Category Archives: Borrowing and viewing material

Welcome to new and returning students – getting ready for Spring Term

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Happy New Year from the University of Reading Library

Welcome – or Welcome Back – to the University of Reading Library!

Your Academic Liaison Librarians wish you a Happy New Year. Now that you are preparing for Spring Term, here’s a reminder of some of the support we can provide to help you with your assignments and research this term. If you’re new to the Library building, you can take an online tour.

How to find books and academic journal articles

If you found it tricky to find the right materials last term, you can remind yourself of the Library’s search tools Enterprise and Summon via our playlists. Our playlists are all available on the University of Reading Library YouTube and will show you

  • how to search for books, journals and other materials
  • how to locate print books
  • how to borrow print books

Manage your references

When you’re planning assignments, keeping track of the books and articles that you read is really important and saves a lot of time when you’re writing your bibliography at the end of an essay. Making good notes about your references now can help you later on, so it’s a good habit to get into.

Look at the Referencing tab on your Subject Guide for guidance specific to your programme, or visit our Citing References Guide for information on when to reference, how to structure a reference and a bibliography. You’ll also find lots of helpful advice on reference management tools.

Contact your Academic Liaison Librarian

At the University, there is a Librarian for each subject. They can help you with finding information and referencing. You can email any queries to your Librarian, or arrange a 1-1 appointment to discuss a specific question.

Find out who your Librarian is here: www.reading.ac.uk/library/liaison

If you are a new student, you’ll find all the information you need on our New Students Guide.

Kim Coles,
Academic Liaison Team Manager

 

Christmas Vacation – Library loans, opening hours and more

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Close up image of the word Library as mounted on the library building cladding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been a busy Autumn term!  

The final week of term begins on Monday! We thought this would be a good time to share the Library vacation information with you, to help you get the most out of your Library through the break. 

 

Online help 

All our expert staff are available online to help and advise you through the vacation before, and after, the University closure period. Through this time, the following services will be available 

  • For advice on resources for all your course needs, contact your Academic Liaison Librarian, they can assist by helping you to make the most of the Library resources.  
  • Study Advice can help you develop your study skills through the online tutorials and bookable sessions on offer.   
  • The Research Engagement team are available to help support your research needs. If you require help with Open Access, research data management and other research related matters, visit their webpages for further support. 

Once we enter the University closure period, you will still be able to gain help and support through the range of training guides and videos that the teams have produced. 

 

Store and Closed Access requests 

If you need materials from the off-site Store or from our Closed Access shelves, please make sure you place your request in good time. The final dates of collection are as follows 

  • Store collections – Thursday 16 December. Requests for items should be submitted by 8:00, that morning so that they can be processed for retrieval.  
  • Closed Access collections – Wednesday 22 December. Please submit your request before 13:45 if you wish to consult a closed access item in advance of the closure period. 

We will resume Closed Access collections on Tuesday 4 January and from Store on Thursday 6 January. For more information, see Requesting items from Store and Closed Access. 

 

Vacation loans  

To ensure you have good access to resources over the break, vacation loan periods will apply as follows 

  • Items from our Short Loan/overnight loan collection borrowed on Friday 17 December will not need to be returned until Tuesday 4 January 2022, but they must be returned by 11:00 to avoid any charges.  
  • 7-day loans borrowed from Monday 20 December will not need to be returned until the end of the closure period (Tuesday 4 January 2022).  
  • Standard loans (3-week loans) will naturally issue over the break from Friday 3 December. Term loans will update on 2 December so that any items issued then will not be due until Tuesday 22 March 2022.  

Recalls will still apply until the University closure begins so, please remember to check your University email and return any recalls in good time.  

