We love to hear from everyone who makes use of the library to help us find ways to improve. Throughout the year we provide you the opportunity to feedback to us. You may have taken part in some of our feedback activities last year. You may have written us a letter on Valentine’s Day, attended a Shape Our Library event or simply left us feedback via our feedback form.

Early next year students will get a chance to feedback to the University in the NSS, PTES and PRES student surveys. That feedback is really important to us and it drives real change, so if you get a chance to feedback through one of those surveys, please make sure you do. In this first part of a two-part series, we’re looking at the feedback we’ve received about library resources and how easy they are to access. That includes the books, e-books, journal articles and online resources you make daily use of in your studies, research or teaching.

LibrarySearch improvements

Following on from the changes made in 2024, LibrarySearch received another major new update. We introduced a range of features that will give you a greater opportunity to explore our print and digital collections, discover complimentary resources to support your studies and enrich your overall discovery experience.

Watch a brief summary of what’s changed in the video below:

Expanding your access to e-books

New e-book packages have been purchased outright to address identified gaps and update our collection. New collections include:

1. De Gruyter AI & Data Science eBooks Library (IEEE Xplore) – 30+ new titles – Discover the latest insights on artificial intelligence and related technologies with this high-quality, specially curated collection.
2. Wiley AI eBooks Library (New) (IEEE Xplore) – 30+ new titles – Wiley AI eBooks Library provides today’s professionals, researchers, and students with the latest information in this quickly evolving field of study.
3. 2025 Frontlist for IEEE-Wiley eBooks Library (IEEE Xplore)  – c. 100 new titles – This eBooks collection spans numerous content areas, including bioengineering, power and energy, and communication technologies, among other growing areas of research. The planned Frontlist titles for 2025 can be viewed on the IEEE Xplore website.
4. 2025 Frontlist for Artech House eBooks Library (IEEE Xplore) c.30 books – Books from a wide range of engineering areas from leading technical book publisher Artech House. The planned Frontlist titles for 2025 can be viewed on the IEEE Xplore website.
5. 2025 Frontlist for MIT Press eBooks Library (IEEE Xplore)   c. 40 books – A special collection of eBooks with content in computer science and engineering technologies. The planned Frontlist titles for 2025 can be viewed on the IEEE Xplore website.
6. 2025 Frontlist for Manning eBooks Library (IEEE Xplore)   c.60 books – Manning eBooks Library provides essential information on a wide range of computer science and technology topics such as data science, software engineering, programming, operations, web development, and much more. The planned Frontlist titles for 2025 can be viewed on the IEEE Xplore website.

Purchasing titles based on ‘turnaways’

Some e-book purchases are based on “turnaways”, as we actively seek to purchase titles students have had difficulty accessing in the past.

• Emerald eBooks – A selection of 50 titles across multiple disciplines purchased based on turnaways.
• Oxford handbooks online Psychology 2020 to 2025 collections – 343 titles purchased based on turnaways.

Building your e-book collection through “User Acquisition” models

We are working with specific publishers to run user acquisition models. They provide access to a broad collection of titles for a year and we select titles for purchase at the end, based on your usage. We currently have access to the following user-based acquisition models:

• Bloomsbury Evidence Based Acquisitions – giving access to 1092 e-book titles
• Elsevier Evidenced Based Selection – giving access to 1570 e-book titles

We are also currently working with Taylor and Francis to provide access to a further 5627 titles in the future.

Suggest an e-book

Last academic year we purchased 134 books suggested by students through the “suggest an e-book” campaign. Students can suggest e-books for the library to purchase through the link on LibrarySearch. Your suggestions help us grow our e-book holdings!

Oxford Intersections

Oxford Intersections is an interdisciplinary research initiative by Oxford University Press, aimed at addressing complex global issues through original research from multiple academic disciplines.

We’ve added access to two Oxford Intersections to our digital collection:

Oxford Intersections: AI in Society – An interdisciplinary collection of written works exploring AI’s societal impact across different geographical and disciplinary boundaries.

Oxford Intersections: Racism by context – provides a holistic and interconnected view of racism. It explores racism in a wide range of social domains, including, but not limited to, politics and government; labour and the economy; education and academia; art and culture; and police and criminal justice.

BFI Player

Another recent addition to the Library’s resources is access to the British Film Institute’s streaming service, BFI Player, which offers a vast array of critically acclaimed, independent, and international films. Read our launch blog to get started or for more details see the database guide on the website. 

Archives expanded

This year, we have responded to requests for more library resources by extending our historic newspapers and archives collection! There is a range of materials that focus on themes such as Women’s Studies, Decolonization, and Disability.

Available through Gale Primary Sources we have purchased in perpetuity archives of: 

• Financial Times Historical Archive 1888-2021 
• The Mirror Historical Archive 1903-2000 
• 19th Century UK Periodicals Part II Empire 

Until June 2026 we will have access to:  

• Daily Mail Historical Archive, 1896-2021  
• The Economist Historical Archive, 1843-2020  
• International Herald Tribune Historical Archive, 1887-2013  
• The Mail on Sunday Historical Archive, 1982-2011  
• Times Educational Supplement Historical Archive, 1910-2000  
• Punch Historical Archive, 1841-1992  
• History of Disabilities: Disabilities in Society, Seventeenth to Twentieth Century  
• Women’s Studies Archive: Issues and Identities
• Women’s Studies Archive: Voice and Vision  
• Decolonization: Politics and Independence in Former Colonial and Commonwealth Territories  
• Archives of Sexuality and Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940, Part I  
• Archives of Sexuality and Gender: LGBTQ History and Culture Since 1940, Part II  
• British Library Newspapers: Part VII: Southeast Asian Newspapers

 A selection of the most popular archives will be purchased in June 2026 based on usage and fit to teaching and research need. 

Libby app

To support you in taking a break from your studies we’ve expanded the range of leisure reads available in the Libby app in both e-book and audiobook formats. You’ve got access to a range of e-books, audiobooks, graphic novels, magazines and more. You can also use Libby for free access to IndieFlix and Qello Concerts.   You can enjoy Libby on almost any device! Download the Libby app on a phone or tablet or access in a web browser. The Libby app is available on Apple, Android, Amazon, and other platforms. 

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We hope you’ve enjoyed this look at the new resources and improvements to help you discover them. Perhaps you’ve found something new to explore? Come back next week when we’ll be taking a look at the improvements made to the support we provide.