Staff

Welcome to the Library!

Welcome to Murdoch University Library. The Library is here to assist academic staff with their teaching and research requirements. General staff are welcome to join the Library and have the same borrowing privileges as academic staff.

Contacting your Subject or Liaison Librarian

The Library employs specialist subject librarians in all disciplines who are available to assist you in using the Library's resources.

Liaison librarians have overall responsibility for library services to each of the University's divisions or to specific schools. They provide reference services within the divisions at designated times each week, assisting with research queries, demonstrating electronic resources and answering questions about the library's services.

Resources for Courses

Buying books

Prescribed and recommended reading texts for course materials listed on the Bookshop's order forms are purchased by the Library. If you want further resources for a course, contact your Subject Librarian.

Adding Material to Reserve and Electronic Course Materials

The Reserve collection includes high use items required for courses. Books on the Bookshop course order forms and the Murdoch University booklist are automatically placed in Reserve.

The Library also provides an Electronic Course Materials Service, which allows you to provide electronic copies of course readings, including journal articles and book chapters, lecture notes and lectures, images and sound files.

Adding Material to Reserve

• Murdoch Campus
• Rockingham Campus
• Peel Campus

Adding Material to Electronic Course Materials Service

• About the Electronic Course Materials Service
• Submitting material
• Copyright

Material previously on Reserve or ECMS
It is essential that you advise Reserve staff each Semester if you require materials that were previously in ECMS or on Reserve, as all links to unit listings are removed at the end of each year. They must be reactivated to appear the following year.

Linking to Articles from an Electronic Document or WebCT

DVD and Video bookings

Training For Your Students

Students enrolled in Foundation Units receive basic training in the use of Library resources through the LITE program.
Subject Librarians can also provide training for students in the use of library resources relevant to individual courses.

Research Resources

The Library Catalogue

Use the Catalogue to access all library resources. Select help from within the catalogue for a guide on how to search the catalogue.

Databases

Use Databases to search for journal articles.

The Library Portal

The Library Portal is a new facility which enables you to search across multiple databases and catalogues simultaneously and link seamlessly to fulltext resources and other services. You can also select favourite resources and ejournals, save searches and records, and set up email alerts.

Subject Guides

Subject guides have been written by specialist subject librarians to help you find your way through the variety of resources that are either available from Murdoch University Library or free of charge via the Internet.

Finding Murdoch University Theses

All theses awarded by Murdoch University are listed in the Library’s Catalogue
To find a list of all PhD, MPhil and Professional doctorate theses:

• Search the Catalogue by Title, enter Murdoch University theses [Name of award].
  For example: Murdoch University theses PhD

To find a list of all Honours and other theses submitted to a program of study:

• Search the Catalogue by Title enter Murdoch University theses [Program of Study]
  For example: Murdoch University theses Biological Sciences honours.

Digital Theses

Murdoch University is a participant in the Australasian Digital Theses Project which is building a distributed database of digital versions of theses produced by Higher Degree by research students at the participating institutions.

The theses will be available worldwide via the web. The aim behind the project is to provide access to, and promote Australian research to the international community.
Further information...

Alerting Services

Alerting services keep you up to date with current literature in your discipline. Regular emails notify you when new journal articles or issues of your selected journals are published.

Many journal publishers offer a contents pages alerting service, and a number of databases allow you to save searches in your area of interest which will run automatically on a regular basis. Further information...

You can also set up email alerts to notify you when new books arrive in the Murdoch University Library, or subscribe to the Library's RSS Book feeds.

EndNote

Murdoch University centrally funds a university-wide site licence agreement for the EndNote bibliographic software for PC and Macintosh platforms. This covers all registered staff and students of Murdoch University at all campuses. It also covers all registered staff/students for their home usage. Contact your Division's IT Liaison Officer to obtain a copy of the EndNote software.

The Library conducts introductory training sessions on using the EndNote software.
Further information....

Proposing Resources

Academic staff can make suggestions for resources for inclusion in the collection by sending an Acquisitions Proposal Form to the relevant Subject Librarian. You can also send marked publishers' catalogues to your Subject Librarian.

Special Collections

The Library's Special Collections area houses archival material of special significance to the University and research collections. The variety of material includes University publications, rare books, popular culture materials and donated collections. There is a large amount of manuscript material, much of it associated with the donations.
Particular strengths of the collections are the popular magazines, including men's, women's and style magazines; local newspapers and newsletters; the Women's Studies material and the Science Fiction fanzine collection.
Further information....

Off Campus Access to Resources

You may access most of the Library's databases and e-journals from off campus locations. Any database marked (Murdoch IP / Proxy) may be searched from off campus using the Library's proxy by entering your Murdoch username and Murdoch password. A few databases are marked (Password) and these require an individual login and password for access. Contact the Reference Desks for details.
Further information...

