Special Needs Users

The Library is aware that there are a number of students who may experience difficulties using the Library at some point during their student career. The Library hopes to make life as easy as possible for everyone who has special needs, whilst offering a fair service to all our users.

To help with this we have a Librarian with responsibility for equal opportunities who liaises with Student Support Services to ensure that the right support is provided.

Physical access to the library

To enable access to both floors of the Library there is a lift in the Library foyer. The Library door upstairs can be opened by a swipe card that can be activated by prior arrangement with Student support Services or the Library. Please ask a member of the Library Staff for help.

Facilities

For people who are partially sighted or have difficulty with text, a CCTV scanner, which can enlarge printed text is situated on the upper floor.

Leaflets produced by the library are also available in large print. Please ask at the counter to have them printed out.

Renewal of items can be done by telephone or online if there are no ‘blocks’ on the borrowers' record.

If photocopying is necessary to help with a disability you are entitled to claim for photocopying costs from your local authority, the Library staff/Media are able to help with the issue of a photocopying receipt, but please ask at the desk.

Book fetching

If you have difficulty getting books or other items from the library shelves, you can ask library staff to fetch them on your behalf ready for you to collect from the library counter.

Extended loans

If you're a student or staff member with a disability, you can borrow one week loans for two weeks at a time.

You need to register for extended loans, and we'll note that on your record. We then extend the loan period for you manually.

You can renew one week loans online for a further week if the book is not reserved, but to extend the due date you'll need to renew at the library counter or by phone.

The scheme covers one week loans only. You can't extend short-term loans.

Get more help

Special induction sessions with small groups of students will be offered to help new students understand the layout of the Library and how to access ICT within the Library.

Library staff are happy to offer extra help to guide users to the materials that they need and to offer assistance in retrieval of information required – including simple searches, placing reservations, renewals, and finding items on the shelves for the user if the need arises.