For a much more comprehensive look at Omni, please consult the library's Omni Search Tips guide.
Omni is our academic search tool that enables you to search for books, journals, articles, videos and much more, all from one interface.
Omni enables you to search different scopes of information collections: locally at Queen's, a combined search of Queen's holdings PLUS the physical holdings of our partner libraries (default search), and beyond, via the vendor's vast database of electronic resources. Books that are not available at Queen's but are available at one of our partner libraries can be requested directly through Omni.
The Omni search box is featured on the Queen's Library homepage.
The default search in Omni is Basic Search. Enter one or more keywords into the Omni search box, choose the scope you wish to search (please note, if you are starting your search from the library homepage, the scope is automatically set to search Queen's + Omni Libraries (this can be adjusted once you've executed a search), then click the search button.
Basic Search supports the use of Boolean operators: AND, OR or NOT, and they must be entered in uppercase (e.g. activism OR protests).
To search for a specific phrase, type quotation marks around the phrase, otherwise AND is assumed between each word. (example: "global warming").
Once you have your initial search results, you can fine-tune them by using the filters on the left side of the screen.
Use the Advanced Search option for more precise searching. Using the drop-down options within the Advanced Search screen you can limit your search to:
In the right hand corner of Omni, you will see the option to sign in.
Signing into Omni will help optimize your search, and you will have access to special features, such as saving your favourite results. From your Favourites, you can label and collate personal collections and export citations to a citation manager. You can also check loans and requests, renew materials, access full text, view search history and create alerts.