Library Services for Students with a Disability or Medical Condition

Welcome to the Library!

Murdoch University Library provides a range of services and facilities for people who have a disability or medical condition.

Guide Dogs and other identified companion animals are welcome in the Library.

Registering for Library Services

You must already be registered with the Equity Office before you can register for Library services.
There are a number of enhanced library services that may be provided to students with Disabilities or Medical Conditions.  To check your eligibility you need to contact the Equity Office by either phone: 08 9360 6084 or email equity@murdoch.edu.au.
Equity staff can discuss your needs and then advise the Library of the services that you require.

Library staff will record details of the services that you require on your borrower record so that whenever you come to the Library anyone working on the Loans, Help, or Reference desks will be able to confirm the services that you have requested.

Please allow 24 hours notice weekdays for your registration to be processed. You will also need to allow 24 hours notice weekdays for requests such as photocopying and so on to be processed. Limited service is available on weekends.

Registration is on an annual basis or short-term, depending on your requirements.

Library Staff

Library staff involved in the provision of services include:

• the people who work on the Enquiries and Loans Desk or the Help Desks – who may be students themselves;

• other casual student staff who collect materials and do photocopying;

• the librarians who staff the Reference Desk at Murdoch Campus;

• subject librarians who specialise in academic areas such as History, Education, Philosophy, Psychology, Science, Law, etc.;

• the staff who are responsible for LIDDAS, Inter-Library Loans, etc.;

• designated contact staff who have some understanding and training around the particular requirements of people with disabilities, and the services that the Library can offer.

Murdoch Campus staff contact details can be found on the Staff list on the Library’s website, or you can phone the Enquiries and Loans Desk on (08) 9360 2563.

Rockingham staff details are on the Rockingham Library website staff list or you can phone the Help Desk on (08) 9360 7068 or 9553 7068 (for local calls); or email rocquery@murdoch.edu.au.

Peel library staff can be contacted by phone - (08) 9583 7352; fax - (08) 9583 7380; or email - peel.library@det.wa.edu.au .

NB : staff at Rockingham and Peel Libraries will help you with any reference enquiries; however you can also contact the Reference Desk at the Murdoch Campus by phone on (08) 9360 6838 or by emailing libhelp@murdoch.edu.au.

Murdoch Campus Library

Important places to know about at the Murdoch Campus library include:

Enquiries and Loans Desk – on Learning Common North Wing 3, in the main foyer as you enter the Library from Bush Court; here you will collect items such as books that have been brought from the shelves for you, or photocopies that you have requested.

IT Service Counter – on Learning Common North Wing 2; ask here for computing support and network access.

Reserve Collection – on Learning Common North Wing 3, entry from the main foyer.

Reference Desk – on Learning Common North Wing 3, adjacent to the Fast Track computers; ask here for help using the catalogue and databases, or other research matters.

Reserved Study Room – South Wing 3, on the left as you go through the glass doors from the linking corridor. Please speak to your Disability or Equity Officer for further information and for registration to use this facility; your student card will need activation at the IT Service Desk ( Murdoch Campus ) for swipe access to the room.

NB Registration for Library services does not include access to the room.

Lifts - located on Learning Common North Wing 3 to the right of the main entrance, just past the Reference Desk, and on South Wing 3 near the stairwell.

Accessible toilets - available on South Wing 3 and Learning Common North Wing 2.

Sir Walter’s Cafe – accessible entrance via Learning Common North Wing 2.

Emergencies – if it is necessary to evacuate the library, staff will advise you on how to leave safely. All the stairwells are fireproof for 2 hours.

Rockingham Campus Library

You can contact Pat Birrell at the Rockingham campus library by phone on (08) 9360 7063 or 9553 7063 (local) or by email at P.Birrell@murdoch.edu.au

The Library’s main entrance is fully accessible and leads into the ground floor.

Help Desk, Loans Desk - ground floor

Reserve Collection - ground floor

The Learning Resource Room – Ground Floor. Contains adaptive technologies and ergonomic equipment. Before using this facility you must register with the Equity Office for access, and then make a booking at the Loans Desk.

Software on Workstation Q – PC (on height adjustable table)
Operating System - Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Powerpoint
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Acrobat Reader
Zoomtext Extra v 7.06
Norton's AntiVirus (Automatically Updates)
Real Player

Software on Workstation T – PC (on height adjustable table)
Operating System - Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Powerpoint
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Acrobat Reader
Norton's AntiVirus (Automatically Updates)
Real Player
JAWS v 4.02.52
Zoomtext Extra v 7.06

Closed Circuit TV  enabling documents to be enlarged on a monitor for reading.

Other Equipment
Height adjustable chairs
Ergonomic chairs
Slope boards
Footrests

Student Learning Office - first floor

Student Learning Collection - first floor

Lift - located towards the rear (east) of the building.

Accessible toilets - located towards the rear (east) of the building on both floors.

Emergencies - in an emergency or an evacuation staff will inform and assist you as necessary.

