We have a dedicated Library Services webpage which lists all the services offered by the Library. We ensure our webpages are kept up to date, members of staff across the Library are able to edit the Library webpages to ensure the data is always accurate.
The Library website also has a staff contact list, this is so users can easily identify who they need to contact. We also have a Customer Feedback page which highlights the University Librarian's contact details, this is so the user can contact them if they feel like they have exhausted all other channels.
The website was renewed in time for the start of the 2019/20 academic year. The changes focused on look and feel enhancements to improve the general design but also accessibility and display on mobile and tablet devices. There is also a radically changed homepage which aims to draw in the most important tasks and information at any given time of the year. Work will continue on this project throughout the academic year to revise and refresh all the content.
The Writing Development Centre website has been revamped and brought underneath the Library website making it more accessible for our customers who can book appointments with WDC staff easily online: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/subject-support/wdc/
We continually review and update our Library website in light of changes to the service. For example the introduction of a reading list ‘how-to’. It gives a detailed breakdown for students on how to access their reading lists and also further information to academic staff on how to create new lists/make changes to existing lists and also guidelines on best practice. https://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/services/reading-lists/
We have also recently introduced a new Books on Time service and in light of that we have made our webpages clearer on how the ILL and Books on Time services differ and how and when students/staff should use these different services.
Special Collections now also publicise newly catalogued collections, highlighting some of the more notable ones.
The Library also has posters and advertisements dotted around the building in different formats highlighting some of the services we offer, one of which is the University app. The University app displays user Library account information. This information and other information is advertised on our electronic screens which are strategically placed around the Library buildings. Our electronic screen content is also displayed around the University campus, this allows users who aren't familiar with the library to see the services we offer.
The Library's Social Media team use different social media channels to advertise what we offer and what the library is up to, a recent Tweet can be seen advertising our new loan policy and a Facebook event was added for the Library Crafts@Christmas event we run for students and staff.
All the Library's Customer Services charges are presented on the Library's website. The customer can view these at any time to get an idea of what costs could be involved if items aren't returned on time or lost. This page also shows photocopying and Inter Library Loan charges.
Our new loan policy brought in radical changes to our charging policy in response to customer feedback. There is no longer a charge for the late return of items unless that item is in demand by other customers or is in the Student Text Collection (STC). When an item is loaned from the STC an email is generated and sent to the user advising them of the return date and time and also what costs they may incur if the item isn't returned when due.
When a customer gets in touch with our Special Collections department, our staff review all factors and keep up a constant communication with the customer, giving them a choice of the different digitisation options they have and the costs involved. The Special Collections department also have their costs on the University Library website for customers to see.
We provide staff and students access to their Library account information across a range of devices, including desktop and mobile. The University mobile app is available on Android and iOS devices so users can access their Library account information on the go. The app allows users to check what items they have out on loan, when an item is due to be returned and the ability to renew an item. They can cancel hold requests and also check any overdue charges. The University app also allows users to perform Library Search queries using a mobile optimised view of Library Search. Users can also check PC availability, this is very useful especially during busy periods. Students can also check the availability of and book group study rooms through the app. This feature was introduced because of feedback received from students.
Our Liaison team regularly conduct induction sessions at the start of term in teaching spaces across campus. These sessions are setup to highlight the benefits of the Library and the support it can offer students. The module leaders regularly express how informative their students find these sessions. We also offer one to one sessions and students can find out more about these by visiting the Academic Skills Website. We have developed a new dissertation tool called the Search Planner - an online pro-forma for students to plan their search strategy, which they can keep for their own use or can send to the Liaison team for feedback.
The HSS8002: Library Skills module transformed a face-to-face, workshop-based library information skill module and create a blended delivery module onto Blackboard, in turn creating a flexible, personalised and holistic student learning journey, from beginning to end. We have evaluated the HSS8002 blended learning module via formal University mechanisms, resulting in our highest ever quantitative feedback, and positive comments from students. We also used feedback to make some improvements to the module for its second running this year.
