Books
How are the books arranged ?
There are four main collections of books within the library.
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Most of the books are in the Lending collection and have yellow spine labels.
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The quick reference books such as dictionaries and indexes are for reference only.
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At Lancaster only there is a separate oversize collection for the larger books.
The books are arranged on the shelves in numerical order according to the Dewey Decimal Classification scheme, using numbers 0-999. You will find a list of classmarks for your subject on
your subject page.
There are different loan periods for the different collections and different borrowing entitlements.
Using the catalogue
LISS has a catalogue which can be searched from any computer with an internet connection. There are dedicated computers for searching the catalogue located within each of the libraries.
The library should stock most of the books on your reading lists, but do remember that your reading list is only a starting point and other books may be equally relevant. It is always worth checking the catalogue as useful books may be shelved at a different classmark or may be out on loan and can be requested using the "request" button.
The most efficient way of locating a specific book is with an author/keyword (word in the title) search. Check in which campus library it is held. If it is at your campus and there is a copy available, make a note of the classmark and location and collect it from the shelf. If the book you want is on loan or held in another campus library, you can request it yourself on the catalogue and it will be sent to your home library.
A printed guide to using the catalogue and ebooks is available: The Library, what's in it for me?
Reading lists
Key texts from reading lists are a priority for our students.
We will purchase at least one copy of texts identified on a reading list by your tutors as essential, recommended or background reading, where possible. One copy of an essential text will be purchased for every 15 students up to a maximum of 15 copies per site, where finances permit. You may need to request items that are in demand - you can do this from the library catalogue.
We provide electronic reading lists that link your reading list directly to the catalogue so you can easily check the availability of your books in the library. These are called Talis Lists. They can be searched by keyword, module name, unit, tutor, list name or module code. This service is only available if your tutor has added their reading list to Talis List. Staff who are interested in doing this should get in touch with their subject contact for further details.
Do remember that reading lists are only a starting point and you should search the catalogue for other relevant books.
Suggesting books for purchase
If you are a student and find the library does not stock a book that is on your reading list or any other title you think would be useful to you and other students, you can submit a Library purchase suggestion form (word document) or fill in the online suggestion form. If your Subject Learning Adviser thinks it is appropriate for the library and money is available, the book will be purchased. Orders can take anything from a couple of weeks to several months to be delivered depending on availability.
You can also use this form if you think the library needs to stock extra copies of a particular book. If a particular title is frequently requested, the library system is automatically alerted and we will buy extra copies.