Tag Archives: improvements

Coming soon: improved electronic document delivery from the British Library

The British Library have recently launched a new improved service for delivering journal articles and book chapters electronically. We’ll be adopting it from 1st September 2015.

We’re already used to fulfilling your Document Supply (inter-library loan) requests electronically as much as possible. Electronic supply allows for much faster delivery, which we know is important when it comes to getting you the materials you need for your research. Currently, in order to download inter-library loans you need to install the File Open plugin on your computer. This software ensures all requests are compliant with copyright law and locks the article so it can only be viewed on one machine. Although it serves its purpose, the process of installing this software can be fiddly, especially on shared machines, so – like many other institutions -we’ve been asking for an easier and less restrictive option for some time. And now The British Library have unveiled one.

From 1st September 2015 we’ll be delivering article and chapter requests to you via The British Library’s Open On Demand service, DRM-lite.

Benefits of DRM-Lite:

No need to install plugins or special software, access documents on any device with Adobe Reader
PC, laptop, tablet: open your document as many times and on as many different devices as you need to
Saving is permitted and each document can also be printed twice
The same speedy delivery as the old service

Create a British Library On Demand Account now for quick and easy electronic delivery

How do I get articles via Open On Demand?

The process of requesting an inter-library loan is exactly the same as before. Requests cost £13.50 or one token and should be made via our online order form.
Before you can view your article you will need to have registered for an On Demand account with The British Library. Registering is free, just takes a few minutes and will only need to be done the first time. Once your account is set up you can use your username and password to access all the articles that have been supplied to you.

If you are likely to be making use of our Document Supply service in the coming months why not register now so that you are all set up ready to start receiving documents? Please note you will need to create an On Demand account even if you already hold a British Library Reader pass. Click here to register now.

We’ll send full instructions for to register and download your items when we send your documents.

Article requests fulfilled before 1st September will continue to use the File Open system but we’re looking forward to saying so long to plugins and hello to this new, simplified, copyright compliant service.

More seats, longer hours: Exam time study space provision

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Are you gearing up for the exam season? So are we! We know that study space provision is hugely important during the revision and exam period, so this is why we’ve been busy expanding our seating and arranging extended opening hours in our study centres across campus.

Here’s a brief to guide to the improvements we’ve made and the study spaces that are available for you over the next month or so. There are a few changes to watch out for.

Streatham Campus:

Forum Library:

24/7 availability as usual (swipe access after 20.00 on week days, 18.00 at the weekend)

More seating! This week we’ve added 44 brand new study spaces, split between the Law Library (Level -1) and Level +1. This is in addition to the new seats in Express Collections added earlier this year.

Seminar Room access via the Library. From 09.00 on Friday 27th April the Forum Seminar Rooms on levels 0 and +1 will become part of the Library, further expanding the study spaces that are available to you 24/7. Remember to enter and exit these rooms via the Library (through the doors by the computer clusters) not via the Forum.

Quiet study room in The Forum Library

Amory Study Centre:

Opening hours extended to 24/7 (swipe access) from 27th April

The Loft:

Opening hours extended to 24/7 (swipe access) from 27th April

Research Commons:

Additional study space available in Seminar rooms A/B and C from Monday 13th April (open 08.00 – 20.00 week days, 10.00 – 18.00 at the weekend)

The Sanctuary:

Will be in use for exams during this period and is therefore not available as a study space

St Luke’s Campus

St Luke’s Library:

Open 08.00 – 20.00 Monday – Friday, 10.00 – 18.00 at the weekend.

24/7 Study Space available in the Luke’s Library computer room and 24/7 room.

Giraffe House:

Open daily 08.00 – 21.30

Study space in Giraffe House

Other Study Spaces

Don’t forget study seats are also available in the Student Services Centre, Forum Street Balcony, Forum Expo Labs and in many other buildings across our campuses. You can check availability in advance using the iExeter app.

Study smart:

Follow these tips to help you and fellow students get the most out of our study spaces:

1) Use one seat when working; leave enough room for someone else to sit and work

Always leave a card when you take a break and return within 1 hour

2) It is OK to take a break for about an hour (60 minutes) if you are working in the library for a long time; but always return promptly within one hour. leave one of our Taking a Break cards so others know you are coming back.

