REGISTER FOR LIBRARY SERVICES
- Join the libraryJoining the library is easy and totally free: simply visit one of our libraries to complete the registration process and gain immediate access to borrowing services, according to individual library regulations.
- Join onlineYou may also pre-register online from this page and get a temporary membership account. Click on the My library account button and follow the instructions provided under How to log in – Privacy Policy.
If you use SPID/CIE/CNS or University credentials for self-registration, you will be able to immediately access some online services such as borrowing EMILIB e-books or make reservations for books available in the libraries that provide the service.You need to register at the library with a valid identification document to get access to all services, including book borrowing. - Data Handling Policy
The storage and processing of your personal data is carried out in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 "General Data Protection Regulation" (also referred to as the GDPR), as stated in the Privacy Policy applicable to Sebina users.
MY ACCOUNT
- Access to online services
To access the online services, click on the My library account button at the top right of the page and follow the instructions provided under How to Login - Privacy Policy.
Once you have logged in, the My library account button will display your name: click it to access your Personal Area. By clicking on the small arrow next to your name, a drop-down menu will appear where you can browse all the sections of your Personal Area.
- ProfileIn this section you can view your personal data, choose a nickname and set general preferences.
- MessagesHere you will find all messages from the libraries, including reminders, overdue library notices, notification of availability of reserved books, etc.
- LibrariesIn this section you will find the list of libraries in which you are registered, along with any expiration or temporary suspension of your account. For more information about your account and, if necessary, to renew your authorisation, please contact your library directly.
- LoansIn this section you can see the list of current loans along with their due dates, your renewal, reservation and ongoing loan requests (with the possibility to cancel them), together with your loan history.
- ListsIn this section you can access the list of titles for which you have selected the My Bibliographies button while searching in OPAC. These are lists that you can modify, print, send via email, etc.
- Searches
In this section you can view the searches you have saved in OPAC by clicking
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(Save current search phrase in your space). By clicking the Update Results button, you can perform the search again to check for any updates. - Suggestions for purchase
By filling out the form, you can suggest a title for purchase to your reference library. Library staff will review your request.
From this section you can view and manage the history of suggestions you have submitted.
- Questions
By filling out the form, you can submit a request for assistance to the Ask a Librarian service of the University of Bologna. From this section you can view the history of your requests.
LOAN
- My loans
In the Loans section of your Personal Area, you can check all your current loans and their due dates, the books you have read or consulted and a summary of both.
- Renew library items
From the Loans section of your Personal Area, you can automatically renew your loan if the library has activated the service.
The renewal service may vary depending on the library regulations. Usually, it is allowed only a few days before the due date, provided the item on loan is not overdue and it has not been reserved by another user.
Next to the item title, you will find its due date and the "Renew" button. The date from which the loan will be eligible for renewal will be displayed if it's not yet eligible.
If you encounter any difficulties, you can request the renewal directly from your library.
- Submit or cancel a loan request
The loan request allows you to reserve an available library item, giving you the time to pick it up.
To submit a loan request, search for the document in the Catalogue and click on the library you are interested in to be redirected to a page that contains specific information about the document.
Check the document availability and see where it is located. You can reserve the document by clicking on the blue text "Loan request" if the document is available and the library has activated the service. To submit your request you will need to log in to online services.
The document will be reserved in your name for a few days, as specified in the library regulations. Please check the conditions on the library website.
You can find the list of your loan requests in the "Loans" section of your Personal Area. To cancel a request, simply click on the
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next to the title. - Submit or cancel a document reservation
If you want to borrow a document that is currently on loan, please use the reservation function to be placed on the waiting list. The library will reach out to you when it's your turn, and the document will be held until you pick it up.
To submit a reservation, search for your document in the Catalogue and click on the library you are interested in to be redirected to a page that contains specific information about the document. Check the document availability and see where it is located.
If the document is currently on loan, it can be reserved by clicking on the blue text "Document reservation" if the library has activated the service. To submit your reservation, you will need to log in.
A notification (email, phone call or by accessing the My Messages section in your Personal Area) will inform you when the book has been returned to the library and provide details about the available days for pickup.
Please check the conditions on the library website. You can find the list of your book reservations in the "Loans" section of your Personal Area. To cancel a reservation, simply click on the
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next to the title.
