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About Primo:  

The Primo Search System: Functions, Capabilities, and Limitations

What is Primo?

The Primo system searches for books, periodicals, and DVDs in the library's collections, as well as articles, e-books, and digital media from many of our research databases and online subscriptions. Search results can include a variety of different types of information sources that are ranked by relevance -- that is, the system determines which items are most likely to be useful to you and presents them at the top of the list.

Primo is like an Internet search tool, except it searches library catalogs and research databases with subscriber-only premium content. And it has more options for refining your search results.

Search Types

The library has a wide range of information resources to fulfill different needs. We've configured these searches so you can choose the types of resources that best fulfill your needs.

Library Catalog + Articles
Everything included in the Library Catalog and Articles searches described below. Search results are ranked by relevance and include different types of resources, so books and articles likely to be useful appear at the top of the list. You can re-sort and refine the results.
Library Catalog
Books, e-books, DVDs, and streaming audiovisual content from the library's collections. Also includes the Leeward CC digital repository. These resources are great for getting a fundamental understanding of a particular topic.
Articles
Magazine and journal articles from the library's research databases and other carefully selected sources. Also includes e-books, online reference sources, and streaming audiovisual content. Articles are great for getting current information, or for understanding developments over time.
Print Books + DVDs
Physical items from the library's collections.
Course Reserves
Materials provided & selected by faculty to support specific courses. Includes books available for short-term loan and e-books. Search by course, instructor, or for specific items. See also this list of items on reserve.
All UH Libraries Catalog
Search the collections of all UH system libraries. Does not include e-items unavailable to Leeward CC students, staff, and faculty.
UH Digital Repositories
Reports, publications, and documents produced by the University of Hawaiʻi. Includes the ScholarSpace, eVols, OER, and Leeward Community College digital repositories. A good source for learning about UH-conducted research. More about digital repositories.

Other Available Searches

These specialized searches are available from the links along the top of the Primo screen.

Newspapers
Articles from newspapers are only available through this search. You can find articles from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser here.
Citations
See if a specific article is available from one of our databases, using the article's citation information.
Browse
Search by title, author, subject, series, or call number. Examples: Type in a book title (or the beginning of a title) and you'll see a alphabetical list of matching or close titles. Type in a name (last name first) to see a list of names to find books written by or about someone.
Journals
See if we have access to a particular publication. Search by title, category, or ISSN.
Collections
Focused lists of books, including those in our ESL graded reader collection, Bestsellers collection, New Books display, Hawaiiana resources, and more.

Not Available in Primo

Some databases and online publications are not compatible with Primo. You'll have to search these directly: