Catalogues & Borrowing
Finding a book
Floorplan of the Lee Library Reading Room
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 Newton, which is the catalogue interface used by most libraries in the University.
Click here to start searching.
The catalogue is available anywhere with an internet connection. The designated terminal for catalogue searching in the Library is located to the left of the self-issue terminal, in the bay opposite the Librarian's office. Its position is intended to discourage the use of email, which causes considerable distraction to people working elsewhere in the Library. Please use the Computer Room on the ground floor for email and prolonged use of electronic resources.
Tips for searching
Wolfson's catalogue records are contained within the 'Colleges P-W' database, so make sure this has been selected before beginning your search. Without setting any further limits, you will retrieve matches for your search terms in all college libraries in the alphabetical sequence from Pembroke to Wolfson. Wolfson records are easily identifiable from the holdings information in the results summary, but you may prefer to limit your search to Wolfson records from the outset. To do this, select a Basic or Guided search as appropriate (see below), and click on 'More limits' at the bottom right hand corner of the screen. Scroll down the list of libraries in the 'Location' box, and select Wolfson: Lee Library. Click on the 'Set limits' button to return to the search screen. You will be told as long as the search limits remain in effect.
Basic & Guided Search
A Basic Search allows you to specify and search one field at a time. This is the best option for journal titles, if you know you have the correct title information.
A Guided Search allows you to combine search terms using Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT, etc.). This may offer a quicker route than a Basic Search, if you know the author and a few keywords of the title of the book you are looking for.
Further help with searching
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 Newton is available during training sessions run by staff at the University Library. Posters advertising the times of these sesions are displayed in the Lee Library each term, and further information is available from the UL's User Education pages.
The UL guide to searching Newton for books is available here.
The UL guide to searching Newton for journals is available here.
Viewing catalogue records
The classmark is displayed in the summary view of a record, but to find out if the book is actually on the shelf, or else on loan, you need to open the full record (click on any of the underlined areas).
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
The screen will show you the due date of any book that is already on loan. 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 7 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 7 days.
To place a hold or recall:
- Open the full record of the book required
- Click on the Requests tab at the top of the screen
- Select 'Wolfson College' from the drop-down list of libraries, and enter your 5-digit Wolfson barcode and surname in the appropriate boxes
- From the next screen, select a Hold or Recall request, as required
- A further box appears summarising the details of the book, and you must enter your Wolfson barcode again before clicking on 'Submit request'.
Borrowing arrangements
All members of Wolfson may borrow up to 10 books for up to 3 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.
All items in the classmark range 330-339 (Economics) may be borrowed for 1 week only. This rule applies both during term and vacation, so please do not borrow a book in this category unless you are sure you will be able to return it on time.
All books must be returned to the Library at the end of each vacation, whenever they were borrowed during the previous term.
Members discharge their own books using the self-issue terminal on top of the cupboards in the bay opposite the Librarian's office.
How to borrow a book:
- Type your 5-digit Wolfson barcode and 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 attachment 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 finished discharging 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 discharged. 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 returned books in the Returned Books 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, giving a maximum loan period for any one item of one full term and vacation.
1 Week Loan items may be renewed once only.
Renewing online
Any item that is not already overdue can be renewed online, as follows:
- From the Newton homepage, select the Colleges P-W database
- Click on the 'Your account' tab
- In the box labelled 'Library card', select 'Wolfson College' from the drop-down list of libraries
- Type your 5-digit Wolfson barcode and surname into the appropriate boxes
- This brings up a list of the items you have on loan. Check the box to the left of the title for each item you want to renew, and click the renew button at the bottom of the screen
- Logout by clicking the tab at the top of the screen.
Please contact Library staff for assistance if you need to renew overdue items.
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 be discharged 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 discharge books correctly at the self-issue terminal.
Please ask the Library staff if you need assistance.