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Library Services Assistant Guide

Reading List Management

For each module, academics will produce a reading list with essential, recommended and further reading. It is important that Library and Learning Services work with academics to ensure that materials included on reading lists are available in the Library. 

The Library is also responsible for updating and maintaining all module online reading lists annually, to assist patrons with their access to resources essential to their study. 

The Library Service Assistants are responsible for stock checking the reading lists we receive from academics. This means we ensure that every item on a new reading list is accessible via our catalogue. Completed reading lists will then be checked by our librarians to purchase materials currently unavailable through the library. 

After reading lists have been stock checked, move on to updating. Any items out of stock will be handled by the Librarians. Updating includes cross-check the new reading list with the reading list currently available online, ensuring that they are the same and that all links are working as they should. 

Stock Checking 

Stock checking is the first step in the Reading List process.

It is the responsibility of the Library Service Assistants and Library Assistants to ensure that Reading lists are stock checked. Stock checks are recorded on the reading list spreadsheet here

Any unclaimed stock checks are pending completion (i.e. stock checks without an initial next to them).

  1. Put your initials next to the reading list and open the link.
  2. Open Discovery and the corresponding online reading list (this can speed up the searching process, as many books will be linked here already) - make sure you haven't applied any filters! 
  3. Work through the reading list, checking that the title isn't already listed on the online reading list before searching in Discovery.
  4. Click into the corresponding eBook and catalogue records. Note that the reference in the reading list may not be exactly correct - publication dates, authors, and even titles may not correspond exactly so you may need to use your initiative. 
  5. Make a record of the number of print and E copies we have in stock (including loan types and the number of eBook licenses) - you should ideally do this in a different colour to the body of the reading list, for clarity.

For example:

Try searching this item on Discovery:

McLaughlin, C. & Holliday, C. (2013). Therapy with Children and Young People: Integrative Counselling in Schools and other Settings. London: SAGE. 

You will see that the top two results are a print and eBook copy of this item. On a reading list, we would add the following note: 2LL, 1SL, multiple E. 

We use the below codes: 

Standard Loan (or Long Loan)  LL
Short Loan  SL
Overnight Loan O/N
Reference R
EBook Copy E

You will also need to check journal articles, suggested academic journals (in the A-Z of eJournals), and websites. Websites can be found via Google.

For further guidance, please refer to the instructions and example reading list below. 

 

Once stock checked, enter the completed date within the blue stock check section of the reading list spreadsheet & move straight on to Updating.

Updating 

Any Reading lists which have a Date complete under the Blue stock check section on the reading list spreadsheet, move on to the Update.

It is the responsibility of the Library Service Assistants and Library Assistants to ensure that our online reading lists in LibGuides, here, are updated for each course and module. Updating is recorded on the reading list spreadsheet here

If a reading list on the spreadsheet has a completed stock check date, updating can begin. Use the link to navigate to the course or module you will be editing. When editing your reading list, you will need to: 

  • Click on all book links to ensure that they work 
  • Remove books no longer on the reading list 
  • Add books which are new to the reading list 
  • Update books to the latest edition.
  • Check that the links to all journals and websites work 
  • Add links to new journals and websites 

To do this, work through the instructions below. You may require additional training to complete this task. 

Once updated, enter the completed date within the green update section of the reading list spreadsheet & move straight on to Audit.

Audit

Any Reading lists which have a Date complete under the green update section on the reading list spreadsheet, move on to the audit.

Audits are recorded on the reading list spreadsheet here

Spreadsheets should be audited in line with the guidelines outlined in the attached document, and as shown in the training videos: 

Page URL - Friendly links

One final step needed with the Audit is to change the Page url to a friendly link. This just makes the reading list more searchable via Google. All you need to do is:

1. Click on the blue pencil next to page URL.
2. Type the name of the reading list in the field.
3. Click save.

See the Page URL - Friend Links for instructions and screenshots here 

Final stages

Once updated, enter the completed date within the red audit section of the reading list spreadsheet & move on to either tabbed  boxes or submit for review.

Important note, if the Essential, Recommended or Further reading is disproportionately long, move on to tabbed boxes before submit for review.

If tabbed boxes are not needed, move straight on to submit for review.

If the Essential, Recommended or Further reading is disproportionately long, an additional tabbed box will need to be created prior to submitting the reading list to Marc.

The instructions can be viewed in the video below.

Tabbed boxes are recorded in yellow on the reading list spreadsheet here

Once the reading list stock check, update & audit (and tabbed boxes, if needed) have all been completed, it can be submitted for review to the librarians. Please add the link for the libguide reading list to this document here: Reading Lists - For Final Review for the librarians to review. Make sure to add notes on any changes you've made.

Once submitted, add a 'Y' to the 'Submitted For Review' section of the reading list spreadsheet

Alternatively, if you think you have completed the reading list process but feel a little more guidance may be needed, add a 'N' to the 'Submitted For Review' section of the above reading list spread & send Billy an email to let him know. Additionally, feel free to add a 'N" if you highlight any discrepancies within any of the training videos or documents & let Billy know via email.

Essential Reading Management

Essential Items

All essential items from reading lists will be made available primarily as Short Loans. This means we need to change historic essential items which are currently only available as Long Loans. We are also adding notes on all essential items, so that reports can be made on the use of essential items. 

To do this we have created spreadsheets for each block, containing all of the essential reading for that block. These can be found here

There are two main tasks (1) the changing of loan types and (2) the adding of essential tags. Please see the new page 'Essential Reading Management' for detailed instructions on these tasks