🔍 Using the Search System
🧭 Where to Find the Search Box
The search icon appears:
- On the right of the main navigation bar as a magnifying glass icon
- On mobile, inside the menu drawer
When clicked, a search box appears into which you can place your query. It is available to both public visitors and members.
This page explains what you can search, what you cannot, and how the system works for each type of user.
🛠 Search Syntax
- Space = AND
- OR works as you might expect
- Minus = NOT
- Quotes “” are used to denote an exact phrase
- Parentheses () are not supported
- Searches are case insensitive
Search Examples
- mountain tales
- Returns objects with both mountain AND tales
- mountain OR tales
- Returns objects with either mountain OR tales
- mountain -tales
- Returns objects with mountain AND NOT tales
- “mountain tales”
- Returns objects with the exact phrase “mountain tales”
Types of Search Hits
There are several main types of search hits
Photo Hits
If there is a photo in our collection that matches your search it will look like the example below. Clicking on the title of the hit opens up another page with the photo and some details. The photo that you see depends upon whether you are logged in or not
Website Hits
If a page on our website matches your search it will look like the example below. Clicking on the title of the hit opens up that web page
Physical Object Hits
If a physical object in our database matches your search it will look like the example below. Clicking on the title of the hit opens up a page giving the location of that item in our collection
Map Hits
If there is a map in our collection that matches your search it will look like the example below. Clicking on the title of the hit opens up another page with a link to the map
Document Hits
If there is a document in our collection that matches your search it will look like the example below. Clicking on the title of the hit opens up that document in Drive if you are a logged in user.
Note that, after clicking the title, you may see a dialog saying No Access Permission like the one on the left. If you are an MDDHS member, click the green Sign In button and a login dialog will appear. If your login is accepted, you will either be taken straight to the document or you will see a screen like the one on the right. If you see that screen then click the green button with the white arrow and you will be taken to the document in Drive
What You Can Search
The search returns results from
- All website pages
- Photo galleries
- Help pages
- All society documents
- The society catalogue of physical artefacts
If a public visitor searches for something that exists only in the Members area, it will appear in the results, but the visitor will not be able to access it.
👥 Members Extra Privileges
When a member clicks a search result that points to a:
- document in our database; they will be allowed to open it in Drive
- photo, they will be shown a non-watermarked higher resolution photo than visitors
- map; they will be take to more detailed map page than visitors
Members can also search inside the NAS folders directly using:
- Synology Drive
- File Station
- Synology Photos
- DSM Desktop
📞 Need Help?
For general website problems please contact the website administrator via the contact form and select Website.
If you cannot access the Members area or believe you should have additional permissions, please contact the website administrator via the contact form.
If you believe a document should appear in search results but does not, or if you need help accessing NAS files, please contact the site administrator.