Tag Archives: services

Vacation Information 2014

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Christmas is coming! Whether your response to this is “Hooray” or “Humbug” it’s a good idea to plan ahead this time of year. So here’s what you need to know about our Library Services over the coming weeks.

 

Opening hours:

You can check our full opening hours for all Library sites on our website here.

The Forum Library: will be open on a self-service basis 24/7 to registered staff and students throughout the break.

 Forum Library

Self-service/Library staff available

Self-service*
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 20:00  20:00 – 08:00
Sat – Sun 10:00 – 18:00  18:00 – 10:00
24 – 26 Dec, 1 Jan

Self-service*

*During self-service hours you can:

  • Use the library for study
  • Use the computer and print facilities
  • Borrow and return using self-service machines

You must have your Unicard to enter the building and to borrow items.

Vacation opening hours for Research Commons are 09.00 – 17.30 Monday – Friday and 10.00 – 18.00 at the weekends up until 23rd December. The building will be closed from 24th December  – 2nd January inclusive so why not study instead at The Forum Library during this time?

Vacation opening hours for St Luke’s Library are 09.00 – 17.30 Monday – Friday and 10.00 – 18.00 at the weekends up until 23rd December. The building will be closed from 24th December  – 2nd January inclusive but 24/7 study space is still available over at The Forum so why not head there instead?

Borrowing:

You are welcome to borrow our books over the vacation, although we always advise against taking Library books abroad. If you do take our books home with you then you need to note the following. Our recall policy is in place until the 12th December (the last day of term). This means books can be recalled and the due date shortened up until that date. Further information about our Recall Policy is available here. We will send you an email if your books are recalled, and you will have 7 days to return them – by post if necessary. If your items they are not recalled before the 12th December, then they will be due on or after the 5th January 2015.

As for renewals, you may continue to renew throughout the break  unless someone else places a request or recall on the books. We expect borrowers to return books as soon as possible to ensure fair access to all our resources for all students, and it is fine to return recalled items by post if you are not going to be back for 5th January.

If you are concerned about keeping your record up to date over the vacation, why not use our scan to email facilities to make PDFs of key sections before you go? Don’t forget we  have an extensive collection of electronic resources that can be accessed online from anywhere, so it may not even be necessary to take the print copies away!

Have a great Christmas, however you choose to spend it.

Broaden your Library Horizons with SCONUL

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Have you heard of the SCONUL access scheme?

The Society of College, National and University Libraries or SCONUL  exists to promote awareness of academic libraries and our role in supporting research and teaching. As part of this mandate they help foster collaboration and encourage reciprocal borrowing rights between member libraries.

Have you ever wished you could access  – even perhaps borrow books from – other higher education libraries across the UK and Ireland?  The SCONUL scheme may be the answer you need….

Calling all University Staff and Postgraduates!

Members of staff or postgraduate students at the University of Exeter are entitled to apply for free SCONUL access to the libraries of any other institutions who, like us, are also part of the scheme. This can get you through the door of institutions that are not open to public and in many cases SCONUL visitors are also allowed to enrol and borrow a limited number of books.

How do I join?

  • You need to apply online via the SCONUL access webpage
  • Select your user category (e.g. Part Time Postgraduate) from the drop down list, then select ‘University of Exeter’ as your home institution.
  • The site will then display which Universities you are eligible to access. Click on ‘see results as a list’ to scroll through the drop down list, or click on the map tab and enter a postcode to search for accessible institutions in a particular area.
  • When you have found the details of an institution you want to visit click on ‘Apply for Access’ then fill in and submit the online form.
  • You will then receive two emails: the first is a “Library Access Application Notification” email confirming that your application is being processed. The second email should approve your request and welcome you to the SCONUL scheme.
  • Print out the second email and take this, along with your Exeter UniCard to each institution you have been approved to visit and staff there will enroll you.
  • The small print: you must abide by the regulations of any library you join under SCONUL Access. Please be aware they may not allow you to borrow from all of their collections (e.g. loan of periodicals or short loan items may not be possible). Additionally during the busiest periods – such as summer exam time – some institutions may restrict access to SCONUL users so it is worth checking with in advance them before travelling.

What about Undergraduates?

If you are a part-time undergraduate or an officially registered distance learning student: then you will be entitled to borrowing access from many participating institutions, please follow the instructions above to submit your application and remember to select the appropriate category (e.g. part-time undergraduate) from the list.

