Category Archives: Borrowing and viewing material

Loan periods same over Easter vacation – keep renewing!

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Basket of eggsRevising this Easter vacation? It’s not all bad! The Library makes getting those crucial textbooks even easier for you. It will be ‘business as usual’ with all loan periods remaining the same in vacation as all term.

So keep checking your account and renewing your loans unless or until someone else recalls them. If your loans are recalled, we’ll email you! You can return items at the Library or you can even post them back to us.

This also means you can still place holds on books on loan in vacation. The threat of fines on non-returned books should help Library users return them for you!

Extra time for closure days!

We know the short Easter break also spans public holidays and the Easter University Closure (Wednesday 12 April to Monday 17 April – see our Opening hours page for more information), so we’ve made some special allowances.

Any journals or 7-day loan items borrowed from Wednesday 5 April until the Easter University Closure will be due back on Tuesday 18 April. Any Course Collection items borrowed after 16:00 on Tuesday 11 April will be due back by 10:00 on Tuesday 18 April.

Where do I return items after vacation?

Remember! When you return for the beginning of Summer term (Tuesday 18 April) many Library services will have moved to the URS Building.

From Tuesday 18 April you should return:

  • Course Collection items to the URS Building
  • Standard loan, 7-day loan and journal items to the Library Building

Lucy Shott, Library User Services

Library study space moves to URS Building

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Three femal studetns walk infront of orange building with protruding sturts and undercroft on a sunny dayThe University will shortly be able to offer the URS Building instead of studying in the Library during its major refurbishment. We will be moving furniture and IT equipment from the Library into URS so that students can study in a comfortable and quiet space away from construction works.

What we are doing

  • Studying in URS will be quieter as it is further away from Library building works.
  • The URS Building will be open 24 hours in term (except Saturday night) just like the Library is now.
  • Course Collection will move into URS to maintain full access.
  • Books will remain in the Library and will be borrowed as usual.
  • Although Library staff will be based in URS, they will also run an information service in the Library building to help you find and borrow books there.
  • Using URS means the refurbishment will be finished earlier than originally planned.

838 study spaces (including 145 computers) will move into URS along with Library staff – so there’ll always be someone on hand to help. Cafélibro will also relocate to URS.

All books (excluding the Course Collection) will stay inside the Library and will be available to use and borrow as usual. The Course Collection will move into URS and will continue to be accessible for 24 hours in term-time, as the Library offers now.

As well as providing a quiet and convenient alternative space for students, using the URS Building will mean that the length of the refurbishment programme will be shortened by approximately six months, ending mid 2019 as opposed to late 2019 / early 2020 as originally planned.

The URS Building was vacated in December 2016 in preparation for the building’s own major redevelopment – as the programme is still under revision in light of the URS Building’s grade two listing, the University is now in a position to offer it up as relief space to students. We expect URS to be available until at least August 2018.

RUSU are supportive of the move as it helps provide a suitable environment for work and study in the wake of such a major project. Ben Cooper, RUSU President, said:

“RUSU is committed to campaigning for more study space and better facilities for students on campus. We highlighted that the University must do everything it can to mitigate issues such as noise from the building work and access to books, especially for students currently studying here.

RUSU believes that this move of study space to URS is a good option and will result in less overall problems for students to face. It means that some of the noise problems will be reduced and there will be adequate study space in the busy periods whilst the Library refurbishment is being completed.”

The University is working hard to implement these plans ready for the 2017 Quiet Period. Logistics are still being finalised – we will share final plans as soon as possible. If the move is at risk of affecting the exam period it will be postponed until after exams have finished.

Don’t forget that as well as the URS Building, there are many additional alternative study spaces around campus – a full list is available online and our Free Room Finder helps identify available rooms on a daily basis. For more details of additional study space available on campus, project benefits and the latest news, please visit the Library Refurbishment Project webpage.

Rachel Redrup
for University Communications

Play fair and share!

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Male students reading booksHelp make the Library work effectively by respecting everyone’s right to resources and space. Just a minute checking when your Library loans are due back or clearing a desk space for others can help make this term a success for everyone!

