Home / Information for users / Information for users

User Bands

Types of User and Bands of Offer

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 member libraries to choose to offer borrowing to all or some of the following groups of users. These groups are known as bands and are a reflection of the old schemes. Check the list below to see into which band you fall.

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

Please note that Band B includes reference only access for full time staff and students, if not covered elsewhere (including undergraduates)

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.

  • Students on continuing education courses lasting less than one year, where the normal expectation is that the course forms part of a longer programme involving study for one year or more.

  • 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.

  • Full-time postgraduate 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 by those member libraries, which offer Band B.