New (or not so new) to UEA Library?
Make sure you familiarise yourself with the content on this page - and the other pages in this subject guide. There is also a lot of further information on the UEA Library homepage. See especially the pages under these drop-downs: Using the Library and Staff and researchers.
Supporting you with Teaching and Research Resources
Resources needed for teaching are best requested via your Talis reading list - bookmark from a publisher or bookseller site, drop it onto your reading list and when you publish it or request a review we will pick it up and buy in that book (always an ebook if we can).
There are two main Talis deadlines each year: usually July and December, ahead of each Semester (exact dates will be advertised). If you update your list and publish it or submit it for review by the deadline we will usually be able to get resources into the Library in time. We will prioritise Core readings and do our best to obtain Further readings. You can still submit the list after the deadline but we cannot guarantee to have the resources in place and will usually only check the Core (not Further) readings. If you foresee any challenges in meeting the deadline, please contact lib.reading@uea.ac.uk.
If you need help with Talis there is a lot of help available on using the Talis Reading List system. This 9-minute video provides detailed information on updating a reading list. This is best viewed full screen or on Youtube.
Collection Development
In developing its collections, UEA Library uses these principles (for full details see our Collection Development and Reading List policies)
- Digital first. To provide good access and help in managing space, UEA Library prioritises ebooks and ejournals over print wherever possible. In most cases we will not purchase print where there is an ebook available.
- On-demand. In order to make the best use of budgets and space, most books are now bought (or borrowed via interlending) as they are needed for teaching or research rather than bought on publication "just in case". So it is important that you request any items you need.
- No donations. Unless something is extremely rare it is usually cheaper and easier to buy it in pre-processed from our suppliers.
Practicalities - if you need...
- Books for your research and are unlikely to use it within teaching, please use the Interlending Service.
- Books for your research and are likely to use it in teaching or recommend it to students, please use the Book Suggestion service to obtain it.
- Books for your teaching. If you are preparing for teaching, you can add any books we don't yet have to your module's Talis Reading List (just bookmark them from an online bookseller or publisher site) and we will buy them in with sufficient copies/electronic licences.
- Book Extracts for your teaching. Where we can't obtain ebooks it is often possible to provide scanned extracts for use in teaching under the Copyright Licensing Agency's (CLA) licence. The limit is usually 1 chapter or 10%, whichever is larger. These can be requested via the Talis Reading List system at any time (here's how).
- Textbooks for your teaching. While the distinction between regular ebooks and textbooks is not always clear, if a book is branded as a textbook or targeted as a key undergraduate text then it may be provided on a different - much more expensive - licensing model to normal ebooks. If you think the book you want to use may be classed as a textbook, check with me.
- Popular fiction/non-fiction or literary fiction for teaching. These may be sold to individuals as ebooks (e.g. Kindle books) but are not generally available for institutions to buy. In this case the best we can often do is provide a few print copies and you may need to request extracts or ask students to purchase copies.
Other resources
- Journals. While we have a lot of journals (see journal A-Z) we are unlikely to have everything you need. It is usually easy and quick for us to get articles from journals we don't hold via the Interlending Service. We can also sometimes obtain individual articles for use within teaching - please alert us if you are adding articles we don't hold to a reading list. New subscriptions are harder and may require the cancellation of other titles, which is often brokered by your School's Library Rep. And where new subscriptions are activated these don't always come with archives - if older issues are essential it is important to let us know this. Please contact lib.businesspartner@uea.ac.uk to discuss any new subscriptions.
- Databases. We have a range of databases, primary source collections and other specialist resources available (see database A-Z). We add to these when there is demonstrable need and available budget (they are often very expensive). Please contact lib.businesspartner@uea.ac.uk if there is a non-book non-journal resource you are interested in trialling or obtaining.
- Films in teaching. There are ways of obtaining films for use in teaching and we have procedures in place to manage this. Firstly check the Box of Broadcast service to see if there is a copy of the film, documentary or programme you would like to show. If it's not there please contact lib.businesspartner@uea.ac.uk to find out about other options.
Induction and Information Skills Support for Your Students (and You)
The Academic and Teaching Partners can provide sessions for your students - from short simple general introductions to key library services to more advanced lectures and workshops dealing with subject-specific resources, advanced search strategies and particular tools.
These are guided by our Digital and Information Literacies Strategy and can be face-to-face or online. Please contact the team if you would like to arrange something. We also have some capacity for 1:1s. If you are aware of students who are struggling, they can contact us.
Student Inductions / Start of year
Live inductions
- Academic Librarians will be able to supply a welcome video. Please contact us if you would like these.
Online inductions
- The Library's general induction/orientations are via online self-access resources that can be accessed from the New to the Library section of the Library homepage. Please could you help us to promote these to your students. There is additionally induction content within Blackboard.
Library tours
- We don't usually conduct library tours, but there are maps available online.
We can also provide self-guided tour sheets and editable maps of each library floor to highlight parts of the physical library and collections. These can be tailored to particular schools, cohorts and courses. Please contact the library helpdesk if you would like to arrange these.
First Assignments
The Library and the Learning Enhancement Team (LET) have jointly produced a resource to assist those tackling first/early assignments. This covers key digital information skills and academic writing.
It can be directly accessed via a Google site and there are pointers to it from within the Library website and subject guides.
We can also help you embed elements from this resource within your own web- and blackboard sites or presentations.
Next steps
Beyond induction and first assignments there is a range of support we can provide. Please contact the Academic and Teaching Partners to discuss these further.
Subject Guides
- The Library's subject guides are a useful starting point for students.
Lean Library Pop-ups
- UEA users can configure our version of the Lean Library browser tool* to provide targeted information and support when particular resources or sites are accessed on the internet. This provides help with databases or directs students to relevant subject guides.
*If you don't have Lean Library, download and install it and tell it you're at UEA!
1:1s and drop-ins
- The team can provide some 1:1s, small group support or organise drop-ins. Please encourage students to contact the Teaching Librarians if they want extra support.
Separate Library sessions (online or sometimes in person)
- We can provide more advanced or specialised sessions for schools, cohorts or courses. These might cover more advanced search tips (e.g. for dissertation research) or the use of specific databases.
Embedded or pop-up content in scheduled lectures or seminars
- It is also possible to provide tailored content that can be used within normal lecture or seminar sessions or to provide a brief pop-up or a recording for multiple seminars or asynchronous access via Blackboard.
Advanced sessions and PPD Programme
The Academic and teaching Partners contribute to the doctoral PPD programme, covering topics such as advanced library searching, literature review, referencing and bibliometrics. Please encourage your supervisees to take advantage of these - they are advertised through the Graduate Schools in various ways - the HUM programme is on a Tockify calendar. We are happy for staff to attend any of these events too - or to put on additional sessions for staff groups.
