Using Our Services

Plan your visit

  • Opening Times – Please check our Opening times before making a visit to Catalyst.
  • Face coverings – it is mandatory to wear a face covering at all times in public areas of Catalyst (unless you are exempt). This includes whilst studying at a desk or PC, borrowing books and moving around the building.
  • Reduced capacity – Catalyst will work on a reduced capacity in order to help us maintain social distancing. During busy periods you may need to queue to access the building so please bear this in mind.
  • Swipe access – to help us manage the reduced capacity, all visitors to Catalyst are required to swipe in and out of the building, so you’ll need your UniCard with you at all times. We also ask that each individual person swipes in and out, even if you are coming in with friends or colleagues.
  • Ventilation – Government guidance states that areas should be kept well ventilated therefore you will notice that windows will be open in Catalyst. Please bear in mind that it may be cold and bring an extra layer or two if you are planning to study.
  • Individual study – the building is available for individual study only. There are no group rooms available at present and all study spaces are limited to 1 person. We ask that you respect these guidelines when you use the building.
  • Study space booking – we have provided bookable study space on the 3rd floor of Catalyst. This is a silent study floor and there are bookable spaces with PCs and also large desks. You can book here: https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/services/study-room-bookings/
  • Furniture layout – the furniture in Catalyst has been arranged specifically to maintain social distancing. We ask that you do not move any furniture and follow the signage and guidelines displayed.
  • Our colleagues in Student Services and Careers are also back in Catalyst but blending face to face services with virtual help and support appointments.  Please contact the helpdesk in the first instance or visit their relevant websites for key information.

     

Help & Support

There are lots of ways you can access help and support. If you have any questions about our services, facilities or resources simply search our knowledge base Ask Us which contains the most commonly asked questions.

We are working hard to offer help and support to all our students.  The best way to get in touch with us at the moment is via Email or live chat ehu.ac.uk/askus

The Helpdesk is situated on the ground floor of Catalyst (Ormskirk). You can access specialist help and support for disabilities, SpLD (Specific Learning Difficulties), subject specific and academic skills along with general library or Student Services and Careers queries at the helpdesk.

We also have a range of online guides and tutorials.

Borrowing

To support you during the current national lockdown we have made some changes to our borrowing arrangements.

Learning Services provide access to a wide range of electronic resources via Discover More which includes over 130,000 electronic books. During this time we highly recommend you search for eBooks first before loaning physical stock. Please see this e-resources page for further support.

The libraries are still open and items are available to loan using the self-issue machines. Please remember your UniCard and masks must be worn unless exempt.

Loan Allocations
Student inc PGCEs + Masters 25 items
Research / Staff 35 items
External inc Alumni 5 items

Click and Collect Service

As a temporary measure we have replaced are usual reservation service with a Click and Collect Service. This allows you to place reservations on available items through the Library Catalogue. You will receive a notification when your request is ready and then all you need to do is collect it from the reservation shelf in Catalyst and issue to your account. You can monitor your request via the My Account function in the library catalogue.

Returns

We do not expect you to travel to return books until the University is fully open. Loans will auto-renew during this time and we will waive any fines that you accrue during this period. If you are on site then you can still return items via the Click and Collect desk, on the Ground Floor. Your books will remain on your library account for 3 days due to the quarantining of all items.

If you are unable to visit and require access to library stock or have any further questions about borrowing library items, please contact us at catalystenquiries@edgehill.ac.uk.

You want it, We get it

Is there a book or a journal article/book chapter you want which you can’t find through the library catalogue?

Books

We will either purchase the item for our stock or borrow it from another library.

Journal articles

If there is an article that you need which is not on Discover More, or a chapter from a book that we don’t have, then we will try and get it for you from another institution.

Make a Book Request

To make a request:

  • Check the library catalogue to make sure we don’t have the item you require
  • Go to the ‘You want it, We get it’ request form
  • Log in using your EHU username and password
  • Complete the form with as much information as possible – the more information you provide, the quicker we can process your request
  • We’ll do the rest!

Make a Journal Article/Book Chapter Request

Journal Articles:

  • Check Discover More using the article title to make sure it is not available there
  • It is also worth checking the A-Z Journal List using the journal title, to make sure the article isn’t accessible through that avenue
  • Go to the ‘You want it, We get it’ request form
  • Log in using your EHU username and password
  • Complete the form with as much information as possible – as a minimum please provide the journal and article title, volume, issue and page numbers and year of publication.
  • We’ll do the rest!

Book Chapters:

  • Check the library catalogue to make sure we don’t have the item you require
  • Go to the ‘You want it, We get it’ request form
  • Log in using your EHU username and password
  • Complete the form with as much information as possible – as a minimum, please provide the book title, chapter title (and number if there is one), and page numbers.
  • We’ll do the rest!

