Home / Information for libraries / FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Bands of User

Eligibility

Resources and Facilities

Stationery

Administration

Why can I no longer update my institutional details via the SCONUL Access contacts update form?

SCONUL (not SCONUL Access) maintains a database of information about member institutions. Responsibility for maintaining this data lies with Heads of Service. This database is being used as the source of information for the new SCONUL Access search tool - Where do you want to go? A username and password allowing institutions to maintain and update their own records was sent out via the SCONUL list to Heads of Service in March 2008 by SCONUL office. Most Heads of Service will however have delegated this responsibility along with the username and password. If the username and password is not known, SCONUL office staff will resend sitmui.ng@sconul.ac.uk You should continue to notify the SCONUL Access administrators of changes to your own details as SCONUL Access contacts via the update form on the SCONUL Access site.

I understand that SCONUL Access deals with 'bands' of users. What are these bands and why is the scheme set up like this?

SCONUL Access grew out of two earlier schemes, SCONUL Research Extra (SRX) which served staff and research students and UK Libraries Plus (UKLP) which provided borrowing for different types of students. SCONUL Access allows institutions to 'sign up' to their desired level of service, offering borrowing to all or some of the following groups of users. These groups are known as bands and are a reflection of the original agreements. Check the list below to see which band is the right one for your users.

  • Band A staff and research students
  • Band B part time, distance learning and placement students
  • Band C full time taught postgraduates

How does SCONUL Access define the groups of users?

  • Staff are generally members of the home institution on open or fixed term contracts but occasionally home institutions offer staff privileges to other groups of people.

  • Research students are postgraduate research students registered for a PhD, MPhil or similar qualification awarded purely by research.

  • Part-time students (undergraduate and post-graduate) must be registered on a course (or research programme) leading to a university award running for a minimum of one year.

  • Distance learning students (undergraduate and post-graduate) must be registered on a course (or research programme) leading to a university award running for a minimum of one year.

  • Placement students must be on a placement of six weeks or more and on courses running for a minimum of one academic year and leading to a higher education award.

  • Post-graduate students are registered for full-time, taught courses offering awards at Masters and Certificate level.

  • Full-time undergraduates are not offered borrowing privileges under the scheme but are granted reference access to those member libraries, which offer Band B.

The scheme is open to academic staff and research students under Band A. Can other members of staff join?

Yes, assuming that your institution is prepared to vouch for them. The original scheme was set up to support researchers and academic staff in their work but we need to ask library staff to use their common sense when giving access to this scheme. SCONUL Access can be offered to non-academic staff where it seems sensible so to do. Many institutions do not differentiate between academic and non-academic staff and a tight interpretation of the rules would involve manual intervention on the part of the library staff (checking staff lists and interpreting job descriptions before providing a SCONUL Access card). Some institutions pay their senior staff on non-academic grades thus potentially barring them from this scheme. Feel free to be sensible and apply the rules to staff in the spirit of the scheme!

Our institution employs undergraduate and taught postgraduate students on a casual basis (e.g. as shelvers in the library). They have proper contracts and are designated as members of staff when working. Can they join SCONUL Access under Band A?

No. SCONUL Access Band A must not be offered to taught post-graduate students or undergraduates even if they are employed by their Higher Education Institution. The scheme must not be used as a 'back-door' for non-research students as this will undermine trust in the scheme. You could however consider extending your offer to include Band C.

Some of our Doctorate students are supported by an element of teaching. Should they be counted under Band A or Band C?

There are many different kinds of higher degrees, some are traditional taught masters (such as MA, MSc, MMus, MBA) and there are traditional MPhil/PhD awarded by research. However there are now many research degrees which include an element of taught modules (such as EngD, MD, MS, New Route PhD) whilst still awarding by thesis and viva. Where a higher degree is awarded by thesis and viva, doctorate students are regarded as researchers and eligible for the SCONUL Access scheme under Band A.

Where do taught Masters students fit in?

Taught Masters students are eligible for SCONUL Access under Band C if you offer it. Check the list of participating institutions to see which libraries are able to offer them borrowing privileges. Taught Masters students may be offered reference access if you offer Band B but not Band C.

UKLP used to offer reference access to fulltime students. Does this still apply?

Yes. Where a library offers Band B access, reference only access may be offered to full time undergraduates. If you do not offer Band A or Band C taught postgraduates, staff and research students may also be offered reference access. Indicate this by writing reference on the card in the band section at the time the card is issued

We have a number of visiting scholars / research students using the library and would like to offer them access to SCONUL Access. They are neither registered students nor paid members of staff but the university has a long-term relationship with these people and they would benefit from the additional research resources.

Many SCONUL members have 'special relationships' with outsiders and would like to offer them a good range of research facilities. Some obvious examples are honorary fellowships, visiting professors and even retired members of staff. The answer to the question lies in your institutional definition of the person involved. If your library views that individual as a full member of staff, offering local borrowing rights, inter-library loans and on-line access to resources then you are free to offer staff membership to SCONUL Access.

