Start strong this semester

Learn essential computer and study skills to help you succeed at Unitec:

Study skills, academic writing and referencing

• Workshops for undergraduates (click here to book - for APA referencing workshops click on "rev up your writing...')
  
• Workshops for postgraduates (click here to book - for workshops on Endnote, Zotero and Databases click on the 'locate appropriate info and keep records...)
  

Computer / IT skills

• Unitec Computer Orientation (drop in) runs until 13th March
• IMS (Unitec computers) Quickstart Course: You can do this online in your own time
  Note: The two courses above cover Unitec systems. For free Microsoft Office training see FREE4U and FreeB courses. 
• Moodle help
• Printing and copying help
• For learning about referencing software and searching library databases see under 'study skills'

Course Reserve is changing (Teachers please note)

Course Reserve is the name the Library uses for course-related items that are kept at the desk for issuing on short loan. Course Reserve (Short Loan) items are a subset of Course Reading Lists.

Course Reading Lists

Our recent library system upgrade enables us to display your entire Course Reading List on LibrarySearch. We can link to items online (such as ebooks) as well as items physically located in any part of the Library, not just Course Reserve items held at the desk.

To access a Course Reading List just select the ‘Course Reading’ tab in LibrarySearch and search for the course code, course name or lecturer name.

Submitting and checking your Course Reading List

For Semester One 2015 please email your Course Reading List to the administrator (see below). Remember to include your course code and name. If you require items to go on Course Reserve please see the instructions below.

If you have already provided us with your reading list for Semester One 2015 please check your reading list on LibrarySearch now. If you need to make any changes please contact your administrator.

Course Reserve criteria

At the end of 2014 we removed all items from Course Reserve (see NEST notice 18/11/14). This semester we are putting items back on Course Reserve when they meet these criteria:

• The item is in genuine high demand – that is, it has been borrowed at least 10 times in the previous year (or 5 times in the previous semester) and it is required or recommended reading for a course being taught this semester.
  or
• The item was purchased recently and it is required or recommended reading for a course being taught this semester.

Notes:

1. There is a limit of 15 items per course for Course Reserve.
2. Some items are permanently kept on Course Reserve, for example, if difficult to replace due to high replacement value. These items are not always restricted to short loan periods.

At the end of each semester, items on Course Reserve will be returned to the open shelves. They will remain on reserve only if you notify us before the end of semester (see below).

Putting items on Course Reserve

To put items on Course Reserve please use the Course Reserve Request Form and follow the guidelines for articles and copyright compliance.

Procedure to ensure items remain on Course Reserve

Items will only remain on course reserve if:

• you confirm before the end of the semester that the course will be taught the following semester
  and
• the items come within the above Course Reserve criteria

ALL Items will be removed from Course Reserve and returned to the open shelves at the end of each semester unless the above procedure is followed.

Can I get a list of the items on Course Reserve in 2014?

Click here to download a spreadsheet of all items on Course Reserve in 2014. Scroll down the list or use ‘find’ to jump to specific items on the list. Note the column that indicates how many times the item was borrowed. If the item was borrowed more than 10 times and the course is being taught this semester the items may have been put back onto Course Reserve for this semester. Please check LibrarySearch to see if items are in a Course Reserve location.

Contact people:

Please discuss your course reserve and course reading needs with the Library Knowledge Specialist for your area.

New monthly email sent to all Library users

At the end of each month you will receive an email listing your current loans as well as the total balance of any outstanding fines or fees.

The information emailed will be as at the date it was sent.  For more up-to-date information check your account by logging into your Library account - just click the 'My Library LOG IN' link at top right of the library website homepage.

This monthly Library activity report is new from the beginning of 2015 - we did not do this in earlier years.

Fines and fees and how to avoid them

About Fines

You will be fined if books are overdue (returned after the due date) or the book is lost or is so overdue it is declared 'lost'*.

Overdue Fines
Overdue fines only show when the overdue book is returned. If you are in habit of getting fines please check your account regularly to see if books are overdue. They could be increasing daily. Note overdue short loan and recalled items have very high fines. See the fine amounts page on our website. To help you avoid fines we will renew your books for you if no one has requested them (up to your renewal limit) . See more about auto-renewals and how to avoid fines below.

Lost book fines
Lost book replacement fines are incurred if a book you borrowed is lost by you. Lost book fines are applied to your account when you tell us a book is lost or when the book has been overdue for more than 60 days (at which point the library system changes the status from 'overdue' to 'lost'). If a lost book is found, the lost book fine is refunded but the overdue fine must still be paid.

Consequences of having fines and fees:

• If unpaid fines (for all your overdue items) total more than $5 you will be blocked from borrowing.
• If unpaid fines or lost book fees total more than $50 you will be blocked from many Unitec services and may be subject to debt collection procedures. See section 4.9 of the Library Policy.

Auto-renewals
Your borrowed book/item will be automatically renewed 3 days before the due date, unless someone else has requested it or you’ve reached your renewal limit. If the item can’t be renewed, we will send you an email reminding you to return it.

