Cambridge University Library

Services

Introduction

The West Room, which has seats for 115 readers, is open from 09:30 to 19:00 Monday to Friday and from 09:30 to 16:45 on Saturdays. It is reserved for readers consulting certain classes of closed-access books, newspapers unavailable in formats other than paper (published after 1899), all closed-access periodicals (published after 1849) and current issues of periodicals.

Books and periodicals may not be removed from the West Room without permission..

Ordering items in the West Room

Items which have the direction 'Order in West Room' in Newton or on the Finding List are fetched to the Room by a member of staff upon completion of either an online Stack Request or a Fetching Slip.

We do not generally accept requests made by phone, letter or email. Occasional exceptions can be made for readers from outside Cambridge coming a long distance for a short time. Email requests should be sent to reference@lib.cam.ac.uk.

Fetching

Items will be fetched as quickly as possible, but delays are inevitable at certain times of day (especially 12:30–14:15 and 17:15–18:20) and during busy periods. Generally fetching times fluctuate between 30 and 120 minutes, depending on demand. Orders submitted after 18:20 (16:00 on Saturdays) will be fetched on the next working day.

Once fetched, all items (other than newspapers in class NPR) are held under the reader's surname for collection at the staff desk. Items are held for the remainder of the day they are fetched and one full working day thereafter before being returned to the shelves.

If you wish to order more than ten non-consecutive items at one time, please consult staff before placing your order.

Online ordering ('Stack Requests')

West Room books, but NOT periodicals, may be ordered via Newton, the online catalogue for the libraries of the University.

To order online:

  • Display full online catalogue record
  • Click on ' Click here to make a stack request' (displayed in catalogue record)
  • Select, if required, University Card/UL Card from the drop-down list in the Home Library box (only necessary when using the Universal Catalogue)
  • Enter your barcode in the Barcode box (the five-character code on your Library/University card)
  • Enter your surname in the Last Name box
  • Click on Login
  • Select Stack Request from the drop-down list
  • Click on OK

(An estimate of the current fetching time will then be displayed at the top of the screen.)

  • If a multi-volume set, you will be asked either to Select a volume from a drop down list or Specify a volume by entering the volume number, date and year in the appropriate boxes. (Each volume in a multi-volume set must be ordered separately.)
  • Re-enter your barcode in the Barcode box
  • Click on Submit Request

If your order has been accepted, the message Your Request has been accepted will be displayed. The book, if available, will be held at the West Room desk for the remainder of the day on which it was fetched and the whole of the following working day. Advanced booking is not possible online.
To check or cancel your online orders:

  • Click on your account (located at the top of the screen)
  • Enter your barcode in the Barcode box 
  • Enter your surname in the Last Name box
  • Click on Login

Online orders will be displayed in the Request Information section.

If you have registered your e-mail with the Library, the system will automatically e-mail you when your request has been processed.

Order forms ('Fetching Slips')

Completed two-part West Room order forms should be left at the desk where an estimate of the current delivery time is displayed. (Only one item or consecutive items from a set or series may be ordered on a single form.) Please write clearly. No orders can be accepted after 18.20 (Saturdays, 16.15).

Books with the status 'At Bindery'

If the status of a book is ‘At Bindery’, please see staff at the West Room Desk. Many of these books ‘At Bindery’ are in a holding area awaiting repair and not actually in the Bindery Department. If this is the case, it may be possible to make the book available for you to consult in the West Room. Please complete a West Room order form; mark the form ‘At Bindery’ and the staff will check the holding area for the item in question.

Handling books and periodicals

Readers are reminded that all Library material should be handled with care. The use of a book-rest may be advisable, particularly with larger volumes. The marking of Library material, in any way, is strictly forbidden.

Reservations

Readers wishing to reserve items for future use (other than newspapers in class NPR) should complete a red Reservation Slip, available on all the tables, and leave the slip clearly visible in the item(s) to be reserved. The items will then be held on reserve for three working days.

Material fetched to and requested from the staff desk must be returned to the desk, where it will be held on reserve behind the counter. Books from open areas of the Library can be reserved on the tables.

Items shelved in the West Room, including current issues of periodicals, may not be reserved

Borrowing

Generally speaking, items fetched to the West Room are not borrowable. However, we can make some exceptions for certain classes of reader with particular types of material. Please consult the West Room Superintendent to discuss any borrowing questions.

Transfer of material

Books and periodicals fetched to the West Room should be read in the West Room. However it is sometimes possible for the West Room Superintendent to arrange for the temporary transfer of West Room items to another specialist reading room (with the exception of the main Reading Room) for use in conjunction with material available only in that room.

Returning items to the shelves

Material fetched to and requested from the staff desk must be returned to the desk for reshelving.

Items from other locations in the Library that have been read in the West Room can be left in the Reading Room on the table marked 'Returned Books', adjacent to the 'Books Fetched Today' stand.

Photocopying, etc.

No item fetched to the West Room may be photocopied without first consulting staff. Permission to photocopy may be refused if the item is considered to be at risk of damage.

The West Room has three self-service photocopiers which are primarily for photocopying West Room material and may only be used with the permission of the staff.

Information and advice concerning the reproduction of material from all types of material can be obtained at the staff desk, particularly in relation to fragile, large or elderly items. Details of all reproduction services offered by the Library are available on the Imaging Services webpages.

Copying of copyright material is subject to the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Self-service photography

For a trial period from Tuesday 4 October 2011, readers may use their own cameras to take still photographs of material at designated tables in the Reading Room and West Room. If you wish to take your own photographs and have not already registered to do so, you must first speak to staff at the desk, read the information sheets on self-service photography and copyright provided and complete an application form. For conservation reasons, staff must check each item before photography. Photographs may be taken for non-commercial research or private study only.

Cameras and camera phones must be hand-held, and must be capable of being set to 'silent'. SLRs, tripods, 'mini-pods', hand-held scanners and flash photography are not permitted.

Please see our full guidelines for further information.

IT Provision

The West Room is equipped with six Digital Resources Area (DRA) type PC's, located on the first table to the left of the staff desk. To use these machines, please complete the appropriate form.

Wireless internet access

The West Room is a wireless hotspot, needing a Raven password, issued by the University Computing Service to gain internet access.

Neither West Room staff nor members of the Library's IT Services Department are able to assist with wireless configuration issues.

Laptops

Laptops may be used on any of the tables equipped with sockets mounted in wooden blocks on the table surface. The two tables at the far south end of the West Room are a laptop-free zone.

Enquiries

Enquiries concerning books or periodicals fetched to the West Room and other aspects of the Library's work, policy and procedures relating to West Room material may be made at any time. If the question cannot be answered immediately, an appropriate specialist can often be found to provide further assistance.

Enquiries are welcome in person, by telelphone or via the Library's enquiry form.