Using the Libraries
This guide to the libraries in Trinity College will explain which
library you need for your subject and where it is located, how to
access books from the shelves, how to request and collect
books from closed access and where assistive technology
rooms are based in the libraries.
The Hamilton
Library
The
Berkeley
Library
BLU
The
Ussher
Library
complex
Library
The
Lecky
Library
Berkeley - Lecky – Ussher (BLU)
Library Complex
History
Law
Official Publications
Psychology
Reference
Research Area
The Berkeley Library - Main Entrance to BLU Complex
Drama
History of Art
Languages
Literature
Music
The Ussher Library
Nursing
Periodicals
Religion
Business Studies
Economics
Education
Geography
Geology
The Lecky Library
Politics
Public Admin.
Social Studies
Sociology
The Hamilton Library
Computer Science
Engineering
Health Sciences
Mathematics
Sciences
The Hamilton Library
Health Sciences
How to get to St. James’s Hospital:
Via Dublin Bus – Take the 123 bus
from O’Connell St. or Dame St. This
serves St. James’s Hospital. The
John Stearne Library
bus stops opposite the Trinity Centre
On Foot- From Front Gate, go up
Dame St., past Dublin Castle and
Christchurch Cathedral, up Thomas
St. and onto James’s St. Take the
signposted left turn into St. James’s
Hospital. The Trinity Centre is on
your right (about a 2 mile walk)
Using the Library
Periodicals? Sure, go down the stairs
across the yellow floor into the
stairwell, take the lift or go down 2
flights of stairs to the basement.
The journal you want is on the
shelves on the far side of the room.
Sometimes the library can seem like a maze.
Orientation tours & Information Skills training
Orientation tours take place in Michaelmas term. These cover
the following:
 Freshers Week General Introduction and Tour
 Getting to know the Library
 Getting the most from the Online Catalogue
 Electronic Resources: What’s available?
Questions and feedback will be encouraged and time will be
allotted for hands-on practice.
The Classification System
Books in the library are arranged on the shelves according to
the Dewey Decimal Classification System. The Dewey system
divides subjects into ten broad areas, called classes, numbered
000 - 999.
The Dewey System
The ten main classes of the Dewey system are:
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000 Generalities
100 Philosophy and Psychology
200 Religion
300 Social Science
400 Language (collected differently in TCD, see subject
list)
500 Natural Science and Mathematics
600 Technology (Applied Sciences)
700 Arts
800 Literature and Languages
900 Geography and History
How do I find the books I need?
You will most likely be given a reading list for your course.
When using the online catalogue, you can enter a combination
of the following in the box at the top of the Library homepage:
Enter keyword, title, author or subject
Or you can select Library Catalogue and search by any one of
the following:
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Title
Author
Subject
Keyword
And then you can if you wish, limit the collection you wish to
choose from.
When you select a book, you will be given a shelf mark.
If the book has ‘Open access’ or ‘Lending’ under location, this
means you can find it on the shelves. The online catalogue will
give you a shelfmark number – the Dewey number- which
indicates its location.
If the copy you require is out on loan (date due) you will be
given the option to reserve title, which means it will be kept for
you when returned.
How do I find a book?
Assume you were looking for The Mayor of Casterbridge by
Thomas Hardy on the online catalogue. The results indicate the
following:
Library Holdings
Location
Call Number
Status
Santry (use call
slip)
P 44105
In
Ussher, Lending
LEN 828.8 HAR L5.8;1
In
Ussher, Open
Access
ARTS 828.8 HAR L5.8
In
The first location indicates that the book is available in Santry.
This means you would have to request the book with a call slip.
How to order from Santry/Stacks is explained below.
The second location indicates that the book is available on
shelf in the Ussher library, and that you can borrow it.
The third location indicates that the book is available in the
Ussher library on shelf but that you can only read it in the library
as it is ‘Open Access’ but not ‘Lending’.
Locating this book on shelf
In a small collection an ‘Open Access’ or lending book might
be easy to find simply by browsing the shelves. But in larger
collections there are often guides on the ends of the shelf units
which can help you move through the collection faster.