 

Vacation opening hours 

The Library will be open 24/6+ until Friday 10 December, when we will be closing at Midnight. This also signals the start of the weekend closure, and the start of vacation hours as follows 

 

From  To  Opening hours 
Saturday 11 December  Sunday 12 December  CLOSED 
Monday 13 December  Thursday 16 December  Open 8:30 – 19:00 
Friday 17 December    Open 8:30 – 17:00 
Saturday 18 December  Sunday 19 December   CLOSED 
Monday 20 December  Wednesday 22 December  Open 8:30 – 19:00 
Thursday 23 December    Open 8:30 – 17:00 
Friday 24 December  Monday 4 January  CLOSED 

 

Much of the University will be closed between Friday 24 December and Tuesday 4 January. On Tuesday 4 January, the Library will reopen as follows  

 

Tuesday 4 January                        Thursday 6 January                              Open 8:30 – 19:00 
Friday 7 January      Open 8:30 – 17:00 
Saturday 8 January      Open 8:30 – 19:00 
Sunday 9 January    Open 8:30 24/6+ resume. 

 

Further information on the Library opening hours, including the IT Service Desk can be found on the Opening hours webpage.  

If you have a general enquiry, please contact us ahead of the University closure dates by emailing library@reading.ac.uk or phone 0118 378 8770. 

Best wishes, 

Your Library Team 

 

Reopening memberships for alumni, past staff and others

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Good news! We are reopening memberships for the following groups:

  • Friends of the University
  • STC and Reading Enterprise Centre
  • Reading graduates
  • Retired University staff
  • Lord Zuckerman Research Centre & RSSL
  • Teachers at partnership schools.

The annual rate for membership for users with a connection to the University is £45 per year. For further information, visit our memberships page.

Membership includes:

  • full access during all building open hours
  • ability to borrow five Standard (3 week) loan items
  • up to five renewals (unless the item is recalled)
  • 24/7 access to your Library account.

If you come under one of the categories listed above and would like to become a Library member, visit us between 9:00 – 17:00 Monday to Thursday, or 10:00 – 17:00 on Friday. To get started, please visit the membership webpage for further information, including the application form and remember to bring a valid proof of your status when you come to complete your application.

We aren’t able to provide general external membership to others yet, but we are keeping this under review so please keep an eye on our website for more information.

If you need further information, get in touch with us in advance of your visit via email at library@reading.ac.uk.

 

Your Library Team

Black History Month 2021- Race & Ethnicity Libguide

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This October, we are launching a new guide. 

University of Reading Black History Month graphic, square box made up of black background with flashes of red, yellow and green, with white text. White clenched fist outline on yellow and black background.

Black History Month 2021– there’re lots of activities on offer at the University of Reading

The Race and Ethnicity Libguide covers a wide range of academic disciplines such as sociology, culture, languages, heritage, and many other subjects too.  

This guide will introduce you to some of key resources the Library can provide and will point you towards other relevant online resources and libraries. 

We have lots of new books for you to explore. Many of these titles are relevant to UK Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) experiences but there is also a wide selection relating to International experiences. Look at the Books tab to see newly published and seminal resources that are available from the Library to help you build on your knowledge and understanding of BAME dialogues.  

Books on shelves, purple pillar, grey carpet

What would you like to see on our shelves?

 

Have you heard about our fund to help to Diversify the collections? 

 

The section on ‘Diversifying our collections’ will help build your understanding of this movement- why it matters and what you can do to help. 

 

If you want help finding out more about BAME academics here at the University of Reading, have a look at the Further Resources tab to see a list of some of the recent research outputs by BAME staff. You can also search for publications about race and ethnicity in the research repository, centAUR. 

 

If you have an idea for a resource you’d like to see listed, please get in touch. We hope that you will find this guide useful.

 

Your Library Team

 

Black History Month 2021- Race & Ethnicity Libguide

Posted on by

This October, we are launching a new guide. 

University of Reading Black History Month graphic, square box made up of black background with flashes of red, yellow and green, with white text. White clenched fist outline on yellow and black background.

Black History Month 2021– there’re lots of activities on offer at the University of Reading

The Race and Ethnicity Libguide covers a wide range of academic disciplines such as sociology, culture, languages, heritage, and many other subjects too.  

