Library system upgrade today Monday 30th June

The Library will be upgrading its Library Management System on Monday 30th June 2014, starting at 16:00.  The process is expected to be completed by 10:00am on Tuesday 1st July 2014.

During this period you will still be able to:

• Issue and return books using one of the self  service machines
• Use Library SmartSearch to look for resources and access electronic content

You will not be able to:

• Pay your fines
• Renew your books
• Access or check your Library record
• Check the availability of books

You will also not be able to borrow self service laptops between 13:00 on Monday 30th June 2014 and 10:00 on Tuesday 1st July 2014.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and if you have any queries please contact us by emailing library@aston.ac.uk

New SPSS codes are now available

New SPSS codes are now available to collect from the Library Help desk or by email from library@aston.ac.uk

Do you use SPSS software for data analysis?

The 2013-2014 SPSS licence codes will soon expire

 

If you borrowed the SPSS software from the Library to load on to your personal computer or laptop please be aware that you will need the new licence authorisation codes to continue to use the product.  

To obtain the new licence codes you will need to be a current student or member of staff.  Please email library@aston.ac.uk from your Aston email address giving your student or staff ID details and we will send you the new codes as soon as we have them.

(Please note - new SPSS codes are now available, as of Monday 30th June)

Thank you 

Advance notice: Library systems downtime due to system upgrade on Monday 30th June 2014

The Library will be upgrading its Library Management System on Monday 30th June 2014, starting at 16:00.  The process is expected to be completed by 10:00am on Tuesday 1st July 2014.

During this period you will still be able to:

• Issue and return books using one of the self  service machines
• Use Library SmartSearch to look for resources and access electronic content

You will not be able to:

• Pay your fines
• Renew your books
• Access or check your Library record
• Check the availability of books

You will also not be able to borrow self service laptops between 13:00 on Monday 30th June 2014 and 10:00 on Tuesday 1st July 2014.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and if you have any queries please contact us by emailing library@aston.ac.uk

Library Opening Hours During July, August and September

Dear staff and students

Please note the Library opening hours

Tonight,Thursday 26th June the Library is open 24 hours.
Tomorrow, Friday 27th June the Library closes at 22:00 hours.

On Saturday 28th June and Sunday 29th June the Library will be open from 12:00 - 17:00.

The Library will be open throughout the summer vacation as follows

Saturday 28 June 2014 - Sunday 5 October 2014

Monday - Friday 09:00 - 21:00
Saturday      12:00 - 17:00
Sunday     12:00 - 17:00

The Help desk will be open from 09:00 - 17:00 Monday - Friday

The Library will be closed on Monday 25 August and Tuesday 26 August


Aston staff and students - please remember to bring your uniCARD on each visit.

Please note: printers will be turned off from 30 minutes before closing time, starting on the third floor. All printers and self-service machines will be turned off by 15 minutes before closing time. 

Farewell to Chris Brown

Library & Information Services said a fond farewell to Chris Brown this week.  Chris has worked in the Information Services Team as an Information Specialist for 4 years.  She has primarily provided support for the Languages and Social Sciences School and worked hard to build a close relationship between the Library and the students, researchers and academic staff.  You may have also met Chris at the Library Help Desk or out and about at University meetings or our programme of taught seminars.

Chris has decided to spend more time with her family and will be enjoying London living in the week and Birmingham visits at the weekends.  Library staff joined Chris at a farewell lunch in the Sacks of Potatoes and past members of the team came for a celebratory drink.  We will miss her calm presence in the Library office and her cheery smiles.

We hope you join us in wishing Chris well and although she will be missed, we hope she enjoys her new adventures.  Get spending those theatre vouchers soon!

Library & Information Services

Dawsonera e-book platform now available again

Update:  This error was fixed on Friday evening.

Please note, however, that whilst the majority of the functionality has been restored, the following is not currently available:

• ePUB’s are currently unavailable for download and read online.

Dawson are now working hard to fix this final issue. 


Due to an unforeseen technical issue, Dawsonera has been unavailable since 13:40 on Wednesday 18th June and their engineers have been working since to restore the service. They have assured us that this is their primary focus and will let us know as soon as the platform is up and running again.

Westlaw will be unavailable at the weekend

 
The Westlaw UK service will be unavailable from 23:30 (BST) Saturday, 28 June 2014 until 04:30 (BST) Sunday, 29 June 2014 for essential maintenance work

Library - Summer Vacation Opening Hours

The Library is currently open 24/6 and this will continue through to Friday 27 June.

The Library will be open 24 hours today, Friday 13th June and up until 18:00 on Saturday 14th June.  On Sunday 15 June the Library will re-open at 11:00.

Sunday 15 June 2014 -Friday 27 June 2014

Monday - Friday*: Open 24 hours
Saturday: Closes at 18:00
Sunday: Opens at 11:00

The Help desk is open  Monday - Friday 09:00-17:00
* On Friday 27 June the Library closes at 22:00

Saturday 28 June 2014 - Sunday 5 October 2014

 Monday - Friday: Open 09:00 - 21:00
 Saturday: Open 12:00 - 17:00
 Sunday: Open 12:00 - 17:00

The Library will be closed on Monday 25 August and Tuesday 26 August.

Farewell to our Aston Star - Martin Scyner

Retirement of our Aston Star Martin Scyner,

The library staff held a celebratory party for Martin Scyner who retired from the library on the 11^th June.  Martin is a real character who started work as a member of the library shelving team after he was already of pensionable age.  You may have seen him on the 2nd floor shelving the Life and Health Science books but staff will remember his love of Suduko, plying the staff room with newspapers and telling a good story.

Martin was chosen as an Aston Star because of all his charitable work.  He also plays in the Fire Service Band and has played in front of royalty and Jon Bon Jovi.  He will still be seen playing his clarinet and bassoon as a member of the University Music Society.  

Martin was joined on his special day with his wife Val to whom he has been married for 50 years.  

We hope you will join us in wishing Martin a long and happy retirement.

Information Specialists speak at EFYE Conference

Clare Langman and Lydia Matheson, two of our Information Specialists in the Library, are currently speaking at the European First Year Experience Network Conference in Nottingham.   

They are leading a presentation about the Like Your Library Induction that 1st year students experienced in October 2013 and the student information literacy life cycle at Aston University.  

 The picture shows Clare talking delegates through their poster presentation of the information literacy activities covered this academic year