Guide to LaSS Library Services for UCL members

Photocopying, Online databases, Study facilities:

Locating and borrowing material

   Materials and charges

Library collections:

   Books, Journals, Tests, Reference collections, Short Loan, Audiovisual, Photocopies, Projects

Library services:

   Interlibrary loans, Information skills training

Other libraries:

  UCL and beyond

 
 

Study area in Chandler House library



Locating and Borrowing material :


Finding Materials You can find books and other Library materials using eUCLid, the UCL on-line library catalogue; there are 3 computer catalogues in the library reading room. Training in the use of the catalogue is provided as part of student induction week, and individual sessions can be arranged. Guides are available, and staff are always happy to offer further assistance should you need it. If a book you require is already out on loan, you can reserve it online using your library barcode and PIN. We will inform you by email when a book comes in, and it will be held for you at the Library counter for one week.


Borrowing Library Materials
To borrow anything from the Library, you must present your UCL ID card, which you should receive on registration. Please try to remember to carry this ID with you at all times as you will be unable to borrow, or even to enter certain UCL buildings, without it. It is valid for use in all of UCL libraries, although some, such as the Institutes of Neurology and Child Health, have separate library systems so you will need to register separately with them. Students are allowed to borrow up to 10 items at any one time - that is, 10 in total from all UCL libraries combined - and you are held responsible for anything borrowed on your ticket.


Returning and renewing loans
The standard loan period for a book is eight  weeks, but books which are in heavy demand have shorter loan periods. Also, if a book is reserved by someone else, the loan period is automatically reduced to one week, and you will receive an email notice asking you to return it by the new due date. Please make sure you do this as fines are calculated from the revised due date.


Fines are charged on all library materials  at the following rates:-

Standard (8 week) loans - 20p per day
One week loans - 30p per day
3-day loans - 50p per day
3-hour/overnight loans - 50p per hour, or part thereof.


You can renew your loans over the internet using your Library barcode and PIN, or leave a  message on the LaSS Library Renewals line on 020 7679 4208 (internal ext. 24208). Bear in mind though, that if you telephone after the library has closed your books will not be renewed until the next day and may become overdue. It is  a good idea to telephone a day or so before they are  due, so that you have time to bring them back if they are reserved. Overdue and recall notices are sent automatically to your UCL email address, so make sure you check your inbox daily.




Library Collections:

Books available for eight-week or one-week loan are held in the main bookstacks in the Library reading room in classmark order. LaSS Library uses Dewey Decimal classification - see here for a list of subjects and their classmarks. Other collections in the Library are:-




Reference Collection

This is a collection of books in high demand, such as core texts on your reading lists, which is located behind the library issue desk. These must be issued on your ticket, but may not be taken out of the library.




Short loan:

There is a second copy of each core text kept behind the issue desk in the Short Loan collection. These may be borrowed for slots of up to 3 hours between 10am and 1pm and between 1pm and 4pm (e.g.,  if a book is borrowed any time after 10, e.g. at 12,  it is due at 1).After 4pm they may be borrowed overnight or for the weekend, until 10am the next working day.  Fines on these books are charged at 50p per hour and are calculated from the minute they are due, so be careful to return them on time. On Fridays, when the library does not open until 10, fines are waived as long as they are left in the bookdrop before 10

.


Journals

The library subscribes to almost 200 print journals relating to the speech & language sciences; titles range from Aphasiology to Word. Journals are shelved in the Reading Room, in alphabetical order by title (so, for instance, Journal of Speech & Hearing Research is shelved under J for Journal, not S for Speech). The sequence begins on your right as you enter the reading room. Journals may not be removed from the library, however, most of these titles plus thousands more are now also available to you online - see here for details.


Test Collection
The  Library has a unique collection of over 750 assessment tests in speech and language, which is shelved at the back of the Reading Room. Most of these are reference only but some are available for you to borrow for up to 1 week. You must be extremely careful when using tests; they are very expensive to replace, and you will be held responsible for any parts lost or damaged. Use of the tests is restricted to UCL Language Sciences staff and students and qualified clinicians only; students must sign an agreement form before being allowed to borrow any tests.


