Library Services

General Information Services for AU Students Contact Us

Information Literacy Interlibrary Loans Reference Services Orientation for New AU Staff

Services for AU Alumni Services for AU Faculty & Tutors Services for External Borrowers

General Information

AU Library supports students in AU courses by collecting online, print and audiovisual resources in subject areas taught at the university, and making these available to the AU community. In addition, the Library provides a range of services to students, which are included in the cost of tuition. Additional information about these services can be found in the next section of this guide.

In addition to providing library services to the university's primary clientele (AU students, staff, faculty, and tutors), the Library also provides library service to individuals who live in or near the Town of Athabasca. For more information on this service, please see the Services for External Borrowers page.

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Services for AU Students

As an Athabasca University student, you can access the following services:

• Access AU subscribed online full-text journal databases, e-books and other electronic collections.
• Search AUCAT, the online catalogue of library materials and borrow materials from the AU Library collection.
• Access library assistance and instruction from staff at the Library Information Desk.
• Request interlibrary loan (ILL) for journal articles and book chapters.

AU Library will make reasonable attempts to provide library services to students outside of Canada.

Requests for assistance to the Library Information Desk can be made by phone, email, online or fax and you can expect that your request will be acknowledged within 24 hours or on the next business day. The Library is open from 8:30-4:30 MT, Monday-Friday.

Materials are normally mailed to your home address with an appropriate return card included for return of materials to the AU Library

Requesting Materials

• Contact the Library Information Desk by phone, fax, e-mail, online, or in person (see the Contacts page for more details).
• Provide your name, student ID number, daytime phone number, course name and number, e-mail address and/or fax number if appropriate.
• Describe the nature of the library request (identify specific materials or provide a description of the subject matter).

Circulation Policies

• Loan Periods on Materials
  
  
  • The standard loan period is four (4) weeks.
  • Some materials for specific courses have an extended loan period.
  • Reference materials do not normally circulate.
  • Full issues of printed journals do not circulate.


• Renewals of Library Materials
  
  
  • Normally, materials may be renewed twice, unless the material is requested by another user. You can renew materials using View Your Account, on the Library's home page.


• Delivery of Materials
  
  
  • Materials are normally sent to the student's mailing address, with a pre-addressed mail card for return of the materials to the AU Library.
  • Students may request delivery and return of Library materials at one of the AU Learning Centres in Calgary or Edmonton, Alberta.
  • Special delivery or courier of materials may be requested at the student's expense.
  
  

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Interlibrary Loans

Interlibrary Loans is a process by which you can request certain materials be borrowed from another library on your behalf. For more information about Interlibrary loan, please click on the first link below.

• Interlibrary loan request form (for AU faculty, staff, and students only)
  
• Other libraries requesting material from the AU Library collection

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Reference Services

Athabasca University Library provides Reference Services to all active AU students, staff, faculty and tutors. Reference Services include instruction in the use of resources, creation of effective search strategies and research assistance.

Reference staff are available weekdays from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (Mountain Standard Time) and can be reached by:

Mail	Athabasca University Library, 1 University Drive, Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3 Canada
Telephone	1-800-788-9041 ext. 6254,
Fax	(780) 675-6477
Email	library@athabascau.ca
WWW	Fill out the AU Library Request Form

Note: When contacting the Library for assistance with reference requests, please be sure to provide as much information about your topic as possible, along with any sources you have already consulted, if appropriate.

Library staff will not provide medical or legal advice.

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Services for AU Alumni

Online access to databases

Library Services and Alumni Relations are pleased to announce that AU Alumni, through the generous support of the Office of Athabasca University Alumni Relations, now have access to the following online databases:

Access to these databases requires user authentication through the AU Single Sign-on server. At the authentication screen, please be prepared to enter your AU student number and password. If you have difficulty, please contact the AU Library Information Desk.

