Library Refurbishment Phase 2, 2013 - Clearing the floors

Phase 2 of the Library Refurbishment has begun! Some of you studying in the Library may have already witnessed staff moving books from the 2nd Floor and reshelving them on the 1st Floor.  There are a number of offices, cupboards and teaching rooms which are being cleared including our Library Plant Room situated on the 3rd Floor.  Staff are working this weekend to erect shelving on the Ground Floor so that we will be ready to start moving 3rd Floor books next week.  We are documenting our refurbishment with photographs that are being uploaded regularly to Flickr.  Please view our latest montage at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lis_refurb/collections/

Library Refurbishment Photography Team
Kerstin, Nicola and Val

Access to Library materials during the summer vacation

Dear Student

As you may know, the second and third floors of the library will be refurbished between June and October 2013, inclusive, which means that we have to find an alternative location for the books shelved on these floors.  After careful analysis of the options, we have decided that we will retain 40% of the books on the ground and first floors of the library during the refurbishment, but the other 60% will be stored in the GEM sports hall in crates and will be completely inaccessible during the project.

The books retained in the library will be the “more-active” books, based on analysis of usage over the last year, items on reading lists and our best estimate of likely demand.  Our judgement is that very few of the books stored in GEM will be required during the summer by postgraduate or undergraduate students.

Advice for students

We are confident that the following advice will lessen any possible adverse effects on students:

• The “more-active” books will continue to be available in the library on the ground and first floors throughout the project. 
• Library SmartSearch will indicate which books are available and will also enable you to find a large range of e-journal articles and e-books for your course topics and dissertations. 
• As at any other time in your studies, it would be wise not to confine yourself to using physical books or journals held by the library, as we can only hold a limited amount of printed stock, and there are many more books and journals available in electronic versions.  If you need help or advice in finding or accessing e-resources please email library@aston.ac.uk
  
• However, if you think that you will need certain printed books for your studies during the summer that are not on a reading list, you should borrow them as soon as possible, and definitely before 10th June, when the second and third floors of the library will close. 
• From 28th May until 5th October 2013, there will be no limit on the number of books that postgraduates, researchers or staff can borrow. 
• Print journals will be unavailable, but we will endeavour to borrow copies of any articles required by students, using the inter-library loan system. 
• Books that are unavailable in GEM will not be accessible until the end of October, but we will endeavour to borrow any copies needed on inter-library loan, or purchase another copy urgently if it is still in print. 
• Books may still be recalled for other borrowers. 

SCONUL Access Schemes

• Postgraduate students may use the SCONUL Access Scheme (see http://www.aston.ac.uk/library/usingotherlibs/ ) and will be able to borrow up to 6 books from the University of Birmingham Library. 
• Undergraduate students may use the SCONUL Vacation Access Scheme, but will not be able to borrow (see http://www.sconul.ac.uk/page/vacation-access-to-other-higher-education-libraries). 

Please contact Mrs Anne Perkins (a.v.perkins@aston.ac.uk or ext. 4492) for more information about these schemes.

Alternative Study Space

During the summer vacation, alternative study space will be available as follows:

• June - PG Examinations 3rd to 16th June
  For postgraduate students: MB PG suite: MB 225, 227, 229, 231, 234 and 246 (200 spaces)
  For all students: The Loft, Students' Union, MB 606 (80 spaces), MB 5th floor study area (60 spaces)
• 17th to 21st June
  For postgraduate students: NW 109 (60 spaces)
  For all students: The Loft, Students' Union, MB 606, MB 5th floor study area
  
• August/September - Referred Examinations 19th August to 6th September
  For postgraduate students: SW 309 (30 spaces) NW 109 (60 spaces), MB G8 (40 spaces)
  For all students: The Loft, Students' Union, MB 606, MB 5th floor study area

Library Refurbishment Phase 2

Floor plans and the project timeline are available on the Library website.

You can also follow the progress of phase two of the Library refurbishment as it happens, by viewing the photographs on Flickr.

Dr Nick Smith 
Director Library & Information Services

The Library will be open on Monday 27th May

We are pleased to let you know that the Library will be open on Monday 27th May. However, please note that the Library will be operating on a self-service only basis throughout the day, as the Help desk will be closed. Please remember to bring your uniCARD to swipe in, as day passes will not be available.

If you have any queries on Monday 27th May, please ask at the Reception desk or send an email to library@aston.ac.uk and Library staff will respond to your query on Tuesday morning.

For the benefit of all students please remember that both 2nd and 3rd floors of the Library are for single silent study only, throughout this important revision and examination period.

Thank you
Library Team

Lawtel database - access problem

Staff and Students,

Lawtel has announced that they are experiencing technical difficulties this morning.  You may have trouble logging in to this service and also retrieving the legal documents available via this database.  They are working on fixing this problem but in the meantime if you experience any issue downloading legal documents please contact the Lawtel helpdesk

Lawtel Helpdesk Team on 0800 018 9797
helpdesk@lawtel.com

Kind Regards
Nicola Dennis
Business & Law Information Specialist

Are you graduating in July 2013?

If you are graduating in July 2013, then please make sure that you pay your Library fines and return your Library books by Friday 7 June.  Your degree certificate can only be released if your Library account is clear. 

• You can check your Library Record online.
• You can pay off fines either in the Library at the self-service machines, or online

Best of luck from all Library staff for your revision, final assignments and exams.

The Library will be open on Monday 6th May 2013

We are pleased to let you know that the Library will be open as normal on Bank Holiday Monday 6th May.   However, please note that the Library will be operating on a self-service only basis throughout the day, as the Help desk will be closed.

If you have any queries on Monday 6th May, please ask at Reception or send an email to library@aston.ac.uk and Library staff will respond to your query on Tuesday morning.

For the benefit of all students please remember that both 2nd and 3rd floors of the Library are for single silent study only, throughout this important revision and examination period.

Thank you
Library Team

New videos to help you keep up-to-date

Have you discovered Zetoc alerts? If not, Zetoc have recently produced a number of useful videos to introduce you to Zetoc and to show you how to make best use of the services available.

"Zetoc alerts are a very powerful and useful tool. It means that Zetoc tells you when new records that you might wish to review have arrived and takes you to them" 

See the full video here:

Zetoc have this to say about their Screencast Series:

"The Zetoc Screencast Series is intended to provide an introduction to the Zetoc service, and to assist Zetoc users to make full use of the service" 

You can view all the videos at the Zetoc website.

For more information about keeping up-to-date in your subject area, see the relevant tab in your LibGuide.