About Us

Customer Service Charter

Our commitment to you is that we will:

  • Have customer needs at the heart of our service
  • Provide a welcoming and accessible environment
  • Help you to become effective users of information through the provision of training courses and enquiry services
  • Train and support our staff to support the needs of our users
  • Gather feedback and use it to develop our provision and services
  • Deal with comments and complaints promptly
  • Continually evaluate our services

In exchange, we ask you to:

  • Carry your uniCARD at all times; show it to staff if requested to do so; do not lend it to anybody else
  • Follow the library regulations
  • Treat library users and library staff with respect
  • Treat library property with respect
  • Return recalled items promptly to help other borrowers
  • Tell us when something is not working
  • Provide us with your suggestions, to help improve the service
Conditions of Use

Library regulations
Use of e-resources and software
IT regulations

Core Performance Standards
  • Information Specialists will attend at least 90% of meetings they are invited to
  • You will receive a response from the Library to email enquiries within 1 working day
  • We aim to claim a live chat within 30 seconds We aim to answer the telephone within 6 rings
  • All new students will be offered a library induction
  • All students will be offered information literacy training at appropriate stages of their course of study
  • Alternative formats and extended loans will be available for students who have declared a disability
  • Staff will be helpful and will treat library users fairly
  • Support for printers/copiers will be available on demand during staffed hours
  • Returned books will be shelved within 1 working day
  • All comments and complaints will receive at least an initial response within 1 working day
  • Staffed services will be available:
    9:00 – 18:00 Monday – Friday during term-time and 09:00 - 17:00 Monday - Friday during the vacations, except on Wednesday mornings when staff training may take place 09:00-10:00
  • Printer/copiers will be available 99% of the time during staffed hours
  • Library systems, such as SmartSearch will be available 24 hours per day
  • A variety of study spaces will be made available and maintained appropriately
  • 95% of material on reading lists will be in stock or on order at any time
  • NSS score of 86%
Resources Management Policy

The Library's Resources Management Policy is updated regularly. Please contact us if you have any queries about the information in the policy.

Resources Management Policy512 KB
Library Policies

Complaints Policy

  • Complaints are defined as an expression of dissatisfaction about an aspect of the Library, the Library service, a member of staff (including staff working in the Library who are not employed by the University), or something that has happened in the Library involving another party.
  • Valid complaints include perceived failure to deliver a service on time, to deliver a service to the quality expected, poor customer service, or problems with the environment we provide, including problems caused by other Library users.
  • Complaints must be reported to a member of staff promptly, with as much detail as possible (e.g. desk number) and with contact details so that we can get back to you.
  • An initial response to the complaint will be provided within one working day.
  • We will keep you informed about the progress of complaints that require detailed investigation.
  • The privacy and confidentiality of the complainant, and any person who is the subject of a complaint, will be respected, subject to the need for a fair and open investigation and for the outcome of the investigation to be reported appropriately.
  • Where a complaint is upheld, appropriate remedial action will be taken.
  • Library staff will treat people with respect and politeness, and expect to be treated the same way in return.
  • The Library reserves the right not to investigate complaints that are considered to be, or discovered to be, frivolous or malicious.
  • The Library reminds users that some issues, especially services that are supplied by a third party, may be beyond our control.

 

Staff and student customer engagement policy

Aston University Library places great importance on the value of communicating regularly with staff and students, and of acting on feedback received. This is an important element of keeping services relevant to current staff and students.

In order to achieve this dialogue with customers:

  • Information Specialists will attend Staff Student Consultative Committees whenever possible, and if they are unable to attend they will try to send a colleague as a substitute. Minutes and other feedback from these Committees will be considered, and actions taken will be reported back to the meeting.
  • Information Specialists will attend other School and Departmental meetings as required and keep Library colleagues abreast of the issues raised.
  • Electronic surveys will be carried out at least once per year on a current topic, to gather student views on issues. We will time these surveys so that they do not coincide with high-pressure times of the year. Where relevant, this will be done in conjunction with the Student Union.
  • Focus Groups will be held normally once per year on a current topic. These will try to include a range of students from diverse backgrounds and courses, and will provide an opportunity for in depth discussion with the students concerned.
  • Other research methods such as customer observation will be used when appropriate.
  • We will always tell people when this research is taking place.
  • The Director for Customer Service & Academic Liaison (or their representative) will attend meetings of the Student Union Senate to hear matters raised by student reps and to provide an immediate response.
  • Information Resource Specialists will attend Research Committees to respond to the concerns of researchers.
  • Other staff meetings will be attended by relevant Library staff when invited.