Recalled items
If someone wants an item you have, it gets recalled. You will be notified of the new, earlier, due date by email.Note overdue fines for recalled books are much higher than normal books.

How to avoid fines and fees:

• Return short loan items on time as they have very high overdue fines
• Return recalled items as soon as you get notified as they have very high overdue fines
• Check your email regularly - we we will send you a reminder just before a book is due
• Check your library account online regularly to see when books are due
• Use the self check machine to borrow books and opt to get a printed due date receipt.

Notifications:

• You will get a reminder via email when books are due. 
• You will be notified by email when the system makes a book's status 'lost' .
• Reminders about outstanding fines and fees are notified to you monthly via email in your Library activity report. Note this monthly activity report is new from the beginning of 2015 - we did not do this in earlier years.

Questions?

The first point of contact regarding fines and fees is the Customer Service Assistants at each branch. Contact them via the branch phone number or email address on our 'contact us' web page.

Accessing 'My Favourites' on old LibrarySearch

The LibrarySearch system was upgraded and moved to another server on 3rd December. Unfortunately we were unable to migrate each user's 'my favourites' and saved searches.

What are 'my library favorites'? 

If you used LibrarySearch or website last year to search the Library catalogue for books or databases for articles, and you saved any records from the search results or if you save any search queries then you may have information saved under  ‘My Favourites’. We upgraded our library system at end of last year and we were not able to migrate individual’s saved records and search queries. Below we outline how you can login to the old system and retrieve your saved list or make a record of it. You have until 20 March to do this. After 20 March we will be switching off the old system. NOTE that you cannot place requests through the old system.

To obtain a record we suggest you email your LibrarySearch favorites to yourself or print out the list and save it.  (The email gives a very brief record, the print option provides much more information.)

In order to do this, follow these steps:

1. Go to old LibrarySearch  http://libsearch.unitec.ac.nz:1701/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid=unitec 
2. Login  (click login on top right)
3. Click My Account
4. Click My Favourites
5. Select all the favorited items you wish to have a record of or click top checkbox to select them all
6. Click on the Print; or E-mail link on right, complete the short form that pops up and click SEND
   

           

Old LibrarySearch

 

New LibrarySearch

Note: Unitec Staff and students were first notified of this on 27 November 2014 via the NEST and Library website and facebook

New Library System has gone live!

Hurray – The new library system has gone live! Read on for a summary of how finding books, requesting, borrowing and renewing has changed.

Finding books

You can still search for library books the same way in LibraySearch, but after you search there are a few changes to the results list as follows:

• A new tab called "Find in Library" has replaced the old "locations" and "request" tabs.
• Use “Find in library” for more about where to find print books and journals (including their library shelf location) and request options
• To request items, log in at the top right of librarysearch, and go to 'find in library'>'request'
• If we have more than one edition/version of a title, click the title link or the “view versions ” link (on the right) for a list. The latest edition should display at the top of the list.

You still use “View online” to access ebooks and ejournals, and 'Details' to see the full catalogue record of the book or item.

Finding Databases and eJournals:

• Find databases for your research in your subjects's study guide. We are phasing out the 'Databases A-Z' list in April. However we are cataloguing the databases so you will be able to find and access them by searching LibrarySearch
• Find eJournals by searching the catalogue, or using the 'eJournals A-Z' linked from LibrarySearch top menu
 

Handy new borrowing features:

• Items will be automatically renewed 3 days before the due date, unless someone else has requested it or you’ve reached your renewal limit. If it can’t be renewed, you will receive an email so you know to return it.
• You can ask to get a due date receipt emailed to you from the desk. We will no longer print due date slips at the desk but you can opt to get a printed due date receipt when you borrow books at the self-check machine.
• You will receive a monthly email listing your current loans and the total balance of any outstanding fines as at the date of the email. You can also check your library account online by logging in from the Library webpage.

NOTE: If someone needs an item you have, it still gets recalled. We will contact you with a new, earlier, due date by email. You must return a recalled book by its new due date or you will incur very high fines.

More information about borrowing is available at: http://library.unitec.ac.nz/services/borrowing.htm

Questions and feedback are welcome – post a comment to this blog or email library@unitec.ac.nz

IMPORTANT NOTICE for those with 'my favorites' in LibrarySearch

The LibrarySearch system was upgraded and moved to another server on 3rd December. Unfortunately we were unable to migrate each user's 'my favourites'.

Access to the old LibrarySearch is being made available until 20 March 2015 so that you can get a copy of your favourites.  NOTE that you cannot place requests through the old system.

To obtain a record we suggest you email your LibrarySearch favorites to yourself or print out the list and save it.  (The email gives a very brief record, the print option provides much more information.)
In order to do this, follow these steps:

1. Go to old LibrarySearch  http://libsearch.unitec.ac.nz:1701/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid=unitec 
2. Login  (click login on top right)
3. Click My Account
4. Click My Favourites
5. Select all the favorited items you wish to have a record of or click top checkbox to select them all
6. Click on the Print; or E-mail link on right, complete the short form that pops up and click SEND
   

           

Old LibrarySearch

 

New LibrarySearch