What's on Unicorn?
Books, including rare books
Most of our loanable stock is on Unicorn.
We endeavour to ensure that all items on reading lists can be found on Unicorn - if they are in stock! This can only happen if we receive a copy of the reading list from the School/Department or from the person teaching the course.
University Library stock
Everything acquired by the University Library since 1979 has a full record on the catalogue (including full authors, titles and subject headings). Older items may have very brief "skeleton" records which contain just one author (surname and initials), title and date - there is no subject access to these records. These items are also recorded in the Online Card Catalogue, together with items with no record on Unicorn.
Ex-Bulmershe Library stock
Bulmershe Library closed in July 2011 and the stock moved to the University Library or our offsite Store. Stock added to Bulmershe Library since 1989 has a full record Unicorn, but most of the earlier stock has brief "skeleton" records. The card catalogue at Bulmershe Library records items not on Unicorn. Almost all the Bliss Collection (the former School of Education collection) and the ex-Music Library material can be found on Unicorn; items acquired since 1979 are fully catalogued, those acquired earlier have "skeleton" records. See the Bulmershe Collection page for information about the location of this material at the University Library.
Items in Special Collections
Everything acquired by Special Collections since 1979 has a full record on the catalogue. Most items in Special Collections acquired before 1979 can only be found on the Online Card Catalogue, although retrospective cataloguing projects are gradually putting more items onto Unicorn. Most books and pamphlets in the MERL Library are on Unicorn, including all rare books and everything acquired since 1985.
Journals
All current journals held at all sites, including the MERL Library, appear on Unicorn together with many cancelled and "dead" titles. Most e-journals also appear on Unicorn.
Other materials
All non-print items added to the University Library collection since 1979 and to the Ex-Bulmershe Library collection since 1989 can be found on Unicorn.
- All CDs, CD-ROMs, videos and DVDs at all sites can be found on Unicorn
- Music - most music scores are on Unicorn
- Maps acquired from 1994 are catalogued on Unicorn but have mostly brief records. Older acquisitions are listed in the Maps Card Catalogue on the 2nd Floor of the University Library.
- Archives and manuscripts - these are all held by the Special Collections Service and can be searched on the Adlib catalogue. For more information see Archives