Welcome to the beginning of another exciting year at Drill Hall Library if you are a returning student; an equally warm welcome is extended to all our new students.
The Drill Hall Library team has been busy with preparations to make your library experience even better than it was last year. During the summer break, we carried out quite a few innovations to improve the level of service we offer as well as your learning experience.
New additions to our stock
The stock supporting the courses run by the Centre for Careers and Professional Development (CCPD) has been transferred from Canterbury Christ Church University’s Salomons campus to the Drill Hall Library. This material covers careers, vocational guidance and counselling for young people. The CCPD stock includes books, journals and a reference collection of prospectuses and other information useful for job-seekers. The reference collection is shelved in the Group Study Zone, behind the fiction books and DVDs.
2,000 music books have been transferred from the University of Kent Templeman library in Canterbury to the Drill Hall Library to help resource the Music courses at the Medway campus. These cover classical music and popular song, including a collection of scores as well as useful research resources from biographies of composers to collections of letters written by key figures in music history. A rich collection of music CDs has also been added to the Drill Hall Library collection. The CDs are shelved near the music books and music scores in the Quiet Study Zone.
IT Upgrades
All student PCs have been upgraded and replaced with the latest flat panel All-In-One units. These state of the art computers combine functionality with style offering large 23″ screens, improved performance and power consumption.
10 new scanners have been procured and installed throughout the Group and Quiet Study Zones. These are in addition to the existing stock attached to the Express PCs. The new scanners don’t have any time restriction and instructions for use can be found on the information icon on your desktop.
Library acquires a New Microfilm Scanner
We have procured a new microfilm scanner. This facility will afford you the opportunity to view a wide range of articles published in popular newspapers relating to the Second World War. In total we have around 80 reels of good quality films.
iPads available at the Welcome Desk
Coming soon… iPads will be available for short-term loan for use within the library. Further details will be announced shortly when the service is launched later in the term.
More relaxation space
We know how scarce outdoor relaxation space is around Medway Campus and following suggestions from staff and students we have created further seating by installing planters with attached benches in the area immediate outside the library main entrance.
Now you don’t really have to travel far from the library to catch up with your friends. We selected an environmentally friendly option in a bid to improve the general look and feel of the library area. Take a break and enjoy the fresh air and green ambience.
We have also procured a suite of 3 comfort chairs for use in the Silent Study Zone inside the library.
KeyPoint
Come and visit our newly revamped KeyPoint which is located close to the Archibald Hay Mess in the Group Study Zone. The KeyPoint service is an avenue for our users to engage with professionals from different walks of life in a face-to-face format to acquire answers to questions on a wide range of subjects. Our programme of events will be published on our new Library Events calendar accessible in the Links section on our website homepage. Events will be published regularly so you can take advantage of this facility to improve your learning experience. During the first few weeks of term we will be holding drop-in sessions helping you to connect your laptop and mobile device to our wifi network.
New Books Display
We are proud to showcase our newly collected range of books. They are on display in dedicated shelves located in
the Group Study Zone and cover a wide range of subjects. Please note that these books are only on display for a short period of time before being integrated into the collection. If you need assistance in accessing them; please contact our Welcome Desk or ask any member of staff for help.
Noisy Neighbours
This is just to remind you that the Noisy Neighbour scheme designed to mitigate noise levels within the library is still in place. An icon has been provided on your desktop to enable you report noisy users discreetly.
Special collection
The “special collection” includes DVD box sets or books that are either out of print, very expensive or first editions. You can find these items located on our library catalogue as “special collection”. Predominantly these items will be “Medway Overnight Loans” and due to their status unfortunately cannot be reserved.
These special collection items are housed in a glass cabinet by the Welcome Desk and can be issued from the Welcome Desk only. A list of all the items housed in the “special collection” is held at the Welcome Desk. Please ask.
Student experience survey
Finally, we’d like to remind you all about the survey that is running until 30 September. Please take a few minutes to give us your feedback on opening hours and zone configuration. You may be the lucky winner of a £25 Amazon voucher.
