CUT Library, In pursuit of the broader vision of CUT and to accomplish the strategic goals of its mission the Library and Information Services (LIS) will take leadership position to provide the information resources, technological platform, study space and information skills necessary to attain excellence in CUT endeavours.
Vision
An information environment for technological excellence and intellectual growth.Mission
The mission of Library and Information Services (LIS) is to give the CUT community access to cutting-edge information in support of teaching, learning and research.
In achieving its mission, the LIS has the following strategic goals:
- Teaching and learning: The provision and promotion of access to comprehensive and up-to-date information tailored for CUT programmes in order to maintain high student throughput.
- Information skills: The development of academic information skills for students and staff to foster ‘access with success’ and evolve a culture of independent and lifelong learning.
- Research: The offering of high-quality information resources and spaces that will enhance and sustain the research capacity of CUT at all levels.
- Information and communication technology: The adoption of state-of-the-art technologies to ensure that CUT remains at the forefront in terms of managing information, creating gateways to global information and developing an institutional digital repository.
- Partnerships: The forging of partnerships with communities of practice and collaboration with other institutions at local, regional, national and international levels in terms of sharing resources and expertise.
- Quality control and assurance: Compliance with institutional, national and international standards in the management of information resources; maintaining high standards of service, and ensuring cost effectiveness and efficiency in LIS operations.
Bloemfontein Campus: Library floor guide
The library building at the Bloemfontein campus consists of four floors:
Ground Floor
The circulation desk, which is situated on the ground floor at the entrance to the library, is where users can borrow and return library material. This section also attends to general enquiries. Security officers monitor and enforce access control, thus ensuring that all users are able to study in a safe environment, even late in the evening.
Clients Services also provides an interlibrary loan service that assists in finding information sources that are not readily available in the LIS collection. This service is normally available only during office hours from Monday to Friday, although weekend and after-hours arrangements can be made.
Two 24-hour study venues are situated on this level, with seating capacity for approximately 400 students. Group discussion facilities are also available on this floor. Lockers are available in the 24-hour quiet study area for use by students to store their valuables. Past examination papers that were held on the Ground Floor have all been digitised and are available online.
The Short Loan Collection is located on the ground floor. The short loan collection comprises of prescribed books, recommended books, research books and lecturers notes. Short Loan Collection is available for use in the library. A dedicated Short Loan librarian is available to assist students after hours and during weekends.
First Floor
This floor houses the main book collection, the reference section and a reading corner for leisure reading of items such as novels, which are accessible through the library online catalogue. The library online catalogue is accessible using dedicated computer workstations to assist students to search the library collection.
The Information Services Section is strategically placed in order to assist all users with locating of information resources.
Faculty Librarians are present at all times during office hours. Faculty Librarians can be contacted via e-mail, telephonically or in person for training purposes, referencing support, information searching, complex information searches and collection development. Limited after-hours support is available with all queries referred to Faculty Librarians.
Private study cubicles are also available for limited use by postgraduate students and arrangements can be made at the Library Circulation Desk.
Limited study areas are available on the First Floor on a first come first serve basis.
Second Floor
The main sections on this floor are the Postgraduate Research Commons, Electronic Resource Access Centre and Student Computer Labs used mainly for information literacy training and database training.
- The Postgraduate Research Commons is for use by Masters’, Doctoral students and researchers only.
- The Electronic Resource Access Centre provides access to 355 computers for academic purposes. Students can log onto the databases to which LIS subscribes to and can also access various Microsoft Office applications. 135 of these computers form part of four training laboratories where database and internet usage courses are offered, along with information literacy and other programmes.
- LIS also offers access to Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the library, including the 24-hour study venue.
LIS also supports people with disabilities. The Electronic Resource Access Centre and the training laboratories are accessible to wheelchair-bound library clients.
Photocopying services are also offered on this floor.
Third Floor
This floor houses the offices of LIS staff members, as well as the Art Gallery, which is used for art exhibitions, seminars and other events.Welkom Campus: Library and Information Services
Core collections supporting Teaching and Learning, as well as Research, are available in both printed and electronic formats. A dedicated Faculty Librarian is available for training purposes, referencing support, information searching and collection development.
When do I use the Library?
The Library and Information Services of CUT offer you the opportunity, information resources and facilities essential to achieve academic excellence.
There are various venues available for your convenience:
- Library and Information Services Centre (Bloemfontein | Welkom)
- Student Academic Support Centre (Bloemfontein)
Library Hours
| Bloemfontein Campus | ||
| Semester | Mondays | 08:00 – 22:00 |
| Tuesdays | 08:00 – 22:00 | |
| Wednesdays | 08:00 – 22:00 | |
| Thursdays | 08:00 – 22:00 | |
| Fridays | 08:00 – 16:30 | |
| Saturdays | 09:00 – 14:00 | |
| Recess Times | Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays | 08:00 – 16:30 |
| Wednesdays | 09:00 – 16:30 | |
| Saturdays | Closed |
Libraries are closed on Sundays.Student Academic and Support Centre
The study areas remain open 24 hours a day.
Computer Labs
| Semester | Mondays to Fridays | 08:00 – 20:00 |
| Saturdays | 09:00 – 13:00 | |
| Sundays | Closed |
Postgraduate Space
Exclusive postgraduate study space available equipped with network points, including access to computer labs in the Student Academic Support Centre. Postgraduate cubicles available 24hrs a day. Speak to your study supervisor/promoter about being allocated space.
Postgraduate study information and resource support by the Library.
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