Regular library services

Athabasca University Library also provides the following library services to alumni members

1. Alumni may search the library catalogue and access publicly available information on the Library's web site.

2. Alumni may purchase AU library borrowing privileges for a $20.00 annual fee. This entitles alumni members to three borrowing transactions with a limit of two items per transaction, with return postage paid in Canada. The annual fee covers a one-year period from the date that the Library receives the fee. Should the three transactions be used up before the end of the year an additional three borrowing transactions may be obtained by paying another $20.00 fee.

3. Alumni may receive photocopying services for materials in the AU collection at the rate of ten cents per page.

4. Alumni may use interlibrary loan (ILL) services for journal articles at the rate of $3.50 per journal article, plus any additional charges imposed on AU in acquiring the material.

5. Alumni who remain active in an AU course are entitled to full library services as AU students and are not charged borrowing fees.

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Services for External Borrowers

Collection Profile and Purpose

Athabasca University Library primarily serves the students, faculty and staff of Athabasca University and its collection focuses on materials that support programs offered by Athabasca University. Therefore, materials in the AU Library are generally at a university level. The collection has a particular strength in distance education. Individuals who live in the Athabasca area are welcome to use the Library and its collections.

Some materials in the Library's collection are restricted to use by AU students. Generally these materials are found in the Course Materials collection.

Library staff will assist with the use of AU Library resources, including databases and elementary Internet searching. Library staff cannot assist with software and resources not supported by Athabasca University, such as Hotmail, Yahoo!Mail, etc.

All patrons are expected to abide by the policies of Athabasca University, including the "Computer Lab Conditions of Use", the "Sexual Harassment Policy" and the "Information Technology Electronic Data Security Policy". Copies of these policies are available from the Library Information Desk.

Library staff will not provide medical or legal advice.

Borrowing Privileges

To become an external borrower, please provide your name, address and phone number to the AU Library.
Borrowing is subject to the following conditions:

• The patron must sign out material in person. Material will not be mailed out to external borrowers.
• The loan period is 4 weeks.
• Materials are subject to recall.
• Material can be returned after hours to the drop box outside the Library entrance.

Non-Circulating Materials

The following materials do not circulate:

• Journal issues
• Items in the Reference Collection
• Course packages and course materials

Renewals

Materials may be renewed by contacting the AU Library directly by phone, fax or e-mail. Renewals are normally granted unless an item is on hold for another patron or has been recalled for another patron.

Holds and Recalls

External borrowers may request holds to be placed on circulating material. Recalls will be placed at the discretion of library staff, taking into account use of the material by the primary clientele of Athabasca University Library.

External borrowers cannot place holds and recalls automatically through AUCAT using the "request this item" button.

Overdue Material and Lost Materials

External Borrowers will receive overdue notices and will be invoiced for materials that are not returned. Failure to clear overdues or invoices will result in a suspension of borrowing privileges.

Photocopying Charges (includes microfilm/microfiche)

For Library material (e.g. reference collection materials; journal articles):

$0.10 per page


For non-library material (material brought in by patron):

$0.20 per page

Interlibrary Loans

Athabasca University Library provides InterLibrary Loan service on a cost basis. Please contact the InterLibrary Loans Office at (780) 675-6251 or by e-mail at: interlib@athabascau.ca for details.

Most public library systems provide interlibrary loan services at no charge

Audio-Visual Equipment

The Library's audio-visual equipment is for the use of Athabasca University staff, faculty and students. External users may borrow equipment by filling out the appropriate form, including a credit card number. University insurance does not cover University equipment when it is being used by persons not on staff at Athabasca University. External users will be charged for any damage to or loss of equipment. AV equipment may be used within the Library to preview material.

Access to Databases

AU Library subscribes to a number of databases which provide access to journal articles, statistics and other types of data. External users may access these databases on site in the AU Library.

Licensing agreements with the database vendors prevent external users from accessing these databases from personal Internet accounts. Remote access to databases is restricted to AU students, faculty and staff.

Children and the AU Library Collection

AU Library's collection has been developed to support university level courses on a wide variety of topics, including human sexuality, religion and politics at an adult level. Parents and guardians are expected to monitor their children while in the Library and the materials borrowed by their children.