Staff

Below is a summary of the key services and resources available to OU staff. Information is available for Associate Lecturers and academic staff based at Walton Hall and in the regions and nations.

Online Library resources

As an OU member of staff you have access to a world-class collection of online library resources.

These high quality and trusted resources support your work, research, module writing or studies and include resources such as over 80,000 academic journals, UK and international newspapers, over 500,000 academic books and Open Research Online, the OU's open access research repository.

Using the Library at Walton Hall

If you wish to use the Library at Walton Hall to borrow books, DVDs and videos, or to use the document delivery service, you will first need to join the Library and bring your Library card with you at each visit.

The library catalogue contains the collections held on the campus at Walton Hall.  This includes physical and electronic versions of books, journals and teaching materials including multimedia/video materials)

Suggest new books and journals

Staff may suggest new books by completing the online form. Please contact the appropriate Team Leader or your Faculty's Library Services Group Representative if you wish to recommend a journal for purchase.

Advice and Guidance

If you would like advice about where to find library resources or how to use them have a look at the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which provide clear answers to the most commonly asked questions.

If you are involved in module production our Library Services for Module Teams intranet site should be your first port of call. Library Helpdesk staff are available seven days a week to support you with more general enquiries and can be contacted by phone, email or webchat.

Improving your skills

One of our aims is to help you to develop valuable skills for your work, research or studies. Information literacy is about developing your skills in finding, evaluating, using and managing information.

If you would like to find out how to get the most from the online resources you will find a number of guides and online training sessions to support you.

• We provide a range of online training sessions. You can attend a live session or listen to a recording at a time to suit you. Topics covered include an introduction to Library Services and how to use the online resources
• The series of short 'How do I..' guides available from most pages within the site give you practical, step-by-step guidance about a range of topics
• Self-guided online tools such as Safari and Being digital are also available to support you to develop your skills

Retired OU staff

Services for OU staff who are retired are available through the Retired Staff Association. If you are not already a member of the Retired Staff Association, please register to access these services.