If you are a full-time undergraduate: unfortunately you will not be able to borrow under the scheme but you are still entitled to apply for a Reference Only SCONUL card. This can give you visiting access to many Libraries which would not otherwise be open to you and so is still worth doing. Please apply for a reference card online, by using the same procedure outlined above but selecting “full time undergraduate” from the category list.

We hope many of you will want to take advantage of the SCONUL Access scheme and enjoy the  wider research opportunities it presents.

And don’t forget, if you are a taught student  planning to travel to visit another library you may be able to apply for a Library-funded travel bursary – more info here!

Where will your SCONUL travels take you? 

Please note our Summer Opening Hours

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Our Libraries are open daily throughout the summer period, with staff on hand and happy to help 7 days a week. But what about our after hours self-service facilities? If you’re planning to study late this summer then some spaces will be available but please note there will be a few restrictions on our 24/7 provision during August and early September. Here’s a little more information to help you plan ahead…

You told us you wanted more 24/7 facilities over the Summer. We listened and the good news is we have been able to extend the period of 24/7 opening at the Forum Library this summer.  Although the vacation period has already begun this year the Forum will remain accessible to current University staff and students 24 hours a day right up until August 2nd!

From 3rd August – 8th September there will be a short period when 24/7 access is not available with the Forum Library closing each day when staffed services end. This will be at 21.00 on week days and 18.00 on Saturdays, Sundays and on Bank Holiday Monday August 26th. Full details are available here.

On St Luke’s Campus the 24/7 study room and PC Cluster in St Luke’s Library will remain accessible via swipe card throughout the whole Summer, so this would be a good alternative if you need to study late during the short period when the Forum Library is not open over night. On Streatham Campus alternative 24/7 computer clusters will be available, for example in Queen’s Building and Amory: Library staff will be able to provide you with  full details of these alternative spaces nearer the time.

We are delighted to report that 24/7 access to the Forum Library will resume on a permanent basis from 9th September.

Full details of all our opening hours can be found on our website. If you are planning to visit and study late this summer please do keep in mind the period during which the Forum Library won’t be available 24 hours a day. For any advice on alternative study spaces during this short period please speak to Library staff who will be happy to advise.

 

Pre-registration Borrowing

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Are you planning to start a course at Exeter University from the new academic year (September 2013)? If so, congratulations and welcome! Whether you’re brand new to Exeter, or a returning student  – perhaps you’re a current undergraduate hoping to embark on postgraduate studies – we hope you’ll find your new course of study to be rewarding, stimulating and enjoyable.

If you’re planning to be in Exeter during the summer before your new course starts you may wish to take advantage of our Pre-Registration Borrowing scheme.

What’s Pre-Registration Borrowing?

This scheme allows students who will be beginning a course at Exeter in Autumn 2013 to register with the Library early so you can borrow books over the Summer. The maximum number of items you will be able to borrow at once will depend on the type of course you are undertaking, see here for further details. Exeter Libraries are open every day throughout the Summer, with staff on hand to help, so this could be a good way to get to know our resources or get ahead with your reading before the start of term!

Borrow books before the start of your new course with our Pre-Registration Borrowing scheme

Are there any restrictions?

Please note that this category of membership does not give you access to our to our electronic resources, although if you live locally you are welcome to look at our electronic books and journals on site using the ‘walk-in access’ PC facilities at the Forum and St Luke’s Libraries.  Please ask Library for more information about this.

Is there a charge for this?

No! Pre-registration Library membership is free to all eligible future students.

Sounds useful, how do I register?

Call in to the Forum Library or St Luke’s Library and collect a Pre-Registration Borrowing form. Alternatively, you can print out the form in advance from  this page: please select either the Undergraduate Pre-Registration Borrowing Form or the Postgraduate one according the category of course you will be commencing. The form needs to be completed and then countersigned by the College in which you intend to study. Once this has been done bring  the form to the Library and we’ll supply a membership card that will let you borrow over the summer.

This facility is available from June 14th 2013 onwards. Please contact if you have any further questions.

Why not borrow a Forum Netbook?

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Need to work on the go? Why not borrow a netbook (slimline laptop computer) via the Forum Library? If you haven’t discovered the Forum netbooks already here’s a quick guide to how to borrow one and what you can with it.

What can I access?

Netbooks can be used anywhere with a connection to the campus wifi (but they will not work off-site or via a cable connection). Log-in to the device with your university username and password and to access the following: your U: drive file space, internet, email, Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader and the Student Print service.

Did you say I can print from a netbook?

Yes!  So long as you have sufficient credit on your account you can send your documents from the netbook to either the  Xerox_Student_Monochrome (for black and white) or  the Xerox_Student_Colour (for colour printing) queue then swipe in at the relevant printer to release the documents for printing in the usual way.

