Importance of Theme “Making the Best Use of the Library”
Having access to Library resources is central to studying and succeeding at university. Through “making the best use of the Library”, students are able to develop their knowledge of a subject and practice their research skills, which are key to their continuing success in their University career.
Dr Phil Race, Addressing Student Satisfaction – adopted from material published in Making Teaching Work by Phil Race and Ruth Pickford, London: Sage, 2007).
How to ensure that the library resources and services are good ?
- Know what library resources and services your students will need in connection with your parts of the syllabus and give your library or learning resource centre staff good notice of your students’ requirements.
- Arrange with your library staff for there to be a “desk collection” of resources that cannot be used outside the Library.
- Give your students clear advance briefings about the books, articles and resources you expect them to use and remind your library or resource centre staff of the expected timing of the demand for these resources.
- Give clear briefings about exactly what the students should try to do when they use them.
Dr Samantha Oakley, Subject Librarian in the School of Management, shares some suggestions on making best use of the library.
Your library subject support team offers a range of useful guides and services to support you and your students. Philippa Price from the Bay Library, has provided a whistle stop tour to familiarise you with the library layout. Philippa supports the School of Management and the College of Engineering,
Document Supply Services
The library offers a digitisation service for academic staff under the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) Higher Education Licence. So you can arrange for book extracts or journal articles from published material to be scanned for your Blackboard modules. Find out more details on the DSS webpages and learn how to make reading materials available to your students in the most efficient and user-friendly way. Download a poster to place by your department photocopier too, so that you can remind your colleagues how easy life can be.
Richard Burton Archives
Don’t forget the Richard Burton Archives holds material of local, regional and national significance. The staff can help you support the University’s mission statement to provide an environment of research excellence, to deliver an outstanding student experience with teaching of the highest quality, and to enrich the community and cultural life of Wales and beyond.
The theme is also significant in relation to the National Student Survey and the Higher Education Academy Fellowship.
National Student Survey
The theme has been taken from the National Student Survey question “the Library resources and services are good enough for my needs” under the category Learning Resources.
In the recent 2014 NSS results 85% of students agreed that the “Library resources and services are good enough for my needs”.
Higher Education Academy
The theme is also important in regards to the United Kingdom Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) as “Making the Best Use of the Library” contributes to Areas of Activity A4 develop effective learning environments and approaches to student support and guidance.
For more information on the UKPSF follow the link https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/professional-recognition/uk-professional-standards-framework-ukpsf
Don’t forget the simple things like ISS Scanning Service
Videos either don’t work on iPhone or perhaps they don’t work off campus.