Service statement
1. Scope and purpose of the statement
This document outlines briefly the services that are currently delivered by the University Library for the information of colleagues across the University. It should be read in conjunction with the partnership agreement.
2. Period of the agreement
This statement is effective from 1 January until 31 December 2024. It will be reviewed and revised as necessary towards the end of this period.
3. Services provided
CentAUR – see Research Engagement
Collections Services
The acquisition of information resources (print and electronic) to support teaching, learning and research in the University.
The budget and responsibility for spending lies ultimately with the Library. Resources to support the University’s teaching is carried out in accordance with academic colleagues’ engagement with the reading list system, student numbers, and other related criteria such as an item being flagged as essential or peripheral reading. Resources to support the University’s research endeavours is via purchase suggestions from across University members, and as part of communication between Schools/Departments and their Academic Liaison Librarian. All purchasing adheres to the Library’s collection management policy. The Library uses a range of suppliers and also participates in purchasing consortia so as to obtain best value for money.
Electronic resources may be accessed under license agreements rather than purchased outright.
All material purchased from Library funds is available to all registered University staff and students. (Access to electronic resources may be subject to restrictions or require additional funding contributions, depending upon licensing agreements with suppliers. These resources are licensed for educational use and commercial use is excluded.)
Print materials are available throughout Library opening hours; electronic resources are available 24/7 on and off campus, subject to systems and IT network availability.
Normally only material to support University teaching and research is purchased. It may not be possible to acquire material that is out of print.
See the Library’s Collection Policies.
Disabled users – see Users with disabilities
Document supply and Inter-library loans
The provision of material not available in the University Library from other libraries and document suppliers. Overseas suppliers may be used as needed.
The service is available to all University staff and students; information is on the Library website Inter-library Loans page.
Staffed assistance with this service is available normally during core service hours. Outside these times staff will make their best efforts to help.
The Library pays the cost of each inter-library loan request.
The service also responds to requests from other libraries for material held in the University Library.
Enquiry services
The provision of assistance in response to face-to-face, telephone, email and online enquiries via:
- Staff at Library information desks and service points
- Appropriate specialist Library staff
- Email messages to (for example) library@reading.ac.uk
Services are available to all Library users normally during core service hours. Outside these hours staff will answer enquiries on a “best efforts” basis.
Information literacy and study skills
The delivery (by academic liaison librarians and study advisers) of information literacy and study skills teaching and support at undergraduate and postgraduate (taught and research) levels. This teaching is delivered in partnership with schools/departments and is integrated into curricula.
Support may also be provided in one-to-one or small group sessions with academic liaison librarians or study advisers. Quick query support is also provided.
The reference management software package EndNote, provided by Digital Technology Services, and Mendeley are supported by academic liaison librarians.
Skills teaching is available normally during core service hours but can be outside these by prior arrangement.
Instruction in IT skills (e.g. MS Office) is not provided.
Institutional repositories – see Research Engagement
Inter-library loans – see Document supply and Inter-library loans
Lending services
The provision of a lending service to manage the availability of Library material including: issue, renewal, return, re-shelving, reservations, recalls, handling of user account and circulation related enquiries, and administration of penalties for defaulting borrowers.
The service is available to all University staff and students and to other appropriately registered Library users.
Issue and return services are available throughout Library opening hours via self-service machines. It is also possible to renew items, reserve items and check the status of reservations and document supply requests 24/7 via the Library system, depending upon system and network availability:
Library staff will not usually retrieve material on behalf of users, other than material in closed access which is retrieved for users to collect. Some categories of material are not available for loan.
Charges are made when material is either lost or damaged or is not returned on time.
Liaison services
The partnership working between staff in the Library’s Academic Liaison Team and school/departmental staff and students to ensure the development and delivery of high-quality, user-focused services and collections to support learning, teaching and research within the resources available.
The service is provided for all staff and students of the University. Liaison can take place through both formal and informal mechanisms and is available normally during core service hours.
