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Department of Computer Science and Technology

Guides

 

Library resources

Although the Computer Laboratory library has closed, library services for computer science students are being provided by the Technology Libraries team. This guide summarises the most important facilities, and should be used in conjunction with the more detailed full guide.

Opening hours

Library services for computer science students are currently based in the West Hub. This is open from 8am to 9pm, Monday to Friday, with staff available to answer your enquiries from 9am to 5pm.

Collections

The library holds a wide range of material covering all aspects of computer science, serving the needs of staff, postgraduates and undergraduates. The most frequently used items from the Computer Laboratory's collection are now available in the West Hub. The library’s collections fall into the following broad categories:

  • Course texts and monographs with at least two copies of all titles on the reading list and the remaining bookstock are available to be borrowed from the North Room in the West Hub.
  • Periodicals are usually available online. Please consult the catalogue for more information on availability and access.
  • Technical reports from the Laboratory will usually be available online, with some older reports in print. Older reports will be scanned on request.
  • Archives from the earliest history of computing are currently in storage. In the longer term we are hoping to make this material available on request from the University library.
  • Videorecordings, principally of the Wednesday seminars, have now been digitised and it is expected that these will be made available on the file server in the near future.
  • General interest collections a range of popular titles of broad interest covering study skills, careers and current topics can be found in the low intensity space on the second floor.

Finding items

All books and reports are entered on iDiscover. This presents an interface which will be familiar to users of web search engines. Remember to select the ‘Cambridge libraries collections’ option unless you explicity wish to search for journal articles. In most cases searching on the author's surname and a few keywords from the book's title will be sufficient.

Shelf arrangement

Items are classified using the Library of Congress scheme and items are shelved alphabetically by the initial letters, then numerically and finally in order of any subdivisions. Please take note of the location given in the catalogue record. This will refer you to the West Hub unless the title is only held in another library in Cambridge. Please ask if you need help finding a book.

Electronic resources

Many resources are now available online, and for most journals this is now the principal mode of access. Full lists of electronic journals can be found from the Cambridge Libraries’ website. The Laboratory also has access to the ACM and IEEE digital library packages. The monographic series Lecture Notes in Computer Science is also frequently used.

Borrowing

Staff and students may borrow items from the collection in the West Hub. A self service terminal is available immediately outside the North Room. Alternatively ask at the information desk on the first floor if you wish to borrow. All computer science students should be aotomatically registered at the West Hub, but ask at the desk in cases of difficulty. Items on loan should renew automatically unless they have been requested by another reader. To avoid inconvenience to other readers, please return items promptly when you no longer need them. If you wish to borrow an item which is on loan to another reader, make a request through the catalogue or ask the librarian.

If you have any queries then please ask the librarian or consult the full documentation available inside the library.