A good tip for finding your call number would be to remember
to locate the general classification number first. The following
set of numbers will be more specific and these too will be
arranged in numerical order, along with letters which will be in
alphabetical order.
Following through with the ‘Lending’ example above LEN 828.8
HAR L5.8;1 the book will be located by going through the
following steps. Locate the general class of 800's (general) first
(Literature and Languages). The 800s are on Ussher Level 1.
Look next for the 828's which are more specific. The 828 books
are ‘Individual Authors: Works and Criticism, arranged
alphabetically by time period’. The numbers will increase from
left to right
828.1
828.12
828.13,
828.2 etc.
Follow through until you reach 828.8, then look at the letters.
These are also arranged alphabetically. Follow again from left
to right until you reach HAR for Hardy.
The Stella Catalogue
The Stella Catalogue allows you to search using topics and
groups of keywords. You can use it to find books related to
subjects without looking for books by specific titles or authors.
The catalogue provides a selection of books in your chosen
field and also a diagram to allow you to narrow your search.
For example, if you write ‘Nineteenth Century Law’ you get a list
of books and also a diagram similar to the one below.
state
woman
Nineteenth
century law
family
relig ion
fiction
politics
If you want to be more specific and look at a list of books that
relate to the relationship between nineteenth century law and
literary fiction, you can click on fiction and this will narrow your
search
Book 1. Legal fiction: law in the novels of nineteenth century
women novelists
Loncar, Kathleen
Year: 1995
Book 2. Victorian detective fiction and the nature of evidence:
the scientific investigations of Poe, Dickens, and Doyle
Frank, Lawrence 1933Year: 2003
You can then click on a title and find where the book is
available in the Library.
On registration you will be issued with a library password. Retain
this carefully. Please note that you can change this password to
one that you can remember more easily. You can use it to
renew books on-line and to place holds on books which are
out on loan.
Location of book collections by subject
BLU Subject Locations (alphabetically by subject)
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Administration – Lecky, lower floor
Anglo-Irish Literature – Ussher, level 1
Business Studies – Lecky, lower floor
Classics – Ussher, level 4
Climatology – Lecky, lower floor
Drama Studies – Ussher, level 1
Economics – Lecky, lower floor
Education – Lecky, lower floor
English – Ussher, level 1
French – Ussher, level 2
Geography – Lecky, lower floor
Geology – Lecky, lower floor
History – Berkeley, second floor
History of Art – Ussher, level 2
Irish – Ussher, level 3
Italian – Ussher, level 3
Jewish, Biblical & Theological Studies – Ussher, level 5
Law – Berkeley, first floor
Linguistics – Ussher, level 1
Music – Ussher, level 2
Nursing – Ussher, level 1
Official Publications – Berkeley, first floor
Paleontology – Lecky, lower floor
Politics – Lecky, upper floor
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Psychology – Berkeley, second floor
Reference & Bibliography – Berkeley, basement
Religion – Ussher, level 5
Russian – Ussher, level 3
Social Studies – Lecky, lower floor
Sociology – Lecky, upper floor
Spanish – Ussher, level 3
Trade – Lecky, lower floor
HL-243-1 onwards – Berkeley, basement
Periodicals – Ussher Library, basement
*Law Periodicals – Berkeley, first floor
Hamilton/SJR Subject Locations (alphabetically by subject)
Aeronautical Engineering - Hamilton
Agriculture Hamilton
Anatomy -Hamilton & John Stearne Medical Library
Applied Mechanics - Hamilton
Astronomy & Allied Science - Hamilton
Biochemistry - Hamilton
Biology
- Hamilton
Biotechnology - Hamilton
Botany - Hamilton
Building - Hamilton
Building - plans, specifications etc. - Hamilton
Building materials - Hamilton
Chemical & Related Technology - Hamilton
Chemistry & Allied Sciences
- Hamilton
Civil Engineering - Hamilton
Clinical Immunology - Hamilton & John Stearne Medical
Library
 Clinical Microbiology - Hamilton & John Stearne Medical
Library
 Communications Engineering - Hamilton
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Computer Science - Hamilton
Construction in specific types of material -Hamilton
Cytology - Hamilton
