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SOLO - Search Oxford Libraries Online: Changes to SOLO

New Library System

We are very pleased to announce that the Bodleian Libraries and the University of Oxford colleges have now switched to a new library system. 

All changes have been user tested. Testing and development with continue through the next academic year and beyond. 

 

Changes and improvements to note

The list below is aimed at readers already familiar with SOLO and highlights noticeable changes and improvements. To find out about what is in SOLO, how to search SOLO, how to use your account and to make the most of the services available via SOLO please explore the rest of this guide.

 

If you are not signed into SOLO you will only see whether an item is available or not, rather than whether an item can be borrowed or for how long. It is always best to sign first as you get a better service from SOLO. 

SOLO pre September 2023
Image showing the you could see if an item was available to borrow without signing in. From September 2023 you will now need to sign in to see if you can borrow an item

SOLO post August 2023

Once signed in, you will see the loan policy personalised to you. The terminology for loan policies has also been improved to make it clearer how long you can borrow the book for. (e.g. 7 days; 28 days etc). Please note that you can only borrow from libraries where you are a member, for example, the Bodleian Libraries and your college library.
 SOLO pre September 2023

Image showing that before September 2023 SOLO only showed the item was for loan. Post September 2023 you will be able to see loan information personalised to you.

SOLO post August 2023
Image showing that when you are signed into SOLO you will see loan information for an item personalised to you. You will be able to see how long you can borrow the item for.

As well as personalising the display to your user group, SOLO will use live circulation data to adjust what it shows you about an item’s availability, i.e. if an item is already out on loan then the SOLO display will indicate this.

You may notice this on the initial results screen (if all copies are out on loan) or when you are looking at multiple copies (if some of the copies are out on loan).

In the below example, the 3rd item shows ‘Not Available’ and when you click on that items you see that this is because it is out on loan.

 SOLO post August 2023
Image showing that as well as personalising loan information to you. Solo will also use live circulation data to let you know if an item is available to you or not.

Once you have a placed a request the person who has borrowed the item will receive a notification that somebody else would like to read the book. If they keep the book until the due date they will not be able to renew the item.

SOLO post August 2023 will also prompt you to search for other copies that may be on library shelves that you can consult straight away.

When you click on 'Request' SOLO will only present you with options for libraries that you have access to and copies that you can request. 

SOLO post August 2023

The LibraryScan service has now been streamlined with the existing Scan & Deliver service (for items in offsite storage) into a new integrated service. If scanning is an option for any type of item you will now just see the 'Scan & Deliver' button. 

SOLO post August 2023

The Scan & Deliver request form has been improved, particularly the wording on how much you can have scanned (not the whole book!) including advice that you can ask for the index or table of contents in addition to your final choice of chapter.

SOLO post August 2023
Image showing that the Scan and Deliver request form now shows that you can request the table of contents and index in addition to your permitted amount

If we do not hold an item in Oxford it is now really easy to request an item from other libraries, beyond Oxford. Simply click on 'Need more?' as below and fill in the form. 

SOLO post August 2023

Image showing that if you need an item that is not available in Oxford you can click on 'Need more?' in the top menu on SOLO and you can then fill in a form to request an item from outside Oxford

 

 

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