Books
Arrangement of stock
There are three different collections within the library. The items are arranged on the shelves in numerical order according to the Dewey Decimal Classification scheme(0-999).
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The Main Collection
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The Teaching Practice Collection consists of materials for taking into schools..
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The Short Loan Collection consists of books which are in demand, such as core texts.
There are different loan periods for the different collections.
Borrowing entitlement
Please see the Borrowing entitlement information on the Library Services page.
The Catalogue
The Library has a catalogue which can be searched on dedicated PCs around the library and from any other PC with an internet connection, within or beyond St Martin's.
The Library should stock most of the books on your reading lists, as well as books you may need for further reading. Even when you are familiar with the classmarks for your subject it is worth checking the catalogue as useful books may be out on loan and you can then self-reserve them on the catalogue, or they may be shelved at a different classmark.
The most efficient way of locating specific books is with an Author/Keyword (word in the title) search. Check which site library they are held at. If they are at your site and there are copies available, make a note of the classmark and location, and collect from the shelf. If the book you want is on loan or held in another site library, you can reserve it yourself on the catalogue, and it will be sent to your home site.
You can also do a Keyword search on the catalogue to find books on your subject. Once you have found a useful book, note its classmark and then do a Class search on the catalogue to find other books at the same number.
Reading Lists
LIS has identified the provision of Key texts from reading lists as a priority. This doesn't mean that we are able to supply everyone on a module with their own copy of the book for the duration of the course. LIS will purchase at least one copy of texts identified on a reading list by your tutors as essential, recommended or background reading, where possible. One copy of an essential text will be purchased for every 15 students, up to a maximum of 15 copies per site, where finances permit. Every effort should have been made by tutors to include only material that is currently obtainable. You may need to request items that are in demand - you can do this from the library catalogue.
Do remember that reading lists are only a starting point and you should search the catalogue for other relevant books.
TALIS List
Talis List allows tutors to make their reading lists accessible electronically. This links the reading lists directly to the catalogue so you can easily check the availability of your books in the library. Talis List can be searched by Keyword, Module name, Unit, Tutor, List name or Module code. This service is only available if your tutor has added their reading list to Talis List. Staff who are interested in doing this should contact Lisa Toner, by email (LJToner@ucsm.ac.uk) or phone ext 4254 for further details.
Suggesting books for purchase
If you are a student and find the library does not stock a book that is on your reading list or any other title you think would be useful to you and other students, please suggest it to your course tutor. If your tutor thinks it is appropriate for the library and money is available, they can submit a suggestion-for-purchase form to LIS. If you would like to be informed when the book is available for loan, please ask your tutor to add your name to the request form. It is impossible to say exactly how long it will take an order to arrive - it can take anything from a couple of weeks to several months depending on its availability.
Please also let your tutor know if you think the library needs to stock extra copies of a particular book. If a particular title is frequently reserved, the library system is automatically alerted and will buy extra copies.
If you are a member of academic staff , please look at the Academic Staff page for details on ordering books for the library.
LIS's Collection Management Policy describes the purchasing and collection development policy.