Library catalogue and discovery system
The Library catalogue (known as Enterprise) is the central module of the Library Management System (SirsiDynix Symphony). The discovery system the Library uses is Summon (provided by ExLibris). Together these are the principal means by which Library users search for, discover and locate/access Library information resources (print and electronic).
Both are available to all Library users 24/7, depending upon system and network availability.
Maths Support
Online worksheets, guides and links to video tutorials for various mathematical topics needed for study: e.g. basic arithmetic, percentages, formulae, logarithms, differentiation, integration, statistics etc. can be found on the Maths Support web page.
Reading lists – see Teaching Support
Research Data Archive – see Research Engagement
Research Engagement
The Research Engagement team provides services to researchers in support of Open Access publishing, the use of research metrics, research data management and digital humanities, and collaborates with stakeholders across the University to develop and implement Open Research strategy. Information about the team can be found on the Research Engagement web page.
Advice, guidance and training on Open Access publishing options (gold and other routes), funder compliance, bibliometrics, and REF submissions are provided to researchers and research stakeholders. The team manages University funds for Open Access publishing.
The University’s institutional publications repository, CentAUR, a searchable digital archive of the University’s research output since 2003 is managed by this team. This is a free, worldwide publicly available resource.
The Research Data Service promotes good practice in research data management through the provision of guidance, training and support. It manages the University's data repository, the Research Data Archive, and the REDCap data collection platform. Help and information can be found on the research data management webpages.
The Digital Humanities Hub promotes digital research methods and provision for upskilling academics who wish to undertake digital research. The Hub aims to connect academics and professional services staff to enable digital research projects to be developed and supported, Information can be found on the Digital Humanities Hub website.
Study Advice – see Information literacy and study skills
Study space
The provision of and access to a variety of types of study space – individual, group, silent, quiet, collaborative, IT equipped.
Library study space is available to all University staff and students and to other Library users throughout Library opening hours. Restrictions on entry by non-University staff and students may be in force at certain times of the year, such as the revision and examination period. Visitors may book to access resources unavailable elsewhere.
The IT facilities are provided and managed in conjunction with the University’s Digital Technology Service. The staffed IT Service Desk is located on the 1st Floor of the Library.
Talis Aspire online reading list and digitised content management system – see Teaching Support
Teaching support
In addition to liaison services, collections services and information literacy and study skills for teaching, the Library also provides and manages the Talis Aspire online reading list and digitised content management system.
This enables academic staff to create online reading lists within a single interface, linked to from Blackboard. Links can be created to items on the Library catalogue, items from e-journals and subscription databases, external web pages and embedded multimedia. A scanning request process incorporating assured copyright compliance is also provided.
The service is available to all University staff and students 24/7, depending upon system and network availability.
Information, advice and support are available through school / departmental academic liaison librarians.
School / Departmental libraries
University Library staff are always willing, if asked, to offer advice to, and share experience with, colleagues in schools/departments who provide local libraries, resource centres or reading rooms.
The Library has managerial responsibility for the Institute of Education Learning Hub and for the Department of Meteorology Library. Services are provided in close consultation with relevant Institute/Departmental staff within the resources available.
Users with disabilities
Information on the services the Library is able to provide for users with disabilities is available via a dedicated online LibGuide.
The Library’s User Services staff will show disabled users around the Library as requested, introduce them to relevant members of staff, explain how to find material in the Library, outline what personal or tailored support required, and discuss any concerns they may have.
4. Other services
It should be noted that elements of other University functions or services are housed in the University Library. These include
- Print management services multifunctional devices (printers / copiers / scanners) for University staff and students and other Library users
- The Library Café
- IT PCs, laptop loans and Service Desk
Whilst not responsible for the management of these services Library staff collaborate closely with their University colleagues who do manage this provision. Inevitably Library staff also have to answer enquiries, and field comments or complaints, from users about these services. This they do to the best of their ability, referring queries when necessary.
Updated January 2024