Boolean logic allows you to create a search using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT). These operators allow you to create searches that are more focused than NoveList's other searches. Boolean logic and operators are not unique to NoveList. If you are familiar with these concepts and techniques, you can use your knowledge to search NoveList. If you are unfamiliar with Boolean logic or operators or if you need a quick review, the information presented below may be helpful.

AND: This operator requires that a record have both or all of your search criteria in order to be retrieved in your search results list. Titles having only one or less than all of your search terms will not appear in your result list. You can use a Boolean AND to focus your search so that you only get titles that are of interest to you. For example, a search for "colonization AND Mars" will only retrieve titles that contain both words in the record (the violet in the Venn diagram) and not titles that only have the word colonization in them. In this case, using AND narrows your search so that you do not retrieve titles that deal with the colonization of countries instead of Mars. Using the AND operator is a way to narrow your search when you get too many titles in your result list.

OR: This operator requires that a record have at least one of the words that you entered in your search. Mystery readers could enter "murder OR kidnapping" to find books that involved either a murder OR a kidnapping (violet in the Venn diagram). Using the OR operator would not require that a book have both a murder AND a kidnapping in order to appear on the list. Using the OR operator is a way to broaden your search when you get too few titles in your result list.

NOT: Sometimes we know what we don't want in a book. You can use the NOT operator to make sure that books in your result list do not contain something that you do not like or something that does not interest you. A reader who is interested in suspense novels that involve terrorists but isn't interested in Irish terrorists could enter: "terrorists NOT Irish" (violet in the Venn diagram). This search would retrieve titles that involve terrorists but NOT titles that involve Irish terrorists. Using the NOT operator is a way to specifically narrow your search when you get too many titles in your result list.

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