Staff attending these meetings will supply information about the Library and its activities; and will bring back queries and requests for information to share with colleagues.
Library staff will use a range of methods to convey information to students and staff. These will include:
•    Website
•    Aston email
•    Screens in the Library
•    Social media
•    Displays
•    Leaflets

 

Foyer Bookings Policy

Stalls/Events may be held in the foyer by the following people:

  1. Staff or students of Aston University
  2. Charities that have a bona fide connection with the University
  3. Companies who have made an arrangement via Careers & Placements in collaboration with the Library.
 
  • Groups or individuals that are, or appear to be, of a religious or political nature cannot be accommodated even if they fit the above categories.
  • Stalls/events must be pre-booked by contacting library@aston.ac.uk or n.hawksworth@aston.ac.uk so that an agreement can be arranged
  • It must be clear at the time of booking what activities are planned and what furniture or equipment is required.
  • Leaflets or fliers may not be distributed in the Library without prior agreement.
  • Any food (such as cakes) must be packaged and supplied by a reputable supplier. Hot food is not permitted.  If food is distributed hygiene regulations (which will be supplied) must be observed.
  • Spillages and litter must be dealt with promptly.
  • We reserve the right to cancel a booking before or during the event if the agreement is not adhered to.
Collection Management Policy

Executive Summary

Library Services purchases and makes available library and information resources to support Aston’s learning, teaching and research.

The underlying principles are:

1. To make most effective use of the budget available

2. To maximise access by using electronic resources including those published as open access

3. To provide a dynamic collection for the current academic interests of the University, working in partnership with Schools to achieve an appropriate balance of provision between the needs of the academic community as a whole and those of individual Schools.

In practise our Collection Management Policy can be summarised as:

  • LS advises on the level of budget required to maintain an appropriate level of resourcing, taking into account resources costs and changes in the University
  • The available budget is top-sliced to fund Core Resources, including major e-journal collections, that of general use across the University
  • A Library and Information Resources (LIR) Model distributes the remaining budget between Schools
  • Schools LIR budgets are managed by LS in partnership with Schools to provide specialised resources including books
  • Reading Lists are collected from Schools and used to generate the core of teaching stock purchases. LS works with Schools to provide reading list information and links in the virtual learning environment.
  • Electronic resources are selected whenever possible to facilitate maximum access and minimum use of space.
  • Book selection for research is carried out by academic staff and for teaching by both academic and LS staff with LIS Information Specialists managing the budgets and competing demands.
  • Interlibrary Loans supplement access to resources already available
  • Books and journals that receive low use are transferred to LS Stores from where they are made available for loan and use is monitored.
  • Books and journals are discarded, in consultation with Schools, when they are no longer relevant to the current needs of the University.
Library Book Supply Times

How Library Services obtains books / ebooks

To work effectively and obtain the best value for money the library buys print books from specialised library suppliers. Library Services is a member of a national purchasing scheme that renegotiates deals with book suppliers every 3 to 5 years. As these suppliers work on behalf of a large number of libraries, it enables them to secure a significant discount from publishers.  The discount Library Services receives for print books from our nominated supplier is currently 21.3%. These Library suppliers also do most of the processing of books ready for the library shelf.

Alternative suppliers and online vendors are used occasionally when a book is unavailable through normal routes e.g. out of print books.

Supply Times

Library Services is constantly working at reducing supply times. On average it takes 3-4 weeks from ordering for print books to be available on the shelf. There is variation according to LS workload, publisher and availability of each book (e.g. is it being reprinted?).

If there is a genuine need books can be obtained in a week or even a couple of days using suppliers’ urgent order facilities. However, this is expensive both in staff time, and the cost of the item.

Ebooks

Library Services tries to make an ebook copy of all reading list material available for use. However, some publishers are slow to embrace ebooks or only make them available for individuals to purchase and not libraries.  Where possible the Library will try to get access to an etextbook or a multi-user licence model of an ebook.

Library Services Accessibility Statement
Library Services at Aston University is committed to making our services available to as many people as possible. We use a number of websites for different aspects of our services and the accessibility details for each are covered in this statement.
Library SmartSearch -  for searching for books and journal articles
Ask the Library - for when you have questions or need to ask for help          
LibGuides – a series of guides on finding information in particular subject areas and on specific topics
My Module Reading Lists – for reading lists and available through Blackboard modules
Interlibrary Loans Service – for making a request to borrow something which is not available from Aston University’s library
E-books and e-journals and databases – which we purchase from third parties
AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible Aston University Library’s websites are

All of the specialised websites included in this statement are developed by external companies. Aston selects these services and, where necessary, adds Aston related information. Because of this the accessibility will be different for each and the details are provided in separate sections below.

