How to use the Library website

If you have a question that is not answered here, please email library@bzsociety.org.uk. Feedback about use of the website is appreciated as it helps us to update the website and improve our services.

On the website you can:

• • Search our online catalogue

  • View your current checked-out items.

  • Renew your items

  • Reserve an item 

  • Make Inter-Library Loan requests

• • Find information about the library: our opening hours, regulations, news, etc.

To search the catalogue:

The Simple Search is a free text search box. If you want to be more specific, click on "Show search options" under the blank search box and select an option to filter your results.  Alternatively, you can perform an Advanced Search. Check the 'Search Tips' underneath each search box for more information.

Browse search allows you to browse items by author, subject, location etc.

How to access your account:

-  Go to My account

- Enter your username and your password. When you sign in for the first time: your username is your first and family name in lower case without spaces and your password is the same as your username. 

-  Don't forget to sign out! Simply click the "Sign out" link on the top right side.

To update your profile:

- Sign in first with your username and your password (please see "How to access to your account" first)

- Click "Edit my profile" in the top right of the screen

To see your loans or loan history:

- Sign in first with your username and your password

- Go to "My account" and click My Checkouts, or Checkouts History 

To renew items:

• Sign in with your username and your password

• Go to "My account" and click My Checkouts.

• Tick the box of the items you want to renew (on the left side) and click to the button "renew" on the top (see below)

If you have any issues, please send an email to the Librarian.

To reserve items: 

Attention: You can only reserve items on loan!

• Sign in first with your username and your password 

• Search for the item you want to reserve and click "Reservation" 

• When the reservation is ready to collect, you will receive an email notification. Please collect reserved items from the library within 10 days.

Inter-library loans (ILL) 

If our library doesn't have the book or journal article you need, but it is available at ZSL (London Zoo) Library, you can request it via the library website.  More information on our ILL service can be found here.

Request books from ZSL by completing this form.

Request journal articles from ZSL by completing this form.

If Bristol Zoo Library or ZSL Library don’t hold an item you need, the Librarian may be able to make an inter-library loan request from other libraries. Please ask the Librarian for more details.