By The latest Covid guidelines are being followed by universities. As a result, many libraries on campus operate on an essential access basis. Some offer bookable, socially distant study areas while others provide click-and-collect options.
Students say that they have limited resources and are having difficulty accessing them, when the online sources with personal finance assignment help work despite everything. Erin Carr, a first year psychology student, has not been able to obtain the required reading for her course. She says that the online books are limited in their ability to be downloaded and expire within a certain time. “I don’t have enough storage space on my computer to store all of these books. It’s very frustrating.
Owen Clark, a creative writing student, has been fined PS20 for two books that he was unable to return. He is now relying on online journals while he is at home. He says, “The university is emailing me asking to return the books.” “I don’t know what they want me to do.”
Although browsing the library shelves for books is not possible right now, there are still other options.
Talk to the librarian
Colin Higgins is a librarian at St Catharine’s College in Cambridge. It’s our responsibility to support our students. Your librarian will help you locate the information you need if you are unable to find it.
Use Google to find your library website. Higgins says librarians are organized people. They’ll be able to identify the best resources for your work and will have organized their online libraries to make it easy to find the information you need.
Regina O’Brien is Lancaster University’s assistant director of operations, user services. She advises students to “definitely get in contact” and can arrange one-on-one online appointments or training sessions with subject-specific support.
Online chat is a great option. These are available at City University from Monday through Friday. At the University of Sunderland students can request support via video call.
No matter where you are in your course, it is important to learn how the library search engine works. Michael Natzler (Policy Officer at the Higher Education Policy Institute, Hepi) says, “It’s not embarrassing to not know how they work, but it can be a bit of a nightmare.”
Online resources are a great option
Many universities are working to digitize their collections and increase the availability of ebooks. Students also have access to databases and journals.
Learn more about the logins, subscriptions, and learning resources available. Students in the Arts and Creative Industries faculties at Middlesex have access to Adobe Creative Cloud software. Students at The University of the Arts London have access to subscriptions to databases like LinkedIn Learning, which contains videos to support creativity; Box of Broadcasts which gives them access to radio and TV programmes from many channels; and Kanopy, which offers free streaming of films.
Use reliable sources.
Secondhand books are a good option
You don’t need to purchase new books. Students feel that they are being disadvantaged if they don’t have the necessary texts. The National Union of Students states that all required texts should be online.
You can find secondhand copies of books on eBay and Facebook groups. Darcey Edkins, a Warwick student, says that she bought her literature books through a Facebook “pass the book” sale. It’s not perfect, but it’s cheaper than Amazon.
Create the buzz again
Many students miss going to the library. It can be a valuable welfare function that allows you to have access to space outside of your bedroom, and gives you the chance to meet others and avoid loneliness. Some student unions such as the University of Manchester offer virtual study sessions via Zoom for those who don’t want to be interrupted while working. YouTube also offers eight-hour tracks that mimic libraries and cafes.
Contact tutors
Lecturers claim that they update their reading lists regularly to prioritize items in digital format. They can help you find hard copies if you have difficulty accessing them. Although academics are often very busy and may not respond within a few days of your request, Nick Hillman, Hepi director, said that online teaching offers many advantages. He explained that being able to share screens and show specific articles is one of the best things about online education.