Borrowing

All staff are eligible to be library borrowers. To borrow library resources you will need your University Staff card. For fast loans use the Self Check machines. If you have problems take your items to the Loans and Enquiries Desk. As a member of staff you are entitled to borrow up to 25 items at any one time. The loan period for most items is to the end of the current semester, unless recalled. Some items may have shorter loan periods so it is important to check the due date when borrowing. Special rules apply to video and DVD loans.

Renewals

You can renew your loans by logging on to My Library. Items can be renewed to a maximum of 5 times unless requested by another borrower. DVDs and videos can only be renewed twice.

Recalled Items

Most items borrowed are subject to recall to allow everyone access to library collections. You will be notified by email if an item is recalled and you will have 7 days to return it.

Requesting Items

Recalling Items on Loan

You may recall up to 10 items at any one time. To recall an item:

1. Search the Library Catalogue and display the record for the item you want
2. Select the "Request" button at the top or bottom of the screen
3. Enter your Murdoch Username and password. If you are already logged in to My Library, you will not have to login at this stage.
4. Select a Pickup location from the dropdown menu.
5. Click on "Submit"
6. Click on "Request selected item" (and you may need to select the copy to be recalled)
7. The message 'Your request for this item has been sent to the library' should appear on the screen
8. Click on "Start Over" or "Logout" to exit.

Requesting Items from Another Murdoch Campus Library

You are able to request items that are available (status 'check shelf') at another campus to be picked up at any branch library by requesting the item through the catalogue, in the same way you recall an item from another borrower. You may not request items to be picked up at another branch library on the same campus. For example, you cannot request an item from Vet to be picked up at Main or CRC.

You are also able to request copies of journal articles that are held in print at campus libraries that are not your normal library. Complete the online form to arrange for copies to be sent to you.

Penalty Points and Fines

Penalty points and fines apply if the item is lost, damaged or not returned. If an item becomes overdue, penalty points accrue and are added to your record when the item is returned. Points accrue at the following rates:

If you accrue 1000 or more penalty points in an academic year, your borrowing rights will be suspended until you pay a fine of $20.00.

Borrowing from Other Libraries

Academic Libraries in Perth

You may join the libraries at Curtin, Edith Cowan, and Notre Dame Universities and the University of Western Australia as a reciprocal borrower. 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. You can also join any of the libraries at TAFEWA and the library at the Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA). Take your staff ID/library card and proof of current enrollment to the Library you would like to join.

Australian and Overseas Academic Libraries

A list of other libraries, throughout Australia, to which you may apply for membership is accessible on the Web at http://www.caul.edu.au/ula/. You should apply directly to these libraries. You will need photo ID and proof of your current Murdoch employment.

For all other libraries, please use the application form to apply for a letter of introduction. Complete the relevant personal details, and add the names and addresses of the libraries you wish to use. We will then send you the appropriate letter(s) of introduction to present at the libraries you have specified.

You should remember that reciprocal borrowing and access to resources and facilities is a privilege that is granted at the discretion of the host library. Access to some electronic resources may not be permitted due to licensing restrictions. Any misuse of privileges granted to you may result in your borrowing rights being revoked.

Department of Agriculture and Food WA (DAFWA)

Document Delivery

If the item you require for either teaching or research purposes is not held by the Library, you can request it (at a cost) via our Document Delivery Section. The cost can be charged to a School fund code. However, you need to be registered first with the Library before you can use this service. For more information please refer to Document Delivery.

Copying and Printing

The Library uses the Monitor Copy system for payment of all photocopying and printing charges. Payment is transacted using a plastic card with a magnetic strip on the reverse side. You can use your University Card to pay for photocopying and printing.

Credit may be added to your photocopy account using an Autoloader. Autoloaders are located in the main library North Wing Level 3 and Link Level 2, Veterinary Studies Library and Rockingham Campus Library. Staff at Peel Campus should contact the Library Helpdesk for information on copying and printing.

You may charge copying and printing costs to an account code, upon presentation of the appropriate request form (signed by your School or Divisional Executive Officer or Dean of the School) to staff at the IT Service Desk Counter in the Main Library, or at the Library Helpdesks at Rockingham and Peel Campuses.
Further information...

MIT: Murdoch Institute of Technology Staff

To Join the Library

Using the Library

MIT staff may access the Library's catalogue from off campus, however databases can only be accessed on campus.

MIT staff are not eligible for reciprocal borrowing from the Western Australian Group of University Libraries (Curtin, ECU, NDA, UWA) or from University Library Australia. However, they can use the LIDDAS document delivery service.

In the first instance MIT staff should discuss their students' library requirements with Dorree Earthy, Executive Officer at MIT and they will be put in touch with relevant staff at Murdoch Univeristy Library.