Quick ReferenceReference materials such as dictionaries, encyclopaedias, telephone directories and street maps are held in the Quick Reference section, just on your left as you enter the Reading Room.


Audiovisual
The library holds a collection of videotapes, DVDs, and CD-ROMs, which are available on request. DVDs and CDs can be played on a dedicated computer in the Library Study Room, but videotapes may be borrowed for home viewing. There are also audiovisual facilities available at UCL Main Library; see here for further details.


Photocopy Collection
The library holds a small reference collection of articles that are on reading lists, but not otherwise available in the library. Photocopies cannot be taken out of the library but students can consult them on the premises. You will need your UCL ID to borrow from this collection, which is held at the Library Issue desk.


Projects
The Library holds the final year BSc and MSc dissertations, or "projects" of most former students. Projects from the last 5 years are held at the Issue Desk; older projects are in storage and can be ordered for next day delivery. Projects cannot be removed from the Library, and a form must be signed for each one you wish to consult.


Historical Collection
LaSS Library owns a unique collection of historical books and papers relating to speech and language, some of which are over 100 years old. These appear on the eUCLid catalogue with the location


Hist. Coll. Most of these are in store and are available on request within 48 hours, however they cannot be removed from the library. See here for more information on requesting material from library stores.



Library Facilities:

Photocopying
There are two photocopiers in the copy room next to the Issue Desk. These require a rechargeable copycard, which costs £1 from the vending machine. The card can then be charged up with credit using the adjacent recharging machine, in units of 20p upwards. The card can be used in most UCL Libraries, and copies cost 5p for A4, or 10p for A3 or double-sided. Acetates, for OHP projectors, are available on request.


Online  databases The library has access to various bibliographic databases online, including Web of Knowledge, Linguistics and Language Behaviour Abstracts, PsycINFO, ERIC (Educational Resources) and Medline. These are very useful for researching material for essays, projects, dissertations etc.; see here for further details. The LaSS librarian provides training sessions and advice on searching these databases.


Study facilities
The Reading Room is intended for quiet study - so please, no mobile phones or talking in this room! - but there is also a Study Room, equipped with a DVD/CD player, which can be used (and booked in advance) for group study. If students wish to study after the library closes the UCL Main Library in Gower St. is open until 9pm during the week, and is open at at weekends, during  termtime.



 

Library Services:

Interlibrary loans
If anything you need is not available in any UCL library, we can usually obtain it for you from another source. There is  a charge of £3 for this service.  To request an interlibrary loan, just complete the online ILL form on the eUCLid catalogue, allowing up to a week for delivery.


Information skills training
There is an initial induction for new students to both the HCS Library and the libraries on the main site, plus a demonstration of the library catalogue. This takes place during Induction Week.A separate session is run later in the term on  information skills, teaching you how to find journal articles using online databases. There will also be other sessions on information searching techniques later on in the course.



Other Libraries:

UCL:All UCL students and staff have full borrowing rights at all UCL libraries, which have many facilities relevant to speech and language sciences. These include:


Phonetics & Linguistics collections in the Main Library: some of the older collections in these subjects are still held in the South Junction section of the Main Library.


Psychology collections in the Science Library.


The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) and the Institute of Laryngology and Otology libraries, both located in the Royal National Throat, Nose & Ear hospital at 330-332 Grays Inn Road. Tel: 020 7915 1553. These libraries have material relating to deafness, hearing, sign language and voice.


Friends of the Children of Great Ormond Street Library,
UCL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH
30 Guilford Street, WC1N 0AL Tel: 020 7242 9789


UCL Institute of Neurology
Queen Square, WC1N 3BG Tel. 020 7829 8709


Institute of Education
20 Bedford Way, WC1T 0AL Tel: 020 7636 1500 (Reference only)


Senate House Library
The University of London central library, just around the corner, has good psychology and social science collections.
Malet St, WC1E 7HU Tel: 020 7862 8500