Academy Library and Information Service (ALIS),
Great Western Hospital (GWH), Swindon

Services for UWE School of Health and Social Care staff and students.

Introduction

This guide is designed to introduce you to the services of the Academy Library and Information Service (ALIS) at the Great Western Hospital (GWH), Swindon. The Academy Library is operated by the NHS. UWE Library Service is working closely with the Academy Library to ensure student needs are met in Swindon.

As UWE students based at Swindon you have access to the local NHS resources and services of the Academy Library as well as resources and services of UWE Library Service.

This guide is in two sections:

Section 1 - NHS resources and services available at the Academy Library, Swindon

• How do I join?
• Contact information
• Opening Hours
• Is the book I want available?
• Lending services
• What journals are available?
• What other resources are available?
• User services
• Computers
• Access to the UWE network
• Printing

Section 2 - UWE Library resources and services available to students at Swindon

• Accessing UWE Library collections
• Borrowing books from UWE Libraries
• Renewing UWE loan
• Return of UWE loans
• Photocopies from UWE print journals
• Inter-library loans
• UWE Usernames and Passwords

Leaflet for UWE H&SC students based at Swindon (PDF).

Section 1 - NHS resources and services available at the Academy Library, Swindon

How do I join the Academy Library?

• The Academy Library is a single service that is for all staff and students within Swindon & Marlborough NHS Trust and the surrounding NHS bodies. Any UWE School of Health and Social Care (HSC) students and staff can join the Library.
• You need to join the Library and get an NHS Library card. Membership forms are available in the Academy Library.

Contact information for the Academy Library

Opening Hours

The Academy Library is open 24 hours a day, 7 days per week and is staffed at the following times:

The Academy Library is card access only, so you will need to have your Trust ID card with you at all times With your Trust ID card you can access the library 24 hours a day 7 days per week.

Is the book I want available? 

Books in the Academy Library are arranged in alpha-numeric order by the Wessex Classification scheme (used by many NHS Libraries).  This means that books on the same subject are kept together. To find out the classification number (shelf mark) of a book, or to browse for books on a particular subject, use the NHS Library Catalogue. Be aware that if you are looking for a book at the Academy you will need to restrict your search to the library at the Great Western Hospital.

Lending services

You can borrow 8 x 28-day loans plus 2 x 7-day loans = 10 items in total on your NHS Library card. The majority of items at the Academy Library are issued for 28 days.

Renewals

You need your NHS Library card number to renew items.  You can renew in person in the Academy Library at Swindon or over the phone.

You can also renew online via the NHS Library Catalogue.

• Click on 'Log in to renew' on the left hand toolbar and then enter your NHS Library card number.

Returns

Items borrowed from the Academy Library at Swindon need to be returned at Swindon. Should you return them out of hours, there is a secure drop box available within the Library where you may leave them. You can't return these items to a UWE library.

What journals are available?

Print journals are arranged alphabetically by title.  

Ask Library staff for help if the article that you want isn't available locally.  They may be able to obtain a photocopy for you from another NHS Library.  Remember also that you have access to a huge range of journals via UWE Library Service (see section 2 below).

What other resources are available?

I hear that the NHS has a growing collection of electronic resources, can I access these?

When on placement in the NHS students are entitled to access NHS electronic resources via www.library.nhs.uk  This includes a similar collection of bibliographic databases to those available at UWE (e.g. British Nursing Index, CINAHL) and a large collection of over 1,000 full-text electronic journals. To access these resources you will need an NHS ATHENS username and password. Ask Library staff to get your NHS ATHENS username and password set up.

Further information on the databases or electronic journals available with an NHS ATHENS username and password is available from NHS Health Information Resources, or pick up a leaflet from the Academy Library

User services

Issue/Enquiry Desk

Library staff are available to issue, discharge and renew library materials, and give general information about the Library.  If you wish to borrow you will need your NHS Library card. Library staff can also answer queries about finding information in the Library. 

Study space

There are over 60 study spaces, including 24 with a computer. 

Photocopiers

Photocopying is available and is charged at 5p per page. The Library currently runs on the honesty system, please place your money in a box within the Library (change can be obtained from Library staff).

Computers

There are 24 computers in the Library all of which have access to the Internet and Microsoft Word. 

Remember that you can access UWE Library resources, UWE Webmail, myUWE and the Faculty e-submissions web page from any PC with Internet access, but some Faculty online materials only work fully if you are logged into the UWE network (see below). 

