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Can't find books for university essay

I have a reading list for one of summative essays and all the books are on loan in the main university library. Does anyone know where I can find PDFs of books online?

Reply 1

gjd800

Libgen

Reply 2

University of Liverpool Student Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I have a reading list for one of summative essays and all the books are on loan in the main university library. Does anyone know where I can find PDFs of books online?

Hi there,

I hope you're well :smile:

Have a look on Google Scholar - sometimes they have PDF's of books which you may find useful!

Best of luck to you in your book search!

Ana - UoL Ambassador :biggrin:

Reply 3

Uni of Southampton Students

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I have a reading list for one of summative essays and all the books are on loan in the main university library. Does anyone know where I can find PDFs of books online?

Hi Anon.

As well as places like google books and the Kindle store you could try local non-university libraries/your city's central library. If not, your university may have an inter-library loan system where you can borrow books from other university libraries? You could also possibly ask lecturers if they have a copy you can borrow?

If not and you are able to, you could see if you can buy the books cheaply from places like World of Books, Ebay or Abebooks then sell them when you've finished with them?

I hope you can find them!
Daisy (an official third-year history student rep) :smile:

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 4

wifd149

More often than not your university should have the online copy or scans of those books somewhere in their or others' databases, unless you are taking some trickier subjects such as archeology?

Reply 5

PhoenixFortune

Original post by Anonymous

I have a reading list for one of summative essays and all the books are on loan in the main university library. Does anyone know where I can find PDFs of books online?

Does your university have an online/digital copy of the books? My university makes sure a digital copy is available of any core texts or books that are in-demand.

You can read around outside of the reading list also, unless the books are meant to be used specifically.

Reply 6

Coventry University Student Ambassadors

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

I have a reading list for one of summative essays and all the books are on loan in the main university library. Does anyone know where I can find PDFs of books online?

Further to what the student reps have said, looking through search databases can be useful. Though, not the best since it's unlikely you'll find PDF books online. Your university library may have the books you're looking for as a result of the pandemic, there are now many more books that can be accessed online on the university library. You could ask the librarian for more ideas also. Try checking with your lecturers if any of the books are provided for you as part of the course either physically or digitally.

I know for Coventry, the university library has a lot of books that can be accessed online and my course provides an online reading platform, Kortext/BibliU with free reading material to support my studies.

I hope this helps.

Veronica
Student Ambassador

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 7

penguingirl18

Jstor is another resource.

Reply 8

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

Spoiler

Reply 9

Laibey

Talk to your subject librarian!! Seriously that's why they are there. Librarians love helping students. They will be able to tell you your options.

Reply 10

martin7

Original post by Anonymous

I have a reading list for one of summative essays and all the books are on loan in the main university library.

To address your first point, a university library will normally have a "recall" system, whereby a book that's on loan can be recalled from the user who has it.

There's no guarantee that the borrower will return it, but the recall will curtail the loan period, and once the recall period (typically a week) expires they will start accruing library fines (or other penalties) if they haven't returned the book.