So if you just need to print and the computer clusters are busy why not borrow a netbook and print from there instead? You can find more information about printing on campus on the Student Print Service webpages.

How do I borrow one?

These loan devices are available through the self-service locker keys system in the Forum Library Express Collections area on level 0 of the Forum Library, just to the left of our main reception desk.

The green keys are for the netbooks, and there are 3 easy steps to borrowing one:

 1. Pick up a green key from the hanging display on the right-hand wall.

 

 

 

 

 

2. Self-issue the key using the machine in Express Collections. Follow the instructions on screen or ask Library staff for help if you are not sure how to do this. You will need your University card to borrow. Your receipt will tell you the date and time the item is due for return, so always take note of this. Locker keys issue for 24 hours at a time but they can be renewed online via your library record, so long as nobody else has placed a booking on them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Now take the key to the bank of lockers on the upper level of the Forum. Northside lockers (1-118) are located by the Guild Consultation Rooms. Southside lockers (119 – 236) are opposite Costa Coffee.  Unlock the correct numbered door and the netbook is ready to go! Don’t forget lock up the door again and take the key with you while you are using the netbook.

 

What do I do when I’ve finished?

When you’ve finished using the netbook you need to do the following:

1. First return the device to its locker. Make sure you plug it in using the socket in the back of the locker space to ensure it’s fully charged for the next user.

2. Ensure the locker is securely locked then return the key to Express Collections. Always make sure you return the key on the machine and get a check-in receipt as proof of return.

3. You can then hang up the key fob back on the correctly numbered hook.

Things to remember:

  • Further guidance on using the netbooks and troubleshooting basic problems can be found on a laminated instruction sheet contained within each locker of this type.
  • Battery life is approximately 4 hours. A warning will appear when the battery is at 20% capacity or lower, but it’s always a good idea to save your work regularly. If the device does switch off unexpectedly you will need to log back in within half an hour to recover any unsaved work from your last session.
  • Netbooks will only work on campus; they switch off automatically if they lose connection to the campus wifi, so don’t take them off site!
  • To ensure fair circulation of these popular items fines are charged if you are late returning or renewing them (£1 for the first hour then 50p per subsequent hour overdue). To manage your borrowing responsibly and avoid fines always check your receipts  and  and contact Library staff as soon as possible if toy have any problems using the online renewal system.

 

Postal Loans Service

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Not in Exeter but still want to use Library resources? You may find what you need among our constantly growing collection of e-resources, but if we only have it in hard copy don’t despair, we can also supply items to you by post.

Here’s the lowdown on Postal Loans:

Which items can I order?

Did you know you can request and return Library items by post?

If you are within the UK, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Eire, Channel Islands or  British Forces Post Office then we can post out Normal Loan (28 day loan) books to you. You will be responsible for renewing and/or returning these items to us. You are welcome to return them by post if necessary. We  can also send out photocopies of journal articles or chapters from books, these will be copies for you to keep and will not need to be returned.

If you are overseas we regret it is not possible to post books but we can still send you photocopies of articles or chapters from books.

What does it cost?

The service costs £2.50 per book request or for every 20 pages of a photocopy, which includes postage and packing.

Return postage for books will need to be paid by the requester.

If you request books by post then you are welcome to send a cheque to cover the total cost of your request. Or you may prefer us to can add the £2.50 charge(s) to your  library account, to be paid over the phone  or using our online payment system via a credit or debit card. Please note if the total charges on your Library account exceed £10.00, you will need to reduce these to under £10 before you can borrow or renew any further items.

How do I make a request?

First check the Library catalogue to make sure we have the item you are looking for and that it isn’t available electronically (we don’t send out items that you can readily access as e-books or e-journals).

To make the request complete a Postal Loans Book Request or Photocopy Request  form.  Please use a separate form for each request and indicate on the form whether you have enclosed a cheque for payment, or whether you would like the charge added to your Library record as detailed above. You can then either post your forms to the Library at the address shown on the form or you can email your request form to .  Please give as much bibliographic information about the items you require as possible and include page numbers if you are requesting journal articles or chapters from books.

How long does it take?

We try to dispatch items as quickly as we can but please allow 10 working days turnaround time, including posting time. 

Can I renew postal loans?

Yes! Postal loan items will be issued to your library record and our normal rules apply. You can renew using the online renewal system up to and including the date it is due so long as the book has not been requested by another user and so long as your total fines do not exceed £10.

For more information on postal loans please see our webpages or ask Library staff.