Alumnus Membership

 You said:

I just wanted to find out in regard of using University library. I am a graduate student from Bedford University am I still able to apply to use the library, I would be very grateful if you can advise me please.

We said:

Thank you for your enquiry. As an Alumnus you are eligible to apply to join after 25.4.22. Do not apply before 25.4.22 or your form will be returned to you.

All the details you need are on our website

https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/libraryservices/membership/external-users/categories/f

Services to Alumni are open. Online application process

Always bring your membership card to swipe through the barriers.

As a graduate of the University of Bedfordshire you are welcome to apply for membership of Learning Resources and Service Excellence. This applies to UK based Alumni as our membership offer is based on physical access to the study space and print resources. This membership offer applies to Bedford Library and Luton Library only. There is no remote access to digital resources for UK or overseas alumni.

Keep your contact details up to date with the University

To be eligible for membership University of Bedfordshire graduates need to be in good standing with the library i.e. no outstanding loans/fines/bills/Written Warnings. Membership cards are valid for 3 years.

• Alumni Reference Membership is Free - no loans

• Alumni Associate Membership – which allows borrowing - is £35 per annum

• You may use the Guest WiFi network on your own laptop/tablet

• You may not use student PCs or MACs

• You will not have access to any of your old University IT accounts or to the Digital Library

• You will not be able to print

• By using our services you agree to us storing and processing your data

Apply via our online application form

Code of conduct - use of Learning Resources

The University has a code of conduct which applies equally to External Customers as it does to its own students and staff

Learning Resources has its own Code of Conduct and all External Customers are expected to be familiar with it and abide by it. Sanctions are at the bottom of this page.

Walk In Access arrangements for electronic resources

By registering as an external customer of the University of Bedfordshire's Learning Resources you may have walk-in access to a limited range of digital resources. This is available on Campus only. If you use Walk In access privileges you are agreeing to comply with the conditions set out below. If you have any further questions about copyright or the license conditions in place for specific digital resources, please consult a member of Learning Resources staff.    

All of the University's digital resources are protected by copyright law. You are responsible for complying with any restrictions on the available digitial resources that you access.

Please check this list for the digital materials that are available for Walk In access.

You agree to:

• Carry the UoB Library ID that has been issued to you at all times and swipe in with it to access Learning Resources facilities

• Show your ID to staff or Security if asked

• Take care at the edges of the atriums and light wells in our libraries. Do not balance any items of the ledges.

• Terms and conditions laid out here, as well as those detailed in the University's Network Acceptable Use Policy when using Guest WiFi, in other words will not:

o create, transmit or deliberately receive (other than for properly supervised and lawful research purposes) any offensive, obscene, extremist material or indecent images (including pseudo images), data or other material, or any data capable of being resolved into obscene, unlawful or indecent images or material;

o create or transmit material which causes, or is likely to cause annoyance, revulsion or needless anxiety to the University, its staff, students, visitors or any third party;

o creation or transmission of defamatory abusive or other unlawful material in respect of the University, its staff, students, visitors or any third party;

o transmit any material in such manner that it infringes the copyright of the University, another person or organisation or which discloses confidential or sensitive information or data relating to the University, its staff, students, visitors or any third party;

o transmit any unsolicited commercial or advertising material;

• Customers must be 18 or over

You can:

• Access a range of the University's digital resources from your own personal laptop/tablet/notebook.

• Use digital resources for educational purposes (e.g., personal study or research).

• Save articles, images or other content onto a portable storage device such as a USB stick, and email content to yourself - subject to copyright restrictions.

You cannot:

• Use any of the student PCs or MACs

• Use the room bookings or laptop loans

• Use Milton Keynes or Aylesbury campus's facilities

• Use any of the content retrieved from the University's digital resources for commercial activities.

• Share the usernames or passwords provided to you by the University with anyone else.

• Access any other parts of the University except the Library or Learning Resources Centre.

• Share any materials retrieved from the University's digital resources with anyone, whether in print or digital format

• Use the network for unauthorised purposes. For more detail, refer to the JANET Acceptable Use Policy.

• Access, transmit, store, print, promote or display offensive, obscene and indecent material, defamatory materials or materials likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Guidelines and policies are in place to help library users, but it does not confer any rights, since admission to libraries is always at the discretion of the University of Bedfordshire. Library users who abuse their membership privileges could lose all access to the scheme and SCONUL Access members would also be subject to sanctions in their home institution.

Availability

Currently the Walk in Access service is available at Luton Library and Bedford Library via guest wifi on your own personal portable device. Please check staffed opening hours before you visit.

Please contact your chosen Campus in advance of your visit to check the availability of the service and to ensure that we have the resources you require. 

Please note that access to the service may be restricted at busy times and is provided on a strict 'first come first served' basis during staffed hours.

Sanctions

Fines will be applied to the late return of any loan time

3 Strikes

If you are in breech of the Code of Conduct the 3 strikes sanction process is:

• 1st strike - one week entry ban

• 2 strikes - two weeks entry ban

• 3 strikes - three weeks entry ban and you will not be considered for future Visitor membership

• 4th strike - membership revoked and you will not be considered for future Visitor membership

Depending on the breech 1st, 2nd or 3rd strike may be applied depending on the severity of the offense. Where applicable your home institution may be notified and in the case of Sconul Access we will notify the scheme.