Furthermore, we have repurposed the HSS8002 learning material for a science-based audience, to address some of the concerns we had about our Science, Agriculture and Engineering Postgraduate Researcher Development Programme (PGRDP) offer. We have been able to manage the increase in student numbers, making efficient use of staff time and capacity, without compromising on the quality of our learning provision, and instead improving the take-up of these learning opportunities in our PGR community.
Liaison staff have created their own promotional calendar, targeting specific learning groups, this also includes targeted promotions to enhance awareness and understanding of our many specialist resources.
Our academic colleagues are kept up to date via Liaison newsletters with Special Collections information included in these. The Education Outreach Team have a newsletter for teachers.
To promote our new LibGuides we created a promotional plan to communicate the changes to not only students, but also academic staff and library staff.
The Library runs a Welcome desk in the Library foyer, welcoming all new and returning students. The focus is a Spin and Win game which enable staff to engage with students in a fun way and encourages conversations about what the Library offers.
We continue to engage with students online using Instagram stories and short videos. Welcome activities and the Special Collections team have both used this approach.
The University Library rolled out ‘Leganto’, our new Reading list system in 2017. Leganto gives users an attractive and easy to use interface to locate resources for students, with direct linking through to library holdings and availability information. We have worked with academics to give them the choice of inputting and editing their own lists, and worked to stimulate student engagement in reading lists.
A new workflow for reading lists has been implemented, all queries regarding reading lists are channeled via a Library Help queue and then triaged. This avoids delays from emails sitting in an individual's inbox when they are away and ensures transparency, so progress with an individual list can be tracked. Staff working on reading lists can easily pick up from where a colleague left off, ensuring lists are dealt with in chronological or priority order as appropriate.
Special Collections have a new video which is targeted at undergraduate students who have never used Special Collections before and is available on their website.
LibGuides have been integrated into teaching and are a key message in all promotional activities. Embedded visual links are used in modules within the VLE, giving students access alongside their other module learning materials and at point of need.
Our Liaison Librarians work with departmental and admin reps to ensure that messages about new and changing services are circulated within the Schools. They send regular update emails for reps to disseminate to staff and student within the Schools and Institutes.
Liaison Librarians also attend staff student committee meetings to obtain feedback from staff and students about our teaching and services and also to promote new services and library related activities. We also email these updates to admin staff for forwarding with meeting minutes and when librarians cannot attend.
The Liaison team use forms to gather feedback from students after they have attended a 1-to-1 session with a librarian to gain insight into what the students found particularly useful from the meeting and what they have put into practice. In addition there are forms to gather feedback from academics following on from teaching sessions. This is particularly useful in ascertaining what impact the teaching has had on the students and how the teaching could be modified/improved for future sessions, therefore hopefully making the teaching experience for students more relevant and enjoyable.
The Writing Development Centre receive and review feedback from their consultations and use this as part of the continuous improvement of these sessions (Doc A).
All Library teaching staff take part in 'peer dialogue' which involves their teaching sessions being observed by fellow colleagues for feedback, and this is then taken on board for future session improvement.
We review the quality of overnight Library Help Chats to ensure that customers have received correct and appropriate answers. We have tools for LibGuides and social media, and Query Spy for Library Help to enable us to analyse customer journeys through them and use this to improve the resources and information held.
Liaison staff have been using the Microsoft tool ‘Sway’ to create engaging, high quality, interactive online newsletters and action plans for different audiences. Sway offers much more versatility than our old printed newsletters (for example, incorporating multimedia content, and being easily embeddable on platforms such as lib guides and Blackboard), and we can assess reception of each newsletter via its built-in analytics. We will also be exploring other potential uses for Sway e.g. in teaching, internal communications, customer consultation etc.
All library teaching staff take part in 'peer dialogue' which involves their teaching sessions being observed by fellow colleagues for feedback, and this is then taken on board for future session improvement (Doc B).
