Let’s get one thing straight: all libraries are fantastic. But especially as a university student, it makes sense to get comfortable with the place on campus where all the useful books are –when you’re lumbered with a 3,000 word essay on Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, you’re going to need all those lovely extra sources. Check out their website here.

 

 

The Basics

 

-The library is the massive building on (surprisingly) Library Road, on the left side of the bridge. It’s to the right of the Humanities building (facing the porter entrance). It has five floors, not including the floor beneath the library, which is the library cafe.

 

-The first two floors are a place for group work (read: work where you can talk a bit). The collections section, the main desk and the coffee shop are on the ground floor. There’s also a large computer hub on the second floor for quieter study.

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-The Floor Two extention and floors three to five are silent for individual study. Woe betide people who speak on these floors, especially in term three.

 

Handy Hint: floor Three will probably be your best friend during your time as an English Literature student, as that’s where most of the humanities books are kept.

 

 

Go to the Inductions

 

The library always has inductions in the first two weeks of term. You’ll also get a goody bag, containing lots of treats – in the past these have included bottle openers, pens, mini torches and all sorts of wonders – as an added incentive. Make sure to check by the library on a free afternoon in the first two weeks to learn a few things about the place that might just save your degree, including details on how to take books out and put them back, how to look up books, and tips for navigating Encore.

 

 

Taking Books Out

 

-Make a list of the books you want ahead of time. Most modules have a “recommended reading” list on their module webpage. Whether it’s some handy background reading or a key source, often a lot of the books you need will be laid out for you on that site. It means you’re not the person with the squeaky shoes wandering endlessly back and forth down the aisles searching for any old books with no idea where to go.

 

-It’s worth checking books on the internet before you go in. Sometimes books for whatever reason, aren’t to hand in the library at all, despite being on the reading list. The library website contains a service called Encore, the database for all books in the library. Simply type in the title of the book you want (or a vague search term). From here you can find the classmark for each book, author, and its availability – if the library stocks it.

 

-Make a note of the classmark. Each book has its own unique code, known as a classmark. These are arranged by letter, which indicates a certain subject, then by number. Certain letters are stored on certain floors – they are not necessarily alphabetically arranged. A classmark will be something like PR 389.4 , which looks a lot scarier to find than it actually is. The first letter(s) (in this case, PR) will give you an indication of which floor to find the book on, and also which section of the floor to find it. The number will indicate the shelves, which are clearly labelled on each floor. 

 

-Getting a reserve is a good option. Sometimes popular textbooks are unavailable to take out because someone else got there first. Don’t despair, however – if you go online to encore, you can always take out a reserve on each book. You will be put in a queue of other people who require the book on a first come, first served basis. Once the person is finished with it, you’ll be first (or third, fourth, twenty-fifth etc) in line to receive it, and will receive an email when it’s ready to pick up from Collections. Keep in mind that during essay seasons, key texts WILL GO very quickly and the reserve lines are long. Be the smart cookie who takes out books weeks, if not months, before essays are due.

 

-Have a bag to hand to carry your books home. Carrying a stack of eight 1000 page textbooks home to your room through the rain isn’t fun. Bring a tote bag or a backpack – don’t forget that the library will give out free ones in the first few weeks of term.

 

-Take your books out and return them when you’re finished with them. On the ground floor are the machines to take books out and bring them back. To take them out, you will need your university card, but to send them back, you simply have to put them on the magical conveyor belt without the need to scan your card. Late returns will always result in a hefty fine, and you don’t want that to happen!

 

 

 The Mythical Electronic Shelves

 

You might hear certain legends about the electronic shelves up on the third floor extensions. Library inductions will go through extensively how to use these shelves, but here’s a few rules of thumb: make sure all red dots are off, and then press the arrow to move the shelf. IF THE SHELVES ARE NOT WORKING, do contact a member of staff. If you find the walls closing in on you, simply stick your foot under the shelves, and the sensor will stop them, and you won’t look like a cheap Indiana Jones knock-off, running for the hills while Kafka closes in on your from either side.

 

Trust us – this will all make much, much more sense when you find these mythical beasts in your first (or second) term.

 

 

Term Three

In term three the library often becomes packed by 10AM. There are two techniques to bagging a space – either getting up extremely early, or becoming nocturnal. In the event that you can do neither, there are other learning areas (such as the Learning Grid or Rootes Learning Grid) which are available for study areas.

 

 

Technological Bits and Bobs

The library has a Twitter account, a Facebook page, and a Youtube account , all of which are infinitely useful to follow and have a gander at.