[Contents] [Newsletter Index]

Newsletter 12, June 1996 Part-Time Students' Library Needs

• Part-Time Students' Library Needs
• What is Being Done Elsewhere?
• What is LMU Library Doing Currently?
• What Else Can be Done?
• Some Staff Responses

Lack of time is the major barrier faced by part-time students in using the library. This is one of the findings of a report done by a Quality Improvement Team in Library Services formed to examine the needs of part-time students for library service. The team is convened by Diane Jackson and Maggie Fleming.

Part-time students often have to balance work, family and study commitments. Some students feel they simply cannot make additional time to spend in the Library on top of their timetabled periods in the University. The problem is made worse if they live at a distance from the University. Those who could come in to the library during vacation evenings find that the library hours are then restricted to 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, a time when many are in work. Because their visits may be only once a week, they have more difficulty in getting access to items than full-time students. At present they cannot reserve a book by phone, so may make a pointless journey for a book which is not on the shelf.

Students who attend courses during the day may only have free time over the busy lunchtime period when there are queues for photocopiers, counter, enquiry desk etc.

Part-time students tend to be less familiar with the Library and how to use its resources and facilities. Even though all courses are offered LSS inductions, students do not always attend them and may not become aware of the services provided, such as specialist help from tutor librarians, or a special loan collection for part-time students.

What is Being Done Elsewhere?

Other academic libraries have developed a range of measures to assist part-time students including:

• Designated part-time student advisors.
• Longer opening hours.
• Special loan provision for part-timers.
• Serviced photocopying.
• Book retrieval by staff in advance of visits.
• Postal service of books, photocopies, inter-library loans.

What is LMU Library Doing Currently?

The libraries at LMU are already making some provision which particularly helps part-time students, including weekend opening (vacations as well as term-time), inter-site loans for part-timers, inductions for part-timers in the evenings and at weekends (on request), a dedicated loan collection for part-time students, a special information sheet detailing services for part-time students (posted to every student with enrolment packs), reciprocal borrowing arrangements with some other local universities, and bookable appointments with their tutor librarian. They can also access the library catalogue from home/work via the Internet.

There are also plans to encourage a greater awareness of the needs and services available in staff, students and library staff.

This will be done through:

• enhanced induction sessions.
• course committees.
• improved publicity materials.
• training sessions for library staff.

What Else Can be Done?

The Quality Improvement Team recommends that the Library should also look at:

• A part-time-students advisor responsible for:
  • serviced photocopying.
  • book retrieval service.
  • postal service for books, photocopies, inter-library loans.
  • liaison and consultation.
  • enquiries by phone, fax, email, post.
• Books and Loans:
  • extra copies of key texts for part-time students.
  • longer loan periods for part-time students.
• Reciprocal borrowing arrangements:
  • Seek to extend library co-operation arrangements including reciprocal borrowing rights
• Extension of vacation opening hours

Thanks to Karen Crump, Viv Anderson, Planning & Registry Services, Students' Union, Sussex University, University of the West of England, and Marlene Godfrey of NATFHE (Library Section) for the help given to the team.

The Quality Improvement Team consisted of Maggie Fleming/Diane Jackson, Max McMurdo, Karen Croft, Joan Dearnley, and Christine Rusling.

If you have any further suggestions please contact Maggie Fleming or Diane Jackson on extn 3287

Some Staff Responses

Below are some responses (in no particular order) from HSC staff to this paper:

• This may have been said before but in my own experience, when a book is recommended / included in a reading list that covers P/T and F/T courses, the F/T students always get there first!!!
• The analysis is accurate. I think the proposed solution is an excellent idea, though it sounds like much more than a part-time job!
• This all looks very useful. Some of it we already are doing and it is appreciated by students.
• — All the measures in place and proposed will benefit P/T students; none of them will alleviate the shortage of books and some will make the problem worse
  — Some students enrolled as full-timers are in fact operating under the same constraints as part-timers in terms of travelling long distances (e.g. Newcastle, Lincoln…) and/or only attending LMU on 1 or 2 days a week. A line has to be drawn somewhere, but these students could benefit from some of the same concessions.
• As course leader for a part-time, remotely taught course, could I pass on my appreciation that thought is going into this issue. Two things in particular might have helped my student group. First, easier access to and use of the reciprocal facilities at the University of Huddersfield — could processes here be clarified and steamlined? Second and for the future, more guidance on/easier access to our library catalogue for external users (internet?).
• I'm absolutely delighted that part time students' needs are being examined like this — it's very good news!