The Academic Skills Kit project is a one stop shop for study skills, drawing together the diverse range of provision and resources across the University and signposting students to the most appropriate support. We have created a range of online resources to complement the face to face services, as well as promoting and evaluating the website. We have involved students in evaluating and helping us shape the resources and refine the website.
The Liaison blog is embedded in our Subject Guides. Using the blog in conjunction with the Liaison promotional calendar, staff found it a great way of getting feedback on resource trials, e.g. Rocks Back Pages.
The Library website was renewed in time for the start of the 2019/20 academic year. The changes focused on look and feel enhancements to improve the general design but also accessibility and display on mobile and tablet devices. We have already received very positive feedback on this (Doc A). There is also a radically changed homepage which aims to draw in the most important tasks and information at any given time of the year. Work will continue on this project throughout the academic year to revise and refresh all the content. We are involving students in evaluating and improving the website.
Special Collections have started to contact newly appointed academic staff to ensure they are aware of Special Collections material which is relevant to their research and teaching specialisms. (Doc B)
The completion of our LibGuides project (Doc C) has ensured that customers can access a consistent level of subject and resource-based information online. Usage has increased, with particular successes with subject areas that have been harder to engage in the past (e.g. the Architecture, Planning and Landscape Subject Guide is now in the top 10). Usability testing was central to the improvements (Docs D & E) and the process continues, through the developments of the more accessible Library visual identify (e.g. accessible header that is consistent across the Library website and LibGuides).
To help our compliance with online accessibility regulations and improve the consistent quality of our teaching and promotional materials, we have updated the Library visual identity and templates. The VI is aligned with the University brand guidelines but with a clear Library identity. Teaching materials are more easily machine readable, having considered accessibility needs of our customers. The VI is continued through our print and electronic materials, as seen in the Library website and LibGuides to present a more unified customer experience, while enabling us to provide information in alternative formats. Templates have been developed for improved signage, documents, booklets and presentations and training provided for all staff. A new staff Libguide is now available to support staff in creating accessible content for our customers.
Mystery Shopping exercises are conducted in the Library, these exercises highlight any inaccuracies in the information we are providing, written or verbal. Mystery shoppers identified weaknesses in the signage on the entrance floor of The Philip Robinson Library has been addressed by new department store style signage (Doc A).
When a customer does receive the incorrect information we make sure we provide a timely response and get the problem fixed or updated as soon as possible. For example our overnight chat service is checked the following day and enquiries which require a further response are followed up in Library Help.
The Library has an internal support ticket system so staff can report any technical issues to IT staff. IT support staff review the ticket queue regularly to make sure things are corrected as soon as possible. (Doc B)
Our customers regularly use the Tell Us What you Think feedback system to report information inaccuracies, this electronic form of feedback is always responded to by the most appropriate member of staff.
Special Collections ensure that when something changes in their service, for example Reading Room arrangements, they communicate this to the individual customers affected, as well as to the broader community via social media, and give as much notice as possible.
When our new self-issue kiosks were launched recently, it was pointed out that the picture showing how books should be placed on the unit was unclear, this was swiftly replaced with a more meaningful graphic.
We make it possible for customers to choose which channel they prefer to access our information through, as demonstrated by the Library Help front page, which promotes all of our contact information. The Library website has been developed as a "one stop shop" for all Library related information and offers easy access to all of our services.
The Library section of the University app allows users to check items on loan, view any outstanding charges and book group study rooms.
We also do not underestimate the value of personal communication. Our customer service staff are available 24/7 to provide help and guidance.
Customers can pay overdue charges online as well as via telephone or directly with one of our customer service assistants at the service desks.
We have our own Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages that are a popular method of communication and useful in circulating Library information to users.
Our Liaison team ensure their teaching is accessible and use a variety of methods to recap lectures and presentations using Blackboard, Slideshare and other virtual learning tools to make them readily available to users.
