Skip to Main Content

English: Books

mySearch

mySearch is an interface which allows you to search across a range of library resources simultaneously, including books, journal articles and databases.

Finding books in the library

The Library's book collection can be accessed using the mySearch. When you find a print book, note down the details of the shelfmark, including the letters after the number e.g. 371.30281 COT.

E-books can be accessed by clicking on the full-text link in the book record. 

Renew & Reserve Books

Renew books

All items will be loanable for one week initially and will be automatically renewed every week for a further 7 days each time, up to a maximum of 99 times. However, if an item you have on loan is reserved or recalled for another borrower, it will not be renewed. Please return such items as soon as possible and within 7 days of a recall notice. If reserved or recalled items are not returned you will be prevented from borrowing more items and you may be charged for a replacement.


Reserving books

Our reservations service allows you to reserve a book or DVD when all copies are out on loan.

When a copy becomes available, we will put it aside for you and send you an email to let you know it's here.

Please see the sections below on how to place a reservation and where to collect it from.

Viewing and downloading e-books

Library e-books

Library e-books are ordinarily viewed through a web browser. This means they can be viewed on any device and don't have to be downloaded (see below). There are many advantages to using e-books including

Full-text searching - Search within the text of all the e-books held in a particular collection for a subject or keyword. This is an efficient way to find relevant information on a particular topic.

Bookmark, Highlight and Annotate - All notes can be saved so that next time you sign into an e-book all of your notes will be there

Please note that some e-books only let a few people access them at any one time

Downloading e-books

All e-books will allow you to download a fair usage amount (often around 5%) as an unrestricted pdf file. 

In some cases you will be able to download the entire e-book for a limited period. Click on the images to get instructions for doing this.

English classifications for finding print books on the Library shelves

Books on the library shelves are arranged according to a numerical classification system. Each book is assigned a number which relates to its subject and locates books on similar topics together. The classification or shelfmark can be seen on book spine.

The Classification numbers that relate to English can be found below. 

Subject area

Shelf classification

Communication

302.2

Discourse analysis

401.41

Literary theory and criticism

801.95

Rhethoric and anthologies

808

History & criticism of literature: poetry

809.1

History & criticism of literature: drama

809.2

History & criticism of literature: prose

809.3

Literature dealing with specific themes

809.93

American (US) literature in English

810

American poetry

811

American drama

812

American novels

813

History of English Literature

820.9

English poetry

821

English drama

822

Shakespeare

822.33

English fiction

823

English miscellaneous writings

828

Latin and Greek literature

870-889