Using the Library

Help and Support

The Library is committed to ensuring that all students can make full use of our services and collections and all of our staff will help you get the most out of the Library. Specialist help and support is also available to you:

• The Library has a dedicated Library Assistant, Kay Day, who acts as a contact point for students with disabilities. She can assist you with any other enquiries. Please Contact Kay Day.
• Each course has a Subject Librarian who can help you plan research for your course work. Subject Librarians work with your course teams to make sure that the Library has relevant materials for your subject. They are here to help support you with research generally, and in finding the information you need for particular practical and theory units. Please click here to Find your Subject Librarian.
   

Inclusive Technology

All of our computers have Claro software installed on them for use by all AUB students.

Claro

Claro is a multi-sensory text to speech software package which can assist with reading and writing. It enables text to be spoken aloud and by using its range of visual tools you can colour, highlight and focus on difficult to read text as it is read by the computer. It is perfect for proof reading, and will also spell check your work.   

The Library provides access to a wide variety of materials in print, including books, magazines, academic journals and DVDs. These are arranged on our shelves according to the Dewey Decimal Classification system. This means items on a particular subject will usually be shelved together.

To find books in the Library, first search on the Library Catalogue, and make a note of the shelf number. This will tell you where to find it in the Library:

Universal Access by Design

The Library also use a complimentary colour and symbol system, Universal Access by Design (UABD), designed by an AUB Graphic Design graduate, to help you find books related to your subject area on the shelves. Look out for the following symbols on the shelf ends to help you locate books on a particular topic:

3D Design	Animation	Architecture
Fashion & Costume	Film	Fine Art
General	Graphic Design	Illustration
Performance Arts	Photography	Textiles

Retrieval Service

We offer a retrieval service for anyone who finds it difficult to get their books from the shelves. To make sure your books are ready for you when you come into the library please contact the Library 24 hours before your visit with a list of the books, DVDs, or other items you would like and we will make sure they are on our reserve shelf for you to collect. We will contact you if any of the items you have requested are on loan or currently unavailable for loan. Please note requests must be made on weekdays only.

The Library offers a wide range of online resources that can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, and can make ideal resources for learners with print-related disabilities.
 

eBooks

Our AUB eBook collections offer electronic access to thousands of books, which permit their use with a variety of assistive softwares including screen readers. 

Ebook Central, our largest eBook collection, has limited compatibility with Claro. To use screen reader software with books from this platform, download the eBook in Adobe Digital Editions, a free software. This is optimised for use with NVDA for Windows, and VoiceOver for Macs. Click here to Download NVDA for free; VoiceOver comes as standard on Macs.
 

Databases and Journal Articles

Journal articles can typically be downloaded as a PDF document, which can be made accessible in a variety of ways. These work well with the Claro software. You can also use Adobe Acrobat's read out loud and colour change features with PDFs; more information about this can be found here.

The majority of our major vendors have statements of accessibility conforming W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
 

Digitised Course Readings 

If your tutor has requested chapters or sections of print books be made available digitally, these will be available to you on Canvas. Most scans have been converted to OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to ensure compatibility with screen reading and text-to-speech softwares.
 

Video Streaming Services

Our video and film streaming services provide accessibility functionality. Box of Broadcasts (BoB) includes captions in the form of an interactive, searchable transcript. Kanopy, LinkedIn Learning, and our other video services offer closed captioning on their videos. 

Access

The Library building is accessible. The Library has two floors with a lift giving access between them. The Library counter is at a good height for wheelchair users. There is a disabled toilet on each floor of the Library.

Disabled parking is available close to the Library. There are dedicated disabled parking bays on campus. If these are full, disabled drivers may park in any available space. Blue badges or your parking permit should be displayed in the window when using the car park.

Assistive animals, such as guide dogs for the blind and hearing dogs for the deaf, will always be admitted with users. 

The book stock will only be partially accessible to users in wheelchairs because of the height of the book shelves. Please ask if you need assistance. We also offer a book retrieval service.

You can access the upstairs rooms above the Conference Centre (F101/F102) through the Library. Please ask at the Library counter for assistance. If you have regular tutorials or meetings in this area, contact us to discuss a more permanent arrangement. 
 

Study Spaces and Equipment

There are a variety of study spaces around the Library that aim to meet the needs of all users, including silent study, large and small tables for group work, sofa seating and an adjustable height desk.

A low level photocopier, which can be used from a sitting position, is available in the printer corral on the ground floor. 

Varieties of magnifiers, colour filters and book supports are also available for you to use, on request. 
 

Emergency Procedures

We ask all of our users to make sure that they know where fire exits are in the buildings they use. Please ask if you are unsure or if you have a specific need that may make it difficult for you to use some fire exits.

For individuals with mobility issues, there is a fire refuge area on the first floor near the lift - follow the green exit signs. This can be used in case of emergency. A member of staff will escort you to this area if there is a fire alarm. The doors to this area are fire resistant and once you are there the safety coordinator will be notified. If it would help you to feel safer when using the Library you may want to sit close to a fire door or on the ground floor.

Library staff will ensure that all users leave the building if the fire alarm goes off. If you would feel safer, when you arrive please let library staff know where you will be working so that we can make sure you are out of the building or in the fire refuge in the event of a fire.

If you would like more information on emergency procedures, contact Charlotte Wilmot, the Deputy Librarian.