Information for students
Information for students (Covid-19 latest information from the University Library): The University of Sheffield has suspended face-to-face teaching from Monday 16 March 2020, and all teaching will move online. Please refer to the Coronavirus Information & Advice page for the latest updates.
Getting the most out of the digital library
The University of Sheffield has an extensive digital library, with close to a million ebooks and over 60,000 journal titles (at least 400,000 new articles per year). We are working hard to build on this collection by evaluating, collating and managing access to open source materials and resources that are being made more openly available at this time. Discover library content by searching StarPlus, our discovery tool. The digital library is complemented by a suite of online information and digital literacy tutorials, and a virtual advisory team, with specialist librarians ready to support you.
| Accessing Library Help |
Our Virtual Advisory Service is available to answer your questions via email or chat, 9am-6.45pm Monday to Friday, 12pm-5.45pm Saturday and Sunday. You can chat with us via the pop-up chat box on our library web pages and StarPlus or you can email us at library@sheffield.ac.uk. We are constantly adding to our Frequently Asked Questions so that you can get up to date answers to your questions quickly, particularly outside of our staffed hours. The Library has developed a range of Library Subject Guides which provide you with useful information and resources, including recommended databases, that you will need to support your studies. Your Subject Librarian offers one-to-one appointments via email or Google Hangouts. |
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| Accessing the Library’s online resources |
You can find ebooks, online articles and more by searching StarPlus, our discovery tool, which you can access through ‘My services’ in MUSE. Your results will now automatically be limited to those that are available online. Find out more by watching our StarPlus video. If you can’t find the full-text of an article you want via StarPlus, you can explore these options. Recommended reading can be accessed via the Resource List link on the left-hand side menu in your Blackboard (MOLE) course. Please contact your module tutor if there is no resource list link or if you have specific questions about recommended reading for your course. |
| Requesting an ebook |
You can continue to access a vast collection of e-books, journals and multimedia resources, specifically chosen to support your subjects, through your Resource Lists and the University Library's Discovery System - StarPlus. You can also suggest material for the Library to add to the collection if it will be useful for a dissertation, thesis or project. Tell us which title you need and we will try to provide it. Subject to availability, we will order the e-book and let you know when it is available, or suggest an alternative. Suggest material using this link. |
| Digital skills for dissertations and other forms of assessment |
Get the most out of the Library’s digital resources and develop your research skills. See our online information and digital literacy tutorials and video guides including:
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| Print books currently out on loan |
If you currently have print books out on loan, please see the following FAQs: |
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Discovering is the literacy which enables learners to develop search strategies and utilise a broad range of generic and discipline specific resource discovery tools. |
Understanding is the literacy which enables learners to find meaning and apply context. |
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Questioning is the literacy which enables learners to analyse, evaluate, interpret and think critically about information. |
Referencing is the literacy which enables learners to acknowledge the work of others, building on their own analysis of existing knowledge. |
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Creating is the literacy which enables learners to blend ideas and capture new knowledge. |
Communicating is the literacy which enables learners to succinctly summarise and share their work and ideas. |
