Library Search: What is Library Search?

Library Search is the search and discovery tool of the major collections available through the University of Sussex Library. With Library Search you can find print books, ebooks, journals, articles, digital media and other types of resources. Library Search searches our books and journals, content available through the Library’s databases, and a huge index of article-level content (from ejournals, conferences, newspapers and more).

Although Library Search does search across most of our resources, it doesn't search every specialist database we have access to. There are some particular subjects, such as Business or Law, where it is better to search the specialist subject-specific resources found in the Online Resources A-Z link on the library homepage.

You can refine your search results using the filter options available on the left hand side of the page. Applying filters to your results can help to remove irrelevant resources.

You can select multiple filters simultaneously. You can also exclude results that meet certain filter criteria; to do this, hover your mouse over the filter text and selecting the red tick icon when it appears. Once it's selected, Library Search will remove any results that fall into your selected filter category. 

There are a number of filters available, including:

• Item Type 

• Author 

• Creation Date

• Availability

• Subject

• Journal Title

• Language

• Collection

• Library 

• Sort By

Note: When you make changes to your search words or run a new search your selected filters will refresh automatically. To "lock" your filters in for the duration of a search session hover over the applied filter and click on the padlock icon. 

When you click into a particular record, you will see details of the availability and number of copies displayed under the 'Get It' heading.

There are many benefits to signing in to your Library Search account. Signing-in will allow you to save individual results and searches, place requests on unavailable items, place an inter-library loan request, and gain access to full-text materials.

To sign-in, simply click on the "sign-in" button in the top right hand corner of the Library Search homepage.

You will be prompted to input your Sussex username and password.

When signed in successfully, your name will appear in the right hand corner of the screen. 

Once signed in, click 'Request' in the 'Request Options' tab; you will be prompted to add any comments to your request if necessary.

Your library loans automatically renew, unless another user has placed a request on an item, in which case you will receive an email alert to recall the item. If you don't return the item within the allocated time, the item will be subject to fines. 

You can view the items you have on loan by signing in to Library Search using the "My Library Card" option in the upper right hand screen. 

You will need to be signed-in to your library account to save items for future use.

Click on the "pin" icon next to an item record in your results list. This will “pin” the item to your library account for future use.  

First check Library Search to ensure that the item you require is not already in stock or available electronically before requesting. If you find an item on a database that the library does not currently have access to, you can place an interlibrary loan request, by clicking on "place and interlibrary loan request" (see screenshot). 

You will need to be signed-in to your library account to place a loan request. Please provide the full bibliographic details for the item you are requesting in the request form, as this will speed up your request.

You can also place an interlibrary loan via the "find and requst books" button on the Library homepage. 

For article requests supplied by the British Library, we will deliver the article direct to your email account using their Secure Electronic Delivery service, unless you select an alternative option on the request form.  

Where desktop delivery is not possible, we will provide a paper copy for collection from the Info Hub in the Library. 

Please read and agree to the terms of the copyright declaration by ticking the check box, before submitting your request.

Click on the quote marks icon next to an item record in your results list.

Select the citation file type that best suits your referencing tool from the options that appear in the pop-up window. 

Import the downloaded file into your referencing software library.