Books and journals

Using the SWIMS catalogue

If needed, you can use the following guide, or contact us for assistance. ​​​​

SWIMS is a library catalogue that is shared by all NHS libraries across the South and West of England. SWIMS enables you to search for books and other items held at your local NHS library, see items held by other NHS libraries in the region, and to view and renew your loans online. If you would like to borrow an item not held by your library then please contact a member of your local library team.

Accessing SWIMS and logging in

SWIMS is available to access online from anywhere. Go to: www.swims.nhs.uk

You do not have to log in to carry out a search. However, if you wish to reserve books or create reading lists then you will need to log in to your SWIMS library account.

In order to login, you must first have a library account. If you haven't registered with the library yet, please go to the online registration form.

 If you already have a library account, you can activate your login as follows:

• On the right-hand side, click on the Forgot your password option. A new page will appear.

• In the Username or email field enter your registered email address and then click the link under Submit.
• Check your registered email account for an activation email. This email will contain a link which once clicked will prompt you to set a pin for your library account.

If you need to update your registered email address please contact a member of your local library team.

Once you have activated your account you can log in at any time using your library barcode or registered email address and chosen password.

Searching SWIMS

To search simply, enter your search term(s) into the search box and click the search button. You can search for a specific title, author or classmark. Alternatively, for a broader search, enter key search term(s) relevant to your topic.

It is also possible to carry out an advanced search. To access the advanced search options, click the link under the search box on the left-hand side. An advanced search enables you to combine or exclude search terms, search a specific index (e.g. ISBN) and add search filters such as publication year, location of item and material type.

Understanding your results

After running your search the system will display items that match your search terms. For each item you will be able to see the full title, date of publication, names of authors and material type. The system will also display whether an item is available for loan in at least one SWIMS library. If the system is unable to find any results for your search terms it will display a no records found message.

On the left-hand side of the search results page you will find several search filters that you can apply to your search including availability, holding libraries and material type.

On the right-hand side, it is possible to sort your results by relevancy (default), date or alphabetically. You can also add results of interest to a reading list (temporary unless logged in), print or email your results.

Here is an example of what the search results page will look like:

To find out more information about any of your results simply click the title. This will enable you to see a list of which libraries hold this title, whether it is available or on loan and where it is shelved.

If the item is an electronic book (ebook) you will find an access link. Please note that in order to access an ebook the title must be available from your local library. You will need to log in to the ebook with your NHS OpenAthens account. You can register online at: https://openathens.nice.org.uk/

It is possible to print the page or add the item to a reading list. If you want to share the record with a colleague use the share icons options found top right of the page to generate a shareable link.

Here is an example of what you will see:

Viewing and renewing your loans

To view and/or renew your loans, login to your library account using the login option  If you have not yet activated your account see the accessing SWIMS and logging above.

You can see the number of items you have on loan and whether they are overdue. 

You will be able to see their title, when they were loaned and when they are due back. Loaned items that have not reached their maximum number of permitted renewals will also display with a renew button. The renewal is automatic; however, you may choose to renew it manually if you prefer.

From this page you can also view your created reading lists, loan history, search history and reservations. Under personal details you can check that your registered email address is correct and update it if required. Under messaging, you can manage the notification settings.

Searching for journals and journal articles

To search for a specific journal we recommend using a system called BrowZine. From the homepage of the SWIMS catalogue please click the search for articles button. You will be directed to the Library and Knowledge Hub website. Please login with your OpenAthens account by clicking the link in the top grey bar (if no grey bar you are already logged in). Once logged in select browse journals from the top menu.

To run a keyword search for journal articles on a topic we recommend that you use the Knowledge and Library Hub and/or databases such as MEDLINE, CINAHL, PSYCINFO etc. You can access available databases by clicking the search for articles button on the homepage of the SWIMS catalogue. Please login with your OpenAthens account by clicking the link in the top grey bar (if no grey bar you are already logged in). The centre search box will allow you to search the Knowledge and Library Hub. For more advanced searches choose a database listed under in-depth searching.

In order to access online resources you will need an NHS OpenAthens account. You can register online at: https://openathens.nice.org.uk/ 

Training

For help using the SWIMS catalogue or searching for journal articles please contact your local NHS library.

Adapted from by Lucy Farnsworth, SWIMS System Admin, on behalf of Library and Knowledge Services, HEE (South West, Thames Valley and Wessex). Mar 2026. V1. lucy.farnsworth@nhs.net

To borrow books, you need to join the library. Registered members can borrow up to 12 books at a time and these are issued for four weeks.

Books can be renewed three times, as long as they are not reserved by someone else.

Renewals can be made online, by phone or in person.

 

A large selection of ebooks are available to eligible staff and students with an NHS OpenAthens account. ​​​​​​You can search for ebooks through:

• the library catalogue
• Kortext 
• Libby
• Clinicalkey
• Oxford Academic
• Karger

The library is creating a collection of health and wellbeing and leisure audiobooks and ebooks through the Libby app from 2025, all available in one place through FHFT OpenAthens.