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What’s happening to the library during the Olympics?

All library buildings will be closed during the 2.5 weeks of the Olympics, from July 27^th- August 12^th, but we’ll still be offering a wide range of services from off-campus. We’ll keep you informed – check out the library website

What sort of furniture will we have in the new library at ST?

Come and have a look! There are samples of some of the furniture we may be using in the new library on display in ST library

Can we have some ‘Argos-style’ pencils and paper to jot down book shelf numbers?

What a good idea! We’ll order some for all libraries.

The ‘short-stay’ PCs log me off before I’ve finished scanning my work

 We’ve increased the time you can stay on a ‘short-stay’ PC from 10 minutes to 15 minutes

Other students don’t seem to respect the library

 We are introducing a new poster campaign to encourage students to respect the library and other students

I find the book collection is difficult to navigate

 We’re looking at different ways of signing the library collection so that’s it’s easier to find what you’re looking for

When I order a book, it takes ages before it’s ready for me to collect

 We’ve made a few changes to our procedures so now your books should get to you a bit more quickly.

Printers are so slow and there are such long queues

 There have been problems with the print system in December, but IT have now resolved these. We are sorry that this caused so much disruption during the busy exam month.

There have been several thefts in the libraries recently – can you start a campaign to help prevent this?

 We have distributed flyers advising students to look after their possessions and not to leave them on desks. 

The toilets at ST are often dirty and smelly

Toilets are checked regularly, but they are very heavily used. Please let us know as soon as possible of any problems, and we will ask our cleaners to come over straightaway

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I’ve got an iPhone – can I use it to access library resources?

We’ve put a QR code for Primo at each catalogue and on the screen, so if you’ve got an iPhone you can go straight to an online version of the catalogue where you’ll be able to access all our e resources.

Stratford Library looks so dingy and unwelcoming

We’ve made several improvements over the summer to improve the environment at Stratford Library.

Click here to find out what we’ve done

What’s happening with the new Stratford library?

The planned move into our exciting new Stratford Campus Library remains on schedule for spring 2013. Look out for the new website that will soon be launched.

When receiving a request cancellation e-mail, it would be good to include the full name of the article and its authors so it's easier to know which specific ones I have cancelled.

We have now added more details to the cancellation email so now it’s easier to see which requests you’ve cancelled.

Why can’t the library stay open 24/7 for our Architecture hand-in during the summer?

Unfortunately we can’t stay open for 24/7 during the whole of the summer vacation, although we do stay open overnight during the summer resits.

Can you make the library a bit quieter during exams?

We have increased patrols during the exam period to ensure that a quiet environment is maintained. During May we have tightened up our access so that external students can’t come in.

I can never find the journals I need to use for my research

If you have trouble searching for journals, you can make an appointment with your subject librarian who will gladly spend some time showing how to search. You could also check out ‘Info skills’ the new library online search tool that has helpful guides on searching for and using information from journal articles.

There aren’t enough copies of core texts

We are working on the core texts issue, and hope to implement some new strategies in the next year We have also recently made an additional 100,000 eBook titles available so that students can read or download articles and chapters anytime 24/7.

The assistance offered by security when library staff are not around is very limited/non-existent. This needs to be improved as the environment feels unsafe at these times.

We are working with Security to make sure that all library areas are safe 24/7. Please let us know of any times or incidents that you are particularly worried about

It is not obvious enough from the "Item has holds" message in the e-mail we send that those items must be returned.

We’ve revised the wording to make the emails clearer.

I can’t get in touch with the British Olympic Archivist – has she moved on?

Our BOA archivist works part-time on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.

Can anything be done about students hiding reference copies of books?

We could put some of the more sought after books in Short Loan, although this would mean that the books wouldn’t be accessible outside our staffed opening hours. Our shelvers do regularly tidy the shelves  to make sure that books are put back in the correct order.

There are not enough staff in the library to keep control of noisy students

We introduced quiet and silent zones so that students can choose where they want to study – please ask a member of staff if you don’t know here the silent study areas are situated.

We need social space in the library, and places to drink coffee while we study

We try to accommodate all students and their study preferences. Social learning spaces are now available in the Stratford and Docklands campuses away from the libraries where students eat, drink and socialise while they study. The new ST library will also incorporate a new social learning space.

Finding where to renew books online is very confusing. Why not have simpler terms that are not hidden away or called other things such as Library Catalogue.

