Library of Latin Texts Online
- Introduction
- Access to the Library of Latin Texts
- Navigation and On-screen Help
- Searching the Resource
- Displaying and Printing your results
- Saving your searches
- Exiting the Library of Latin Texts
- Help
- Academic Liaison Librarian: Clare White
Introduction
Library of Latin Texts (Database for the Western Latin tradition) is the world's leading database for Latin texts. It contains texts from the beginning of Latin literature (Livius Andronicus, 240 BC) through to the texts of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). It covers all the works from the classical period, the most important patristic works, a very extensive corpus of Medieval Latin literature as well as works of recentior latinitas including texts from the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. The complete works of writers such as Cicero, Virgil, Augustine, Jerome, Gregory the Great, Anselm of Canterbury, Bernard of Clairvaux and Thomas Kempis can thus be consulted. The texts have been taken from the Corpus Christianorum series and from many other leading editions.
Each search-query shows the results in the context of a sentence, but from here the user can consult the whole text of the work. Texts can also be accessed through an index of author and work references.
Access to the Library of Latin Texts
Ways to access Library of Latin Texts. All databases are accessible via MetaLib
- Find MetaLib from the University homepage: follow
either Student home | Library | MetaLib gateway (under Quick Links)
or Staff home | Library | MetaLib gateway (under Quick Links)
or
- Go directly to MetaLib at http://metalib.york.ac.uk
When you get into MetaLib, choose the Find Database tab. Locate Library of Latin Texts from the alphabetical list of databases and click on the Library of Latin Texts link. Library of Latin Texts will open in a new window.
From the Brepolis website, click on the Enter Databases button and then click on the Go button next to the title Library of Latin Texts.
Navigation and On-screen Help
You can move between the screens of this database by using the Back and Forward buttons on your web browser and by using the static buttons on the left side of the screen. You can use the Language option to change the language of the interface, you may choose from English, German, French or Italian. For more detailed information about CLCLT and a full list of the authors and works included in this resources, click on the Guide. |
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Searching the Resource
You may search the Library in two ways:
Table of Contents (ToC)
The ToC allows you to locate individual works by an author by searching an A-Z list of Authors. You can then navigate through the tree structure i.e. Author, text and page levels, to the line you require by clicking on the + sign. Click on the line number to open a full text display of the page you wish to look at. |
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Using the Search Screen.
Access the search screen by clicking on the Search button on the left hand side of the screen. The search screen will allow you to search by word-form, and will provide you with the option to include Wildcards and Boolean operators in your search strategy.
Wildcards
| * | any number of unspecified characters; ebora* find forms beginning with ebora; *mulc* finds forms containing -mulc-; *-g finds Greek words and characters. |
| ? | one unspecified character; dic?mus finds dicamus, dicimus, dicemus, etc. |
Boolean Operators
A blank space between words will lead to a search of the database for the words in the order that you have entered them. For example, gaudeamus igitur finds sentences containing these two words in this order.
You may choose to use the Boolean operators OR, AND and NOT to refine your search, which are represented by the following symbols:
| + | This represents AND i.e. gaudeamus+igitur finds sentences containing these two words |
| , | This represents OR i.e. gaudeamus,igitur finds sentences containing either word. |
| # | This represents NOT i.e. gaudeamus#igitur finds sentences containing gaudeamus but not when it appears with igitur. |
Adjacency Operators
Use the following symbols to further refine your search. One can be used to specify how close two words must be, whilst the second allows you to select the order that the words must appear in:
| / | Specifies space between two forms; (/5 uoc* altison*) This will find any words beginning with ouc and altison, where there are five other words separating them. |
| % | An order of appearance as well as proximity; (%5 uoc* altison*) This will find any sentences that have words beginning with ouc and altison, appearing in this order with five words separating them. |
Click on 
to access the index for each search field.
You can also choose to restrict your search to a particular author or time period by using filters. You can choose from the following options: Author, Title, Clauis, Period or Century.
You may do this either by using the Browselist, or by entering a term in the search field and clicking on Select.
This will open a second window, with a list of options from which you may select your limit.
Displaying and Printing your results
From your list of search results click on the highlighted blue text to access the full text.
The page will display with the lines that you have chosen highlighted within the body of the full text.
From the full text screen click on the book icon to access background information about the text that you have chosen
The printer icon allows you to print the page that you are viewing.
Saving your searches
If you wish to re-use your search criteria at a later date, click on the 
Button, which is located in the lower right hand of the search screen. You will be asked to name the search for future reference. When you wish to re-run the search you will need to import the search criteria by clicking on Load Query.
Be warned this only works if you are using the same machine that you first ran the search on!
Exiting the Library of Latin Texts
When you have finished your searches and have saved and printed any results you wish to keep, click on Exit from the menu bar on the left hand side of your screen.
Help
For further help and more detailed advice on how to search, please select the online guide from the menu bar.
