Understanding your reading list: a guide
This guide is intended to help you understand your reading lists and give you guidance on how to find the items listed in your bibliography on the Library catalogue Unicorn. It also answers from frequently asked questions on finding reading list items.
All items on your reading lists should have been made available in the Library by your department - please let us know details of any items you can't find in the Library catalogue.
Please note that it is not Library practice to purchase texts for each student – for more information on the numbers of copies of reading list materials you can expect to find in the Library see the Finding books guide.
Book references
Book references will usually contain author(s), title, edition, publisher, date.
Example:
Eysenck, M.A. & Keane, M. Cognitive psychology: a student's handbook. 6th ed. Psychology Press, 2010.
Searching Unicorn
Just type in one of the author’s last names (eg Eysenck) and one or two words from the title (eg psychology).
Chapters in books
References to chapters in books can take two forms:
Examples:
- Tovey, B. Wisdom and the law. In J. Alulis & V. Sullivan (eds) Shakespeare's political pageant. Rowman & Litchfield, 1996.
- McLave Statistics for business (1988) Ch. 4.
Searching Unicorn
Just type in one of the editor’s last names (eg Alulis) and one or two words from the title of the book (eg political) Do not type in the author and title of the chapter (Unicorn does not hold this detailed information)
Journal articles
Journal articles will usually give author, (date), title, journal title, volume number, page numbers.
Example:
Jung, S. (2009) Aqueous extraction of oil and protein from soybean and lupin: a comparative study. Journal of food processing and preservation. 33 (4). p 547-559
Searching Unicorn
Use the Journal Title Search on Unicorn and search for the title of the journal in which the article was published, in this example search for "Journal of food processing and preservation"
Sometimes your journal title will be abbreviated:
Ray, J. (2000) The Houses of Parliament: history, art, architecture. Hist today. 50(10), 56-57
You need to type in the complete words when searching Unicorn. You can often guess the full title (eg this one is History today). If not, check for the full title in our index of periodical abbreviations, available at Ground Floor Reference--016.05-PER or search Google for the abbreviation.
Strange abbreviations on your reading list
You will often find the following abbreviations used in reading lists and bibliographies:
Ibid. is an abbreviation of the Latin ibidem and means "the same as the preceding reference".
Idem. means "the same" in Latin and is used in place of the author's name for more than one reference to works by the same author (eg Austen, Jane. Emma p. 96 ; Idem. Pride and prejudice, p. 135)
Op. cit. is an abbreviation of the Latin opere citato and means in the work cited. Look back in the list for full publication details which have already been given.
No title?
If a book is quoted using just the authors with no title (eg Eysenck and Keane), the full reference may have been given earlier in the list, so it is worth looking back.
Organisations are often referred to by their initials, eg AOAC International or MLA. To find out what the initials stand for, consult the Acronyms, initialisms and abbreviations dictionary at Ground Floor Reference--421.8-ACR, or search Google to find their website.
Problems?
I can't find the book on Unicorn...
- You might have mistyped your search - check the spelling of your search
- There might be a mistake, or typing error on the reading list - try searching for a few key words from the title or use the Browse Search option.
- If the book was published before 1979 it might only have a brief entry on Unicorn. Check the Online Card Catalogue
- The book is not in the Library - check with your lecturer. You might be supposed to buy your own copy or it might be in a School collection.
- Contact your subject liaison librarian - they can order books on reading lists from your School's Library budget
My reading list gives a Call Number, but the book isn't there...
The book could be on loan. Check Unicorn - if it is out, you can place a hold on it. There may also be copies in the Course Collection.
Unicorn says that the book is on-shelf, but I can't find it
Make sure you are looking in the correct section.
- Check the Floor Plans
Look in the Normal Size Book Section (white labels) for Call Numbers without a prefix eg 630.942-GRE Look in the Folio Size Book Section (pink labels) for Call Numbers with the word 'Folio' in front eg Folio--630.942-GRE - Check Unicorn again
- make sure you write down the whole Call Number including any words in front of the numbers eg Folio, Periodical, Periodical Folio
- notice the name of the Library given above the Call Number. If a book is on the shelf at another site you can place a hold on it and it will be fetched for you.
Someone may be using the book in the Library
- Check the Recent Returns shelves for books that have been cleared from the desks that morning.
- Check books left next to the photocopiers.
- Come back tomorrow - if you still don't find the book, ask at an Information Desk for help