Bringing You More of What You Want

Celebrating Student-led Change in your Library

We have listened intently to what students who left last year told us how they felt about the Library and what we offered and have worked hard to make the things they found useful even better and to update and enhance those areas they felt might benefit from improvement. We love to listen to you. Please get in touch with any comments and suggestions you would like to make.

We are open when you need us

We understand that you are working hard and that pressure is never more intense than toward the end of the academic year, which is why we now open 24/7 from 14 January until the end of your exams (except for Good Friday and Easter Monday – sorry!).

With more space for you to work in

Students told us last year they were concerned about both nuisance behaviour and food and drink being left in the Library so we are working closer than ever before with our cleaning and patrolling security teams to help keep your study space clean, safe and quiet.

We have also been told there were not always enough study spaces last year, so:

We added 40 new student study spaces, 13 of them with networked computers
We have converted the old photocopier room into a new quiet study computer room, had quick access computers installed and successfully campaigned for the wireless network to be strengthened to support wireless working and to help you stay socially connected.
Information Services have also added a further 52 computers to the Open Access Suite
We have provided extra furniture and rearranged the areas in 3rd Space to create a further 32 study spaces.
We brought in an online booking system to allow you to book group study rooms and now also the larger meeting room up to two weeks in advance.

With more computers for you to use

Students told us they were happy that we had provided more computers but we are aware that we now have more students than ever, so…

We have worked with Information Services to provide you with netbook computers so you can work wherever you like.
We have converted the old photocopier room into a new quiet study computer room, had quick access computers installed, and successfully campaigned for the wireless network to be strengthened to support wireless working and to help you stay socially connected.
We have had all our computer terminals connected to fast, modern printers for your convenience and worked with IS to provide quick access terminals to help provide easy access for you to print your work, or get online in no time flat.

With more resources to help you, and more help to go with them

Students complained last year there were not enough books or e-resources and a few complained the e-resources were hard to use. Every library we have talked to, and we talk to quite a few, tells us their students complain about the lack of books and other resources. Our response has been several-fold:

We have made it easier to find what you want online

Over last summer, we restructured your Library website to make it easier for you to find the things you want.
We introduced an online chat service to provide another source of help.
We introduced new reading list software and are working hard with your lecturers to encourage them to create online reading lists with links to resources and the Library catalogue to help you spend more time learning and less time searching.
We offer and promote weekly student workshops to help you feel confident and get the most out of your course. We review these every year to make sure they continue to meet your needs.
We were pleased to unveil the eagerly anticipated Discovery Service early in 2013. This new search platform makes finding what you want easier than ever before. Think of it as the Library’s answer to Google Scholar: a simple interface but with powerful tools that searches across multiple databases and journals and the Library catalogue and returns results from any and all that you select. With the option of just academic and/or full-text articles, of course. Here in time to help you, as promised.

Not forgetting Library books – in print and online

We have worked closely with your lecturers and asked them to make clear which few books they expect you to purchase and to give the Library a copy of your reading lists so we can make sure you can have the books you need before you start a module.
We have also watched what you borrow and where we found we had not got enough we immediately bought more.
We have made more books available for slightly shorter loan periods so that everyone has access to everything they need and can get hold of a copy more quickly.
We have started buying an e-book version of any book on a core reading list wherever possible so that you can access our books wherever you study and continue to read them after the last printed copy has gone out on loan.
Last year we bought 1352 new e-books. Since our current final year students arrived, we have bought over 2465 e-books at an ever increasing rate.
Last year we subscribed to 29 new e-journals, making a total of 58 new titles we have subscribed to since our current final year students began.
Last year we subscribed to 7 new databases, making a total of 17 we have subscribed to since our current final year students began.
We do not just buy new, though. We are thoroughly weeding our old stock to make it easier for you to find the up-to-date materials you need and at pains to replace old with new to ensure the books we offer are always up-to-date.

…or those things we turn from print into pdf

We heard from History students that they struggled to find enough copies of some texts to read, so we bought a license to scan the articles and book chapters so we now deliver what you most need directly to your desktop. We are now scanning for any department that requests the service. Since August 2011, we have scanned a total of 213 items. We have trained more staff and the rate of scanning is increasing steadily.