Open a-z.lu and simply enter your keywords in the search bar at the top of the page, then start your search! Afterwards, you have the option to refine the results using the filters on the right-hand side of the results page.

If you are looking for a specific document or subject, we recommend that you use the “Advanced search” function, which allows you to make a more elaborated query using different fields and the Boolean operators AND, OR, EXCEPT.

Navigate to a-z.lu, click on the “Advanced search” button on the right of the search bar and select several search criteria.

Once you have made your search request, your results will be displayed on the screen. On the left, informationfor each document is presented, such as the type of document (book, article, etc.), the title, the author and the year of publication.

In the right-hand column, you will find filtering options that allow you to refine your search. For example, you can choose to display only physical resources or only documents available online. You can also filter by document type, library, language, author, creation date or subject. You can combine different filters or even combine different values for the same filter.

Once you have applied a filter to your results, you can remove it at any time by clicking on the cross in the bar at the top of the column.

When you have found the reference of a document in the a-z.lu search engine, the bibliographic note tells you where in the Reading Room it is located or how you can order it.

If a document is located in the Reading Room, you must remove it from the shelf yourself, and, if you want to take it home, you must borrow it at the loans desk or a self-service loan machine. Make a note of the document’s shelf mark so that you can find it in the Reading Room. a-z.lu also allows you to open a GPS map of the Reading Room showing the route to the document.

If the document you require is located in the closed stacks, a member of staff will fetch it for you. You simply order the title via a-z.lu. Unless the document has already been borrowed by another user, it will be ready for you to collect from the loans desk within no more than two hours. You will be notified by e-mail when a document is ready for collection.

To extend a loan, first click on your name in the top right-hand menu and then on “My Loans”. You will then see all the documents currently on loan and their return date. You can extend a loan by clicking on “Renew” next to the document in question. 

You can also extend all your loans at once by clicking on “Renew all”.

When you have found the title of a digital document using the a-z.lu search engine, click on the “View online” link below the title to get to the document. Depending on the document type, you are directed to an intermediate page or you are requested to download a different program to open the document.