Previously, items could only be reserved if they had been borrowed by another library user. If the item is available on the shelf, you would have to make a trip to the library, retrieve the item from the shelf and borrow it.
For students and staff who are not on campus every day, or who may live on the other end of the island, this may present some degree of uncertainty as the item may be borrowed while they are making their way to the library. With a revision to our reservation policy, users can now also place a reservation or "hold" on books that are still available on the shelves. This reservation policy for on-shelf books only applies to the Lending Collection and the Non-English Collection.
Lending Collection
Located on Level 4, the Lending Collection contains 80% of the library's entire collection, which covers a broad range of subjects that support the teaching and research needs of NIE staff and students.
Non-English Collection
Located on Level 2, the Non-English Collection contains materials written in Chinese, Malay and Tamil language, which represents an important collection for the students who specialise in mother tongue languages.
How does it work?
You can now place a hold on a book before coming to collect it. However, do note that priority will be given to the user who is queued ahead in the hold list. To be certain, please wait until you receive an email notification that the book is ready for collection. You can then pick up the book from the Service Point in the library (Level 2) or the 24-hour SMART Locker (Level 1, Lift Lobby), depending on which pick-up point you selected when placing a hold.
To find out more about the process, you can refer to our article on the SMART Locker in our August 2018 Issue.