The University of Wales Online Library was launched in 2004 providing a dedicated virtual library service to students on University of Wales validated schemes. This service is available 24 hours a day and provides access regardless of where students are based.

The Library contains a wide range of high quality full-text peer-reviewed resources. Resources are arranged into subjects:

• Art & Design
• Business & Management
• Communication Studies
• Computing & Information Technology
• Education
• Health Studies
• Law
• Music
• Theology & Religious Studies
• Tourism

Within each subject area you may find ebooks, online databases, ejournals, and links and gateways to other useful websites.

Some of the full text databases on offer include Business Source Premier, Computer Source, ACM Digital Library, ATLA Religion Database, Grove Art Online, Westlaw, and Alt HealthWatch. Further details about their content are available on the web site. We have also taken out subscriptions to individual ejournals, for example, Information Systems, Frieze, The Art Book, Pain, The Lancet and Complementary Therapies in Medicine. To see our full collection of databases and ejournals please go to the web site and look under the subject of interest.

To help you find the ejournal that you are looking for we also have an AtoZ list of all our ejournals which gives a searchable index of all the ejournals contained in all our databases, and it includes our individual ejournal subscriptions and some subject-specific ejournals that are freely available on the Internet.

We also provide a range of resources for study support, particularly ebooks, and there are guides available explaining how to use all the different electronic resources that we offer.

Some of the resources are subscription-based and you must be authenticated and authorised to use these. Once registered with the University you are able to set up a username and password to access these restricted resources.

Obtaining a user name and Password

As a new student you will receive a ‘Welcome Letter’ from the University of Wales which will contain your unique University Student Number. This number allows you to set up your username and password, and the steps involved are given below.

Please note that if you receive a ‘Matriculation Letter’ containing your University Student Number you will need to wait until you receive your ‘Welcome Letter’ before you can set up your username and password.

Questions and Answers

You may find answers to your questions in the Help section of the Online Library where there are FAQs and technical help. Otherwise, you may contact the librarian with your questions, preferably by email or completing an online enquiry form. All these details are in the Contact Us section of the web site.

Instructions for Obtaining a Username and Password

1. Go to the Online Library website at: www.library.wales.ac.uk.
2. Click on a subject of interest.
3. Select a resource that requires a username and password.
4. Click on "I don't have a password yet ....".
5. Enter your University Student Number (this is the 13 digit number on your Welcome Letter) and your email address.
6. Click on ‘Send Request’.
7. A temporary password is emailed to you.
8. Your email address or University Student Number may be entered as your username.
9. The first time you use this temporary password you will be required to change it to something that you can remember.
10. The new password can be any combination of numbers and letters, and is case-sensitive.
11. For security reasons, when your password is entered it will appear as a series of ***** and you will be required to change your password at certain intervals.
12. Your registration will last for one year and if applicable will be renewed every year by your validated institution.
13. In compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998, your email address will only be used for authentication for the Online Library and to provide support on the use of the Library. The University will not use the address for any other purpose or disclose it to anyone else without your permission.
14. Your username and password must not be shared with any other students or members of staff.
15. You may change your password or email address at any time after you have logged in by going to MyAccount on the toolbar at the top of the page.

Click here to Logon to the Library