June 2007 Frontline staff SCONUL Access The largest borrowing scheme for higher education in the UK and Ireland

Frontline staff2 SCONUL Access The intended audience for this presentation is frontline staff It provides background information to the scheme and addresses its procedural requirements

Frontline staff3 SCONUL Access! From 1 st August 2007 SCONUL Research Extra and UK Libraries Plus will merge to form SCONUL Access library members Covering all parts of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales Offering access to –Staff –Researchers –Taught postgraduates –Part–time, distance learning & placement students

Frontline staff4 Eligible Users SCONUL Access reflects the offers of SRX and UKLP Institutions may maintain existing offer or Extend their offer to cover other Bands Your users get what you offer to others!

Frontline staff5 Bands Band A –Staff and research students Band B –Part time, distance learning and placement students Band C –Taught postgraduates

Frontline staff6 Why be involved? Gives users easy access to a large number of academic libraries Reduces the need for multiplicity of local access schemes Provides a single set of procedures for all participating libraries Requires a standard SCONUL Access card for clear identification

Frontline staff7 Benefits to academic institutions Resource sharing: better use of public funds Recognition of resource sharing: suggested link between membership of scheme and research funding Strengthens links within higher education community

Frontline staff8 Benefits to users Single rules for joining; same method of identification required Individuals will not be required to negotiate access to individual library services No barriers to research trail; users can move easily from one library to another

Frontline staff9 Responsibilities of library staff Become familiar with SCONUL Access procedures Provide a named contact for SCONUL Access Staff guide lists the responsibilities of –senior staff –the institutional contact –library systems managers –front line staff

Frontline staff10 Local implementation Each institution has designated a borrowing entitlement for SCONUL Access users –Senior managers are free to define borrowing entitlements, number of loans, loan period, type of material, any restrictions

Frontline staff11 SCONUL expects Frontline library staff to be aware of the scheme –Staff training in registering users for the scheme –Staff training in receiving users from other institutions under the scheme Library and institutional security staff to be aware of the scheme –Outsiders must be able to gain access to the library!

Frontline staff12 SCONUL expects Eligible users to be given information about the SCONUL Access scheme –Publicity documentation –Web site links –Staff referrals

Frontline staff13 Registering a home user Eligible User –Will depend on which bands your library offers In good standing Current ID or library card

Frontline staff14 Registering a home user Eligible period –Duration of the user’s library registration or –Duration of the user’s institutional ID card or –Duration of placement or –Three years whichever is the shorter Scheme registration may be extended if employment or registration continues

Frontline staff15 Registering a home user Issue a SCONUL Access card –Fill in ‘valid until’ date –Fill in SCONUL Access band: A, B, C or R (reference) –Sign in the ‘authorised by’ area –Stamp on the reverse with your library stamp

Frontline staff16 Registering a home user Advise the user to present: –SCONUL Access card and –their library / ID card when registering with participating host libraries

Frontline staff17 Registering a home user Advise the user that a list of libraries participating in the scheme and a user guide is available at [

Frontline staff18 Receiving a SCONUL Access user Check the user’s SCONUL Access card and home library / ID card –both are necessary for registration to proceed Register the user on your library system and note –Their band –Their home institution Register the user for the period shown on their SCONUL Access card

Frontline staff19 Interim Measures Valid UKLP forms and SRX cards should continue to be accepted until their expiry date BUT encourage your users to exchange them for a SCONUL Access card

Frontline staff20 Receiving a SCONUL Access user Provide the user with a copy of your library’s rules and regulations Advise the user of –Any restrictions in access –Their responsibility for any debts incurred

Frontline staff21 Receiving a SCONUL Access user To recover debts –Follow the normal pattern for external readers –If this is unsuccessful, inform your SCONUL Access institutional contact, who will recover the debt from the home institution To withdraw membership –Follow the normal pattern for external readers –Inform your SCONUL Access institutional contact, who will inform the home institution

Frontline staff22 Implementing the scheme Easy to achieve: –Registering new users –Library staff training –Publicity to borrowers Could take time: –Establishing a system for generating statistics based on the three bands of users –Redefining current external borrowers to reflect the requirements of scheme

Frontline staff23 SCONUL Access Please speak to your institutional contact if you have any queries More information and documentation supporting the scheme is available from [ “Using other libraries”]

June 2007 Frontline staff SCONUL Access The largest borrowing scheme for higher education in the UK and Ireland