Open collections in the Library
The Library’s collections have evolved over time:
- They started as physical resources a library owned and stored on the library shelves.
- The Internet enabled staff and students to instantly access electronic resources from anywhere in the world, so libraries adapted by combining physical resources with a mixture of owned and subscribed electronic resources.
- More recently, this mix has been further expanded by electronic resources made available openly, without the need for purchase
The Library’s collections can be discovered through the library search or via the databases or eJournals listings. These collections are aligned to the learning, teaching and research activity of the University. (If a student or member of staff can't find something they need within these collections, the Library can still assist.) The increasing number of open resources and collections that lie beyond the Library’s purchased and subscribed collections extends the scope of the Library and enhances the breadth of resources that can be accessed, without login or cost barrier.
Library search and open collections
The library search includes many of these open collections and they will be included within the search results. For technical consistency, links to full text will usually defer to paid-for versions of articles, but links to open-access resources are provided where available from the collection provider.
You can see the full list of open collections available from the library search provider. Decisions on which are included by default are made based on technical criteria and alignment with local learning, teaching, and research.
However, the library search has options to both limit search results to 'Open Access / available to non-Hull' and to 'Add results beyond Hull Library's collection', which effectively overrides these default settings.