Student Services
3.1 Library Services
The role of the DkIT library is to encourage, facilitate and enable learning, critical thinking and teaching. The Library does this by providing access to services tailored to the needs of members of DkIT, by responding to needs, by creating physical and virtual spaces where people can work with information and by encouraging intellectual exploration in general.
Access to up-to-date information is of upmost importance especially in the era of evidence-based practice. Learning how to find, manage and critically evaluate information is an essentially important part of education and research today. The Library plays a vital role in this process, acting both as a gateway to the world’s information and as a ‘laboratory’
environment where best practice information skills can be developed and put into use.
The Library aims to hold as much essential material as may be required. It uses all available technologies – print, digital and A/V material and supports access virtually over the Web or directly. In order to achieve this aim every effort is made to manage resources efficiently and clearly. There are policies and agreements with colleagues and other service providers to ensure that readers get the service they require when they need it. Library staff are encouraged to work in teams, share knowledge and expertise and to take responsibility for their areas of activity. Services are evaluated and assessed regularly to ascertain their value and relevance to readers.
The DkIT Library provides the following services
- borrowing (Readers may borrow most items from the Library for periods ranging from three weeks to one day depending on demand. Most loans can be renewed in person, online or over the telephone and on loan items can be requested and recalled from other readers)
- research and reference
- ongoing resource collection and development - inter-library loans
- information skills training
- access to group and individual study spaces
- access to staff knowledge and support
- course validation and programmatic review resource planning, costing, presentation and implementation
- current awareness and guidance publications both print and online - events such as workshops, lectures and readings
There are six Seminar Rooms in the Library which can be used by all students as group workspaces. There is also an Information Skills learning facilitation room, a presentation practice space and a Roof Garden which are all accessible to students as well. The entire Library has Wi-Fi access with over 100 student spaces containing dedicated electronic desktops offering access to Web based resources and MS Office. Students can avail of all these facilities to read other people’s work and discuss, evaluate and distil information to create new knowledge.
The Library also provides a wide range of learning facilitation sessions through its Information Skills programme. These sessions are purposely designed and integrated into new and returning degree and post-graduate students programmes. They utilise best practice learning facilitation approaches and students learn how to find, critically evaluate, manage and use the many information resources available to them.
Information skills are essential in order to discover and critically appraise information efficiently and manage information effectively. Becoming equipped with these skills can significantly contribute to successful assessment, project and examination results, evidence-based practice, on-going professional career development and life-long learning.
In practice, information skills are essential for all enquiry based learning methods. To self-direct learning and develop critical thinking skills they are continually used to source and apply information to facilitate the learning process. These skills are of great benefit in research and enable the students to develop and graduate from DkIT to pursue their careers with the required key information skills needed in today’s world.
Many Library services can be accessed at any time over the web, including the Library Catalogue which includes a list of fully accessible books and Ebooks
(http://www.dkit.ie/library), Journal Article Databases, Reader Account Information, Renewals, Requests and Inter Library Loan applications. Readers can also avail of an inter-library loan service free of charge if they attend a workshop on this topic and in other instances on payment of a fee.
The Library is open during term time with a full range of helpdesk services and consultations available for arrangement as follows
Mon – Thur 8.30 am – 9.00 pm
Fri 8.30 am – 5.00 pm
Sat 10.00 am – 4.00 pm
Library Resources
As new programmes are initiated, new programme collections are budgeted for and developed to meet the needs of students on these programmes. This facilitates the establishment and maintenance of currency of a new collection and development of subject content. The Library’s Collection Development Policy details the Library’s approach to collection development.
The Library collection includes well over 50,000 items, both physical and electronic and aims to facilitate access to as much essential material as may be required. Most items are openly and quickly accessible at all times. Significant current stock is print based and held on site and increasingly more and more material is going online as well with multiple Ebooks and Ejournal articles content resources available 24/7 on the web. The library web site and specialized subject and research guides provides access to this wealth of material, and the library staff are always eager to give assistance and advice on planning research and assignment strategies and finding and managing the best print and online resources.
Annually, the Library removes out of date material from the collection to ensure that material is kept up to date.
Relevant Books and EBooks currently in stock
Subject Area Titles Available
Anatomy & Physiology 532
Health Promotion 237
Management 2000+
Medicine/ Disease 2000+
Nursing 1393
Nutrition 541
Psychology 2000+
Psychiatry & Mental Health 813
Research Methodology 932
Sociology 1446
Medical Law 122
Medical Ethics 211
Gynaecology 229
Communication Skills 131
Academic Writing 39
Journals
The Library subscribes to a large range of printed journals as well as numerous online journal article databases that provide access to full text journal articles 24/7 on the Web. In many instances an electronic version of a journal is available as well as a print based one.
The library has an A-Z listing of all electronic journals available through the journal article databases. Titles not accessible can be ordered through the inter-library loans service, which can provide full text versions. Library resources at DkIT can be accessed via the Web from any remote locations including home and the clinical area. Students can do literature searches, manage their personalised search alert accounts and download full text journal articles though the Internet. Inter-library loans can also be requested through this facility.
In addition, students can sometimes have access to other libraries while on placement, which can sometimes house good resources of additional educational information.
Relevant Journal Article Databases Available:
Midwifery and Infant Care (Citations & Abstracts Only)
ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health
CINAHL
Academic Search Complete
Science Direct
The Millennium Library system manages the Library’s collections, access and use of them.
This system allows the library to create detailed statistical profiles, including statistics on reading per programme and to track usage of items in a comprehensive manner. Staff and readers have access to internet, email and relevant software packages. Among the features available are:
Reading Lists service – groups all reading material for a programme together under lecturer name and programme code
Featured Lists service – this allows the library to create specific lists of specific material in the library as required
Suggest a Title service
Make a Comment service
Library Staff
The Library employs numerous staff in permanent and temporary positions. Staff are encouraged to work in teams. Staff also act as liaison people for subject and reader groups and the School of Health has its own dedicated Subject and Research Support team working in close and successful collaboration with all the Schools staff.