Dentistry - Hamilton & John Stearne Medical Library
Diseases - Hamilton & John Stearne Medical Library
Ecology
- Hamilton
Electrical Engineering - Hamilton
Engineering - Hamilton
Engineering : Motor Vehicles - Hamilton
General Technology - Hamilton
Genetics - Hamilton
Geography*
- Lecky, Lower Floor
Geology*- Lecky, Lower floor
Geriatrics - John Stearne Medical Library
Gynaecology & Obstetrics - John Stearne Medical Library
Health Promotion
- Hamilton & John Stearne Medical
Library
Machine Engineering - Hamilton
Manufacturing - Hamilton
Mathematics
- Hamilton
Mechanical Engineering - Hamilton
Medicine*- Hamilton & John Stearne Medical Library
Microbiology
- Hamilton
Nursing*- Ussher, Level 1 & John Stearne Medical Library
Occupational Therapy - John Stearne Medical Library
Patents
- Hamilton
Pediatrics - Hamilton & John Stearne Medical Library
Pharmacology & Therapeutics - Hamilton & John Stearne
Medical Library
Physics
- Hamilton
Physiology - Hamilton & John Stearne Medical Library
Public Health - Hamilton & John Stearne Medical Library
Radiotherapy - John Stearne Medical Library
Speech & Language Disorders - Hamilton & John Stearne
Medical Library
Statistics - Hamilton
Strength of Materials - Hamilton
 Surgery - Stearne Medical Library
 Zoology - Hamilton
Borrowing
LEN (yellow spot on spine)
LEN
S-LEN
MUS-LEN* (yellow spot on spine)
P-MUS-LEN*
SJ
RES./COUNTER RES./PERM. RES.
1 week
4 weeks
1 week
1 week
4 weeks
1 week
5 hours
Borrowing rights
Students with a disability registered with DS may be entitled to
an increased borrowing limit. This also allows access to material
that is normally restricted.
Student ID cards are required for borrowing books. All ID cards
look the same, but students registered with DS may be entitled
to extra borrowing rights with no alteration to their cards.
Students, once their records have been amended, can then
borrow up to eight items that may include non-LEN/S-LEN (for
example Arts or Stacks) when LEN categories are not available
or in heavy demand. The system is set to allow you to further
borrow up to four items from Reserve Collections (loan period 5
hours) for use within the library.
Normal loan periods (maximum of 28 days) apply and
sanctions such as fines will apply in all cases.
 Week loan material remains a 7-day loan.
 Week loan books not already reserved by others may be
renewed for up to a maximum of 8 weeks.
Automated Stacks Requests (ASR)
When you look up a book on the online catalogue, you may
find that the book is in Stacks or Santry instead of just giving a
Dewey number as above. You can order these on-line in a few
simple steps.
Click on Request. Then you will see this page:
Fill in your College Username and College Network Login
Password.
You will then be asked from which Library you wish to collect
the item:
You will receive an email when the book is at the counter for
collection. The item will be kept for you for three days for
collection.
You will then need to bring the shelfmark number to the Library
counter in order to collect the book.
In the above example, the request can be placed. In some
cases, with journals for example, there are books in Stacks and
Santry that can not be ordered in this way. In these cases, you
fill in a call slip as follows.
Call slips
The same slip is used for both Stacks and Santry services. Call
slips are colour coded to denote the reading room in which
you would prefer to collect your material.
Blue for BLU, Pink for Hamilton, Green for Old Library, Orange for
Tallaght Hospital and Yellow for St James.
PER 96-580
1-1-08
VOL. 1(3)
NEUROLOGY
1999
x
0 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1
SMITH, MARY
Collecting your orders from Stacks and Santry
The book or journal will be kept for you for three days for
collection. You simply give your name and/or show your ID
card to a member of staff at the desk. You can’t take items out
on loan from Stacks or Santry unless you are a postgraduate or
registered with the Disability Service and entitled to extra
borrowing privileges. When you return the item to the desk, give
your name and they will return your call slip to you.
Stacks
If you order a book or journal from STACKS at the BLU counter, it
will be available to you at the BLU counter approximately an
hour and a half after you order it.
It may take longer for items to be delivered to other locations
and you should check when placing your order when the item
will be available for collection.
