Welcome to the new academic year!

As the new academic year begins, we’re pleased to share a range of updates to our libraries and library services following a busy summer of improvements. Some changes have been directly shaped by your feedback, while others reflect broader updates to keep our systems fresh and user-friendly.

Building on last year’s Harrison Library refurbishment, we’ve introduced more of the furniture you told us you liked and made further adjustments to enhance the spaces where you study. Your input has been central to these developments, helping us create more comfortable and practical environments.

In addition to these physical updates, we’ve also refreshed several key digital platforms, including the new-look EBSCOHost and Leganto interfaces, and made small but useful changes to the Cite Them Right Harvard referencing guidance.

Whether you're returning or joining us for the first time, welcome to the library.

Harrison Library Furniture and Space Enhancements

Following last year’s refurbishment, further improvements have been made to Harrison Library based on student feedback. High-back study booths have been added to quieter areas on the second floor, and silent study rooms on the third floor now feature modern desks with on-desk power modules. Screening has also been installed in selected parts of the silent zone and PC lab to reduce distractions and improve privacy.

Read more about the changes here https://www.wlv.ac.uk/lib/info/news/2025/harrison-library-more-improvements-based-on-your-feedback.php

EBSCOHost Interface Update

EBSCO has launched a new, streamlined interface for its databases. While the content and core features remain the same, users will notice changes to the layout and folders area. A short video and FAQs are available to help users navigate the updated design.

For more details about the changes see our blog post.

Leganto Reading List Redesign

The online reading list platform, Leganto, now features a cleaner, more intuitive interface. The update, released in July,  retains all previous functionality but offers a simplified layout to make navigation easier. A revised user guide is available to support the transition.

Find out more about the changes on our recent blog post

Cite Them Right Harvard Update

With the latest edition (13th) of Cite Them Right, released at the end of July, there have been a couple of small changes you may wish to be aware of:

• Books – Students no longer need to provide the place of publication.
• Journal articles – Where a volume and issue number are not available, students may now include ‘issue information’, such as a part number, month, or season.

The new 13^th edition of the Cite Them Right book can be accessed through LibrarySearch here

If you are a new student looking to understand how to reference your work, or a returning student wishing to refresh your referencing skills, please visit our Skills for Learning pages for further information and to explore the support available.

Skills For Learning Drop in Times

In time for the new academic year, our Skills for Learning drop-ins at City campus will return to 11am-4pm from Monday, 22nd September. To see our schedule, go to https://www.wlv.ac.uk/lib/skills-for-learning/one-to-one-support/ . These sessions offer one-to-one support on a range of academic skills.

Maths and Statistics Support

Skills for Learning now provides advice and support for mathematics and statistics, including the use of SPSS. If you're interested, contact the team at skills@wlv.libanswers.com to arrange an appointment.

New Zine Collection at Harrison Library

At the start of the summer, we were delighted to introduce our new Zine Collection, providing a space for creative expression through informal publications. This reference-only collection features a variety of topics and formats, with comfortable seating available for browsing.

For full details about the collection, check out our zines webpage.

Get Started

If you are a new student, be sure to visit our Library Induction Page, which provides an overview of the services and support available to help you get started.

For new or returning academics, please visit our Library Support for Academics webpage to learn about the available support and identify your primary library contacts.

Our Library support teams are available on site at all campuses and also online at Library Assist.

We are excited to get this next academic year started!