What to do if you cannot access parts of these websites

If you need further information on using and of these services or need to receive the information in a different format please contact:
library@aston.ac.uk
0121 204 4525

Reporting accessibility problems with these websites

We are always seeking to improve our services so if you find any problems in using our websites which are not identified on this page or if you think we are not meeting accessibility requirements please contact the Library Services Enquiry team:
library@aston.ac.uk
0121 204 4525

Enforcement Procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

Hearing loops are available at Library Reception and Help Point.
A live chat facility is offered as an alternative to phone calls.

Library SmartSearch

Library SmartSearch is Aston University’s search service for academic books and journals. Some of the search results will link to e-books and e-journals on other sites and for accessibility information on this please see the relevant section of this statement. For access to ‘My Library Record’ and for reserving books you will be taken to a linked system.

How accessible Library SmartSearch is

You should be able to:

•    navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
•    zoom in up to 175% without the text spilling off the screen
•    listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and Voiceover). PDF documents found in searches may be more readable and easier to navigate if they are downloaded to your computer and opened in Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat
•    For the My Library Record linked system it is possible to navigate using a keyboard.

Technical Information about this website’s accessibility

Aston University Library Services is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non accessible content (only if it applies)

Ebsco Discovery service, the system which is used for Library SmartSearch is working towards WCAG 2.1 AA
Accessibility enhancements are built into their quarterly release cycle.

How we tested this website

This information provided by Ebsco on testing on their support site (https://connect.ebsco.com/s/article/Does-EBSCOhost-comply-with-the-current-Web-Accessibility-Initiative-WAI-guidelines?language=en_US) on 19 September 2019 is:
Accessibility and usability have been incorporated into the EBSCOhost software development process. Key elements of the strategy include:
•    Accessibility is a key consideration when writing software development requirements involving new platform features.
•    Accessibility enhancements are routinely scheduled into the quarterly EBSCOhost release cycle, thus working towards a goal of achieving a greater level of usability.
•    EBSCO's usability testing involves people who use assistive technology such as screen-reading software to interact with the computer.
•    EBSCO's Quality Assurance engineers use JAWS® software and have regression test cases in place to test each release.
•    EBSCO maintains relationships with several accessibility organizations that periodically consult, review and provide reports on the accessibility of new features that are added to the system.

What we are doing to improves accessibility

Library Services will work with Ebsco to clarify the improvements that are needed.

Ask the Library

Ask the Library provides help on using Library Services offering FAQs and a live chat service.

How accessible Ask the Library is

You should be able to:

•    zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
•    navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
•    listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)
We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

Technical Information about this website’s accessibility

Aston University Library Services is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non accessible content

Some older content is not fully accessible and gradual improvements will be made to provide full accessibility either when new content is added or by September 2020.

How we tested this website

This website was last tested on 20 September 2019 by Library Services using wave.webaim.org .

What we are doing to improves accessibility

Library services will work on Ask the Library to make all content accessible by September 2020.

LibGuides

Libguides are a suite of guides on where to search for different types of information and different subjects and also of various library related topics.

How accessible LibGuides is

You should be able to:

•    zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen
•    navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
•    listen to most of the website using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)
We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

Technical Information about this website’s accessibility

Aston University Library Services is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non accessible content

Some older content is not fully accessible and gradual improvements will be made to provide full accessibility either when new content is added or by September 2020.

How we tested this website

This website was last tested on 20 September 2019 by Library Services using wave.webaim.org and testing the home page and a sample of guides.

What we are doing to improves accessibility

Library services will work on LibGuides to make all content accessibility by September 2020.

My Module Reading Lists

My Module Reading Lists holds the reading lists for Aston University modules on all courses. It includes links to e-books, e-journals and other websites and each module’s list is linked to from the relevant module in Blackboard, Aston’s virtual learning environment.

Talis, the company who provide Talis Aspire, the system which we use for My Module reading Lists provide a full web accessibility statement.

Online Inter-library Loans Service

Library Service’s Online Interlibrary Loan Service is available to staff and students at Aston University who want to request to borrow a book or journal which is not already available.

How accessible Aston University Online Inter-library loan service is

You should be able to:

•    zoom in up to 200% without the text spilling off the screen
•    navigate most of the website using just a keyboard
We’ve also made the website text as simple as possible to understand.

Technical Information about this website’s accessibility

Aston University Library Services is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This website is not compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1AA standard. The non-accessible sections are listed below.

Non accessible content

The current version has limited accessibility features with only keyboard navigation and text enlargement possible.

How we tested this website

This website was last tested on 20 September 2019 by Library Services using wave.webaim.org .

What we are doing to improves accessibility

This website will be upgraded to a more recent version of the Clio service during autumn 2019.