Link to online form

https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/libraryservices/membership/external-users/

Opening hours

 You said:

What are the opening hours for Easter break ?

We said:

Thanks for your enquiry. As you didn’t specify which campus library you were referring to please follow the link below

 https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/opening/

Luton Campus Library - Temperatures

 You said:

I am currently using 6th floor of the library and room L607 and it is extremely cold in here. we have to wear our jackets to be working in this room which is not convenient. Please could this matter be looked into.

We said:

Thank you for taking the trouble to write regarding your concerns about the temperature in L607 in the Luton Campus Library.

The external temperatures on Wednesday 13th were between 15 – 18 degrees C. With sunshine on the windows – L607 does have 2 external walls of floor to ceiling glass – this would bring the internal temperature up more than the air temperature. The library’s building management system is set between 19 – 21 degrees C. The mild air and sun warmed room seem to have raised the internal temperatures above 21 degrees C which would trigger the cooling system.

Sitting on or near the forced air vents would make the room seem chilly – hence your discomfort. May I suggest that should this happen again you report it to staff on level 1 of the library so they can take a temperature reading and report it to our Facilities team for attention as required. This will give you a much quicker response to the problem. In addition, you may wish to move away from the circular floor forced air vents to avoid getting chilled.

Thank you for bringing your concerns to our attention. If we don’t know there’s a problem we cannot fix it.

Visitor Access

 You said:

I am a former member of the Luton campus Library, prior to pandemic I used the premises after work for studying my professional papers which are integral for my employment and progression in my career. 

Due to pandemic (understandably) we were not able to use the Library until further notice

However I am reaching out in complete desperation, in past 2 years I have not been able to make any academic progress, as working from home and family circumstances (wife and Kids) have made it almost impossible for me to differentiate between work life, family life and some study time. My academic progress has lapsed during the 2 years of pandemic and I really need complete my last 2 remaining papers, as required by my employment contract.   

So my sincere request,  if you can please reinstate my Library access (ID provided above) this will enable me to use the premises after work (6-9 pm) and I can focus on completing my remaining 2 papers by the end of this year.  I am already studying towards June sitting however studying from home is very difficult, separating from family (children) and finding a quiet place is almost impossible.

I look forward to your response, hoping you can action this request (I will really appreciate if this can be done sooner so I can start preparing for my June sitting)  

We said:

Thank you for your heartfelt plea. The University has decided to limit the number of Visitors accessing the campus libraries. I have to tell you that our service statement on the web applies to all Visitors (except Sconul Access and Alumni). I cannot make any exceptions.

https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/libraryservices/membership/external-users/

SERVICE NOTICE: Easter applications: no new applications will be processed from 8.4.22 – 25.4.22

Due to the current circumstances the University of Bedfordshire is limiting the number of Library Visitors on campus.  Please check our website for updates. We only accept online applications.  University of Bedfordshire is only accepting applications from the Sconul Access scheme and Alumni. Please monitor this page for future up dates.

I regret having to let you down and I wish you well. Hopefully we can welcome you back in the autumn

Advice request

 You said:

I hope you will help me find a book or resource that contains the reviews or opinions of criminal patients in British prisons who suffer from antisocial personality disorder and also the reviews of professionals or carers who provide care about this disorder. Thank you

We said:

Staff would be happy to help you find learning materials at the Customer Service desk on campus. Please just ask.

You could also contact your Academic Liaison librarian please check the subject list here for your course area

https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/studyhub-library/what-is-study-hub/study-hub-teams/alls/Subjects

Sconul Access

 You said:

I am a student with the Open University and have been approved for SCONUL Access. I just wanted to check it was possible to visit your Bedford campus library to study and what you may need from me to attend? Please see attached email with SCONUL access approval.

We said:

Thank you for your enquiry. Please check our web site specifying our local arrangements. You may apply using the online form link in the Sconul Access paragraph on this web page

https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/libraryservices/membership/external-users/categories/

You will notice from our advice to new applicants that

Please note that due to volume of demand processing may take up to 15 working days. Please be patient. Visitor enquiries will only be dealt with in person at ground floor Customer Service desk/reception 10.00 - 14.00 weekdays. We do not give status reports on application progress by phone or email. Please check staffed hours before visiting one of our libraries. No membership card means no access.

Conditions of Membership are here

https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/libraryservices/membership/external-users/

Document Supply

 You said:

I am just beginning by PhD and was having difficulty accessing a couple of journal articles. 

Is there a named person,with who I can make an appointment please.

In the meantime, I have managed to copy and paste the articles I was trying to access below. Thank you for your help

We said:

Many thanks for your email and congratulations on starting your PhD

May I ask did you check the University library holdings via DISCOVER for the articles you require? If the items are not in stock you are eligible to use the Document Supply service to get access to the material you need.

Information about Document Supply is here:

https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/libraryservices/using-the-library/docsupply/

Request forms

https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/libraryservices/using-the-library/docsupply/forms/

Set up a Secure Electronic Delivery account to receive your articles by email – details here

https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/libraryservices/using-the-library/docsupply/document-supply-q-and-a/

May I advise you to contact the Sociology librarian Keith Daniels for any advice you need on finding the materials for your research

https://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/studyhub-library/what-is-study-hub/study-hub-teams/alls/Keith_Daniels