The Library Catalogue will tell you if the item has been borrowed or available. If it’s not on loan and not where it should be on the shelves, it might be on the trolleys (to be re-shelved) or being used by others in the Library. If you still can’t find it, ask at the Librarian on Duty at Information Desk for help.

Do remember to check the following in the OPAC :

• the loan status (whether it says Available or Check-Out)
• the location (books are not necessarily will be in all OUM resource centres)

Also, you need to check on what you type in the search box and how you type it. Errors in searching will display no records in the system (same goes with searching in the online databases).

Use the Library catalogues. Check OPAC: the online catalogue, first. It is accessible from both on and off-campus, and contains all printed materials most material likely to be on student reading lists (if held by the Library).

A search in OPAC will tell you which materials are available in print or electronic format. It will also tells you where the book is located in the Library system, either in the Main Campus Library or at the Resource Centres in any of the Learning Centre. The system will also tells you the status of the book, whether it has been loaned out or still available in the Library.

If you need to find electronic books, then you can use our Online Databases. Go to the Library portal and click Online Databases under Search Library. Choose the right database for the subjects you are looking for. Click on the database name to know the subject coverage. Guides are made available for all databases.

Please refer to Portal User Guide for more information.

There are several types of materials in the Library; printed, electronic and audio-video (cd-roms, kit, tapes).

To search for printed and audio-video materials, you need to use the OPAC. To learn how to use OPAC, click the Portal user Guide and go through content. Printed materials are only readable and usable offline. Which means, you need to come to the Library and use them. You may borrow the printed materials (books). Audio-video materials are only to be used in the Library.

To search for electronic materials, you may use the Library UniSearch Discovery Service. UniSearch blends library resources including Library Catalogue and Full Text Databases into a single database so your search is faster and better. Or you can use the Library Databases to search for books, journals, theses, reports, etc. You may access these databases through the Library portal from home or anywhere else, at anytime. You can also download, print or save the materials.

The Library subscribes to a number of databases to help you with your research. They cover all subjects taught at the University. The databases provide full-text books, journal articles, theses, reports, newspapers. etc. Each database provide Help guides for better searching. These databases are accessible from anywhere at anytime. No extra username/password needed after you login from LMS.