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During the summer the Library has had trial access to “Summon AI Assistant”, a Beta product made available as an enhancement to our Library Search software.

The AI Assistant allows for natural language searching within the Library Search database, and from the results retrieved, ranks by relevance to the original query. The 5 ‘best’ sources are identified and the abstracts used to create an overall summary response to the original query.

We have extensively tested this product and have sought feedback from academics and students.

We have found that it does not currently meet the needs of our users. The results it supplies are not sufficiently and reliably accurate to enable us to recommend it as there is a significant risk that students may end up missing key resources from their research if they rely on this tool. For example, some publishers and content aggregators such as Elsevier and JSTOR do not allow their content to be indexed via the tool.

We have therefore made the decision to withdraw access to the Summon AI Assistant at this time.

However, it is a Beta product and may be subject to development and enhancement. We will continue to monitor this and will consider making it available to our users at a future date if future testing suggests it would be helpful for our users.

The Library has purchased a wide range of new online resources to support learning, teaching and research. Find out more below!

Please note the Library will be closing on 8pm on Sunday 24 August and re-opening at 8am on Tuesday 26 August.

We have recently updated and replaced the directory signage in the library lift lobbies, with improvements based on room name and location changes, as well as feedback gathered through a user experience project focused on library navigation.

The new signs, titled Library Floor Guide, provide clear information on:

• Room locations for each floor
• Subjects and classmarks of books available
• Which areas are designated as quiet zones and which support group or collaborative study

In addition to the lift lobby directories, we’ve also updated:

• Stairwell signs
• Directional signs located before the bridge to the extension floors
• Hanging signs at the entrances to the extension areas

Each sign now features QR codes that give quick access to:

• Library help
• The interactive floor map
• Library search tools

These updates aim to make it easier to navigate the library, find resources, and choose the right space for your study needs.

LSEG Workspace is a new global company and financial markets database now available to all university students, staff and researchers. It replaces the LSEG Eikon and Mergent Online databases which are now retired and no longer available.