Finding resources: Finding books

For most assignments, books will be the starting point for your research. Print and e-books will give a general introduction on a topic and an overview of key theories and concepts. Use Locate, the Library catalogue, to search for books.

Did you know?

Often, you only need to read key chapters or sections from a book, and not the whole book itself. 

Tips:

• Use the contents page, at the start of the book, to find a chapter or section relevant to your topic. 
• Refer to the index, at the end of the book, to find a particular theory, author or specific topic (e.g. an assessment tool).
• Use the search function or Ctrl + F in an e-book to find a specific topic, theory, author etc.

To find the Essential and Recommended reading for your module, go to your Reading List and search for your specific module by the course title or module code.

A wide range of ebooks are also available from Locate. To search for ebooks, enter the author's last name and one or two keywords from the title or search for your topic in the search bar on Locate. 

Sometimes, there are different access options when you select an ebook title on Locate. Some publishers will allow you to download the full text, others will limit access to 24 hours. This may involve downloading an extra piece of software, or an app if you want to read the book on a mobile device.

Note: some publishers limit access to a defined number of users at any one time. In the example below, the same ebook is available from BibliU and Ebook Central, though only 5 users can have simultaneous access from Ebook Central.

Did you know?

The library uses a classification scheme called Dewey Decimal Classification (Dewey) to organise physical books. Books written about the same subject are located at the same shelf number and can often be found on the same shelf.

You will find the Dewey number on the label either on the spine or front cover of a book.

Dewey is a hierarchical system based on ten broad areas from 000 to 900.

Books are shelved in numerical and alphabetical order by author or editor surname within a shelf number so 796.34 BRO will be shelved before 796.34 SMI. As more numbers are added to the shelf number, the topic becomes more specific.

This short video will show you how to find print and ebooks on Locate.