diff --git a/lib/server.js b/lib/server.js
index e1d0c75..61f799c 100644
--- a/lib/server.js
+++ b/lib/server.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 (function() {
-  var AdmZip, DEFAULT_LIMIT, GridStore, MongoClient, api_root, app, bodyParser, check_archive, compression, content_type, express, fs, get_from_gs, get_zipped, methodOverride, mongo_url, mongodb, mongodb_credential, mongodb_host, mongodb_port, morgan, repo_backend, request, upload_content, upload_content_data, version, yaml, zlib;
+  var AdmZip, DEFAULT_LIMIT, GridStore, MongoClient, api_root, app, bodyParser, check_archive, compression, content_type, express, fs, get_from_gs, get_zipped, methodOverride, mongo_url, mongodb, mongodb_credential, mongodb_host, mongodb_port, morgan, re_or_str, repo_backend, request, upload_content, upload_content_data, version, yaml, zlib;
 
   fs = require('fs');
 
@@ -109,18 +109,27 @@
     });
   };
 
+  re_or_str = function(src) {
+    console.log(src);
+    console.log(src[0]);
+    console.log(src[-1]);
+    if (src[0] === '/' && src.slice(-1) === '/') {
+      return {
+        "$in": [new RegExp(src.slice(1, -1))]
+      };
+    } else {
+      return src;
+    }
+  };
+
   app.route(api_root + '/books').get(function(req, res) {
     var options, query;
     query = {};
     if (req.query.title) {
-      query['title'] = {
-        "$in": [new RegExp(req.query.title)]
-      };
+      query['title'] = re_or_str(req.query.title);
     }
     if (req.query.author) {
-      query['authors.full_name'] = {
-        "$in": [new RegExp(req.query.author)]
-      };
+      query['authors.full_name'] = re_or_str(req.query.author);
     }
     if (req.query.after) {
       query['release_date'] = {
@@ -320,9 +329,7 @@
     var query;
     query = {};
     if (req.query.name) {
-      query['full_name'] = {
-        "$in": [new RegExp(req.query.name)]
-      };
+      query['full_name'] = re_or_str(req.query.name);
     }
     return app.my.persons.find(query, {
       _id: 0
@@ -360,9 +367,7 @@
     var query;
     query = {};
     if (req.query.name) {
-      query.name = {
-        "$in": [new RegExp(req.query.name)]
-      };
+      query.name = re_or_str(req.query.name);
     }
     return app.my.workers.find(query, {
       _id: 0
diff --git a/src/server.coffee b/src/server.coffee
index df4ef59..46cb0a6 100644
--- a/src/server.coffee
+++ b/src/server.coffee
@@ -90,13 +90,19 @@ upload_content_data = (db, book_id, source, cb)->
         gs.close (err)->
           cb err
 
+re_or_str = (src)->
+  if src[0] is '/' and src[-1..] is '/'
+    return {"$in": [new RegExp src[1...-1]]}
+  else
+    return src
+
 app.route api_root + '/books'
   .get (req, res)->
     query = {}
     if req.query.title
-      query['title'] = {"$in": [new RegExp req.query.title]}
+      query['title'] = re_or_str req.query.title
     if req.query.author
-      query['authors.full_name'] = {"$in": [new RegExp req.query.author]}
+      query['authors.full_name'] = re_or_str req.query.author
     if req.query.after
       query['release_date'] = {"$gte": new Date (req.query.after)}
     options =
@@ -238,7 +244,8 @@ app.route api_root + '/persons'
   .get (req, res)->
     query = {}
     if req.query.name
-      query['full_name'] = {"$in": [new RegExp req.query.name]}
+      query['full_name'] = re_or_str req.query.name
+      
     app.my.persons.find query, {_id: 0}, (err, items)->
       items.toArray (err, docs)->
         if err
@@ -265,7 +272,8 @@ app.route api_root + '/workers'
   .get (req, res)->
     query = {}
     if req.query.name
-      query.name = {"$in": [new RegExp req.query.name]}
+      query.name = re_or_str req.query.name
+
     app.my.workers.find query, {_id: 0}, (err, items)->
       items.toArray (err, docs)->
         if err