Many articles/book chapters will come from the British Library. If you choose electronic delivery, you will need to register with the British Library on Demand (https://ondemand.bl.uk/onDemand/home) service before you are able to access the documents. You can do this any time, but we would strongly advise you to register before you receive your first article.

Receive, Renew, Return

Receiving items

Books purchased for library stock:
A reservation will be placed on your behalf. When the book is received in the library, you will receive an email to your Edge Hill university email account, advising you that the book has been reserved for you and it will be held on the Reservation Shelf, at the site you specified on your request form, for 4 days from the date of that email.

Books received as an Inter Library Loan:

  • You will receive an email asking you to collect your item for loan from the Help Desk in the Library.
  • Items will be issued to you by a member of staff – it is not possible to self-issue inter-library loans.
  • The bookmark that accompanies the loan contains important information and should be kept with the item whilst in your care.
  • Loan lengths are determined by the lending library. If you need the book for a longer period of time, you can request a renewal (see below).
  • Items borrowed via Inter-library Loan are subject to recall at any time by the lender. You will be notified of recalls via a courtesy email, but you are ultimately responsible for keeping track of the due dates and statuses of your books.
  • Items not returned by their due dates may also be billed for replacement by the lender and the full cost will be passed on to you as the borrower.
  • Occasionally, we can only obtain an item on reference use only basis, which means you will not be able to take them out of the library. If the book you request is only available on that basis, we will check with you beforehand that it is suitable for your requirements.

Journal article

You will either be sent a photocopy to keep or a Secure Electronic Delivery document will be sent via email with a link to the article.

Renewing your Inter Library Loan items

  • As Inter-Library Loan items are not part of our own library stock, they will not renew automatically in your library account.
  • If you find you need your Inter Library Loan book for a longer period, you must contact the Collections and Archives team by email ills@edgehill.ac.uk to request a renewal.
  • Please note that renewals are not guaranteed and are up to the lender’s discretion.

Returning items

  • Our own library stock can be returned via the self-service machines.
  • Inter Library Loans must be returned to the Help Desk in the Catalyst.  You cannot return them via the self-service points.

Lost/damaged/unreturned inter library loans

  • Fines will be charged for late returns, loss or damage of inter library loans – please see the Fines page for details of charges.

When completing the request form you must tick the box to confirm that you have read and agreed to the copyright terms and conditions.

  • This is a legal requirement. Under copyright law you can only request a photocopy or electronic copy of an article, book chapter or similar once, for the purpose of private study or non-commercial purposes, and ticking the box is equivalent to an electronic signature.

Copyright Declaration

When completing the request form you must tick the box to confirm that you have read and agreed to the copyright terms and conditions. This is a legal requirement. Under copyright law you can only request a photocopy or electronic copy of an article, book chapter or similar once, for the purpose of private study or non-commercial purposes, and ticking the box is equivalent to an electronic signature.

FAQs

Commonly asked questions:

Is there a limit to the number of requests I can make?

Yes, there is a limit, depending on which group you belong to:

  • Staff 100
  • Postgraduate – Research 100
  • Postgraduate – Taught 30
  • Undergraduate 30

Can I use this service if I am a distance learner?

We will attempt to satisfy any requests that are made by Distance Learning students who are registered to use the postal loans service, by purchasing the item for our own stock. A reservation will be placed on your behalf and will be posted out to you in the usual way, once the item is received by the library.However, due to the requirements of supplying libraries, Distance Learning students should note that print books must be collected from one of our sites.Journal articles can be ordered and will be delivered either electronically to your Edge Hill email address or posted directly to your home address.

Can I request a Thesis through this service?

If you wish to request a thesis from another UK Higher Education Institution, please check the British Library’s EThOS service to see if it is available.EThOS is a national thesis service run by the British Library, and from here you can access records relating to theses awarded by over 120 UK institutions. Many UK theses have already been digitised and are available to download free of charge.If the thesis hasn’t already been digitised British Library will try to obtain a copy for you, but please be aware that this may incur a charge if they have to make an electronic copy.

Please visit the website https://ethos.bl.uk for more information.

The item I want is only available in microfilm/microfiche format, can I still get it?

Occasionally items may be supplied on microfilm or microfiche. Our Ormskirk site provides a microfilm/microfiche reading equipment. This can be used by appointment. Contact ills@edgehill.ac.uk for more details or to make an appointment.

How do I request an Inter Library Loan?

  • In January 2020, our Inter Library Loan and Add a Book services combined into one new You Want It We Get it service.  All you will need to do is complete the request form and we will do our best to get the item for you, either by purchasing it for our own stock, or by requesting it from British Library or another institution, whichever is the option.

