Located in one room on one floor, the Library is of a manageable size for browsing. However, you are strongly recommended to use the online catalogue to locate particular titles, since it is likely that a good proportion of the stock is circulating at any one time. You can see from the individual catalogue record whether or not an item is on loan, and if so, its due date. It is also possible to recall or place a hold on an item on loan via the catalogue.
The Lee Library catalogue is available via LibrarySearch, which is the catalogue interface used by most libraries in the University.
Tips for searching
The LibrarySearch interface on the Lee Library homepage has been specially configured to search the holdings of the Lee Library only, so this is the best place to start if you want to know if a book is in the college library. If you start your search from the LibrarySearch homepage you will retrieve results from all of the libraries which contribute to the catalogue (the UL, most faculty and departmental libraries, and most colleges). Once you have a list of results you need to select Wolfson College from the drop-down menu of locations (on the right hand side of any results page) in order to limit your search to the Lee Library holdings.
Some useful notes to help with searching can be found under the 'Help' tab at the top of the LibrarySearch interface. If you have any questions about search strategies, or need assistance with a particular enquiry, please ask the Librarian. In addition, expert help on using LibrarySearch is available during training sessions run by staff at the University Library. Further information is available from their User Education pages.
Viewing catalogue records and finding the book on the shelf
Your initial results page will give you the brief record(s) of any book(s) matching your search terms. Click on any of the underlined areas in the record you want in order to view the full record, at the bottom of which is a section headed 'item availability', which lists the libraries which hold a copy or copies of the book, along with the book's classmark at that library, and availability information.
Books in the Lee Library are classified according to the Dewey Decimal Classification. The Dewey number can be found at the top of the spine of the book. Because there may be more than one book classified to that number, each book is given a running number (the number in brackets in the classmark, found at the bottom of the book's spine) so that you can pinpoint it exactly in the sequence of books on the shelf. So, the book with classmark 339 (16) is the 16th book in the sequence of books classified at 339 (the classmark for macroeconomics).
Using the Floorplan of the Reading Room, which shows the location of each sequence of classmarks (i.e. each subject area) in the library, you should be able to find the book on the shelves (provided it is not on loan). Please ask a member of Library staff if you are having difficulty.
Books with classmarks including the word 'Stack' are shelved in the basement and need to be fetched by Library staff. Most of these items are borrowable, but for reasons of space are not shelved in the main Reading Room. Please do ask if you come across one of these, as they can be fetched in a very short time.
Holds and Recalls
In the 'item availability' section of the catalogue record you can see not only the classmark of the book, but also whether it is on loan, and when it is due for return. If the book that you need is on loan, you might like to consider placing a hold or recall on it:
If you do not need it urgently, you may wish to place a hold, which means you will be notified when the books is returned to the Library, and it will be reserved for you on the shelf outside the Librarian's office for up to 4 days.
If you do require the book before it is ordinarily due back, you can recall it, effectively reducing the original loan period to 7 days from the date of the recall. Again, you will be informed by email when the book has been returned, and it will be reserved for you for 4 days.
Please note that because books in the Economics section only have a 7 day loan period they cannot be recalled, only held. If you want an Economics book which is on loan, your only option is to place a hold.
To place a hold or recall select 'check request options', next to the details of the Wolfson College copy in the list headed 'item availability'. You will then need to log in (using your University card barcode and your surname). Once logged in you can place a hold or recall as required.
Borrowing arrangements
All members of Wolfson with a Lee Library account may borrow a maximum of 10 books for up to 4 weeks at a time during Full Term. Vacation Borrowing begins on the Monday of the last week of Full Term, when books can either be issued or renewed until the Monday of the first week of the next Full Term.
Almost all items in the classmark range 330-339 (Economics) may be borrowed for 1 week only during term time. Please do not borrow a book in this category unless you are sure you will be able to return it on time.
How to borrow a book:
- Type your 5-digit University Card barcode and your surname into the appropriate boxes on the screen, and click Next
- Pull the trigger on the barcode scanner towards you, and direct the red beam to read the barcode inside the front cover of the book; the bleep indicates a successful reading
- Within a few seconds a green light will appear on top of the scanner. While this is lit, roll the bar on the front of the scanner firmly over the strip marked 'LEE LIBRARY' immediately above the barcode. this action deactivates the magnetic alarm trigger inside the book, and prevents the alarm sounding when you leave.
- When you have applied this procedure to all the items you wish to borrow, click 'Finished' on the screen to end the transaction.
The due date appears on the screen when an item is sucessfully borrowed. You will also receive a courtesy notice by email up to 3 days before the item must be returned or renewed.
Returning books
Please place all books in the returns box, underneath the self-issue terminal to the left of the Library entrance. The box is cleared each weekday morning. Please do not take any books that have been borrowed back to the shelf yourself. We need to check them in for statistical purposes.
Renewals
Standard Loan items may be renewed up to 3 times.
1 Week Loan items may be renewed up to 4 times.
Renewing online
Any item that is not already overdue or recalled by another student can be renewed online via the Cambridge Libraries Widget, as follows:
- Login via the 'Access my account' link on the Lee Library homepage of via the 'My library account' link in LibrarySearch.
- Open the 'Loans' tab and click on the book details to renew each item.
Please contact Library staff as soon as possible if you aren't able to renew online, so that we can do it for you, or let you know why it's not possible.
Security system
The security system was introduced in December 2003 in an attempt to reduce the number of unauthorized removals of books from the Library. It works by detecting active alarm triggers in books as people pass between the antennae near the door. If a book has not been borrowed correctly, the alarm will sound and the camera positioned outside the door records the incident. You will be contacted in due course by the Librarian.
The alarm can cause disturbance to people working in the Library. In order to reduce the incidence of unnecessary alarms, please make every effort to borrow books correctly at the self-issue terminal.
Please ask the Library staff if you need assistance.