On this page we explain how to find books, journals and other resources in the Library, including items on your reading lists.
Your VLE
If you are looking for an item on your reading list such as a book or article, first check if there is a link to it in your Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The link might take you to the item in the Library, or to a PDF of the article or chapter within your VLE. You may be prompted to log in if the link is to an item in the Library.
Library Search (formerly Summon)
If there is no link in your VLE, or if you’re looking for something that isn’t on your reading list, you can check whether it’s available in the Library using the Library Search box on the Library home page or your Study Programme Gateway.
It is usually better to enter the title of the book or article and the author’s surname, rather than the whole citation. If you are looking for a chapter within a book, it is usually better to search for the book rather than the chapter.
See our Using Library Search guide for help with using Library Search.
Finding items in databases
When your reading list directs you to a specific Library database to find something, you can log in to that database from your Study Programme Gateway and search for it there. See our Database Quick Start Guides for help with searching databases.
Get help from a librarian
If you cannot find what you are looking for, please get in touch with us in the Library team and include the full reference, or whatever information you have about the item. If it is a reading-list item, please also include the module title and code. We will check whether the item is available, and if not, whether the Library can obtain it.