How long will it take for the item to arrive?

  • Print items purchased for stock will normally take approximately 3 weeks to arrive from the date of the order, but this can vary depending on the availability of the item.
  • Ebooks will usually be available for use within 5-7 working days from the date of order.
  • Inter Library Loans will usually be available for collection within 10 days from the date of request, but again, this can vary, depending on the availability of the item.

Requests from other universities

Institutions within the UK

We supply loans, articles and chapters from both print and electronic material within our collections.  Please provide your British Library Billing Account number, British Library code and a reference number for each request you make.We charge at the current standard BL rate.

Institutions outside the UK

We are not currently able to supply any materials to institutions outside the UK.

Postal Loans

Due to COVID-19 and the national lockdown, the normal postal loan service is currently suspended. In the meantime, we have a large range of e-resources for you to access and you are still able to borrow books in person if you are on site.  If you are unable to visit Catalyst, please contact us at catalystenquiries@edgehill.ac.uk.

You may still register using the form below so that you are ready to go once we are able to offer the service again.

Once you have registered and the service is back up and running,  items can be requested via the library catalogue and when you are ready to return your item, you can visit one of our centres, return via post or use the free parcel force return option – details will be sent to you in each parcel. Fines are charged on overdue items that cannot be renewed.

You will need a Unicard if you want to visit one of our libraries and borrow items in person. Masks must also be worn unless exempt.

Postal Loan Registration Form

Only students who are classed as distance learners, or who study at one of our outreach centres can register for the postal loans service. 

Choose a centre/course from drop down list

Module Number or Course title (optional)

Your Name (required)

Address (required)


Postcode

Date of Birth (required)

Edge Hill username and email

Edge Hill username (e.g: 20012345) (required)

Your Edge Hill Email (required)

How we will use the information you provide
Any information that you provide will be used to help support or fulfil your request.
The information provided/recorded will be visible to colleagues in Learning Services.
On some occasions we may need to share some, or all of, the information provided with other Edge Hill University colleagues.

I have read and understood the data protection and privacy statement and agree to Edge Hill University processing my personal data.

Alumni

Once you have registered with the Alumni network you can join the library free of charge.

To support social distancing measures in response to COVID-19 our physical libraries are currently closed to Alumni members. However, you are able to access a number of electronic resources. See resources to support Edge Hill Alumni

Simply register using the form below.

For more information about our Alumni offer, please get in touch via Ask Us

Library registration form:

Are you a member of the Edge Hill Alumni network?

For licensing reasons we will check the University Alumni database

YesNo

Name (required)

Home address (required)

Postcode (required)

Date of Birth (required)

Phone number (required)

Email address (required)

Year of Graduation (If known)

I agree to abide by the University acceptable use policy and the terms of the licence for the use of electronic resources.

I have read and agree with the data protection and privacy statement.


Resources to support Edge Hill Alumni

We are pleased to announce that we have recently extended the licence to a number of eResources which means our Alumni can now access over 1,000 eJournals.  These journals are part of collections from 7 publishers.

Our Alumni can access these at home using the Edge Hill library catalogue, or just use the links above.  All you need is your library number and PIN.

Visitors

To support social distancing measures in response to COVID-19 our libraries are currently closed to external members and the public.

We look forward to welcoming you back when it is safe to do so.

Electronic Resources

Licencing restrictions prevent us from giving access to electronic services. However, we can make some resources available to the below external users.

Collaborative Library Staff can access a number of electronic resources to help them support Edge Hill University students. To apply for membership please fill in the online form.

Alumni can access a number of electronic resources once they have registered with the library. There is an online registration form available on the alumni pages

 

 

 

Using Other Libraries

 

SCONUL Access is a reciprocal service supported by most of the higher education libraries in the UK and Ireland and allows you to access other academic libraries. However, due to the continuing situation with COVID-19 SCONUL have suspended the scheme until further notice.

 

 

Library Charges

Fines are charged on overdue library and media items.  Currently library fines have been suspended.  We will contact all users if there are any changes to this.  

Charges
2 week rolling loans 25p per day*
6 week rolling loans 25p per day*
general issue media items £1 per day*
inter library loan 25p per day
inter library loan – lost/damaged/unreturned £191.95 per item

*only fined if item reserved

Fines can be paid online via My Account in the library catalogue (minimum £1 transaction), or in person at any of our library sites. If you have lost/damaged any library or media items you will be charged the full replacement cost.

Whilst the majority of library services are provided free of charge, some services do incur a fee:

Printing Charges
Black and white printing or photocopying 2p per sheet (A4) and 3p per sheet (A3)
Colour printing or photocopying 5p per sheet (A4) and 6p per sheet (A3)

 

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