Introduction
The Alma Jordan Library of The University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus is organized into five Subject Divisions, Engineering, Science and Agriculture, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Law. In addition, there are the Circulation and Access Division and the West Indiana & Special Collections Division.
Service Hours
Click here to view the library's opening hours
Loan Services
The Alma Jordan Library offers a range of loan services for all undergraduates.
Interlibrary Loans/Document Delivery
The Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery service supplies The Alma Jordan Library users with access to research materials that are not available in The Alma Jordan Library's collection. Materials (including books, reports, theses, dissertations, government documents, microfilm or fiche, patents, conference papers, etc) are sourced from libraries nationally, regionally, and internationally. Allied to this service are:
- A Faculty Copy Service for faculty members; and
- An Interlibrary Loan Service for current UWI, St Augustine students, faculty and professional/administrative staff.
To request an inter-library loan or copies of articles not available at The Alma Jordan Library electronically or in print, patrons should fill the Interlibrary Loans/Document Delivery Request Form and return it to the Help Desk.
Please note: The Interlibrary Loans/Document Delivery Request form is for use only by staff/students of The University of the West Indies.
Computer-Based Services
There are two computer laboratories located in the library, STARRS and UEC which offers a 24/7 service. Learn more about the labs and it's services
Research Support Services
The Alma Jordan Library offers a range of research support services for all undergraduates.
Reprographic Services
The Library offers a range of reprographic services including self-service copy machines, copy cards and coins for use in photocopiers, and printers in STARRS and UEC. Scanning services as well as printing from microfilm is also offered for West Indiana materials.
Borrowing & Circulation
Postgraduate students can borrow up to fourteen (14) items including periodicals which circulate for 7 days.
Items borrowed can be renewed for one week only, in person, by phone (Exts. 2132/4030) or email(cas@sta.uwi.edu). Total loan entitlements include four (4) Reserve items at any one time. These include two (2) Reserve items at a time either for use in the Library overnight as well as two (2) short loan items for three (3) or seven (7) days. Any variation of loan entitlements can be authorised by the Relief or Reference Librarian on duty.
Users with fines of $1.00 or more are automatically blocked from borrowing. Users with overdue items from either the General or Reserve Collections will also automatically be blocked from borrowing. The maximum fine per item is $500.00. Failure to pay fines may result in loss of borrowing privileges and the placement of holds in the Banner system.
Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery
If the Alma Jordan Library does not own a book, journal or other materials required by a user, these materials can be obtained from another library or through commercial document vendors. While this service is provided at a cost to the library, there is no cost to you. Download Interlibrary Loans/Document Delivery Request Form, complete the form and take to Subject Division Librarian for processing.
Research Support
Research Consultations
You are encouraged to consult your Subject Division Librarian at the start of your research.
Students may schedule one-on-one research consultations during regular Library hours.
Reference Assistance
You may receive reference assistance in locating information or materials related to your particular research interests. Users can get in touch with a Reference or Subject Division Librarian or e-mail their reference questions to cas@sta.uwi.edu.
Theses
Thesis Template
This template is recommended, but not mandatory, for UWI STA postgraduates, e.g. MSc, MPhil and PhD candidates, using The Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.) (CMOS) author-date system, and submitting theses in a traditional format, with either numbered headings or unnumbered headings.
If you are unsure which style manual your faculty uses, see Citing & Referencing (STA). Templates for other style manuals will be released later.
The template and its supplementary documents are compatible with versions of Microsoft Word 2010 and onwards.
If using numbered headings use:
Thesis Template CMOS Author-Date Traditional Numbered_2023 July 31 Last modified 31 July 2023
If using unnumbered headings use:Thesis Template CMOS Author-Date Traditional Unnumbered_2023 July 31 Last modified 31 July 2023
Also, consult two supplementary documents:
Guidelines to the UWI STA Thesis Template_2023 July 31 Last modified 31 July 2023
Thesis Formatting: Tips for Microsoft Word Last modified 25 July 2023
We welcome your comments/questions!
Email:
Tel.:
1-868-662-2002, exts 83359, 83596 or 82276
By appointment:
Contact Ms Joy Smith or Ms Jolie Rajah
Floor 2, The Alma Jordan Library
Thesis Checking
The Librarians of the Campus Libraries are available for advice on the technical requirements of the thesis (layout, arrangement of works etc.)
