Library - FAQ

To address the demand for items in our print collections and to conform with health and safety guidance and social distancing measures, the Library is offering a safe and contactless Click & Collect book request service where registered staff and students can request items to be collected at an arranged time.

This service is available for items housed in all our branch libraries.

To request items, first visit the Library Catalogue and make sure that you sign in through the link in the top right-hand corner.

To search for books, you will need to search under the BU Library Collections search scope.

Type in the title of the specific book you are looking for, it often helps to add the author's surname if it is a common title, or type in keywords if you are searching for general books on a topic.

When you find your book listed in the results, click on the book’s title to open the full record.

If you have signed in, you will find a link to Place a hold request (reserve a book), click on the link and you will be asked to select a Pickup Location.  Please select the library you would like to collect your reserved item from. If you have any comments or special requirements, you can type them into the Comment field. Click Request to complete the process.

We will email you to allocate a pick-up slot when your requested item(s) is ready for collection. You will need to confirm the appointment in the email or reply to suggest an alternative time if you can't make that slot. Collection slots are currently allocated between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday (9am - 2pm Monday to Thursday in Wrexham).

Please do not travel to your selected Library until you have received your ‘ready to collect’ email confirmation.

We ask that you bring your student card with you. If you are nominating someone to collect the books on your behalf, please let us know when replying.

On arrival, please use the hand sanitizer provided and follow the 2m social distancing guidelines.

Please press the intercom button in the library foyer in the Main Library to alert library staff that you are waiting. They will open the doors for you to enter. At the collection point you will be asked to step forward to pick up your books which will have already been issued on to your account. There will be designated collection points at the other libraries, where library staff will ask for you to show your student card / ID before asking you to step forward to pick up your books.

Please note.

• Please allow two working days from placing your request to receiving your allocated time slot.
• If you choose to collect an item from a different library to where the item is housed, it may take an extra day or two for the item to be delivered to your preferred collection library. 
• The service is intended to address the immediate need for access to books, we kindly ask that you only place requests for books that you intend to collect within the week. We do not have the capacity to process advance requests for books that are needed for later use.
• The service is restricted to registered students and members of staff only.  We are not able to extend the service to LINC y Gogledd, Sconul or any other associate library members at the time being.
• If you are unable to make your allocated time-slot, please email iss808@bangor.ac.uk to rearrange at your earliest convenience.
• If you are having problems placing requests or have any questions or concerns, please email us at library@bangor.ac.uk

Library Search, the University’s Library Catalogue is the key to discovering resources in the Library.  Library Search is divided into 4 search scopes Everything, BU Library Collections, Articles Search and Bangor E-Resources.

The relevant search scope can be selected either from the drop down menu at the end of the search box

or by selecting the relevant scope that appears beneath the search box as you type in your search terms

Everything: Searches all the collections, both print and electronic and can be expanded to include citations where no full text access is available

BU Library Collections: Searches for all materials held by Bangor University including books, e-books, bibliographic databases, journal titles, DVDs, CDs, theses and music scores

Articles search: Searches for journal and newspaper articles as well as conference proceedings and book chapters

Bangor E-Resources: Searches for e-books, e-journals, databases and a number of digitised Bangor PhD theses 

To find books, you should select the "BU Library Collections" scope, Type as much information as you have about your book into the search box including words in the title and the author name, then press enter.

When you find an item in Library Search, if it is available to borrow, it will display an Available at status with the location and call number listed. Click on the Available at link to view multiple copies. Note down the location and call number to help you find the book on the shelf. The location will tell you in which library you will find the book and in which section.  The call number is the system we use to find the book on the shelf.

If you click on an item's title in your search results it will show you more information about the item and include searchable subject terms, useful if the sytem has not returned many results.

If your search has retrieved too many items, you can refine by using the limiters on the right of the screen (for example) items housed in a particular library, or those published after a given date.

You can also limit your results to e-books only, by performing your search as above and then using the filters on the right of the screen, Resource Type: Books and E-Books and Show Only: Online Access

If you want to keep a record of your search, you can save items by pinning them to your favourites (clicking the pin icon) and export your search results to your e-mail address or favourite Reference Management tool. Your 'favourites' is a personalised area of the Library Search interface, where you are able to store a list of books and articles and search strategies.  You will need to sign in to Library Search to enable all features.  You can export your favourites to email or a Reference Manager by clicking on the three dots which will reveal your export options.

If you want to find items on a particular reading list for a certain module, you can do this by clicking on the Reading List link on the left side of the Library Catalogue home page,

and then typing in your module title or module code and selecting the current year of study.