3) Remember the Library is a public space! Always take valuables with you or lock them safely in a Forum Locker.

Coming soon: new study spaces in the Forum Library

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We’re really pleased to be in the process of installing almost 50 new study desks in the Forum Library, just in time for the exam period. The new study spaces will be located in the Lasok Law Library (Forum Library Level -1) and on Level +1 outside the Neil Cross group study room.

We recently added new study desks in Express Collections, now even more are on the way!

While these spaces are being cleared and the new desks installed you may experience some disturbance in the vicinity of these spaces between now and April 17th. We apologise for this but are confident that the end result – more study seats in the ever popular Forum Library – will be worth it.

If you’re looking for silent study space in the next week it might be worth avoiding these two areas of the Library. Why not use the silent study room on Level 0 which is well away from the areas affected? Other great quiet spaces to study on Steatham Campus this week include Research Commons, The Loft or the Amory Study Centre. Find out more about these and other available spaces on our website.

New Study Space at St Luke’s Campus: Giraffe House

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Looking for study space on St Luke’s Campus? Why not try Giraffe House? This brand new space opened on 7th January and can be found above Cloisters Café.

PCs in Giraffe House

Giraffe House Facilities:

120 student study spaces
37 PCs
Quiet study area
“Railway carriage” style study booths
3 group study rooms: these can be booked in advance via the central room bookings system
Print, Copy and scan facilities
Plenty of power sockets to plug in and charge your devices

Opening hours:

In line with other study spaces, such as The Loft and Amory Study Centre, Giraffe House is open 7 days a week, from 08.00 – 21.30 with extended opening during exam time (we’ll let you know the details of this nearer the time). Giraffe House is open to all students but access is via swipe card only so you will need to bring your Unicard to make use of this space.

Look and Feel:

Do you like the décor in Giraffe House? The furniture and colour scheme were chosen following feedback from SSLCs last year, and also reflect features that have proved popular in other study spaces such as the ‘railway carriage’ booths which were first introduced in the Amory Study centre. The art on the walls displays various views and features from around St Luke’s campus – even including the cat who is a regular campus visitor!

We think Giraffe House is a great place to work and a welcome addition to Exeter campus study spaces. Why not check it out if you haven’t done so already?

“Carriage” booths and PCS. Spot the cat!

Quiet space and looking toward the group study rooms

Exam study space: extra seating, extended opening

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With exams looming we know that study space is a priority. This is why you’ll see a number of changes in January intended to give you more options for when and where you study in Library spaces. Check out the full list below:

1) . More study seats in the Forum Library.

From 2nd – 10th January 2015 the Seminar wings on levels 0 and +1 of the Forum will become part of the Library. This means you can enter and exit these spaces through the Library (via the doors next to the computer cluster) rather than from the Forum side. The rooms can be used for quiet study, increasing our available seating t0 1044 seats! And don’t forget the Forum Library is always open 24/7 to support your study needs whatever time of day or night you choose to do your revision.

2). More seats in Express Collections.

We’ve added extra desks and study seats in the popular Express Collections area, increasing our study space even further in time for the revision period. These desks are available now.

3). The Loft goes 24/7!

The Loft in Devonshire House has been open since October. Have you studied there yet? From 2^nd – 10^th January we’re extending the opening ours of this space to make it available 24/7! Just 2 minutes walk from the Forum Library it’s a great place to go to study – any time!

4). The Amory Study Centre goes 24/7!

From 5th – 10th January we’re also extending the opening hours of the ever popular Amory Study Centre, so this too will available 24/7! Located in the Amory Building, just 4 minutes from the Forum Library, the Centre offers a great mix of quiet study space and bookable group work rooms.

Why not check out our website for full details of all the study spaces available across campus? You can also use the space checker to check in advance how many desks are free in each area.

And don’t forget always leave one of our Taking a Break cards on the desk if you will be gone for less than one hour. If you are going to be gone for more than 1 hour please clear your things and allow someone else to use the seat.

Good luck in your exams!

What’s new in the Forum Library?

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As the start of term draws ever nearer we’re gearing up to welcome all Exeter students – both new and returning – into our Libraries. We’ll be sharing more Library tips for Freshers very soon. This update is particularly for returning students.