We have amended the link on the library website so it makes it more obvious how to access your account. We also introduced automatic renewals last year so the only thing you have to do is check your e-mails and bring books back if asked to.

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Why do I have to wait so long for my reserved book?

Some books are very popular, especially at particular times of the year. We do find that many students don’t collect books that they have previously requested so we have set up an online survey to find out why they don’t come back to collect them.

Please keep the assistive technology suite at ST open after 9pm

The suite now stays open 24/7. We are working with overnight security staff to ensure

The toilets at ST are very dirty

During very busy periods, the facilities are heavily used. They are cleaned daily and additional cleaning takes place when needed. Unfortunately, some students deliberately misuse the facilities and this creates further problems.

I can’t return my books because of the bad weather and I don’t want to be charged fines.

All library fines were suspended during the adverse weather

I want to use the assistive technology software at DL during the night, but I don’t know the password.

The password is given to all registered disabled and dyslexic students upon request. Facilities can then be used 24/7.

The building works at ST are making it so noisy that it’s difficult to study

It has become noisier than usual at Stratford since the building works started in the summer. We apologise for the noise and are offering free earplugs to see if that will make a difference

I need help with the databases when I’m trying to navigate my way through them.

There is an online help sheet available via the A_Z of databases. We’ve also put a direct link from all the database pages to our ask-a-librarian support pages.

Can the library give me some online help with my assignments?

At the beginning of March we launched Infoskills, an online tool to help you with your assignments

I need to access my library account but can’t find where to sign in.

UEL Direct now has a direct link to the library web pages and we’ve now clearly marked where to sign in to your library account.

It’s so cold sometimes in the silent study rooms at Stratford Library.

We have asked Facilities to increase the heating in these spaces and now it’s a lot warmer

How  can I find out what’s happening with the new ST library

We have created a new page on the library website where we post up-to-date information about the new library

What help can you give disabled students?

We’ve produced a leaflet, available at all helpdesks, that outlines all the help available to students with disabilities or dyslexia.

Why is it so complicated to get my Athens password – I used to be able to create it myself?

We have to make the system secure otherwise Athens won’t grant us a licence, so only staff can create passwords. Athens passwords and log-in details are now sent to all students at their webmail address, and staff at any helpdesk can create new accounts.

Please fix the water fountains at ST

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'Dyslexic students who have trouble reading might find more online material useful'

Why can’t we chat online to a librarian at the weekend?

Now you can! We’ve increased the hours of our  Ask-a-Librarian service so now you can chat online from 1-5pm at weekends and from 1-7pm during the week.

The library has become very messy at weekends

Cleaning has been increased at the weekends in the busy period leading up to exams.

It’s still sometimes too hot to study in Docklands library

We are currently installing air-conditioning and better ventilation. This will hopefully reduce the temperature and improve air-flow.

We would like more silent places to study at Docklands

We have built a new silent study place at Docklands that seats 30 people.

It’s unfair that my books are renewed to a day that I don’t come into the library

Items are now automatically renewed to the same day that they were taken out.

The toilets can become very dirty in the evenings and at weekends, especially at Stratford

Two new toilets have been built at Stratford campus and cleaning has been increased in the evenings at Docklands and Stratford

Why do you block me from renewing my reserved book when there are plenty of copies around?

Our new automatic renewal service now renews your reserved book as soon as another copy is brought back.

It’s so cold sometimes in the silent study rooms at Stratford Library.

We have asked Facilities to increase the heating in these spaces and now it’s a lot warmer

What’s happened to all the photocopiers? Hardly any of them are working.

We have moved to a new supplier and the change-over has meant some disruption in service. We’ll be offering free copies for a week to all students to compensate for the inconvenience caused.

24 hour self-collection of holds at Stratford library is a great idea – when will it be introduced to Docklands library?

We’ve now introduced 24 hour hold collection at Docklands and Duncan House libraries. This means you can collect your requested item anytime 24/7

Please bring back the change machine.

The machine kept breaking and it became an administrative nightmare. You can now top-up online via UEL Direct, and the minimum top-up has just been lowered to £2.50

Why are children allowed in the university library? They are noisy and disruptive.

We realise that children can cause disruption in the library but sometimes students have to bring them in when arrangements can’t be made for them to be cared for. We’ve introduced new guidelines and now require students with children to sign their agreement before they come into the library.