Santry
If the location denotes SANTRY (use call slip), the material will
be delivered from the Library’s Book Repository (in North Dublin)
to the following timetable:
If you order a book from Santry at the BLU counter before
9.45am, it will be available to you from 2.30pm that day.
If you order a book from Santry at the BLU counter before
1.30pm, it will be available from 6pm that day.
If you order a book from Santry at the BLU counter after 1.30pm,
it will be available to you from 2.30pm the following day.
It may take longer for items to be delivered to other locations
and you should check when placing your order when the item
will be available for collection.
All books requested from Stacks and Santry are held at the
counter for three days only and then sent back. Be certain to
collect your requested titles within that three-day period.
Assistive Technology Resource Rooms in the College Libraries
The Assistive Technology Resource Rooms, located in the
Ussher, Hamilton and John Stearne libraries may be used by
students registered with DS. The following assistive technology is
available in these rooms:
Installed in all ATIC rooms
 Inspiration
 Lucid
software
 Jaws
 Read&Write 7.5
 Zoomtext
Mindmapping software
Dyslexia self-screening
Screen reader
Additionally installed in BLU ATIC room
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CCTV
Duxbury
Law spell checker
Geography spell
checker
Magnifier
Braille software
Additionally installed in Visual Impairment room (BLU ATIC room)
 Duxbury
 Scanners
Braille software
Additionally installed in Hamilton ATIC room
 Large monitors
John Stearne ATIC room
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Large monitors
On campus locations of ATIC rooms
From
The BLU library complex
Arts
Block
Access
through
Berkeley
Library
The Hamilton Library
Main Desk
Entrance
from
Hamilton
The Subject Librarian
The Subject Librarian has responsibility for overseeing all
subject related resources offered by the library - from database
management to journals. They are familiar with many
information sources relating to their subject speciality.
Subject Librarians
Business, Economics and Social Sciences - Ruth Potterton 896
1151
ruth.potterton@tcd.ie
Classics - Elizabeth Gleeson - 896 1674
elizabeth.gleeson@tcd.ie
Computer Science – Susan Boyle - 896 1805 boyles1@tcd.ie
Drama and Theatre Studies - Terry McDonald - 608 2733
tmcdonld@tcd.ie
Education – Geraldine Fitzgerald - 896 2985 ftzgey@tcd.ie
Engineering – Susan Boyle - 896 1805 boyles1@tcd.ie
English, Irish, Linguistics, Russian - Isolde Harpur - 896 1660
imharpur@tcd.ie
French, German - Terry McDonald - 896 2733 tmcdonld@tcd.ie
History - Anne Walsh - 896 1666 anne.walsh@tcd.ie
History of Art - Sue Tucker - 896 2733 stucker@tcd.ie
Italian, Hispanic Studies - Sue Tucker - 896 2733 stucker@tcd.ie
Jewish, Biblical & Theological Studies -Brian O'Connell –
8962985
brian.oconnell@tcd.ie
Law - Elizabeth Gleeson - 896 1674 elizabeth.gleeson@tcd.ie
Maps - Paul Ferguson - 896 2087 paul.ferguson@tcd.ie
Mathematics – Susan Boyle - 896 1805 boyles1@tcd.ie
Medicine - David Mockler - 896 2109 mocklerd@tcd.ie
Music - Roy Stanley - 896 1156 roy.stanley@tcd.ie
Nursing – Greg Sheaf - 896 2928 sheafg@tcd.ie
Official Publications - John Goodwillie – 896 2342
john.goodwillie@tcd.ie
Psychology - Elizabeth Gleeson –8961674
elizabeth.gleeson@tcd.ie
Philosophy – Brian O Connell - 896 2985 brian.oconnell@tcd.ie
Sciences (Anatomy, Biochemistry, Biology, Clinical Speech &
Language Studies, Dentistry, Immunology, Microbiology,
Pharmacy, Physiology)
Stephen Bucks – 896 1805 bucks@tcd.ie
David MacNaughton - 896 1805 macnaugd@tcd.ie
Sciences (Botany, Chemistry, Community Health, Environmental
Science, Geography, Geology, Genetics, Physics, Zoology)
Pat Creamer - 896 1805
pat.creamer@tcd.ie