This guide will introduce you to some of key resources the Library can provide and will point you towards other relevant online resources and libraries. 

We have lots of new books for you to explore. Many of these titles are relevant to UK Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) experiences but there is also a wide selection relating to International experiences. Look at the Books tab to see newly published and seminal resources that are available from the Library to help you build on your knowledge and understanding of BAME dialogues.  

Books on shelves, purple pillar, grey carpet

What would you like to see on our shelves?

 

Have you heard about our fund to help to Diversify the collections? 

 

The section on ‘Diversifying our collections’ will help build your understanding of this movement- why it matters and what you can do to help. 

 

If you want help finding out more about BAME academics here at the University of Reading, have a look at the Further Resources tab to see a list of some of the recent research outputs by BAME staff. You can also search for publications about race and ethnicity in the research repository, centAUR. 

 

If you have an idea for a resource you’d like to see listed, please get in touch. We hope that you will find this guide useful.

 

Your Library Team

 

Hello again and welcome back! 

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Following on from Welcome last week, we wanted to ensure that we said ‘welcome back’ to the Library to all of our continuing students too. 

Large rectangular red pin on badge with white text that reads 'ask me... I work here!'.

We’re here to help you with all of your Library questions

We know last year was difficult for everyone and especially for those of you who grappled with online and remote learning. Many of you have been away from campus for a while so, please ask us for assistance if things feel unfamiliar.  

We are pleased to say that many of the measures that were in operation in the Library over the past year have been disbanded! 

 

Study space bookings 

Since 3 September, study space bookings are no longer required for individual study spaces and group study is available again. The 1st Floor Group Study Rooms can, once more, be booked in advance. See our recent blog for more information.  

 

Click & Collect 

Click & Collect has ended and you can now browse the shelves and borrow items without having to place holds in advance of your visit. More information about how and when to place a hold on an item can be found on the Placing & cancelling a hold webpage. 

We’ve retained the one-way system, sanitisation stations and enhanced cleaning as these have all proven to be useful over the last year. Additionally, University health and safety policy is still single occupancy usage of lifts and, if you are able to wear a face covering, we encourage you to use one when moving around the building.  

Find out more about keeping safe on the Student Essentials pages.  

 

Library tours  

Have you seen our Instagram tour yet? Library tours continue to be available online and there are several other options too. 

 

Opening hours back to 24/6+  

We’re back to our normal term time 24/6+ opening hours. This means the Library closes Saturday evening at 21:00 and reopens Sunday at 8:30, apart from that we’re open all hours. Please note that the Library Café closes at 22:00 on weekdays and IT Service desk hours can be found on the DTS website. 

 

Don’t forget to make the most of expert help!  

The Study Advice and Academic Liaison Librarian teams have been expanding the range of online materials available to help you make the most of the Library. Visit the Library website to see our new Training and events guide and links to our newest YouTube videos and other resources. 

 

Blog banner image for University Library News

Bookmark the Library blog to stay up-to-date with any changes

 

Further information 

We’ll continue to provide updates on the Library services on our website, blog, and social media to keep you informed but if you have any questions, please get in touch via library@reading.ac.uk or see our contact information for other options.  

Your Library Team

Self-service borrowing is back!

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We’re pleased to announce that we’re taking another step back to normal as the Click & Collect service is no longer required. This means you’ll be able to browse the shelves and borrow via the self-service machines whenever you want.

The Click & Collect service will cease from midnight Thursday 16 September so please make any requests before then. We’ll be open for a final collection between 11:00 and 14:00 on Friday 17 September and any uncollected materials will be transferred to the Holds shelves.

 

Student picking up a book from the shelf

Now Click & Collect is finishing, browse the shelves in person

 

If you’re a member of our Library and wish to borrow books simply visit us and select them from the shelves. We have floor plans available online and in the building to help you find materials and self-service machines so you can check items out securely.

If an item you want to borrow is already on loan, place a ‘hold’ to ensure that when a copy becomes available, it is held for you. You’ll get an email once the item is ready for you to collect from the Holds shelves. These are located on the Ground Floor, in the quiet study area which some of you will know we’ve been using for Click & Collect.

