PPL Discovery

The Peace Palace Library has an extensive collection of books and journals on public and international law, foreign law, comparative law and war and peace issues. The collection is available for in person consultation in the Reading Room or remotely via your PC, Laptop, Tablet or mobile phone. More information about the Library’s collection is available via the Collection Profile page.

This page is a guide to help you request and access materials through our Catalogue: PPL Discovery   

PPL Discovery is a search engine that helps you find material in the Peace Palace Library collection. PPL Discovery is part of WorldCat Discovery which is a cloud-based application that helps people find materials in our collection and in libraries worldwide through a single search. 

 

Information about Access and Reserving Materials 

To make a request for an item or to access an e-resource you must become a Member. More information about Peace Palace Library Memberships can be found on the Library Membership page.

How to Access PPL Discovery and Log in  

To access PPL Discovery enter https://peacepalace.on.worldcat.org/discovery into your URL bar.  

To log in, click on the sign-in button on the top right of your screen. You must be logged in to request materials for pick up and to access e-resources. 

Basic Search  

Note: always login before you start your search. 

If you are looking for a wide range of sources on a topic, use the search bar by entering relevant keywords, titles, or authors. On the results page you can refine your search results by format, subject, publication, database, and language.  

For more information about how to search for material using PPL Discovery please visit the WorldCat Discovery search guide.   

To learn more about searching using keywords and phrases, visit WorldCat’s guide to types of Searches.  

Tips and Tricks:  

  • Use Boolean Operators (AND, OR, NOT) to combine or exclude terms for more precise results. Boolean Operators are simple words used to combine or exclude words in your search. Click here for more information about how to use Boolean Operators. 
  • Identify concepts and combine them with AND  
    • e.g. International Law AND Justice  
  • Identify keywords and combine variations with OR  
    • e.g ICJ OR PICJ  
  • Identify Key words or phrases that you want to exclude from your search results 
    • e.g International Law NOT Justice  
      • Note: You can combine Boolean Operators to create a more specific search.  
        • e.g International Law AND Justice NOT Europe  
  • You can use the ISBN number of a book to search PPL Discovery.  This can be found on the publisher’s web page and is usually a 13-digit number. To search using the ISBN number first enter bn: into the search bar then enter the ISBN Number.  

Note: How to ensure I am searching in PPL Discovery? 

When you enter your keywords, authors or book title PPL Discovery provides results of every library in the world that uses WorldCat services. To ensure you only receive results for the Peace Palace library collection, please select Peace Palace Library on the results page.  To select this option, go to the left-hand side of your screen, expand the ‘Held By Library’ dropdown menu and select the Peace Palace Library tick box and ensure all other options are deselected.

Advanced Search

Note: always login before you start your search. 

The Advanced Search feature allows you to systematically search for material and pre-select the search parameters. With this function you can combine Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) and search for materials using the options in the dropdown menus. Further you can limit your searches to specific databases, publication year, and format.  

To access the Advanced Search engine, click on Advanced Search in the top left-hand corner of your screen.  

For more information about how to use the Advanced Search feature for material using PPL Discovery please visit the WorldCat Discovery search guide. 

How to request a book 

After you have completed your search and found a book you would like to request you must log into your account via the sign in button on the top left of your screen.  

Once signed into your account click on the place hold button on the right-hand side of your screen. Once clicked you will be directed to a page with all the relevant information about the book and its availability.  

To reserve the book, click on the tick box on the left hand of your screen and click submit. After you click submit you should receive a notification that “you have submitted 1 hold request.” 

Once your book is available for pick up you will receive an email notification.  

Note: If the book is part of a series or anthology, please ensure you select the volume or edition you would like to receive. This information will be presented to you as part of the table after you have clicked the place hold button.  

How to request print article or chapter of a book

After you have completed your search and found an article you would like to request you must log into your account via the sign in button on the top left of your screen. 

Once signed and you have the title of the article, find the journal or book title. This information is below the title of the article and starts with in... 

For example: Plausibility to Human Vulnerability or Both: Shifting Provisional Measures Standards in Human Rights Cases Before the International Court of Justice. 

In Liverpool Law Review: A Journal of Contemporary Legal and Social Policy Issues(20240111): 1-19 

If you are requesting a title that is part of a journal, serial publication also note the volume and edition.   

Once you have the journal or book title and have noted any additional information such as the volume and edition number, search for the title of the book using the search bar at the top of your screen.  

After you have located and selected the relevant journal or book, click on the place hold button on the right-hand side of your screen. Once clicked you will be directed to a page with all the relevant information about the book and its availability. 

Note: An alternative way to search for a particular book or journal series is to use the Call number of the book. The call number is found in the ‘Availability at Peace Palace Library ‘section of the information page. Once you have noted the call number enter nu: into the search bar and then the number as shown in the description.  

To reserve the book or journal, click on the tick box on the left hand of your screen and click submit. After you click submit you should receive a notification that “you have submitted 1 hold request.” If the book or journal is part of a series use the information noted before (Volume and edition) to ensure you select and reserve the item which contains your desired publication.   

How to access an e-book or e-article 

After you have completed your search and found an article you want to access you must log into your account via the sign in button on the top left of your screen. 

Once signed in and have found the title of the article or book you wish to consult, click on the title and you will be directed to the article's information page.  

If the book or article is available as an e-resource, you will find the option ‘view eBook’ or ‘view full text’.  To access the material, click on the relevant link and you will be redirected to the requested article or book.   

If access is denied, double check you are logged in. Then try the process again. If the problem persists report the broken link by clicking the broken link button on the left-hand side of the screen.  

How to access Databases 

A full list of databases which the Peace Palace Library subscribes to is available on the Licensed Databases page. The databases shown on the website are available for access in the reading room and most are available remotely.  

To access the databases first log in. Then click on the more info button. Once clicked you are directed to a page which gives you more information about the databases collection.  

Note: Some of the databases subscribed to by the Peace Palace Library require additional log in information or are only available to access from within the Reading Room. If you have problems accessing a database please visit the Service Desk or email: library@peacepalace.org 

Reviewing Loans and Deadlines 

To check the deadline for borrowed books, first log into your account. Once logged in, click on My Account to reveal a dropdown menu, then click checkouts.  

On this page you can also select, using the tick boxes, book loans you wish to extend. 

Reviewing Requests  

To check which books you have requested, first log into your account. Once logged in, click on my account to reveal a dropdown menu, then click request. 

On this page you can also select, using the tick boxes, requests you may which to cancel.  

Accessing Search History 

To access your search history, first log into your account. Once logged in, click on My Account to reveal a dropdown menu, then click search activity. 

Saving a Search  

To save a search for future consultation, first log into your account. Then complete your search using the search bar or the Advanced Search feature.  

After you have completed your search, you will also see a save search button in the top right-hand corner of your screen. Click Save Search and it will be available for future reference via your account.  

To access your saved searches, click on my account to reveal a dropdown menu, then click Saved Searches.  

Saving an Item  

To save an item you have found for future consultation, first log into your account. Then complete your search using the search bar or the Advanced Search feature. Once you have found the item you wish to consult click on the link and this will redirect you to the materials information page. On the materials information page, you will see a save button at the top of your screen. Click Save and it will be available for future reference via your account.  

To access your saved items, click on My Account to reveal a dropdown menu, then click saved items