The unique nature of our Special Collection holdings means that potential user base is international. We offer both a digitisation and photocopy service for all users who are unable to visit in person, and this service is prominently advertised alongside traditional appointment options. Special Collections have reviewed their annual publicity cycle as a response to 2018's recommendations regarding an annual report. This information is now collated and ultimately presented in an engaging on-line format. However, in-line with Library developments in making this type of information more targeted to specific audiences, our data is channelled through a number of targeted outputs: History, Classics and Archaeology, English Literature, Language and Linguistics and Education Outreach (Doc A).
Leganto can also be accessed via Blackboard which gives an alternative way of accessing reading lists.
We have taken a proactive approach to improving the quality and accessibility of our online materials in response to public sector regulations, including developing a new Library visual identity, which allows for materials in print and electronic format to be fully machine readable. Subject and Resource Guides have been checked to ensure alternative text is used throughout, while materials hosted on less accessible platforms have been retired, in favour of fully responsive and accessible alternatives e.g. the use of an embedded Sway rather than Slideshare and the development of quizzes in Typeform.
Liaison staff used the poll feature on the University app to ask students about potential loan policy changes. A breakdown of the results is attached (Doc A).
Special Collections introduced ‘Feedback Fortnights’ where customers using our Reading Room to view archives and rare books are asked more reflective questions on their experience this ensures customer feedback is more closely embedded into their work. Following our annual review of Reading Room feedback, Special Collections now ask people, as they hand material back in, "did you find everything that you were looking for?". See draft New Sign-In Guidance (Doc B).
We are analysing usage of the new service offering book returns at all Libraries to inform future developments of this service and assess its impact on stock retention.
Through Libguide Analytics we were able to focus development time on the subjects most frequently used, for example "referencing", shown in LibGuide statistics (Doc C).
During busy exam periods when the Library is operating at full capacity, additional steps are taken to ensure that all Library users are kept as comfortable as possible. This means keeping facilities clean and tidy and noise levels at the appropriate volume. The Rubbish Monster advertising board is designed and displayed in the foyer during this time, promoting good housekeeping (Doc A).
The Study Well@NCL campaign is also in operation during this time, where staff members are assigned to sweep floors to check on noise levels, cleanliness and unmanned desks. The noise alert system runs 24/7, giving students the opportunity to anonymously report any noise concerns to a member of staff via a text message, who can then investigate and rectify the issue.
Recycle bins are present on every floor, in clear visibility of Library users and are clearly marked for ease (Doc B).
We also strive to recover as much furniture throughout the building as possible. By reupholstering we not only ensure that the comfort and quality of the furniture is maintained, but also that the Library is kept looking tidy.
There is a cleaning schedule in place to ensure the Library's cleanliness is maintained properly, and we can review any anomalies in cleaning frequency (Doc C).
The customer toilets on L1 in Philip Robinson have been refurbished. There's been lots of new furniture purchased as part of the MRLR and Walton refurbishments which we consulted students about. Walton Library has an extra cleaner for their collaborative study space.
We are in the process of developing a Library Sustainability Group (superseding the now disbanded Green Group), in conjunction with the University’s Sustainability Campus Team. The purpose of this Group will be to promote and share best practice of sustainability issues within the Library for staff, students and visitors. The aim will be to support the University’s Sustainability Campus Team’s eight environmental themes, and to look for opportunities for change and any improvements or engagement ideas, then feeding this back to the Sustainability Campus Team.
We participate in the SCONUL Access Scheme which allows our students to use other University Libraries and students from other Universities to use our Library.
We are members of the British Library Document Supply Service which enables us to obtain items for our users from them and other libraries that are part of the scheme. We can also get recommended articles for reading lists via the Copyright Cleared service for scanning and making available to students. In 2018 the Library moved to using DRM Lite as a new delivery method for documents from the British Library, providing an improved and simpler access method for customers.
We share in the Community Zone that is part of Alma our library management system. This allows us to share and use information from other Alma users including Bibliographic records, authority vocabularies used by different regions and the Alma Knowledge Base. It also enables us to share and use Analytic Reports produced by other libraries e.g. reports written for SCONUL statistics ensuring that libraries submit their statistics in the same way using the same criteria.
