Books are often the first thing people think about when they think about the library so on Day 1 of 5 Days of Library we’re going to make sure you can find the books you need!
Finding a Book via your Reading List
Your lecturers will often recommend textbooks and other reading for your modules. Start here when you want to find out more about a topic. You can find a module’s reading list on Canvas; navigate to the relevant module and select ‘Reading List’ on the left of the screen. The reading list is integrated with iFind, the library catalogue, so you’ll get up to date information on the availability of books on the shelves and links to access online resources like ebooks and journal articles.
Finding a Book via iFind
Your reading list is a great place to start, but you will also be expected to find your own reading for your assignments. You can use the library catalogue, iFind for that! Access iFind at ifind.swansea.ac.uk or via the widget in the MySwansea app. You can search for a specific title or for books on a particular topic. Why not have a go now? Follow the link to iFind and do a search for study skills. There are a lot of materials in the catalogue, but you can narrow your results using the filter options on the left of the results page.
Ebooks
Lots of our books are available as ebooks to make it easier for you to access them. When you click on a title in iFind, you’ll see a link to ‘View Online’ if it’s available as an ebook. Just click the link to start reading!
Finding a Book on the Shelves
Once you’ve found what you want on iFind, you’ll need to find the book in the library. So how do you do that? Well, first you’ll need to check which of Swansea University’s libraries have copies of the book! You’ll find that information on iFind – click the title of the book and scroll down to Locations. Next you’ll need to know the call number– you’ll find that on iFind too, and it will look something like this:
All of our books have call numbers on their spines and are shelved in order. When you’re looking for a call number, find the letters first and then look for the numbers. At Bay Library and St David’s Park Library, everything is on one floor – which means you can follow the shelves from A through to Z relatively simply. At Singleton Park Library there are books on three different floors and five different wings, which can be more challenging, especially when you’re new! If you can’t find your way around, a member of staff will be happy to point you in the right direction or find it themselves if you’re really stuck. You’ll soon get to know where your books are!
Further help
Find out about Borrowing, renewing and requesting library items on our website. This is where you’ll find out how many items you’re allowed to borrow and how you know when to bring them back!
Make sure you get the most out of your library service by reading our guide to Getting Started with the Library.