If you’re coming back to Exeter for your 2nd or 3rd year then first of all a very warm welcome back! It’s worth being aware of a few changes that have taken place over the Summer in the Forum Library. Read on and know what to expect when you use the library for the first time this academic year.

What’s new?

1). New Security System

We’ve got new security gates at our main entrance and we are now operating a one way system. Enter through the gates on the left and exit through the gates on the right. Please observe the signs on the gates and keep this change in mind.

Upstairs on Level +1 there’s also a change. The doors on this floor are now enter only. Please always exit via the main gates on Forum Level 0.

2.) New machines for borrowing items

We’ve updated our borrowing machines over the Summer. Our new ones are faster: you can now borrow more than one book at the same time without even having to open the covers. Just place your books on the plate, press ‘borrow’, scan your card, then press “Finish” when the items have issued. You can also use these machines to check the books on your record and make renewals but there’s no need to come in just to do that as you can always manage your borrowing online from anywhere you have an internet connection just by accessing “My Library record.”

We’ve also moved the location of the machines. They can now be found conveniently right by the entrance/exit on Forum Level 0 in the Library Lounge area – so you can check out your books on your way out.

3). Upgraded Returns machines

At first glance you might not notice the difference. Our returns machines are still located in the entrance area on level 0. They may look the same but they are much more efficient. No need now to open each book and have the barcode read, just press to start and pop the items through the slot one at a time.

If you’ve had items checked out for a long time then you may find they are not recognised by the machine when you come to return them. If this happens to you please return items to staff at desk. Outside of working hours please return unrecognised items via the drop box just a few minutes away at Research Commons. This is available 24/7 and can be found next to the Library entrance.

Taking a Break Scheme: the story so far

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Our “Taking a Break” Scheme has been running in the Forum Library for several weeks now. Hopefully you’re all getting used to seeing cards like this around the Forum Library:

You can find these cards in yellow-backed holders all around the Library. They’re also available at the desk by the Library reception, so why not grab one as you enter so you’ll have it ready when you need a break?

What to do:

When taking a break of up to one hour: please always leave a card, fill in the time you left and be sure to return within 60 minutes. Don’t forget to take any valuable items with you or put them in a Forum Locker.

If you will be gone longer than an hour: please clear your desk so that others can use the space.

Background:

How did we develop the scheme?

Before we introduced the scheme , we did a lot of research about what other HE organisation were doing about the problems of people saving seats while they are away. In libraries of a similar size to ours, it can be almost impossible to successfully enforce any “no saving seats at all” rules. We needed to think around the problem in another way.

We met with the Student Guild and they were clear that we needed a student led scheme that increased awareness and allowed some flexibility. They also feel very strongly that the library should increase the number of study seats available over time. We were pleased to announce additional seats at the start of this academic year – and don’t forget that during the revision period the number of available seats in the Forum Library will increase again as the Seminar wings on Level 0 and Level +1 switch to become library spaces.

We also met with individual students who had complained about the problem of saving seats and together (with all this input) we came up with the “Take a Break” idea, as promoted.

Feedback so far:

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to get in touch with Library staff and share your thoughts on this scheme. Your feedback is appreciated and we’ve been pleased by your support. Here’s a selection of youe comments so far, as well as responses to some of your questions and concerns.

“Great Idea”

“I think this ‘Take a Break’ Scheme is a fantastic idea!”

“Hopefully these new guidelines will be a good step”

Having worked with the university on the “Taking a Break” initiative, I am pleased to see it introduced! – (comment from Alex Louch (Guild VP Academic Affairs) – quoted in Exepose

Your concerns:

“Good idea, but only if everyone uses it“

Our response: Our front line team are working very hard to implement this new system and we think it may take at least a full academic year (or more) for the scheme to prove its worth. The Student Guild are also behind the scheme. It is a big change and needs sufficient time to become part of the culture.

“an hour is too long “

Our response: Both the Library and the Guild are keen to achieve the right sense of balance and to encourage healthy study habits. It is good practice to take breaks when working to get fresh air and to eat. Students need (at most) an hour to get lunch, especially if they have to buy food, queue or use the toilet. Also, students can leave for shorter periods; one hour is the maximum permitted time away. Library staff will do more work to promote this message.

“it isn’t fair for people to leave a desk at all; if students need a break then they should give other people the chance to use the desk.”