We are part of the Northern Collaboration group and staff are members of a number of sub-groups which encourage knowledge sharing and joint initiatives.
We partner with ‘Seven Stories: National Centre for Children’s Books’ by providing reading room facilities for Seven Stories archival collections - enabling access to these valuable resources to both academic researchers and students.
In a 'Sense of Place' The Education Outreach team teamed up with Historic England, Northumberland National Park, English Heritage and colleagues from the Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts and the School of Fine Art to provide a unique educational experience for 90 Year 9 students from Northumberland. With funding from Historic England we worked with Bedlington Academy, Haydon Bridge High School and Prudhoe Community High School to challenge Year 9 students to write a poem and create a piece of artwork inspired by our Bewick images held in our Special Collections and the majestic beauty of Northumberland National Park.
With the Careers and the Learning and Teaching Development Service we coordinate a cross-team teaching 'peer dialogue' process, which broadens and enhances our teaching practices.
Student Wellbeing work closely with the Library to deliver projects and services to customers. This year we have launched the Be Well@NCL project, a book collection that can be borrowed by students or staff to help understand and manage their mental health and wellbeing. Student Wellbeing are also represented on our Library Accessibility Group.
The Liaison’s team work with the Employability Leads in Schools (Doc A) has given us a greater understanding of the Schools’ work in employability and has led to many positive developments: greater awareness and promotion in the Schools of our Employability Guide and other relevant resources; development of new teaching sessions; involvement in curriculum reviews; invitation to employability events and staff away days and various ideas for potential future collaboration.
As a member of the University Health & Medical Librarians Group (UHMLG) we participate in the Open Athens Scheme that allows Medical Students to access the NHS Core Content to assist in their hospital placements. This gives student access to other online resources not provided by Newcastle University Library including BMJ Best Practice and access to the BNF app. The Evidence (Doc B) shows communication between the Library and the National Administrator to make sure we are getting the best out of the Scheme. Details of the agreement can be found at https://www.uhmlg.org/openathens/. At the start of the course all Medical Students are emailed details of the scheme and an activation code to set up an account.
Library Help staff use a triage service for dealing with EndNote enquiries to provide a seamless response for our users and this is explained in our staff FAQ (Doc A).
We work very closely with NUIT, the University Computing Service in IT delivery, and we report problems and issues through the ticketing system which allows queries to be tracked (Doc B).
We work closely with our partnerships in the SCONUL Access Scheme. Libraries are in close communication to ensure that each organisation takes responsibility for the behaviour of their members who are using a partners facilities.
In response to feedback during the 2017 CSE Annual Review we assessed the out-of-hours chat service Questionpoint. The evidence demonstrates that this service is effective and value for money (Doc C).
As part of the new contract with the NHS, we have made arrangements for the NHS to have the final decision about NHS library memberships. For any potential members associated with the NHS who don’t fall under the pre-arranged categories, such cases are referred to the NHS representatives for approval thus allowing us to offer library memberships to more users. To ensure better service, we have also improved our communication channels for the NHS Access only users by creating a user database thus allowing us to inform users of any changes which was not possible in the past.
The PARTNERS Academic Summer School is part of an access scheme for students from under-represented groups who have the potential to succeed at Newcastle University. PARTNERS currently account for 65% of the University’s widening participation strategy in Higher Education. As part of the welcome process, the Library provides documentation detailing the service and a self-directed tour of the buildings in order to discover the study space and facilities available. This is accompanied by online advice on referencing, with signposting to other online resources to support their understanding and skills within their subject.
Each year Special Collections takes part in an annual open day to promote our holdings to the general public. Following analysis of customer footfall we have stopped participating in the national 'Archives Alive' open day and co-ordinate our activities with the national programme 'Heritage Open Days' which has resulted in much higher participation rates.
Following feedback from a 'Friends' event which highlighted lack of visibility of Special Collections amongst other heritage organisations in Newcastle, a new leaflet targets members of the Lit and Phil Library, GNM, Bowes Museum, Mining Institute and TWAM (Doc A).