Planning Your Search

Defining your key concepts

Before you dash straight into your subject section and grab some available books, analyse the task you've been set. Our pages on How to write an essay will help you unpick the precise wording of your essay title/seminar presentation etc.

Borrowing and returning

Undergraduate Students can borrow 20 books.
Taught Graduate Students can borrow 25 books.
Loan periods vary depending on the demand for the book; normal loans are 4 weeks. Shorter loan periods include 7 days, 1 or 2 nights and even just 3 hours for books in very high demand.
The Library can recall the books you borrow early if they are reserved by someone else. We will tell you about any changes like this by e-mail.
Fines are charged on all books which are returned late, including those which have been recalled early.
The shorter the loan period the higher the fine, so be careful!
You can avoid fines by returning or renewing books in good time.
Return books to the library site you borrowed them from to help us to get them back into circulation quickly.