Self issue is coming to GC LRC!

I am sure you are all used to using self service by now. It seems to be everywhere from the Post Office to Supermarkets and now it is coming to your LRC!

This exciting project will improve customer service by giving staff and students the choice of avoiding queues to issue and return their books.  The system uses RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) that will allow us to further develop stock management and control.

In order to make self issue a reality the LRC staff have been incredibly busy processing the stock over the last 7 weeks. We have also been closed for 3 days over half-term to install our new security gates.

On the left you can see Debbie pretending to steal a book, which makes the new gates light up red. The gates are also smart and will be able to give the us much more accurate visitor statistics than our old ones.

The self issue kiosk has also been delivered (photo on the right).

The kiosk allows you to return, renew and issue LRC resources. The kiosk is currently being housed in Meeting Room 2 so that LRC staff can be trained in how to use it as well as giving us time to make sure it is configured correctly before it goes live after Easter.

In the mean time we have a RFID pad set up at the issue desk so we can issue and return your books for you without the alarm going off.

Please bear with us during this transition as staff get used to the new system.

More information and updates on how the project is going will be on the blog soon!

Half term opening

Please note: All three LRCs will be CLOSED on Friday 15 February for staff training.

The LRCs will be open at the following times over half term.

Farnham College

Monday - Tuesday           9.00 - 5.00

Wednesday - Friday        CLOSED

Guildford College

Monday - Wednesday     CLOSED

Thursday - Friday            9.30 - 4.30

Merrist Wood

Monday - Friday              9.30 - 4.30

Snow renewals

As the snow is coming down outside and many of you will find it difficult or impossible to get into college today the LRCs have renewed any items due back today.

All 1 day loan items (mainly DVDs) are now due back on Monday 21 January.

All other items have been renewed to Friday 25 January.

Stay safe everyone.

Top e-books in December

Business once again hold onto top spot in the pages viewed chart for last month with Beauty Therapy, Tourism & Hospitality, and Photography taking the other places in the top ten.  In our downloads chart Counselling have claimed top spot this time round.

Here's November's chart:

8269   BTEC Level 3 National Business Book 1
1665   BTEC Level 3 Business Book 2
587     Beauty therapy. - 3rd ed.
342     The business plan workbook
329     Aromatherapy : therapy basics
281     Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice     
219     Human resources management in the hospitality industry
209     Travel & tourism for BTEC Level 3 National Book 1
144     Langford's basic photography
137     Business law   

The top downloaded books for December were:

5   A life of one's own
3   Special educational needs, inclusion and diversity
3   BTEC First Business: Level 2
3   BTEC Level 3 National Business Book 1

Warning Banned Books!

To celebrate Equality and Diversity Week 2012 all three LRCs showcased Banned Books!

Banned Books created a stir at all the sites with students getting involved in the quiz as well as discussing the books that were banned and also the issues surrounding the banning of books.

The aim of the quiz was to correctly identify whether the books had been or are currently banned either here in the UK or in another country. We used the following website as a guide to which books were banned and why. We had over 220 entries so a big thank you to everyone who took part!

The winners are: Lorna Taylor (FC), Mo Herbert (MW), Mary Apple Radam (GC).

Here are the answers so you can check which ones you got right:

Birdsong - Not Banned
Women in Love - Not Banned
Hairy Scary Monster - Not Banned
To Kill a Mocking Bird - Banned
Black Beauty - Banned
A Clockwork Orange - Banned
Refugee Boy - Not Banned
Wild Swans - Banned
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - Banned
The Perks of being a Wallflower - Banned
The Brutal Art - Not Banned
And Tango Makes Three - Banned
The Da Vinci Code - Banned
The Godfather - Not Banned
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Banned 


Students also submitted comments and reviews of Banned Books -  here are a few along with some pictures of our displays. Enjoy!

Wild Swans by Jung Chang. "It is a brilliant book! So vivid and honest and it's all true. It actually happened that is what is so incredible. I admire these 3 brave women."

"Harry Potter banned in America? Meant to be a so called 'free country'! Censorship comes to mind."


"American Psycho should be permanently banned it's a very disturbing read" 


"Adolf Hitler's 'Meine Kampf' should not be banned - he was entitled to his political opinion."

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. "I loved Of Mice and Men because it was interesting and made me want to read more."


The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. "My favourite book ever. Clever, smart, thoughtful and very moreish. Read this hundreds of times. Worth a read!"

Happy Christmas!

Don't forget that even though we're closed over Christmas and the New Year you can still access all our e-books and other online resources 24/7.

Look for the LRC under Key Courses on Moodle to find links to Heritage (library catalogue) and our e-resources.

Just like Sainsbury’s!

That was a comment from a teacher about a recent move of stock.  I assured him that there was a purpose to the move.

We have had to reclassify stock for two reasons:

• changes in the latest version of our classification scheme, Dewey
• the fact that the combined catalogue for the three sites shows up any areas where one or two have made changes to the official classification. (We do this to make things easier for our students.) However, if we don't all use the same number, we can end up with one book having three classification numbers.

So far we have moved stock in these areas where the Dewey number has changed:

• 760 Graphic arts have been relocated to 740
• 775 Digital photography has been moved to 770 for general works and 771 for manuals
• 778.5 Cinematography and videography have relocated to 777

Some of the subjects we have moved as we have standardised our local practice are:

• Research Skills and Study Skills (various classification numbers)
• Artists and painters that were spread throughout 700-719 and 759 are now just at 759

Students and staff: if your books are not on the shelf where you expect them to be, check the catalogue or ask a friendly librarian!