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Library Action Plan 2021-22

Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences

 

Library Actions 

BVSc

Resources for the School of Veterinary Science 

Working with Aberystwyth School of Veterinary Science, the Library is providing access to 77 new textbooks and a number of key databases including CAB Abstracts and Medline. Find out more about these resources on the Life Sciences & BVSc LibGuide   

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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

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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 2022Find out more here 

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Postal Loans & Freepost Returns

We continue to offer a postal loan service to distance learning students and students who have additional learning needs.

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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

  • Library Services - 87    up 8 points since 2021 Top in Wales and 10th in the UK

  • 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:

  • 233 resources to Life Sciences & BVSc lists

  • 458 resources to Department of Geology and Earth Sciences lists 

  • 82 resources to Psychology lists

A total of 773 resources have been added to FELS 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.

FELS Research Outputs - 283 since the start of 2021

FELS Research Theses - 7 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 skillsknowledge 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

Jisc Digital Discovery Tool

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

  1. Excel Essential Training (Office 365/Microsoft 365) (2h 17m)
  2. Communicating with Confidence (1h 16m)
  3. SPSS Statistics Essential Training (5h 49m)
  4. Time Management Tips for Students (2m 59s)
  5. Presenting Technical Information with Stories (31m)
  6. How to Manage Feeling Overwhelmed (43m)

Contact: Sioned Llywelyn, Digital Capabilities Officer, digi@aber.ac.uk