Disability Support & Accessibility: Support and facilities

We are happy to offer the following services to our library users to help to facilitate your use of the library and its collections. Please don't hesistate to contact us using the contact details provided on this page if you would like to discuss or arrange any of the following services. 

Appointments

We can offer one-to-one appointments to provide additional help as required. For example, we can offer appointments for one-to-one mediated searches and research assistance.

We offer regular one-to-one appointments that can be booked online that run from January to August each academic year. View the 1-2-1 Sessions information page on the website for more information. Please email us at ials@sas.ac.uk if you'd like an appointment in the Autumn term.

Orientation tours

We can offer one-to-one orientation tours of the library to introduce the services and equipment that we offer and discuss how we can best support you to use the library. 

Extended Loan Periods

We can offer extended loan periods of seven days for our normal loan items. 

Book Fetching Service

We can arrange for library staff to collect books and journals from the shelves as required. Please contact us to arrange this service at least 24 hours in advance. 

Study Support Helper

If required, you may nominate a friend or colleague to be your study support helper. This person may have full use of the library and borrow books on your behalf. 

Academic Scanning and Photocopying

We can scan or photocopy library resources on request, in line with copyright restrictions. 

We have the following facilities and equipment available in the library to support your use of the library and its collections. Please contact us if you have any further questions about using the equipment listed. 

Please also see the page about the Library of Things, which is a collection of ergonomic and accessibility equipment that library users can borrow to help adapt the workspace to their needs.

Induction loop

We have an induction loop fitted at the Enquiry Desk on the second floor. 

Accessible carrel

We have an accessible carrel (Room 316) on the third floor. Please contact us in advance to arrange the use of this carrel. 

Sound-proof carrel

We also have a sound-proof carrel (Room 203) on the second floor which is available to book via our online booking system for 2 hours at a time. To use this carrel, you will need to collect the key from the Enquiry Desk at the time of your booking. 

Assistive software

All the PCs in the library have Windows Ease of Access functions available which includes a magnifier, narrator, and an on-screen keyboard.  Microsoft Office tools also have accessibility features available such as the Microsoft Immersive Reader. For more information on using assistive software, see the Assistive Software page of this guide.

If you wish to use the screen reading functions in the main reading rooms of the library, we ask that you please do so using headphones to ensure the study space remains silent. Alternatively, it is also possible to use the accessibility carrel or one of our bookable study rooms for this purpose. 

Touchscreens

All the PCs in the library have touchscreens and the height of the monitors can be adjusted. 

Large key keyboard

One of the PCs in the Library Computer and Training Room is equipped with a BigKeys LX keyboard which has extra large multi-coloured keys. The PC with the large key keyboard is Reader 2 and can be found on the back row of desks. We also have a large key, high contrast keyboard available in the Library of Things which you can borrow to use with your own device. 

Adjustable desks

There is a height adjustable desk available in the Computer and Training Room on the second floor. This is the first desk as you enter the room. It has buttons on the right hand side just underneath the surface to adjust the height. The height range is from 61cm at the lowest to 126cm at the highest. There are two PCs on this desk.

There are also two desks in the main reading rooms with a fixed height which is higher (75cm) than the standard desk height (70cm). There is one on the third floor and one on the fourth floor, and they are both at the south end of the library overlooking Russell Square. 

Adjustable chairs

All the desk chairs throughout the library reading rooms are office style chairs with wheels. These chairs have various adjustable components including seat height, arm rests, and back support. Most of the chairs have arm rests either side of the seat, though a small number do not. The chairs in the bookable study rooms (Rooms 201 and 210) are standard chairs that are not adjustable and do not have arm rests.