Here’s some simple suggestions on how to keep on top of your Library account, save time and money, help your friends and provide a pleasant and productive working environment for all:

  • Return Library items on time, even if the Library is closed – don’t forget you can also post items back to us
  • Ensure nothing is overdue and avoid fines by keeping up to date with your loans online 24/7 through your Enterprise account
  • Print a receipt when borrowing items, as a reminder of when they are due back
  • Check your University email account regularly for Library messages – standard loan items can be recalled from you before the original due date
  • Don’t leave belongings behind to reserve study areas especially in revision time – our Library space is for the benefit of everyone
  • Find a study area with a sound level that suits you – from Group Study Rooms on the 2nd and 4th floors to silent study on the 5th

Check out our ‘Using the Library’ and ‘Policies and Rules’ pages for more information.

Lucy Shott, Library User Services

Ground Floor Reference works move upstairs!

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DariuszSankowski -phone-1052023_1920Wondering where any reference books you used to find in our Ground Floor ‘Knowledge Exchange’ might have gone? We recently integrated non-loan, ex-Ground Floor Reference items into our main collections, beside loanable books, across all subject floors according to their individual Call Number:

  • science and life sciences to the 2nd Floor (Call Numbers 000s, 500s, 600s)
  • arts and humanities to the 3rd Floor (Call Numbers 200s, 400s, 700s, 800s)
  • social sciences to the 4th Floor (Call Numbers 300s, 900s)

To find any particular title, just search for its new floor location on our Enterprise catalogue.

The Library also provides you with a range of prestigious online resources. See our Online dictionaries and encyclopedias page or search for titles in our Enterprise catalogue.

Rachel Redrup, Marketing Co-ordiator

 

Looking for your Course Collection booking?

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SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURESWe have made it even easier for you to get your Course Collection bookings!  No more worries about remembering Call Numbers or searching for items on the shelf! You now pick up your Course Collection bookings from the Ground Floor Information Desk.

Remember you need to collect your booking within an hour of the collection time. Items not collected within the allotted time will be returned to the shelves for others to borrow.

You can book two Course Collection items up to seven days in advance – just click on the ‘book Course Collection copy’ option on Enterprise and follow the online instructions.  You can choose from the following:

  • collect 10:00-11:00 to borrow for six hours
  • collect 16:00-17:00 to borrow until 10:00 next day
  • collect 16:00-17:00 Friday to borrow over the weekend until 10:00 Monday

Busy in the afternoon? Can’t make it to the Library by 17:00 to collect your Course Collection booking? We can arrange for your booking to be kept safely for you for a bit longer in the evening, just ask staff at the Ground Floor Information Desk for details.

Rebecca Ashley, Library User Services

 

Loan periods same over vacation – keep renewing!

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Pine tree covered in snowWith textbooks in increasingly high demand even after the end of term, we’ve made sure our policy ensures fair access to all. It will be ‘business as usual’ with all loan periods remaining the same in vacation as all term. This means that items will not be issued to cover the whole Christmas vacation.

So just keep renewing your loans unless or until someone else recalls them. If the book needs to come back, we’ll email you … so keep checking your University account! You can even return loans by post if you prefer. If your account is blocked please contact the Library and we will discuss the situation with you.

This means you can place holds on books on loan in vacations. The threat of fines on non-returned books should help Library users return them for you!

What about Christmas holidays and Uni Closure?

We know the short Christmas break also spans public holidays and the Christmas University Closure (Friday 23 December to Monday 2 January – see our Opening hours page for more information), so we’ve made special allowances. Any journals, 7-day loans or Course Collection items borrowed from Friday 16 December until the Christmas University Closure will be due back on Tuesday 3 January (by 10:00 for Course Collection items). No items will be due back between Friday 23 December and Monday 2 January.

Happy holidays!

Lucy Shott, Library User Services

Post ‘love #UoRLib’ pics for prizes!

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Library travel mug, bag, pens, stationery etc on a table

Win one of these goodie bags by sending us your favourite ‘Love #UoRLib’ photo

Show us what you love about your University Library! Send us your favourite Library photo or selfie  on social media by midnight on Sunday 6 November and you could be in with a chance to win one of three Library goodie bag prizes!

Include the tag #UoRLib and either:

Please be aware that by entering the competition you consent to the Library sharing your photographs on our social media channels.

We look forward to seeing you!

Rachel Redrup. Marketing Co-ordiator

More online reading lists at Reading 2016/17

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UoR Reading Lists screen shot, headed in red and blackThis session many more academic staff are taking up the Talis Aspire online reading list and digital content management system which the University invested in last year to improve students’ learning experience. It was phased in by certain departments last academic year and linked to Blackboard. Tutors create and own annotated lists providing direct links to online resources, scanned reading and real-time availability of University Library print material.