SEARCH
- Quick search
From the homepage users can perform a quick search by typing the relevant words (e.g., title, author, etc.) in the Enter your search terms field and then clicking on the magnifying glass. If useful, the search can be refined by selecting one or more libraries of interest.
It can be useful to know that:
• you can use the Boolean operators AND, OR and NOT, which must be typed in uppercase, to combine multiple search terms:- - AND tells the database that all search terms must be present in the resulting records
- - OR tells the database that any of your search terms can be present in the resulting records
- - NOT tells the database that none of the search terms must be present in the resulting records (e.g.: waste NOT Eliot)
• you can search for exact phrases by enclosing them in double quotes ("..."). E.g.: “Political Geography”
• wildcards characters allow you to get customised search results:- - ? (question mark) matches a single character in a specific position (b?nd finds band, bind and bond);
- - * (asterisk) finds words that contain zero or more characters in place of the asterisk (flo* flood, flour, flower). We recommend using the asterisk (*) after typing at least three characters.
Please note: wildcards cannot be used as the first character in a search.
- Advanced search
This function allows experienced users to narrow and customise their search by inserting specific search parameters such as author, title, ISBN/ISSN, subject, year of publication, etc.
It is possible to refine the search by selecting a specific context (Journals, Antique Books, Graphic resources, etc.).
By opening the drop-down menus of the search fields, users can see and choose additional entries (Language, Country, Nature, etc.).
A list of terms like those entered in the search box is displayed in alphabetical order by clicking on the Scroll the list of terms button.
The number of documents related to each term in the list is shown in square brackets. If you click on the number, users can see the documents.
The Transform into a group button allows users to group multiple search fields and organise them using the Boolean operators (AND and OR) to get more accurate and targeted results.
- How to read the search resultsThe screen shows 10 documents per page and their order can be customised depending on whether you want to get a list by relevance, title, author or year.The RSS feed button allows users to stay always updated on new information related to their searches.With the EMAIL button users can send their search results to an email address.Use the Facebook button to share the results on Facebook.Additional filters are available in the right column, thanks to which results can be grouped according to libraries that own the document, authors, year of publication, type and nature of documents.In the same column users can find the Refine by Tag section, which includes terms from semantic cataloguing - subjects, keywords, Dewey Decimal Classification terms - generated automatically by the system during the search. By clicking on one of these terms (e.g. Economic Policy and Economic Development) users can find other documents on related topics.
• the bibliographic details under "Details"
• the list of libraries under "Available at"
• the document availability, the location data and the option to make a loan request or a document reservation if you select a library
• The virtual shelf where the document is placed if you select "Shelf" - ListsYou can click the Add to List button for each title of interest and view the list of selected titles under My List .Users can modify, send by email or print these temporary lists, which are based on the current search session.Users can also check the My Bibliographies option after logging into their account to add more titles to an existing list or to start a fresh one. These lists, which can be printed, shared, or edited, are saved permanently and remain accessible over time.
- How to save a searchAfter you have logged in to your Personal Area, launch your search. By clicking on the
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button, you can save and check your search in the Searches section. You can also update it with the latest results by clicking on the Update Results button. - Search in AlmastartBy selecting the grey button Expand your search with AlmaStart you can extend your search and find more books, articles, journals and other documents in print and digital format, available in the libraries of the Bologna campus or accessible online. Many online contents are free to access, but some require University of Bologna credentials. More information is available here.
DIGITAL RESOURCES
- How to access an Open Access eBookFor Open-Access resources you can select the Access button on the title and then the entry eBook: Access the Full text.
- How to access an AlmaRE Restricted Access eBook
Access to AlmaRE restricted access resources is granted only to authorised users who connect from workstations within the University Wi-Fi network or via the EZproxy service. Users must comply with the Guidelines for access and use of electronic resources and with the Terms and Conditions of the University of Bologna's Proxy service.
- How to access an EMILIB eBookEMILIB eBooks are integrated into the Bologna Library System catalogue and users can search for them directly using the search field. They are recognisable by the cover accompanied by the "MLOL" inscription. After logging in to the catalogue online services, you can borrow them directly as your data will be automatically shared with EMILIB , without further authentication. To access all other EMILIB resources (such as the newsstand), you will need to log in directly to the EMILIB portal.