes will find new and older publications

Rare Books

Search by the shelving location for Rare Books. This location is called Reserve / Réserve.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, use your keywords and add “b8:Reserve”

Sheet Music From Canada’s Past

Search Aurora with collection codes coll15, coll16, coll17, and/or coll21.

• For sheet music, collection codes cover specific date ranges
  • Entire sheet music collection: coll17
  • Sheet Music pre-1900: coll16
  • Sheet Music 1900-1913: coll21
  • Sheet Music for the First World War, 1914-1919: coll15
• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, include the search string for the collection code covering the years you want
  • Entire sheet music collection: use your keywords plus search string “ot=coll17”
  • Sheet Music pre-1900: use your keywords plus search string “ot=coll16”
  • Sheet Music 1900-1913: use your keywords plus search string “ot=coll21”
  • Sheet Music for the First World War, 1914-1919: use your keywords plus search string “ot=coll15”
• Searching with these codes will find only older sheet music (for the years covered by the date ranges)

Special Editions of Canadian Newspapers

Search Aurora with collection code coll103.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, use your keywords and add "ot=coll103”
• Searching with this code will find only older publications

Theses Canada

Strategy 1: Use the separate search interface at Theses Canada.

Strategy 2: Search Aurora with collection codes coll18 and coll19.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, use your keywords and add "ot=coll18 OR ot=coll19”
• Searching with these codes will find new and older publications

Virtual Gramophone

Strategy 1: Use the separate search interface at Virtual Gramophone.

Strategy 2: Search Aurora with collection code coll24.

• When entering your search terms in the main search field or in Advanced Search, use your keywords and add "ot=coll24”
• Searching with this code will find only older (pre-1950) sound recordings