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I can’t find the right database for my subject

We’ve put in a link from the e-journals & databases page straight to the subject pages so you can see which databases are recommended for your subject

We need more space in Stratford library where we can study in silence with our laptops

From September, you can use the Great Hall to study in silence with your laptops

It’s still too hot and noisy to study at Docklands library

The university is investing £2m over the summer toimprovethe cooling and noisecontrol in the Docklandsbuilding

The hub area at Docklands is no longer a conducive place to study because it’s often covered in litter and the furniture is in disarray

We have re-arranged the furniture in the hub so that it is more appropriate for study and less. We’ve also arranged additional cleaning to keep the area clear

We want to chat to a librarian online over the summer?

We have extended our Ask-a-Librarian chat service over the summer – it will continue to be available from 1-5pm each weekday

The plastic sheeting surrounding Stratford Library makes the study rooms unbearably hot

We have installed fans in all the study room to help keep them cool. We hope the work outside will be finished by the end of the summer.

Why can’t I renew my books just because I have fines on my account?

You can now renew your books even if your account is blocked by fines

Students keep leaving books on the shelves in the wrong place and I can’t find what I’m looking for

Our shelvers work hard to keep the shelves tidy, and over the summer our Subject Librarians will be weeding the stock to keep it up-to-date. In addition, We’ve installed RFID tags for electronic stock management.

How does the library help International students in their research?

We arranged special sessions to show you how to research articles for your projects

We want more text books

We’re spending an additional £100K this year to improve our collection of student textsand we are acquiring increasing numbers of e books

We want quieter libraries

This year we have increased securityand patrols tocontrol access,reduce noise, cut out eating/drinking andinconsiderate mobile phone use

Why do we have to book a PC just to use a scanner at Stratford library for a couple of minutes?

We’ve installed a scanner on the short-stay PCs so now you don’t have to book ahead

It’s very hot in the large Stratford quiet PC room

We have now installed air conditioning in the room.

I can’t come in during the day to pick up the books I’ve requested from the library

We introduced self-service pick-up at Stratford in February, and we’re going to do the same in Docklands and Duncan House for the new semester

Where can I find resources for researchers on the library website?

We now have a dedicated portal for researchers on our website

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We want to be consulted about the new library at Stratford

We have set up an online survey for you to give us your ideas and we have also arranged focus groups for students who want to be further involved

We need more books and journals

We do spend roughly as much as other modern university libraries on books and journals. To improve provision even further the university has just awarded the library an additional £100,000 for books and ebooks

We would like more silent places to study at Stratford

We have refurbished the Great Hall and it now offers 60 extra silent study spaces

Why can’t I use my laptop in the silent study rooms at Stratford Library?

We have created an extra silent study room in Stratford Library especially for students using laptops

At times, we still see students eating and drinking in the library making too much noise

Facilities have made a huge investment in our libraries with three security guards at Docklands and two at Stratford. They patrol the libraries 24/7 to re-enforce the library rules

The toilets can become very dirty in the evenings and at weekends, especially at Stratford

We have doubled the number of toilets at Stratford campus and cleaning has been increased in the evenings at Docklands and Stratford libraries

Why am I fined for not returning or renewing my books even when they aren’t requested by anyone else?

Our new automatic renewal service means that your books will be renewed automatically if there are no holds on them and no blocks on your account

I’d like to book a PC online from home

We have introduced MyPC, an online PC booking system that you can use off-campus 24/7

The signage is very confusing at Stratford

We have produced simpler, bolder signage at Stratford library to help you find your way round

I can’t always come into the library during the day to collect my hold request

At Stratford library we have introduced 24 hour self-collection of hold requests. This means you can collect your requested item anytime 24/7

I can’t always get in to the library to look at short loan items

We have digitised popular articles and chapters to make them available online and we have thousands of eBooks and eJournals

I find it confusing trying to access my library account online through the library catalogue

We have made the front-page interface of the library catalogue clearer and simpler with a detailed help guide

It would be great if you could send me my inter-library loan articles electronically without me having to come in to sign the copyright form

You can now agree to copyright regulations online and we will send the articles straight to your desk-top

We need more information when we phone and the library is closed

I just want to check my emails or print something quickly but I can’t always find a PC in Stratford library

We have updated and extended our telephone answering system so now

you can get up to date information 24/7

We’ve introduced eight ‘short stay’ PCs in the library which you can use for 15 minutes