Find a book

Library Search is a good starting point for finding physical and digital books in our collections. This page outlines some tips to help you search effectively. You may also find it useful to search or browse one of our subject-specific eBook collections in our Subject Guides.

On this page

 

Quick search

  • Simply type one or more words into the search box
  • To find a book by its title, enter some of the significant title words, or try a combination of author name and 2 or 3 significant title words, e.g. Davis constant struggle
  • To search for words as a phrase, type quotation marks around the phrase, e.g. "climate change".

Advanced search 

  • Build up your search query using keywords - learn more about discovering sources with keywords
  • Include boolean operators: AND, OR, NOT  
  • Choose to add filters such as publication year, format, language or content type
  • These filters can usually be found on the left of the screen on a computer, or under 'Group & Refine This Search' on a mobile device. 

Filter by Library

You can search for physical books in a particular library by using the filter 'Held by library' and selecting your preferred library.

Filter to find books or eBooks

To limit search results to books or eBooks, perform your search and then filter your results by 'Format' on the left-hand side of the screen and select 'Book' or 'eBook'. 

Access an eBook

For direct access to an eBook, click on 'View eBook' to access a link to the eBook provider's platform. Find out more about different eBook publisher platforms on our eBook restrictions and accessibility guide.

You can access and read eBooks on all your devices. IT Services provide advice and support for mobile technology (smartphones and tablets).

Find a book on the shelf

Search results will include details about the locations and availability of print resources held in our libraries. Make sure it is available, and note down the library location and full shelfmark, e.g. Wills Memorial Library, JV151 EMP.  

If you can't locate a book, ask a member of friendly library staff or use our Live Chat service.

Special collection items 

Special collection books appear in Library Search but if you would like to find out more about the collections, visit Cultural Collections.

 

Subject-specific eBook collections

  • Depending on your discipline, there may be subject-specific eBook collections available to search directly. Check out your Subject Guide for more information.
  • If you need to find literature for an assignment, see our tips on discovering sources using keywords and advanced search strategies.

 

Help accessing books

Books acquired before 1978

If you are looking for books acquired before 1978 that do not appear in Library Search, try searching our card catalogue online 

Accessing online resources

For more guidance on accessing online books and articles, see our tips for online resources.

eBooks: printing, copying and accessibility

Find out about eBook accessibility and copyright for all our major eBook suppliers.