Welcome to the University Library for campus-based students

Click here for a distance learning focused welcome

Registered as a distance learner?

Campus based welcome

WELCOME TO THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

Using the Library Borrowing from the Library Studying at home with electronic library resources Getting help

CHOOSE a topic to explore

• How to find us
• Accessibilty guidance
• Visiting us
• Finding books
• Using the library catalogue

In this section

using the library

The University Library is in the middle of the campus, situated in leafy Ravelin Park. The main entrance opens onto Cambridge Road. We take accessibility seriously and have partnered with AccessAble to provide up-to-date accessibility information.

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how to find us

Wish you were here!

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to AccessAble

Full details about building accessibility, from parking to what to expect when you come through the door is available from the AccessAble website.

The University Library is centrally located:

• easily accessible from all teaching buildings
• next door to the Students' Union
• 5 minutes walk from Gunwharf Quays
• 2-5 minutes walk from St Pauls and Spinnaker sports centres and on the same site as the new Sports Centre

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Link

libraryaccessibility

Start with reading lists

Your online reading lists show what your lecturers most want you to read. They link to online resources and show how many copies of printed books are in the library and where to find them.

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FINDING BOOKS

The Library offers a wide variety of products and services that are useful whether you keeping up to date with current affairs or fashions!

Some resources that might interest you include:

• Online newspapers - including current and global news, and searchable historic news archives
• Print and online magazines
• Recorded television services
• Diverse film and video archives
• Music and sound resources
• Art and image databases
• Statistical and demographic data resources
• Company and market reports and sector analyses
• Historical, local, OS, and extensive digital maps
• Books and academic journals - in print and online

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BEYOND BOOKS

It is safest and quickest to identify which books look most useful before you visit the library, so that you don't end up searching for and handling more books than necessary. You can use the Library catalogue to find books and ebooks not on your reading lists.

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using the library catalogue

• Borrowing books
• Renewing and reserving
• Returning books

In this section

borrowing from THelibrary

You can borrow books that you want to take away using the self-service kiosks in the Atrium. Leave any books you do not need to borrow on a book trolley for a member of staff to reshelve.

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borrowing books

We can post books to you, free of charge. You can then keep the book until your course ends or you receive an email from us informing you that someone else has requested the book, asking you to return it. You can post books back to us but we strongly recommend using a signed for postal service to do so, such as ParcelForce48.

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postalloans

Your books will renew themselves automatically. You can also use any ebook version available.You will be able to reserve books during term time using our Click & Collect service. We will email you when your book is available to collect from the collection point in the Atrium.

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RENEWING AND RESERVING

You can return books one at a time using the self-service kiosks in the Atrium. If you are in a hurry, simply post books you no longer want in one of the returns drop-boxes in the Atrium and library staff will discharge them from your library account for you.

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RetuRNING BOOKS

• Using the VPN
• Discovery Service
• Subject pages

In this section

studyingat home online

Using the University's Virtual Private Network lets you use resources otherwise only available on campus, makes access to resources more reliable, and saves you having to log in to most resources. Setting up the VPN is a simple, one-time process, after which you can log in and use the University network for any academic work whenever you want. Click here for a video guide to setting up the VPN. If you have any questions or want someone to talk you through the setup process, please get in touch.

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usingthe vpn

The EBSCO Discovery Service finds books, ebooks and journal articles from most Library resources from a single simple search. It offers powerful tools to help you quickly to refine your searches and find the most useful high-quality scholarly evidence for your assignments and research.

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EBSCODISCOVERY SERVICE

Link

Your subject page(s) provide links to more powerful subject resources that go beyond the Discovery Service to find specialist subject information. For law, design and engineering your subject page should be your starting point for every search. You can also contact your Faculty Librarian through your subject pages, for those times when you need truly in-depth subject help. Subject pages

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Subjectpages

• 24/7 help
• Subject teams
• Library blog and social media
• IT support
• Accessibility support

In this section

24/7 help andsupport

Our friendly enquiry team and out-of-hours service are here to help you 24/7 every day of the year. Click on the online chat or question mark buttons on the library website to ask us anything library related. You can also book a librarian for a longer and more in-deoth face-to-face or online video chat. We can help you to:

• choose the best eresources to search for your assignments
• log in and use databases and other eresources
• find the information you need using eresources
• evaluate the academic quality of sources
• cite and reference information you have used

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24/7help

Your subject team, led by your Faculty Librarian(s), are the definitive experts in the information resources for their subject area and will be able to help you find the most obscure and complex information. If you want a video chat with your Faculty Librarian, or for them to demonstrate eresources to you, let them know several dates and times that you are available and they will offer you an appointment.

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subjectteams

The Library blog offers tips, tricks, news, expert advice on everything from wellbeing and study skills to resource reviews and opinion pieces. Varied and fun, it is a great way to keep up to date with everything library and be introduced to new ideas. Follow @uoplibrary on Instagram and Facebook for the latest news, updates and events

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liblog andsocial media

IT Helpers in the library and the IS Service Desk offer computing support, including:

• installing and using networked software
• VPN setup and problem troubleshooting
• login issues for Moodle
• other computing issues

You can find current information on known IT problems, phone or chat to an IT Helper online and more through the IS Service Desk website.

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itsupport

Everyone learns best in different ways. Whether you prefer to listen to the spoken word rather than read from a page or collage your notes visually, there are a variety of apps that can help. Click here to read more about apps to personalise your learning. If you have any kind of visual impairment, difficulty reading text, or any other specific learning challenges, please let us know as soon as possible because we may be able to make resources, particularly printed books, available in alternative, more accessible formats. Click here for information about what we can offer.

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Accessibilitysupport

Hopefully, this whistlestop tour of Library services and facilities has given you some idea about how the Library can help you in your studies. Before you go, remember that friendly Library staff are here to help you. You can chat with a librarian 24/7 and you can pop in and chat with a librarian in person between 11 am - 3 pm Mondays to Fridays. You can also email us at any time and we will get back to as soon as we can - often within a few minutes if it's during office hours. Click here for an overview of the ways you can get library help

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WE're here to help