Procedures and job descriptions

Sconul Access procedures for:

Senior Managers guide

As institutional members of SCONUL Access you should:

Ensure that the scheme is implemented according to the SCONUL Access Constitution and Operating Principles
Ensure that your library does not introduce any additional checks or alterations to the published procedures
Provide a link from your web site to the SCONUL Access web site
Designate an appropriate named contact with responsibility for the scheme
Use SCONUL Access stationery and publicity material for SCONUL Access
Provide training for frontline staff in implementing SCONUL Access
Designate a borrowing entitlement for SCONUL Access users, as a minimum that given to existing external borrowers
Ensure that library and institutional security staff recognise the entry and access entitlements of SCONUL Access card holders
Ensure that the requirements for registration and statistics collection under SCONUL Access are carried out by systems and frontline staff
Pay any debts of SCONUL Access users registered by your library, which host libraries have been unable to collect
Use all the powers at your disposal to discipline those from your institution who are in default under the SCONUL Access scheme
Give one academic term’s notice if resigning from the scheme

Institutional contact guide

As institutional contact for SCONUL Access you should:

liaise with systems and frontline staff about SCONUL Access
provide induction and staff training in the SCONUL Access scheme
disseminate information about SCONUL Access
ensure that your website clearly states any local conditions for obtaining a library card (for example, new tickets may only be issued during office hours or readers may need to supply a passport sized photograph)
ensure the timely submission of SCONUL Access statistics
check statistical returns made by systems staff
ensure frontline staff comply with data entry requirements at the time of registering SCONUL Access users (see guide for frontline staff)
ensure that mechanisms exist to pay debts promptly if your users are in default at a host library
inform the home institution of a SCONUL Access user if their membership is withdrawn
use the closed SCONUL Access mailing list to inform other members of SCONUL Access users who are in default

Systems staff guide

Data collection tool

SCONUL is keen to monitor the impact of the access scheme, looking at demand from other participating members of the scheme. These figures can then be used to provide both national patterns of access. A standard data entry tool will be provided by the SCONUL Access administrators and this should be used to ensure that all participating members of the scheme adhere to the same method of data collection.

Submitting statistics

SCONUL needs to monitor the impact of SCONUL Access as a measure of the usefulness of the scheme for current and future funders.

Statistics will be required on an annual basis, covering the period 1 August to 31 July; the institutional contact will be sent a 'reminder' in advance, which will give the date of submission. The statistics requested will be registration and loans (including renewals) for the different 'bands' of incoming borrowers. Statistics on outgoing users are not required.

The bands reflect the agreements made under earlier schemes, SCONUL Research Extra (SRX) and UK Libraries Plus (UKLP), and are shown below.

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

In order to ensure that these requirements can be met please:

ensure that the borrower records of SCONUL Access users can be encoded to differentiate between the different 'bands' of users
ensure that the borrower records of SCONUL Access users can record the home institution of the user
liaise with supervisors to ensure that frontline staff input correct information in the correct format in the appropriate fields
collect statistics as required under the scheme
submit statistics in a timely manner

For more detailed information please refer to the SCONUL Access Statistics Instructions.

Procedures for frontline staff

Background

SCONUL Access provides borrowing privileges for the following 'bands' of users. The bands reflect the agreements made under earlier schemes, SCONUL Research Extra (SRX) and UK Libraries Plus (UKLP), and are shown below.

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

Registering a user with the SCONUL Access scheme

The user should fill in and sign a SCONUL Access application form which can be downloaded from the SCONUL Access site. To register for SCONUL Access first check that the user is in good standing with your library (i.e. have no outstanding debts or record of bad debts) and falls into one of the following categories which your library has agreed to accept:

Band A

Staff member on an open or fixed term contract OR
Postgraduate research student registered for a qualification awarded purely by research

Band B

Part-time student
Distance learning student
Placement student (full-time students on a placement of 6 weeks or more)

These students must be registered on a course (or research programme) leading to a university award running for a minimum of one year

Band B libraries can also offer reference only access to full time students and to staff.

Band C

Full-time post graduate student (Taught Masters and Certificates etc.)

Issue a SCONUL Access card for:

the duration of the user's library registration or
the duration of the user's institutional I.D. card validity or
the duration of the user's placement

three years

whichever is the shorter period.

Advise the user that their membership of the scheme may be extended if their employment or registration continues. In some cases the membership period 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.

Fill in the band of the user or write reference as appropriate on the SCONUL Access card, sign it in the Authorised by area and stamp it on the reverse with your library stamp

Advise the user that they must present both their SCONUL Access card and their library/ID card when registering with participating host libraries.

Advise the user to check the websites of individual member libraries for their opening hours and any other local conditions (for example, new tickets may only be issued during office hours, also it is possible that they will need to supply a passport sized photograph).

Advise the user that not all academic libraries are members of the scheme and that not all members accept users from all bands. Highlight the importance of checking the list of participating libraries, available on the SCONUL Access website at www.access.sconul.ac.uk/members

Provide the user with a copy of the SCONUL Access user guide or recommend that they download one from www.access.sconul.ac.uk/users_info/guide_msword

Receiving a SCONUL Access user

Check the user's SCONUL Access card and home library/ID card (both are necessary for registration to proceed)

the SCONUL Access 'band' into which the user falls (A, B, C or Reference)
the home institution of the SCONUL Access user (in case you need to recover any outstanding debts from their home institution library

The period of registration should coincide with the period of registration shown on the SCONUL Access card, which normally will be for:

the duration of the user's library registration or
the duration of the user's institutional I.D. card validity or
the duration of the user's placement

three years

whichever is the shorter period.

In some cases the membership period 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 employment, 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 if the SCONUL Access card is reissued.

Return the SCONUL Access card to the user and provide them with a copy of the rules and regulations of your library.

Advise the user of any restrictions in access such as to electronic services, short loan collections, specialist collections or specialist materials

Advise the user that they will be responsible for any debts incurred and will be expected to pay the replacement cost of any books lost

In the event of default

Arrangements for recovering debts from SCONUL Access card holders should follow the normal pattern of reminders etc. for external readers, after which time the debt should be recovered from the home institution library via your institutional contact.

Arrangements for withdrawing membership from SCONUL Access card holders should follow the normal pattern for external readers, after which time membership of your library may be withdrawn. Where possible, inform the home institution of this action via your institutional contact.