E-Books, E-journals and Databases purchased from third parties

E-books, e-journals and databases are produced by many publishers and intermediaries and, on behalf of Aston University, Library Services provides access to those identified as useful to our staff and students.

Accessibility is a factor in our selection of suppliers and we actively work with consortia and companies to improve accessibility features. However books and journals are all unique publications and where there is only one option it may be necessary to buy inaccessible books when no accessible version is available.

How accessible e-books e-journals and databases are

Because these resources are produced by a large number of publishers and providers the accessibility will differ.
Our three largest suppliers of e-books all provide extensive accessibility features and provide information on how to use them.

•    EbookCentral
•    Ebsco e-books
•    VLEBooks

We also provide a service called SensusAccess which can be used to convert any files, including downloaded copies from e-books and e-journals, into more inclusive and accessible formats.

Technical Information about this website’s accessibility

Aston University Library Services is committed to making its website accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
This website is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non accessible content

Some content will be non-accessible as the publisher or provider has not yet made that possible. This will vary by provider so please use the contact details above for further information.

How we tested these websites

These websites have been assessed initially by reviewing the providers self-evaluations.

What we are doing to improves accessibility

Library Services uses accessibility as a criterion in the selection of e-books, e-journals and databases and works continuously with providers to improve services.

*This statement was prepared on 20 September 2019. It was last updated on 20 September 2019.

Accessibility statement for Aston Publications Explorer and Aston Data Explorer

Library Services at Aston University is committed to making our services available to as many people as possible. We provide Aston Publications Explorer and Aston Data Explorer as our repositories for Open Access publications and Open research data respectively.

Aston University also provides Aston Research Explorer which provides a search and access route to Aston’s research including our publications.

How accessible Aston Publications Explorer and Aston Data Explorer are

These websites have only minimal accessibility features.

They contain complex academic publications so much of the language on these sites is specialist and technical in nature.

What to do if you cannot access part of these websites

Aston University also provides Aston Research Explorer which has much higher levels of accessibility and will allow you to search for Aston’s research publications so please try searching this.

If you need accessible versions of the PDFs of the publications or datasets you find in your search please make a request using the contact details below.

If you need further information on using these services or need to receive the information in a different format please contact:

openAccess@aston.ac.uk

0121 204 4525

Reporting accessibility problems with these websites

We are always seeking to improve our services so if you find any problems in using our websites which are not identified on this page or if you think we are not meeting accessibility requirements please contact the Library Services Open Access team:

openAccess@aston.ac.uk

0121 204 4525

Enforcement Procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

Hearing loops are available at Library Reception and Help Point.
A live chat facility is offered as an alternative to phone calls.

Technical Information about these websites' accessibility

Aston University Library Services is committed to making these websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This website is not compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1AA standard. The non-accessible sections are listed below.

Non accessible content

The home page, the search and browse facilities, results screen have limited accessibility functionality.

PDFs of the full text of publications in Aston Publications Explorer, particularly the older ones may not be accessible.

Research datasets in Aston Data Explorer will be in a variety of formats only some of which will be accessible. 

Disproportionate burden

We’ve assessed the cost of fixing the issues with navigation and accessing information, and with interactive tools and transactions. We believe that doing so now would be a disproportionate burden within the meaning of the accessibility regulations.

Users of both Aston Publications Explorer and Aston Data Explorer are mainly academics, not the general public, and the publications and data are specialised and technical academic content.

We will work to improve the search facility in Aston Publications Explorer and Aston Data Explorer and will make accessibility a factor in the future selection of systems for these services. Note that Aston also offers an alternative search facility for Aston’s publications, Aston Research Explorer, with better accessibility features.

The search results in Aston Publications Explorer are PDFs of research papers. We will provide advice to future authors on how copies of their papers can be made as accessible as possible but to retrospectively change the existing PDFs would be unrealistic compared to the benefits for the specialist audience. Instead, versions to meet the needs of individuals will be made available on request.  

The search results in Aston Data Explorer are datasets used in the research process which may be in excel or a specialist format so accessibility will be variable. If you require further information please ask for this using the contact details provided.

How we tested this website

This website was last tested on 20 September 2019 by Library Services using wave.webaim.org and testing the home page, results page and a selection of pdf documents found in search results.

What we are doing to impress accessibility

Aston University Library Services will make improvements to Aston Publications Explorer and to Aston Data Explorer as far as possible and work with the EPrints providers and users (the system which is used for these websites) to improve its accessibility functions.

We will also provide information to academic authors of research papers about how to maximise accessibility of the PDF documents which they provide for these repositories.

This statement was prepared on 20 September 2019. It was last updated on 20 September 2019.