Please note: each institution is responsible for the behaviour of anyone they refer into the scheme. If a visiting professor absconds with material then you are financially responsible for its replacement.

We have a number of colleges for which we validate courses / with whom we collaborate. Are these students eligible for SCONUL Access?

Franchise students make up a tiny proportion of demand for the scheme and the vast majority of such students come from Further Education Some of these franchise students are in fact treated as 'home students' and counted in the HESA returns and so have to be given the same rights and privileges as other registered students of the SCONUL institution concerned. A limited number of such franchise students have full library privileges at a member institution and so can be offered SCONUL Access membership on that basis.

However from 1 August 2008 franchise students at private colleges should not be offered membership of SCONUL Access as it is deemed inappropriate for other SCONUL Access members to bear any of the cost of such income generating arrangements.

We charge a membership fee to all external users. Can we do this to SCONUL Access users?

No. In signing up to the scheme you have agreed to allow free access to SCONUL Access users from other member institutions, just as your users will benefit from free access to other member institutions!

We have always asked external users to fill out a registration form and provide a letter of introduction signed by their librarian / head of department. Should we also do this for SCONUL Access users?

It is perfectly legitimate to ask a SCONUL Access user to fill out a registration form. However the SCONUL Access card is signed by a member of library staff at the issuing library and provides the bona fides for eligibility to the scheme. Further proof should not be required. Any local conditions (such as the need for a passport photograph to be provided or a delay in obtaining a library card) should be clearly displayed on your library web site.

We receive users with SCONUL Access cards which run out before the end of our academic year, can I still register them?

In some cases the membership period of the scheme may be shortened to the end of the academic year by the home library for their own administrative reasons. This is permissible, but is not recommended as it increases the administrative burden associated with the scheme. Membership may be renewed if the course or placement continues. Where the host library a user wishes to visit usually issues library cards until the end of their own academic year but the user’s SCONUL Access card expires before that date, the host library should issue a library card until the expiry date on the SCONUL Access card, to be renewed after the SCONUL Access card has been reissued.

We have a group of students who are part – time / distance learners registered for a higher degree awarded wholly by research. Are they eligible for both the SCONUL Access bands A and B?

Yes. There is an overlap where the student could be considered a member of both bands of SCONUL Access and therefore may gain privileges in libraries that participate in either or both of these bands. However the student should understand that they may only be registered once at any member library. Staff should write both A and B on the card rather than issuing two cards.

Do we need to provide access to computers for SCONUL Access users?

SCONUL Access card holders qualify as walk in users as defined by JISC and EduServe so computer access may be possible. However each university has its own arrangements with software suppliers and database providers. These arrangements have licenses which specify who can and cannot use these resources. In addition, each University will have its own policies on who can or cannot access its networks for obvious security reasons.

I have a problem with a user and am uncertain what to do!

Use the SCONUL Access discussion list to alert other member institutions. This is a closed list and each member institution has a contact on it. Your contact should post to the list informing other members that they should check their records. If your contact is unavailable for some reason, please contact the project officers (Maria Hiscoe m.hiscoe@o2.co.uk or Susan Baker sbaker@clayworthsj.demon.co.uk) and we will post for you.

We are trying to promote our access schemes. Do you have any material for SCONUL Access?

Please order SCONUL Access publicity material via your SCONUL Access contact. If you are the contact, please go to the Contacts section of the site and click on Order SCONUL Access stationery/publicity to use the online order form.

I have run out of supplies of cards and publicity material. Where can I get some more?

Please order SCONUL Access cards and publicity material via your SCONUL Access contact. If you are the contact, please go to the Contacts section of the site and click on Order SCONUL Access stationery/publicity to use the online order form.

Why do we need to compile statistics?

Funding bodies normally require empirical evidence of value for money when awarding grants and the usage statistics we request are part of that feedback loop. The statistics will also be used to back up any future requests for funding.

Why do I need to send statistics when my institution has a null return?

It is very helpful to have a reply from every member institution, even when this is a null return, as it helps to give a complete picture of use across the sector. It also assures us that all institutional contacts have received and acted on the request for statistics.

May we accept electronic signatures when issuing a SCONUL Access card?

If your institution wishes to use electronic signatures and you can establish the status of the individual with certainty from the email, then you may accept electronic signatures when issuing a SCONUL Access card.

Please note: each institution is responsible for the behaviour of anyone they refer into the scheme. If an individual absconds with material then you are financially responsible for its replacement.

How can we be sure that an individual applying for membership of our library under SCONUL Access is doing so legitimately?

If the individual holds a valid SCONUL Access card then they must be admitted under the scheme. The SCONUL Access card is signed by a member of library staff at the issuing library and provides the bona fides for eligibility to the scheme. Further proof is not required. Any local conditions (such as the need for a passport photograph to be provided or a delay in obtaining a library card) should be clearly displayed on your library web site.

We offer band B so can issue SA Reference cards. Can we issue a reference card to a taught postgraduate student, who is a holder of a Band C card so that they can access institutions which only offer bands A and B?

Yes you may, however you must be very clear with the student the basis on which they are gaining access to the band A or B institution, i.e. reference only.