The candidate must ensure that the work complies with the Thesis Guide and the recommended style manual.
Thesis Binding
After the award of the degree has been approved by The University, the Library's Bindery can bind your personal copy at a cost.
Instructional Support
Library Instruction Sessions
During the academic year the Alma Jordan Library offers instructional sessions to aid in navigating information resources. Sessions can be individual appointments, small group seminars, or large group workshops. These sessions are taught by subject specialists and cover a wide range of topics including research skills, how to use the online catalogue, how to search online journal databases, and how these differ from general search engines on the Web. Users can also access online research guides.
Orientation Tours
Library tours are also offered to members of The UWI community and for visitors.
Resources
General Collection
This Library provides users with access to print resources, CD-ROM and online databases, microforms, sound and video recordings, and e-books.
Reserve Collection
This collection offers essential booklist items, personal copies of lecturers’ books, photocopies of chapters of books and journal articles as well as course readers. Loan periods for these items are shorter than those from the general collection.
Electronic Resources
Graduate students can access electronic resources via the Alma Jordan Library's website. Subscription databases are available on Campus and remotely through authentication protocols. Speak to library staff to learn more about this service.
West Indian Materials & Special Collections (WISC)
WISC is located on the second floor of the Library. This research collection comprises materials in all formats that have been written or produced by or about West Indians, as well as those materials published or produced on any subject in the West Indies or the diaspora. It includes all publications by faculty and staff of The UWI St. Augustine.
This collection contains books and many primary materials including correspondence, theses, final year student projects, manuscripts, pamphlets, posters, newspaper clippings, and multimedia. Many online and published guides to these research resources are available for consultation in the Division. Special study carrels, for the exclusive use of graduate students are available in the Division. You may also schedule consultations with the specialists in WISC.
Support Services
Computing Services
Computers with access to library resources and the Internet are available at the Alma Jordan Library. Wireless access, via the campus network, is available. Registered UWI students are eligible to use this free service. Two computer laboratories STARRS and UEC provide access to the Microsoft Office Suite for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations, and SPSS for statistical analysis. In addition, the Library provides the user with access to citation management software (Endnote and MS Word) which can create references and bibliographies. During the Semester, users have access to STARRS and the adjoining reading room after the Library closes.
Reprographic Services
The Library offers a range of reprographic services including self-service photocopying machines that use copy cards or coins. Scanning services as well as printing from microfilm are available exclusively for the resources located in the West Indiana and Special Collections Division. Copying by or for the patron is done for the purposes of private study, scholarship or research and in keeping with intellectual property guidelines.
Teaching Support Services
A wide range of services are available to members of faculty to support teaching and research. These include:
Course Reserves
The Course Reserve Collection contains both Booklist Items and Temporary Special Reserve Items. These materials are removed or returned to normal circulation/lecturers at the end of each academic year.
Booklists
Booklist items are essential texts and highly recommended texts. If members of faculty wish students to have controlled access to these materials, booklists (see Booklist template below) must be submitted to the Alma Jordan Library by
- March 31st of each year for the following academic year and
- August 31st for Semester II of the academic year.
These lists should contain full bibliographic information on the essential texts requested. An instructor may choose to allow these materials to circulate for very short periods of time (3 hrs, 1, 3 or 7 days). Please note that booklists must be submitted for new and existing courses every year.
Download Booklist Template | View Booklist FAQs
Temporary Special Reserves
Temporary Special Reserve (TSR) Items are personal copies of lecturers’ books, copies of chapters of books (no more than 10%), photocopies of journal articles and course packs. Instructors can also be provided with hyperlinks to articles contained in the library’s subscribed databases which can then be placed in MyeLearning (Moodle). Please refer to the Electronic Reserves Guidelines for further information. At the end of each course, TSR items are removed from the Course Reserve Collection and returned to lecturers since copyright laws prevent us from keeping them indefinitely.
Download Temporary Special Reserve Request Form With Guidelines
Electronic Reserves
Electronic Reserves (E-reserves) allow Lecturers to make course readings and other recommended materials available to authorized University of the West Indies students online. E-reserve material will be available 24/7.
