Faculty of Business and Physical Sciences
Library Actions
Information Studies
Library & Information Science Collection
We now have access to the full text Library & Information Science database purchased for Information and Library Studies staff and students, which includes over 300 full text journals. Read more here
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Dissertation guide
We have created a new Dissertation LibGuide to help students find, use and manage information sources for their projects.
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Read Well Wellbeing Collection
We have put together the Read Well Reading List of books and e-books available from the Library to support our users' wellbeing.
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Monitor Hubs
We are piloting the provision of monitor hubs in the Hugh Owen Library to help people use their laptops more ergonomically. More information here
Extending Library Opening hours
We ensured that the Library was open as much as possible over holiday periods including Christmas & New Year and Easter. 559 people studied in the Iris De Freitas Room over the Easter weekend in 2022
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Refurbishing the Hugh Owen Library
We have been actively gathering user feedback for the forthcoming refurbishment of Levels E & F. Read some of the suggestions and share your own here
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Customer Service Excellence
IS achieved the Customer Service Excellence standard in 2015 and has maintained this standard and gained areas of Compliance Plus, areas which go above standard service provision, every year since.
At the last full review in 2021, IS was recertified and awarded 11 areas of Compliance Plus. These were all maintained in 2022. Find out more here
Postal Loans & Freepost Returns
We continue to offer a postal loan service to distance learning students and students who have additional learning needs.
Referencing and Plagiarism Awareness Guide and Quiz
In September 2020 the library launched a bespoke Library Guide and Quiz to raise awareness of Referencing and Plagiarism. Since the launch, the guide has been viewed 100,273 times.
A new iteration of the Guide and Quiz was launched before the beginning of 2022-2023 academic year and 1293 attempts have been made on the new quiz, with 552 scoring the recommended pass mark of 80 or above.
NSS 2022 Results
Our Library and IT Services also continue to outperform the UK sector average for student satisfaction
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Library Services - 87 up 8 points since 2021 Top in Wales and 10th in the UK
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IT Services - 86 up 6 points since 2021 Top in Wales and 3rd in the UK
Overall Student Satisfaction with Learning Resources
2022 National Benchmark 81 Aberystwyth's Score 86
IS User Survey 2021
We have asked users to take the IS User Survey every November. We asked what we're doing well and what we need to improve and have used the results to plan and develop our services. We have reported on our findings and actions as a result of this survey
We are currently looking for the most effective ways to gather feedback and evidence on our library services.
298 people completed the survey in 2021
Resource Use and Budgets
The majority of the Library Resource Budget is spent on resources requested by academic staff to support learning, teaching and research.
We have also committed £40,000 of the Library Resource Budget to help support Aberystwyth University’s researchers with the transition towards Open Access publishing.
85 %
is available for recurrent expenditure such as journals and databases
15%
goes towards non-recurrent expenditure such as reading material for research, and materials on reading lists including books, digitized book chapters & articles
Journals / eJournals & Databases
£1,238,081.21 since Aug 2021
eBooks
£89,888.83 since Aug 2021
Books
£98,443.66 since Aug 2021
Use
We have loaned 37, 991 books
We have digitized 528 chapters / articles
We have loaned 162 journals (In 2021 we extended journal loans, which were previously only available to staff, to other user groups and made them requestable via Primo )
We have borrowed 399 items and have loaned 1006 items to other libraries
Reading Lists
Since August 2021, the following have been added:
- 40 resources to Aberystwyth Business School lists
- 14 resources to Computer Science lists
- 479 resources to Information Studies lists
- 13 resources to Mathematics lists
- 20 resources to Physics lists
A total of 566 resources have been added to FBPS lists since August 2021
*Resources include books, ebooks, e-resources and digitised chapters and articles
94% of Aberystwyth University's modules are covered by an Aspire Reading List
Aberystwyth Research Portal - Open Access
Aberystwyth Research Portal makes the very best of Aberystwyth University's staff and postgraduate research openly available online, free of charge.
FBPS Research Outputs - 138 since the start of 2021
FBPS Research Theses - 15 since the start of 2021
LibGuides
Our Subject Librarians maintain a range of LibGuides as a one stop library resource. LibGuides contain information, resources and links relevant to specific subjects or general topics.
Our Referencing and Plagiarism guide has been viewed more than 37, 841 times in one academic year
Digital Capabilities
Digital capabilities are the skills, knowledge and practices that equip us to live, learn and work safely and effectively in a digital society. We are supporting students and staff at the University to assess and develop their own digital capabilities.
Examples of digital capabilities include:
- Efficient literature searching
- Data management
- Communicating with others online
- Understanding how to stay safe online
- Collaborating in digital teams and groups
- Learn and reflect using digital tools
Resources to support you to assess and develop your digital capabilities
An online bilingual resource that enables students and staff to self-assess their digital capabilities, allowing you to identify your strengths, in addition to highlighting opportunities for further development.
When will the Digital Discovery Tool (DDT) be available to all students?
- 2021/22: Foundation Year and Year 1 pilot of the DDT
- FBPS: Business
- FASS: Education; English and Creative Writing
- FELS: Psychology
- 2022/23: DDT available to all Foundation Year and Year 1 students
- 2022/23: Year 2 and Postgraduate pilot of the DDT
- 2023/24: Digital Discovery Tool will be available to all students (UG and PG)
LinkedIn Learning
An online learning platform which has an extensive library of expert-led online courses and short videos to help you develop your digital capabilities, in addition to several other skills. Activate your LinkedIn Learning Account
Contact: Sioned Llywelyn, Digital Capabilities Officer, digi@aber.ac.uk