Our Library Discovery Tool (Primo) is where you should go for searching and using University library resources. It gives you access to all of our library resources, whether online or paper-based, in one easy-to-use interface.
It is designed to be as easy to use as an internet search engine, but also provide access to all the high quality library resources that the University purchases for its students.
You can use Primo to search for any topic and discover any of the following resources:
- printed books
- e-books
- e-journals
- printed journals
- published reports
- DVDs
- and more.
Quick Guides to Searching with Primo
Video Tutorial: Using the library discovery tool Primo
Step-by-Step Guide: Primo Basics
1. To get started with Primo, simply enter the topic you are looking for in the search box.
2. Primo will then show you brief results of the St Mary's library resources which are relevant to your topic (just like a web search engine).
3. To access a particular resource, or find out where in the library it lives, click anywhere on the brief result to open the full record. If there is more than one version of a resource click to see the brief results for all versions.
4. If you have selected an online resource you will see a link (or links) to where you can access the full text. Click on one of these to sign in and access the text.
5. If you have selected a printed book or other paper resource you will see the shelf location, number of copies, and whether copies are in the library or on loan. The location is usually denoted by a series of numbers and letters, and may look something like this: 341.48 DAV (this tells us that the book can be found in the Law collection).
If all copies are already showing as On Loan then you can reserve the book so that you receive the next copy returned. To do this you will need to sign in, then click on the Request link to open a pop-up and send your request by clicking the SEND REQUEST button.