What is Available

Books & eBooks

Books are useful to find information on a topic, to put a topic in context with other important issues, to find historical information, and/or to find summaries of research to support an argument. An edited book features articles or other material on the same subject but by different authors collected together in one book by an editor.

Guide to finding books & ebooks >

Journals & Journal Articles

There are different types of journals which will be useful in your research.

• Scholarly journals typically contain articles written by academics or professional researchers and are aimed at academic audiences. Scholarly journal articles are valuable sources of information for students and researchers.
• Peer reviewed journals contain articles which have been reviewed and approved by recognised experts in particular subject areas.
• Review papers or articles present a comprehensive review of the existing body of knowledge in a specific subject or topic. Review papers can be very useful for locating the core literature in a particular subject area. Some journal databases give the option to refine your search by 'Review Papers'. 

Guide to finding journals and articles >

Reference Works

Reference works include dictionaries, encyclopaedias, handbooks and other types of reference work. They are a useful place to start when beginning work on a project.

Guide to finding reference works >

Databases

A database is an organised collection or index of published data. Databases are a key resource for study or research. The Library provides access to hundreds of databases in order to make it possible for students and academics to find out what has been published on a topic.

Guide to finding databases >

The Library regularly runs trials of new online resources that we are considering purchasing. It greatly helps our decision making to get feedback from academic staff, researchers and students about the resource; we would appreciate your feedback if you are looking at any resources being trialled.

Send us your feedback >

Theses

The Library holds a copy of most theses completed in NUI Galway (after 1997) and University College Galway (the University's title before 1997).

• Theses are held in bound hardcopy, online, or online-only format.
• Bound hardcopy theses may not be borrowed and can only be read in the Library.
• Online and open access theses can be viewed from any location. NUI Galway's online content copyright terms and conditions apply, see Copyright statement for the NUI Galway Web site.
• Online-only taught theses can only be accessed by Staff or Students of NUI Galway.
• Note that some researchers have requested that their theses are not made available for consultation immediately or, in rarer cases, at all. The catalogue record will usually indicate if this is the case.
• You can also submit your thesis to ARAN (Access to Research at NUI Galway).

Guide to finding theses >

European Documentation Centre

The European Documentation Centre has been situated in the James Hardiman Library since 1973. The European Documentation Centre is available to staff and students and all members of the general public. European documentation material can be consulted during Library opening hours but may not be borrowed. The Library receives selected publications of the European Union and its constituent bodies.

Guide to finding material in the European Documentation Centre >

Official Publications

The Official Publications collection contains government publications of the modern Irish State from 1922 to date.

Guide to finding official publications >

Caselaw & Legislation

The caselaw collection is available to all NUI Galway students and staff.  We have a print collection and an extensive online collection of cases. 

Guide to finding caselaw >

The Legislation collection is available to all NUI Galway students and staff. We hold and/or provide access to Irish, UK, European legislation. Legislation, along with caselaw, is a primary source of Irish law.

Guide to finding legislation >

Maps

Please see the Guide to Map Resources in the Library and Online for detailed information about our map holdings, or download a version of it here:  Map Resources in the Library and Online.

The Library's substantial map collection comprises both historical and current maps in print and manuscript format, on microfilm, and electronically. Most maps relate to the island of Ireland, but there is a small collection of international maps. The collection includes maps published by the Ordnance Survey of Ireland since the 1840s. The Library also has historical maps of Ireland, Connacht and Galway, plus historical street maps of the major cities and towns of Ireland. The library holds archaeological maps for County Galway. 

If you require assistance with the map collection, please contact the Library & IT Service Desk or the Special Collections Reading Room.

Many maps are available online, and a guide to some of those is available at Irish Maps Online.

View our maps >

Newspapers

The library holds irish  Regional and Provincial Newspapers, National Newspapers, and newspapers in microform. For more information on  our newspaper holdings, visit the Newspapers page from Special Collections. 

Additional newspaper collections may also be of use to you:

• The National Library of Ireland Catalogue provides details of newspaper titles published in Ireland. It includes information on where copies are held.
• The British Library Newspaper Library has the largest collection of Irish newspapers worldwide

DVDs and Audio

The Library has a small collection of audio-visual resources including DVDs, CDs and audio tapes.

Guide to finding DVDs and audio >

Microform

Microforms are non-digital reproductions of documents whih are scaled down for easy storage. They can be read using special machines.

Guide to finding and using microform >

Standards

Standards are published documents that establish specifications and procedures designed to ensure the reliability of materials, products, methods, and/or services.  The library subscribes to several Standards databases.

Guide to Finding Standards >