Library services
If you are a new lecturer
Aim of the guide
Much of this guide is aimed at helping academics of all levels of experience to communicate with library staff and to understand the possibilities and limitations of the services they offer. For the new lecturer, the practicalities of making sure that books are available to students can pose considerable challenges, and it is easy to overlook the wider context of this task.
Integrating library use with teaching
Underlying most English degrees is the aim of developing habits of study and reading in students. In a research environment, extensive bibliographies demonstrate mastery of the subject matter. Handed out to students they may be viewed as mountains that they cannot hope to ascend, so they see little point in even exploring the foothills. How is the lecturer to find a balance between the highly prescriptive (but realistic) reading list and the more scholarly one that encourages wider reading but may ‘put off’ the fainter-hearted? How far does the lecturer encourage students to go off and explore library resources and how far does s/he rely on anthologies? These are questions which surround the larger task of integrating library use with teaching and the flow of work through a module or programme.
Frequently asked questions
The following pages contain a series of answers to frequently asked questions about how to make the most effective use of your library services under the following headings:
About the Library collection >>
Special questions for library representatives >>
