Library News Last updated 28 July
BCU Library Search will receive a new, updated design from the first week of August.
Design changes
The search functionality is the same, but you will find a few differences:
- We've improved the drop-down search filters. These are now in a more prominent location, with options that better reflect the searches you make. Options such as "online resources" and "BCU exam papers" are still there, but we've added "books and chapters", "music scores", and added more options for finding dissertations and theses.
- The search filters are located in a new filter button, allowing the search results to display more clearly whilst maintaining functionality for refining your search.
- The BCU Library Search landing page has also had a refresh - we've added all the main links you told us were important to you, such as referencing, AI, and academic skills.
New features
Smart Search
If you find keyword searching tricky or you're not finding the results you need, why not try the smart search? This new search feature allows you to type a query in your own words (for example, "I want to find books on Victorian hats") and it'll generate a smart search for you - often finding materials you might never have found!
Journal Search
In the main menu you'll find a dedicated journal search for supporting you to find journal titles. This gives a great new option for browsing titles (both physical and electronic) by title or subject. It also links through to the BrowZine platform where you can sign up to save electronic journals to your virtual bookshelf and keep up to date with research in your chosen subject.
Virtual browse - people and places
Inspire your curiosity via the power of linked data! If you're not sure what linked data is, it's a way of connecting people and places with library resources, to virtually browse our collections. For example, if you spot a card for "Birmingham" in any item record belonging to a book about Birmingham - you'll find an information page about our city, as well as links to every other book we have on our shelves about Birmingham, all before you even visit the library! We're really excited about how this feature will open the doors to our collections.
The new-look library search will be live on Monday 3rd August 2026 but you can try the new version now!