Inter-Library Loans will be collectable from the Welcome Desk. Just come through the gates and show your Campus Card to collect these from our team.

We understand that this is a significant change for those of you who were used to using Click & Collect, so please ask us if you need help or further information.

 

Your Library Team

Education students, welcome to UoR Library!

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Early September, children return to school and we welcome postgraduate students learning to teach them with our Institute of Education. Greetings!

Why not come to meet your Education Academic Liaison Librarians and Study Advisers at the ‘marketplace’ in RUSU’s Cafe Mondial, 10:00-12:30 on Friday 3 (secondary students) or 12:00-13:00 Wednesday 8 September (primary students). We’ll also be around all year to support your studies of course!

Check out our Education subject and referencing guide online to discover online and physical resources – much is online, linked to your reading lists, with printed theory and Teaching Practice Collection resources in the Library building.

You can see what the Library is like right now on YouTube. Do visit the Library on Whiteknights campus once you receive your Campus card. Please note that our opening hours extend in a few weeks time when full term begins. Watch our Library website for changes to accessing collections and our modern study spaces, or follow us on social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)!

Your Academic Liaison Librarians for Education

 

Store collections to resume

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We’re pleased to announce that collections from the Library’s off-site Store will resume from Thursday 24 June.

Store collections will happen once a week on Thursdays, so please submit your request by 08:30 Thursday for the item to be collected that week. Requests submitted after 08:30 will be collected the following Thursday.

For more information on requesting items from off-site Store, see the ‘Requesting items from Store and Closed Access‘ information page on our website.

Library User Services

The way you log in to Enterprise is changing

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We are updating the way you log in to your Library account in Enterprise to renew loans, place holds etc, bringing it in line with other University systems.

From Thursday 17 June, you will start to see changes with how you log into Enterprise. For University of Reading members it will look the same as the page you see when you log into other University services such as your emails or other Office 365 services. This also means that you will need to use a different username to log into Enterprise. Where previously you only used your two letter and six digit username (e.g. ab123456) to log in, you will now need to add the suffix of your email address (e.g. ab123456@student.reading.ac.uk). This is the same username you will already use to log into services such as Blackboard. Your password will not change. 

University of Reading sign in screen

Logging into Enterprise will look the same as other University systems

If you are an External borrower – this new log-in procedure won’t apply to you. We will contact you by email shortly to advise on how you will be able to log in to your Library account.

As ever, if you have any problems accessing your Library account or would like help with renewing or placing a hold, please contact the Library User Services team on library@reading.ac.uk

 

Natalie Guest, Document Delivery Coordinator
Library User Services 

Click & Collect during Summer vacation

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From Monday 14 June, Click & Collect will be open between 11:00 – 14:00, Monday to Friday. If you request a book and are emailed to pick it up, please make sure to come to the Library during these hours.

The Library building will be closed at weekends, except for three Saturdays on 17 July, 14 August and 18 September. For full details of the Library’s opening hours during the Summer vacation, please see our website: https://www.reading.ac.uk/library/using/hours/lib-hours.aspx.

Click & Collect is located on the Ground Floor of the Library. There is a separate entrance on the north side of the building, near the Co-op. Please bring your Campus Card when collecting books.

Library User Services

Click & Collect during Summer vacation

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From Monday 14 June, Click & Collect will be open between 11:00 – 14:00, Monday to Friday. If you request a book and are emailed to pick it up, please make sure to come to the Library during these hours.

The Library building will be closed at weekends, except for three Saturdays on 17 July, 14 August and 18 September. For full details of the Library’s opening hours during the Summer vacation, please see our website: https://www.reading.ac.uk/library/using/hours/lib-hours.aspx.

Click & Collect is located on the Ground Floor of the Library. There is a separate entrance on the north side of the building, near the Co-op. Please bring your Campus Card when collecting books.

Library User Services