Peel Campus Library

You can contact Lorri Fallows and Jenni Williams at the Peel campus library by phone on (08) 9583 7351 or by email at peel.library@det.wa.edu.au.

The Library entrance has an automatic door.

Accessible toilets - located in the staff area of the Library. There is also one just outside the library, between the library entrance and the canteen.

Emergencies - in case of an evacuation staff will advise you of the safest exit, and help as necessary.

Library Services for Students with a Disability

Using the Library Catalogue

To find a book you need to use the Library Catalogue. You can search for a book by its title or its author, if you have this information, or use the ‘keywords’ option to find books on a particular topic.

Refer to Searching the Catalogue for more guidance on using the system;

Reference Assistance

Ask at the Reference Desk (or the Help Desks at Rockingham and Peel Libraries) if you have a general enquiry, or only need a quick search.

Reference staff can also help when, for instance, you are getting started on an assignment such as an essay or class presentation. It may be useful to think about your topic beforehand, and to come up with some key terms or words to get your search started.

The Reference Librarian may make an appointment for you to work with your Subject Librarian, especially further along in your degree; if you are already a postgraduate you may make this arrangement yourself.

NB: The Reference and Enquiries and Loans desks at Murdoch Campus will not be staffed during Study Hall hours, and attendants will not be available to offer services.

Database Searching

Databases are used to find journal articles, conference papers, company reports, statistics, case law, book reviews, and more. The reference staff may be able to help you, or may make an appointment for you to work with your Subject Librarian; if you are a postgraduate you may make this arrangement yourself.

External Library Services and LIDDAS - Document Delivery

External Library Services
Eligible students can make an online request for books etc from Murdoch University's collection to be posted out to your home address. Journal articles can be either photocopied and posted or scanned and delivered electronically.
You can request material from Murdoch University Library's collection at: http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/for/external/requestingnew.html
You will need to register for this service through the Equity Office.

LIDDAS is an online inter-library loans and document delivery management system.
You can use our Document Delivery system LIDDAS to request books and documents from other West Australian university libraries. You will need to register via Equity to use this service, and it requires logging on with a separate user name and password.

You can contact the External Services and LIDDAS document delivery staff by emailing them at ill@murdoch.edu.au or by phone on 9360 2100.

(Access to LIDDAS for postgraduates will be discussed during induction.)

Extended Loans and the Reserve Collection

There are print Reserve Collections on each campus. The collections house high use items, recommended by teaching staff as required reading for their courses. You can be registered for extended loans or other assistance to access Reserve material if required.

Photocopying

Material from books and journals can be photocopied on your behalf.

Copying takes place under the ‘fair dealing’ provision of the Copyright Act which allows anyone to copy a 'reasonable portion’ of a copyright protected work if it is for the purpose of their own research or study.

A ‘reasonable portion’ is usually considered to be 10% or 1 chapter of a book, or 1 article of a journal issue (you may be able to copy two or more articles if they are required for the same research or course of study).

If a book is out-of-print you may be able to have the entire text copied; please discuss this with Library staff.

If you require materials to be photocopied, please complete a request form and allow 24 hours notice weekdays for it to be processed. Limited service is available on weekends. You will be charged at the standard rate that applies to all photocopying.

Copying materials for people with a print disability

If you are registered as having a print disability there are special provisions in Copyright Act that allow otherwise copyright protected works to be converted to a format suitable to your requirements.

Please ask at the Enquiries and Loans Desk for more information about this service.  

Collection of items from shelves

Library staff can collect books from the shelves for you.

Please complete a request form (paper copies are available from the Enquiries and Loans Desk) and allow 24 hours notice weekdays for it to be processed. Limited service is available on weekends.

Your books will be held at the Enquiries and Loans Desk for you, or someone you nominate, to collect.

Library card transferrals

If it is more convenient, you may nominate other people to use your library card to collect your books, loans, photocopies, etc.

General Services

Reciprocal Access

All staff and students of Murdoch University may register as reciprocal borrowers at the libraries of UWA, Curtin University, ECU, and Notre Dame. See Western Australian University Libraries Reciprocal Borrowing Scheme for information on how to apply for borrowing rights and details about special rules and conditions that apply to each library.

Students with a disability who register for reciprocal borrowing at another university’s library are entitled, as far as possible, to the same library services as are available to students enrolled at that university.

You will need to take a letter of introduction from Murdoch University’s Equity Officer when you go to enrol as a reciprocal borrower at another university’s library if you wish to use their services.

Information Skills Classes

Throughout the year the Library runs a range of training workshops on topics such as using the journal databases; how to make the most of the library catalogue; how to cite references; etc.

These classes are open to all students and staff of Murdoch University; booking is essential.

At Murdoch Campus the sessions are advertised on the notice board in North Wing level 3.
At Rockingham check the noticeboards in the Library foyer, or phone 9360 7068 or 9553 7068 (local calls).
At Peel please enquire at the Library Help Desk, or phone 9586 7352.

All classes are also advertised on the Library's web pages.