Download the Electronic Reserves Guidelines for Faculty | Download the Electronic Reserves Submission Form
Collection Development
Members of faculty are encouraged to collaborate with Faculty Liaison Librarians to select resources in their discipline. The Alma Jordan Library also welcomes gifts of materials which will enrich the collection and support the teaching and research programmes of The University of the West Indies. In particular, it welcomes donations of manuscripts and other materials of significance to research on the Caribbean. It does not generally accept the temporary deposit of material.
Donating to The Alma Jordan Library
Course and Syllabus changes, new courses, subjects and higher degree programmes
In amending existing or developing new course offerings or new programmes, members of faculty must liaise with the Divisional Librarian to ensure that an adequate print and electronic resource base is established to support research and teaching. As the first step in this process the faculty member is required to complete the New Teaching Proposal Form (US38I) and provide a booklist which should be submitted to the Faculty Liaison Librarian, for all courses to be taught. Should the proposal be for a graduate research programme this should be indicated. The Library will provide a copy of its evaluation as an impact statement to the Faculty Member, the Head of Department, the Dean, the Bursar and the Chair of the Academic Quality Assurance Committee (AQAC) and Campus Coordinator for Graduate Studies and Research.
Download US38I form.
Library Instructional Services
During the academic year the Alma Jordan Library offers instructional sessions to aid in navigating information resources. Sessions can be either individual appointments, small group seminars, or large group workshops. Taught by the subject specialists, these sessions cover a wide range of topics including research skills, how to use the online catalogue, how to search online journal databases, and the different citation styles. Users can also access online research guides.
Accreditation
Academic accreditation is based on accepted qualitative and quantitative standards of excellence for evaluating the quality of education offered at the institution. Evaluation and subsequent accreditation include such areas as the education objectives and achievement, academic programs, admissions practices, student personnel and welfare services, institutional study, training and experience of instructional staff, financial stability, as well as laboratory and library resources. Members of Faculty can liaise with the Faculty Liaison Librarian regarding the relevant procedure.
Research Support Services
Research support services include the following:
- UWIlinc
- Access the UWI's print and electronic resources through the library's portal UWIlinc.
Go to UWIlinc - Online Databases
- Researchers can access over 120 online databases from the Alma Jordan Library’s website. Many of these databases contain full-text material. In instances where the full text of an article is not available online, it can be ordered and all relevant costs are absorbed by the Alma Jordan Library.
Go to Online Databases - Interlibrary Loans/Document Delivery
- The Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery service allows the Alma Jordan Library to augment its resource base. If the Alma Jordan Library does not own a book, journal or other materials required by a user, these materials can be borrowed from another library or a commercial document provider. This service is provided at a cost to the library, but not to members of faculty. Download Interlibrary Loans/Document Delivery Form
Please note: The Interlibrary Loans/Document Delivery Request form is for use only by staff/students of The University of the West Indies. - E-mail Alerts & Current Awareness
- Divisional Librarians can help keep members of faculty informed about the latest research material published in their areas of research or interest. View contact information.
- Research Consultations
- Members of faculty are asked to encourage their graduate students to schedule individual appointments to consult Divisional Librarians at the start of their research. Librarians provide advice on the range of resources available in a specific discipline or subject area. View contact information.
- Reference Services
- Reference services are provided on demand to members of faculty. Divisional Librarians provide individualized help in locating materials on any given topic. This can be done in person or via e-mail.
- Dissertation /Thesis Checking
- Members of faculty are asked to encourage graduate students to submit their theses to scrutiny by the relevant Divisional Librarian to ensure that they have complied with the requirements of the Thesis Guide and applicable style manuals. Once the requirements are satisfied, the Library will then certify the thesis as acceptable. The Faculty Liaison Librarian can also assist graduate students with the citation style for references and bibliographies. In addition, the University provides access to Endnote - citation management software that can create references and bibliographies. When a student’s thesis/dissertation is completed and accepted, the Library’s Bindery will bind a personal copy at a cost. Binding Personal Copies
- Print & Web-Based Guides
- Web-based guides for all users can be accessed on the Alma Jordan Library’s website. These guides, which are also available in print, cover areas ranging from the different citation styles, listings of newly acquired journals and books in a particular subject area, to how to search online journal databases., etc. These guides can save the researcher's time.
