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 an ebook using NELSON?
You can search for ebooks in NELSON. Type in the title if you know it, any keywords for your topic or an author’s name into the search bar. Choose ‘Books and more’ if you need an ebook.
When you have the search results, a filter menu will appear on the left-hand side. At the top, you will see a button saying ‘Online’. If you tick it and then ‘Apply Filters’, you will only see ebooks;
Your result list will then show all available ebooks. Click on your chosen result and then click ‘Available Online’;
In this instance there are two options, we’re going to pick Ebook Central;
Different databases and publishers will have different ways of logging in or presenting ebooks. By logging into NELSON first this will normally carry all your details across for you, but it may ask you to log in again or you may need to refresh the page to log you in. You will then be taken to a webpage where you can access the ebook;
In this example for 'Victorian Periodicals and Victorian Society', it displays the different reading options for that publisher. You can see 'Read Online' (read the ebook on your browser) and ‘Download’ either the whole book or individual chapter / s. If you download all or part of the book you can save it on your laptop or upload the file to another device such as a tablet or eReader.
I need some help accessing ebooks
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. There are lots of ways you can contact us, any time of the day or night:
- email at libraryhelp@northampton.ac.uk
- our Chat service by clicking on the blue speech bubble at the bottom right of every page
- speaking with a member of library staff at the enquiry desk, located on the second floor of the Learning Hub during staffed hours
- ask us a question using our 'Submit a Question' form
- call us on 01604 89 3089
You can also contact an Academic Librarian who can provide information and advice on books and ebooks. They have also provided pages with information that are about your specific course. You can book a tutorial with an Academic Librarian for guidance on finding resources.