I've had a few people getting in touch wanting to know the results of this
request, so I've summarised the responses I've received so far.
In a nutshell, transferring or direct entry students are not provided with
any access to library facilities, until they register on a course, and this
is often the case with students who have suspended their studies. Students
who have deadline extensions are provided with both borrowing rights and
access to electronic resources till either the deadline of the assignment,
or end date on their ID card. Some institutions also have a system in place
for temporary summer access, where a deposit is paid, which is refunded when
books are returned.
Summary of responses:
- Provide access to facilities according to the date on the student's ID
card, which expires in September.
- Register "in between" students as visiting borrowers, which provides
borrowing rights, but no computer or database access.
- Try to get departments to make official arrangements with Registry, and
student information is automatically updated with each new upload of student
data.
- Students with a deadline extension need to get a letter from the campus
office, stating their hand-in date, and their student record on the library
management system is amended manually. This also provides access to
electronic resources. Transferring students do not have any borrowing
rights or access to databases/computers until officially registered on a
course.
- Suspended students can only use the library if they pay an "exam only" fee
to the college (and are therefore still registered). Students with
outstanding coursework are known by Registry, who provide a list of names,
with deferred status. Direct entry students have no membership, but are
offered a reduced rate summer external membership for £15 (5 books only, no
e-access).
- Operate on the basis of a right of access with a valid College ID card.
Students wanting access prior to the start of their course can register as
visitors and use the library as a reading room. Access to computers would
require payment.
- The needs of the student comes first, so long as we have confirmation from
Registry.
- Force academic staff linked to the course to sign to say they will be
responsible for getting outstanding items back if the student does a
disappearing act. This doesn't extend to IT/network access.
- Ask the student to pay a deposit to allow them to borrow, deposit is
refunded when items are returned during this time, and relevant teaching
staff would be required to take responsibility for any materials borrowed by
their students so departments can be billed if books disappear.
Regards
Rachel
Rachel Campbell
Faculty Librarian - Design
Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College
Queen Alexandra Road
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP11 2JZ
Tel: 01494 522141 ext. 3292
Fax: 01494 524392
URL: http://www.bcuc.ac.uk/library
email: mailto:[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: A general Library and Information Science list for news and
discussion. [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Rachel Campbell
Sent: 02 June 2005 16:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Library Access for students "in between" courses
Hello all
This is a bit more complicated than the subject suggests, and I was
wondering whether anybody else in the world of academic libraries had faced
this problem, which generally occurs as the summer vacation begins.
We are increasingly being asked to provide access to library facilities by
members of the following groups:
- Students who have suspended their studies, but who are returning. These
are not currently registered on a course with us.
- Students who have come to the end of their course, but who have an
outstanding item of coursework which is due to be handed in after their
library privilage has expired, and therefore will "technically" no longer
be a student.
- Students from other institutions who are transferring onto one of our
courses, e.g. direct entry to the 2nd or 3rd year of a degree at our
institution. Again these are not currently registered on a course with us.
The dilemma is this - these individuals "technically" should not have
access to our resources (particularly the databases), but there is often
the expectation that they should be doing some study through the summer,
e.g. if they're entering the 3rd year of a degree it's expected they work
on their dissertations through the summer. Unfortunately they can't borrow
any books, access any databases, use any of our computing facilities.
Has anybody else come across this, and if so, what have you tried to do to
appease your academics who are jumping up and down demanding access for
their "students"?
Thanks
Rachel
Rachel Campbell
Faculty Librarian - Design
Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College
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