- Materials Request
- According to its budget, The Alma Jordan Library purchases requested materials in support of teaching and research at The UWI, St. Augustine. To help the Alma Jordan Library prioritize these requests, you need to indicate the reason why this material should be added to the collection. You may also contact your subject librarians for book/journal/databases recommendations.
Download Materials Request Form
Other Services
Loans/Returns/Renewals/Proxy borrowing
Members of faculty can borrow up to nineteen (19) items including periodicals. Total loan entitlements include four (4) Reserve items at any one time. These include two (2) Reserve items at a time either for use in the Library overnight as well as two (2) short loan items for three (3) or seven (7) days. The average loan period for books from the general collection is 28 days, while periodicals are normally loaned for 7 days. Semester and other special loans can be arranged on request. Any variation of loan entitlements can be authorised by the Relief Librarian on duty.
Loans for borrowed items which are not overdue may be renewed in person; by calling the Library at 1-868-662-2002 extensions 82132/84030 or by sending an email to cas@sta.uwi.edu. Research Assistants may check out material on behalf of a faculty member with written authorization. A catalogue of the Alma Jordan Library’s resources is available via its website. Members of Senior Administrative, Academic and Professional Staff are no longer subject to fines. They will however still be automatically blocked for overdue items.
Proxy Loan Authorization Form
Members of Faculty can designate their research assistants to borrow on their behalf but are reminded that they remain responsible for all such loans.
Use the Proxy Loan Authorization Form to enable this service. Please send the completed forms to the Help Desk, Alma Jordan Library. Download Proxy Loan Authorization Form.
Computing Services
Computers with access to library resources and the Internet are available at the Alma Jordan Library. These resources can also be accessed from any computer on the campus network. Wireless access, via the campus network, is also available. Two computer laboratories STARRS and UEC provide access to Microsoft Office, SPSS, and Endnote. During the semester, users can access STARRS and the undergraduate Reading Room when the Alma Jordan Library closes.
Reprographic Services
The Library offers a range of reprographic services including self-service machines, copy cards for use in photocopiers and printers throughout the Library. Scanning services as well as printing from microfilm is also offered for West Indiana materials
Omega Members (Annual, Life, Associate, and Honorary) of The University of the West Indies Alumni Association (UWIAA) have access to the resources of the Alma Jordan Library for reading and reference purposes only. Proof of membership is required before a user can be registered and access is granted for the period of the membership.
Access to borrowing privileges is restricted to currently enrolled students, staff and faculty of the St Augustine Campus.
For further information on any of these services please contact any of the following:
| Division | Contact Information |
|---|---|
| Head, User Services Division | Mrs. Mariella Pilgrim Co-ordinator, User Services Ext.: 83594; E-mail:Mariella.Pilgrim@sta.uwi.edu |
|
Food and Agriculture |
Ms. Joy Smith Faculty Liaison Librarian, Food and Agriculture & Science and Technology Ext.: 83596; E-mail:Joy.Smith@sta.uwi.edu |
| Engineering Division | Mr. Randy Siew Faculty Liaison Librarian, Engineering Ext.: 83594; E-mail:Randy.Siew@sta.uwi.edu |
| Humanities Division | Ms. Georgia Alexander Faculty Liaison Librarian, Humanities & Education Ext.: 82262/83363; E-mail:Georgia.Alexander@sta.uwi.edu |
| Social Sciences Division | Mr. Kamau Osborne Faculty Liaison Librarian, Social Sciences Ext.: 82476; E-mail:Kamau.Osborne@sta.uwi.edu Ms. Jolie Rajah Faculty Liaison Librarian, Law Ext.: 82276; E-mail: Jolie.Rajah@sta.uwi.edu |
| Circulation and Access Services Division | Mrs. Mariella Pilgrim Head, Circulation and Access Services E-mail:Mariella.Pilgrim@sta.uwi.edu |
| West Indian & Special Collections Division |
Ms. Lorraine Nero Special Collections Dr. Karen Eccles |