Database instructions

1. Search Function

The search window is divided into two sections

1.1. Entry Fields

To search for emblem books, use the entry fields on the top left half of the search window. Here you can search for the author [>Autor<], title [>Titel<], artist [>Künstler<], publisher/printer [>Verleger/Drucker<], place of publication [>Verlags-/Druckort<], and date of publication [>Erscheinungsjahr<] of a work.

Truncation searching allows you to retrieve documents containing variations on a search term. To execute a truncation search, type the first few letters (stem) of the keyword followed by an asterisk (*), for example"Kh*" for the author "Khuen, Joseph Cajetan". Entering only the truncation symbol in any given entry field of the emblem book search engine, you will obtain all available works in the database with their short title, first author, place of publication and year of publication.

To search for individual emblems, use the entry fields on the top right half of the search window. You may search by picture subject, any term in the motto, a Bible passage, a day, or a person to whom an emblem is dedicated. The field Bible passage [>Bibelstelle<] allows you to search for a passage from Scripture that serves as the basis for a sermon (e.g. Dilherr or Labia). When entering a Bible passage you should use the book abbreviation corresponding to the usage of the Latin Vulgate. For example, to search for "Song of Songs 11,8-17", enter "Ct 11,8-17." To view a list with the Vulgate abbreviations click on the question mark link. Under day [>Tag<] you can select from a menu of feast days in the Catholic or Protestant liturgical year to which a particular sermon is devoted.

Clicking the Start search button [>Suche starten<] sends your request to the server; clicking the button Delete entries [>Eingaben löschen<] clears all fields for a new search. It is possible to perform combined searches by entering search terms both into the right field for specific emblems and into the left field for emblem books. Entering, for example, Dilherr as author and * as motif, the search result will yield a full list of all the emblems contained in Dilherrs works.s

Note that all entries in the database are in German and retain their contemporary spelling. Furthermore, umlauts (ä, ö, ü) are used so that the transcriptions "ae", "oe", and "ue" will attain no results. If your keyboard does not permit umlauts, your entries will still work with the use of the plain vowel, as for example "Lowe" instead of "Löwe".

1.2. Index Search

In the lower half of the search window, an index search offers an alphabetical list of the entries registered in the database.

Begin by choosing your search category in the window >Wählen Sie bitte einen Index aus< ("Please select an index"). Available categories include authors [>Autoren<], artists [>Künstler<], publisher/printer [>Verleger/Drucker<], keyword [>Stichwort<], motto [>Motto<] in various languages (note that languages with only a small number of mottoes are grouped under >sonst.< ["other"]), Bible citation [>Bibelzitat<], Bible passage [>Bibelstelle<] and person [>Person<].

After entering the first letter you can start the search by clicking on the button >Register auswählen< ("Select index").

In the index search you will find the additional categories keyword [>Stichwort<] and Bible citation [>Bibelzitat<]. Under "keyword" you will find a detailed alphabetical list of keywords for the picturae represented in the emblems. Keywords are accompanied by specifications. For example, the term 'Sonne' ("sun") is specified by various terms in brackets such as 'Sonne (aufgehende S.)'["sun (rising sun)"], 'Sonne (im Meer versinkend)' ["sun (setting over the sea)"], or 'Sonne (und Sonnenblume)' ["sun (and sunflower)"].

Note that the category >Bibelzitat< ("Bible citation") differs from the previously mentioned >Bibelstelle< ("Bible passage"). The index "Bible citation" lists all passages of Scripture that are cited in the emblems in any form. However, this index does not take into account citations constituting the subject of a sermon. The biblical books are quoted according to the abbreviations of the Latin Vulgate. To view a list with the Vulgate abbreviations click on the question mark link.

2. Display of search results

A list of search results will be displayed from which a given number of entries can be selected for full display by clicking on the appropriate box.

For emblem books, the search results display the short title, first author, place of publication and year of publication.

For individual emblems, the search results will display a description of the picture, a short title of the work and the location. For searches using the field >Bildmotiv< ("picture subject"), the search term will be highlighted in the search result. Note that because a search for a "picture subject" is conducted on the basis of keywords whose terminology occasionally vary from that of the description of the picture, at times you will also find among your results descriptions of pictures which do not actually contain the search term you used. Thus the description of a picture showing Jason's "Argo" may not necessarily contain the word "ship". Nevertheless, the emblem would register a hit for the picture subject "ship" because the term "ship" is used as one of the keywords in the database.

The button >Zurücksetzen< ("restore") at the end of the results page deselects all entries, while >Alle auswählen< ("select all") selects all entries. A click on >Auswahl anzeigen< ("display selection") gives the full display of the selected objects including a preview of the digitized page of the original edition. For emblem books, first image generally shows the frontispiece or title page. Sometimes the first scanned page only contains the call number of the copy.

Clicking on the thumbnail allows you to zoom in on the image and to turn the pages of the emblem book.

3. The Zoom Server

A click on the thumbnail of the emblem or the emblem book opens a new window with an enlarged image in pdf-format. You can turn the pages of the emblem book by clicking on the arrows below the image. The pdf-document can be downloaded and printed.

The frame to the left of the image displays the table of contents, which gives direct access to the various sections of the emblem book on view. Note that it is not possible to switch between full image view and full record while turning the pages of the pdf-document. Close the zoom-window to return to the full record,.

Please do not hesitate to send us your comments concerning the contents of the database, the text of the database instructions, as well as any technical problems you should encounter.