• Use the Brandel LIbrary online catalog to find items in the Brandel Library. 
• You can expand your search to find and order items from other Illinois academic libraries as well (see the box to the right for instructions). 
• Catalog Search Tips
  • The Brandel Library website includes a single search box on the home page, using a keyword search of everything in all formats in our collections.
  • For more precise searches, click on the "Brandel Catalog" tab at the center of the page. This will bring you to the Library catalog with a variety of search options.
  • The default search setting for the search box on the catalog page is keyword, which will retrieve the records that mention your search term somewhere in the catalog record for the book.
  • The drop-down menu offers more precise search options: title, author, and subject.
  • Title and author (last name, then first name) are most useful when you know part or all of either of those pieces of information about the item you want.
  • Subject searching will help you identify resources that address your subject in a significant way (rather than mentioning it in passing).
    • Enter the specific terms of your subject and the related terms and phrases that the reference work articles identified for you.
  • For a more detailed search using limiters that will specify your search and allow you to enter more than search one term or phrase at a time, click on "Advanced Search" below the drop-down box.
    • You can specify dates, formats, publishers, language, and other item information to include or exclude options.
  • These more detailed limiters can also be applied after you have searched, by clicking on the various facets on the right hand side of the screen that provides your search results.

Helpful search terms (as Subject, not Keyword) for book searches for the five paper topics in the catalog include the following (note that some differ from the ATLA Plus Religion Database terms):

• Jewish Sabbath Laws and the Practice of Jesus

Sabbath (Jewish law)

Sabbath - Biblical teaching

• Jewish Sects and Jesus’ Relationship to them

Sadducees

Pharisees

Essenes

Qumran community

Zealots (Jewish party)

• Ancient Synagogues

Synagogues -- Palestine -- History -- to 1500

Synagogues -- Middle East -- History -- to 1500

Synagogue architecture -- Palestine -- History

Synagogue architecture -- Middle East -- History

• Jewish Views of Divorce and Remarriage and Jesus' Perspective

Divorce (Jewish law)

Divorce (Jewish law) - History

Divorce - Biblical teaching

• Jewish Views of Women and Jesus' Practice

Women in Judaism

Women in Judaism - History

Women in Judaism - Israel - Galilee - History - to 1500

Jewish Women

Jewish Women - Israel - Galilee - Social conditions

Women - Biblical teaching

Women in the Bible

• Jewish Purity Laws and Jesus' Perspective

Purity, Ritual - Judaism

Purity, Ritual - Judaism - History of doctrines

Purity, Ritual - Biblical teaching

• Jewish Views on Roman Imperial Power in Judea and Jesus' Perspective

Church history - Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600

Jesus Christ - Person and offices

Jesus Christ - Political and social views

Jews - History - 168 B.C.-135 A.D.

Jews - History - Rebellion, 66-73

Jews - Judea (Region) - Politics and government

Palestine - History - 586 B.C.-70 A.D.

Political culture - Judea (Region) - History

Rome -- History -- Empire, 30 BC-284 AD

Rome - Politics and government - 30 B.C.-68 A.D.

• Apocalypticism and the World View of Jesus

Apocalyptic literature

Apocalyptic literature AND Judaism

• Physical Structure and/or Religious Significance of the Jerusalem Temple

Temples - Jerusalem

Temple of Jerusalem (Jerusalem)

Temple of Jerusalem (Jerusalem) - History

Temple of Jerusalem (Jerusalem) in the Bible

• Israel's Concrete Hope for Restoration in Jesus' Theology

Jews - Restoration - Biblical teaching

Restoration of the Jews in rabbinical literature

• If you would like to search for items in the approximately 90 I-Share libraries, click on the "I-Share Search" at the top of the Brandel Library Home Page." 

• You can order items from other I-Share libraries free of charge.
  • ​You will need to create an I-Share account (which is not the same as your NPU Brandel account) and establish a username and password (which does not need to be your NPU username and password).
  • An I-Share account can be created by clicking on the "create a new account" tab on the screen that appears when you attempt to request a book.

• Books ordered through the I-Share catalog may arrive in 4-5 days, but most arrive within 7-14 days.
  • You will receive an email from Brandel Library when they arrive.
  • You can renew most items online through the catalog.  

Search for books from thousands of libraries worldwide and have them delivered to you here at North Park. This service is free to all North Park students, faculty, and staff. Because these items are coming from out of state they may take longer to arrive than I-Share items.