Submit a Reading List
The Library has introduced a new Reading List Support Service to improve on the availability of core reading list material for students and to lessen the administrative burden on academic staff. This is a replacement for the old Desk Reserve service.
Improving access for students
Therefore, it was decided to discontinue the Desk Reserve Collection but, at the same time, improve students’ access to high demand material by alternative means:
- The Library will buy an e-book version of titles where demand is high and an e-book version is available. The Library has already purchased e-book versions of those titles that were identified as the most heavily used. We continually lobby publishers to increase the availability of textbooks as e-books.
- The Library will buy additional copies of books in most demand, especially when large numbers of students are involved.
- The Library’s digitisation service offers a further opportunity to increase access to reading list material, since scanned copies of book chapters and journal articles from the Library’s collections can be made available to students via Blackboard.
Reading Lists - an enhanced service
In light of students’ responses and comments in the 2009 undergraduate survey, we want to work with lecturers to improve the provision of reading list material.
We can help you and your students:
- by making sure we have enough copies of a book to meet demand
- by assessing the best loan period for a book, based on class size
- by digitising book chapters and journal articles
- by purchasing e-book versions where available to provide wider access
You can help us improve access to reading list material in several ways:
- by sending us your reading lists as early as possible before the start of each semester
- by identifying what is essential reading and what is background reading
- by indicating where one particular chapter is the essential reading
- by telling us how many students are in the class
- by including the module code
We have put in place a new service to deal with reading list requests more effectively. This will reduce the administrative burden on academic staff, since Library staff will be able to make decisions on issues such as the numbers of copies required and loan periods. We will make every effort to ensure that essential reading list material is available and accessible to students.
Please send your reading lists to readinglists@nuigalway.ie and we will take care of the rest.
