You will have seen the VC’s announcement on Wednesday the 25th of March that in line with government advice the University library building is closed until further notice.

We are continuing to offer online services to MQ staff and students, including:

A range of self-help tools via our website including LibGuides and the StudyWISE iLearn module
Chat and email for all queries (8am-8pm Mon-Fri and 10am – 6pm Sat-Sun)
Research librarian and WriteWISE consultations via Zoom 
Access to our online collections of ebooks, journals and databases
Unit readings via Leganto
Increased copyright support for teaching staff to assist moving unit readings and teaching material online

Our physical collections are currently unavailable, but we have been working to expand our electronic collections to compensate for this. In particular, for our students we have been reviewing the print reserve collection and wherever possible ensuring we have a digital substitute. Publishers have also generously extended access to electronic collections to help fill gaps. Our document delivery and interlibrary loan service which I know is popular with academic staff and postgraduates is operating in a limited form, as we are dependent on the situation at lending libraries. We are looking at ways we might be able to provide some limited access to our physical collections and will keep you informed about this.

The decision to close the physical library building was not an easy one and was certainly not taken lightly. I believe the library is a critical part of the learning and research mission of the University and I know our students and staff value our physical collections, our safe and well-managed study spaces, and the the expert support our librarians provide at our service desks and in our workshops and classes. Pausing access to these services is difficult and I want to acknowledge the impact this will have on our clients.

However, I strongly believe we have excellent digital services and collections, and library staff are fully committed to continuing to support students and staff. We’ve created a webpage to update our clients on current library services and bring together the digital services we continue to offer. 

Kind Regards,

Belinda Tiffen
University Librarian

Posted by Learning Skills and Library

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