Searching the Library Catalog Phebe , Bowdoin's online library catalog is the primary instrument for accessing the collections of the Bowdoin College libraries. The catalog contains electronic bibliographic records for books, video recordings, CD-ROMs, periodicals and sound recordings.
Most research begins with a subject search.
This function is both very powerful and very flexible in an online catalog. The best results are still obtained through use of standardized subject headings found in the Library of Congress Subject Headings books. And there is often inconsistency between specific subject headings in a broad subject. For example, Italian literature is a valid subject heading. Subject headings are also often subdivided into more specific categories, such as by place or by subtopic.