Our response: we appreciate this concern, especially at times of highest demand but there are a number of reasons why we feel it would be unhelpful not to allow breaks:

Our consultations revealed many reasons why students need to spend extended periods of time in the Library:

Some courses require students to spend a large proportion of their time in individual study (as opposed to in contact hours with academic staff). Many of you have told us that you prefer to spend this in the library as here you feel most motivated to get on with the work.

Some students live off campus (or travel in on public transport) and it would not be practical for them to come in for short periods. They may need to work for long periods, fewer days per week.

Many students explained that they need “library days” where they can work consistently on certain projects over extended periods.

All of these are reasons why we feel it’s important to support extended study periods in our spaces. But we’re keen to do so in a healthy way, which includes allowing our users to take short breaks.

We hope Library users will continue working with us to make this scheme a success.

If would like to share your thoughts on the “Taking a Break scheme” then please fill in one of the comments cards you’ll find around the Library or .

St Luke’s Library: new opening hours

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St Luke’s Campus Library

Located just a short walk from Exeter city centre, St Luke’s Library is a great place to study, and you don’t need to be on a course based on St Luke’s Campus to use our facilities. Here’s some information about our opening hours at St Luke’s Library for the 2013-14 academic year.

St Luke’s Library offers our usual extended term time opening hours to cover 36 weeks per year, including the weeks before exams and the additional weeks in June to support our PGCE students. We have also extended our opening hours to include Saturday and Sunday mornings, now increasing our weekend opening hours to 10.00 – 18.00 all year round.

From Monday 16th September, term time hours resume at St Luke’s. From this date the library’s staffed opening hours will be 08.00 -20.00 on weekdays and 10.00 – 18.00 at weekends so that Library staff will always be on hand to offer support during busy times. Library users are welcome to move to the 24/7 study room after 8 PM (6PM at weekends) but access to collections is not possible after this time. Our 24/7 provision at St Luke’s includes up to 30 study seats and 28 computers (with colour and black and white print facilities), available all year round.

For more information on new our opening hours please talk to library staff or why not visit our web pages for full details?

24/7 swipe access to The Forum Library available from 9th September

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We are pleased to announce that…

The Forum Library will be available on a 24/7 basis from Monday 9th September

Library staff will be available to help daily from 08.00 – 20.00 Monday – Friday and 10.00 – 18.00 at the weekend. During these times members of the public and visitors from other universities are also extremely welcome to use our facilities. Outside of these times, the building will remain open with self-service facilities available 24/7 but in the interests of security overnight entrance will be for registered university staff and students via swipe card access only.

Have you got your Unicard? Always remember it if you are coming to the Library and make sure you keep it with you at all times, including if you leave the Library for a break – you will need your card to get back in again!

We are proud to offer 24/7 facilities in the Forum Library and in the 24/7 study room at St Luke’s. We understand that you need spaces to suit your individual study and research needs, however if you are working late into the night do make sure you stay safe and healthy. Here are some tips taken from our Library behaviour webpages:

Take regular breaks, move around or have a drink. Vending facilities are available in the Breakout area

Do not leave valuables unattended; locker keys are available to borrow from the Forum Library

If you are working through the night please be sensible and maintain a healthy attitude and working habits.

Short power naps are helpful but the Library is not a healthy or appropriate space to sleep; if you’re very tired please head home to rest properly.

Stay safe: if you leave the Library in the middle of the night try to walk with a friend or take a taxi

If you have any security concerns overnight call Estate patrol on 01392 263999.

Bookable PGR Study Desks in Research Commons

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What are they?

These are large desks with associated lockers, which can be booked by Postgraduate Research Students from any college.

Where are they?

In the Main Reading Room of Research Commons. This is a silent study area.

When are they available?

During Research Commons opening hours. Check here for the current opening hours.

http://as.exeter.ac.uk/library/usingthelibrary/opening/researchcommons/

How do I book?

Book a desk in advance at:

https://roombookings.exeter.ac.uk/pgr2013wrb

A desk can be booked for 1 day or for up to 5 consecutive days. Collect your locker key from the Research Commons Reception Desk by 10.00 (weekdays) or 11.00 (weekends). If arriving after these times, please confirm that you still need the desk by phoning or emailing Research Commons.

Any questions?

Please contact library staff at the Research Commons Reception Desk (01392 724052) or email