Where do I start?

If you have not seen one before, try this short introduction to your online reading list. It shows how the system helps you manage your academic reading and prepare for assignments by checking real-time availability of Library materials, sorting your reading list by importance (‘essential’, ‘recommended’ or ‘further’ reading), mark up items you have read, or add private notes.

Where can I find out more?

Rachel Redrup, Marketing Co-ordinator for 
Kerry Webb, Course Support Co-ordinator

Systems upgrade – just online inter-library loan requests to fix

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Computer keyboardWe’ve made more progress with fixing the few remaining issues with the systems upgrade, and it is now possible to login to your online account to view your loans, renew them and place holds.

However, we are still experiencing problems with online inter-library loan requests. If you are a member of staff or a research postgraduate, and you would usually complete an online form to place your request, please print and complete this form and drop it into the Ground Floor Information Desk in the Library. There’s no need to attach a voucher, as we will arrange for payment to be taken from your Department’s inter-library loan account.

Apologies for the inconvenience this will cause.

Jackie Skinner, for Sam Tyler, Systems Manager

Upgrading Academic Visitor Library cards

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The Library is upgrading the card Academic Visitors have for Library use.Campus_card_associate

In future those who are not members of staff or students but have a close relationship with the University and are sponsored by their department will be able to register their Associate Campus card as their Library card.

All Library privileges will remain the same, only the name will change from Academic Visitor to Associate member.

As well as being able to borrow books the new Associate Campus card can be used as a photocopying card and will enable users to access the Library during Examinations and other restricted periods.  The Associate Campus card also gives members greater flexibility in managing their Library account with the ability to pay fines online.

If you already have an Associate Campus card it can be used to replace an exisiting Academic Visitor Library card.  If you do not already have one and you are already a Library member it will be provided for you from the Ground Floor Information Desk on request.

Full details about the Associate Campus card can be found on the University’s Campus card webpage.

For full details of Library membership for Associates please see our membership webpage.

 

Rebecca Ashley, Library User Services on behalf of Nick Hollis, Library User Services Manager

Systems upgrade nearly finished…

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Computer keyboardWe are pleased to say that most of our services are back to normal following this week’s system upgrade. It is now possible to…

  • See the current location of an item on the catalogue.
  • Pay any Library fines via the Campus Card Portal.
  • Request items from Closed Access and the Off-site Store.
  • Register with the Library.

However, we are working with IT to resolve some issues. It is still not possible to…

  • Login to your Library account to renew your loans or place holds.
  • Request inter-library loans using the online form.
  • Send you any emails about items which are due for return.

Getting help

We are open this Saturday (20 August) from 11 until 5. So please pop in, or give us a ring on 0118 378 8770, if you have any queries about your account, or would like to renew your loans.

We apologise for any inconvenience this will cause.

Sam Tyler, Library Systems Manager

Systems upgrade next week – some services unavailable

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Sam Tyler grins whilst holding travel mug up to the camera

Systems Manager, Sam Tyler, will be celebrating with a bevy in a branded Library travel mug once the new Library systems server is installed in August

If you are planning to use the Library next week (15-19 August) please be aware that some services will be unavailable whilst we upgrade our Library Management System server. In particular, if you wish to borrow from the Library on Monday 15 August, please issue your books before 4.45pm as the server will be shut down promptly at 5pm.

The Library will still be open but there are a few things you won’t be able to do.

You won’t…

  • Be able to see the current location of an item. So you won’t be able to tell if it has been borrowed. However, you will still be able to see the Call Number, so you can always check the shelf anyway as it might be there, and at the same time browse other books on the same topic.
  • Be able to access your online Library account to renew your loans or pay fines.
  • Get any email reminders of when your books are due. So have a quick check before the 15th in case any of them need returning or renewing.
  • Be able to request items from Closed Access or the Off-site Store.
  • Be able to register with the Library. This includes SCONUL Access registrations.

You will…

  • Still be able to search the Library catalogue, Enterprise.
  • Still have access to all our online resources – so any e-books or e-journals you find on the catalogue will still be available via the ‘Click here to access’ links.
  • Be able to borrow, return and renew items in the Library.
  • Be able to ask any questions at Library Information Desks.
  • Be able to pay fines in person in the Library.

Sam Tyler, Library Systems Manager