Local charges for printing apply at 5p per page from the NHS network PC’s in the main library and the ALIS training room. As with the photocopying charges, there is an honesty box in the Library.

Saving files to floppy disk or USB memory stick

Depending on the compatibility, you can save files to a floppy disk or memory stick from the PCs in the Academy Library.
NB: If you are using a memory stick on the PC’s with UWE network access, you need to insert it before you begin logging in to the UWE External Access

Access to the UWE network

The UWE network is available from 8 PCs in the library computer room.

You can use these PCs to access the UWE network and use all of the software available at UWE, including Microsoft Office and the Internet. Once logged in you also have access to your h: drive to save / retrieve files.

If you have any problems with access to the UWE network the UWE IT Services Helpdesk can be contacted on 0117 328 3612.

Printing

When accessing the UWE network, printing is via the UWE Pharos system. If you need to add credit to your Pharos print account you can do this over the phone to the UWE Finance office. Information is available below and in the Academy Library. If you need to check your Pharos balance then phone the UWE IT Helpdesk on 0117 328 3612. Unfortunately there is no other way of checking your Pharos account. When it runs out of credit you will not be able to print anything from within the UWE network.

Using your debit/credit cards to credit your Pharos account:

UWE is able to accept most cards over the telephone, the exceptions are:

• Electron
• American Express
• Diners Club

Please have the following information to hand when making a credit:

• Computer Logon ID (same as Pharos ID) e.g. 'j-bloggs'
• Card Number
• From Date
• Expiry Date
• Issue Number (Switch/Solo only)
• Card Holder
• Address
• Contact Telephone Number

To credit your Pharos account please telephone UWE finance office:

Finance Office opening times:

Section 2 - UWE Library resources and services available to students at Swindon

Accessing UWE Library collections

Resources for H&SC students (including links to databases that you can use to carry out searches for journal articles).

Borrowing books from UWE Libraries

In addition to the book collection at the Academy UWE School of Health and Social Care (HSC) students and staff can have access to borrowing from the UWE Libraries. You can borrow up to 13 items from UWE Libraries.

Use the UWE library Catalogue to identify books from UWE Libraries to be delivered to Swindon for you to collect. Use the ‘Place a Hold’ option when you find an item you would like to borrow from UWE. Click on the link to the web form for Bath and Swindon based users. Fill in the web form choosing ‘Swindon’ as the pickup location and click the ‘Submit’ button. UWE Glenside Campus Library will issue the item to your UWE library record and send it to the Academy Library at Swindon for you to collect. You will receive an e-mail confirming that your item has been dispatched. Please allow a few days for delivery to Swindon.

Take your UWE ID card with you when you collect items from the Academy Library at Swindon.

Note: if you have a fine on your UWE library record of over £5 we will not be able to issue the item to you. Staff at the Swindon Academy do not have access to your UWE library account.

Renewing UWE loans

UWE materials can be renewed three times, provided they have not been reserved by another user. You can renew on the UWE Library Catalogue (My Account) or via the Library tab in myUWE or by telephoning the 24-hour renewals number on 0117 328 2092. You will need your UWE ID card number and Library PIN.

More information on renewals.

Return of UWE loans

You can return books borrowed from UWE Libraries to the Academy Library in Swindon. Items need to be returned to Swindon by the date stamped otherwise a fine will be incurred. Library staff at Swindon will then send the items back to UWE.

Photocopies from UWE print journals

UWE students and staff will have access to photocopied journal articles from UWE libraries. Forms can be posted direct to the holding UWE library or handed in to staff in the Academy Library. See Photocopying in the Library for more information on this service.

Paying for photocopies or fines on UWE items

You can send a cheque to Glenside Library, payable to 'UWE Bristol', or pay over the phone with a debit or credit card : 0117 328 2092

Inter-library loans

For books and journal articles not available at Swindon or any of the UWE Libraries you will need an Inter-library Loan form. For further details, see A Guide to Inter-Library Loans.

UWE Usernames and Passwords

UWE ID card number and Library PIN

Your UWE ID card number is the 8 digit number on the front of your UWE ID card. This will also be your Library number (USERID) for use on the Library Catalogue. You will need to know your UWE Library PIN to renew items through the Library Catalogue. Your UWE Library PIN is e-mailed to you and you can request your UWE Library PIN from the UWE Library catalogue.

UWE Network username and password

This gives you access to a range of resources including myUWE, webmail and eLibrary. It also enables you to log in to the UWE network using the UWE External Access.