How do I find physical books using NELSON?

You can find books and other library resources using NELSON. It includes books you will find at the Waterside Campus, and books and journals that you can read online. It’s important that you are logged in to NELSON, as that will let you see everything that is available, and we have a guide available to help you log in. We also have video tutorials that provide an Introduction to NELSON available. 

How do I find a physical book on the shelf using NELSON?

You can search for physical books in NELSON. Type in the title, if you know it, any keywords for your topic or an author’s name into the search bar. Use the drop-down at the side to refine what you are looking for. Choose ‘Books and more’ if you need a physical book;  

You can then use the side filter and choose ‘On the shelf’ to refine it further to books and other items that are on the shelf at Waterside; 

Once you have searched, click on the book you would like. This will open the record and you will be able to see the ebook version if there is one, and where you can find the physical book at Waterside from the shelfmark. In the record below, the shelfmark is 613.71SPO. 

You will also be able to see; 

• The status of the book (whether it is available or out on loan. ‘Item in place’ means you should find it in the right place on the shelf) 

• The library barcode (it’s how we tell the difference between copies of the same book)  

• Length of loan the book is; 7 days or 28 days is the most common but there is also Reference resources cannot be loaned but can be used within the library space. 

How do I find that book on the shelf?

These are the following floors for each shelfmark in the Learning Hub; 

• Second floor; 001 to 612.99 

• Third floor; 613 to 769.99  

• Fourth floor; 770 to 999.99. 

When looking for a book on the shelves, each bookshelf has a label on the end that tells you which books are located on those shelves. You can use these to help narrow down where your book is. Once you have found the set of shelves that your book is on, you can then look at the books and the shelfmark on the side of each book, and either go ascending or descending to find your number. Once you have found the exact number, the final three letters will be sorted alphabetically. In the example above, after you have found 613.71 you would then go alphabetically until you find the 613.71 with SPO at the end. This should then be the book you have been looking for. 

I would like some help finding books

Finding books gets easier the more you do it, but it can be a little confusing at first. We have a guide available about accessing ebooks and ejournals. You can also speak to a member of library staff, we're friendly and helpful and we find books all day long. We're happy to help you access the books you're after, so don't be afraid to ask for help. We wear yellow lanyards (ribbons around our necks) so that you can spot us easily in the Learning Hub, or you can speak with us on the second floor Library Help Desk (which is near to the book shelves) during our staffed hours. 

You can also contact an Academic Librarian who can provide information and advice on books and e-books. You can book a tutorial with an Academic Librarian for guidance on finding resources.