i-learn cafe

Postgraduate Facilities for Study and Research

Postgraduate students joining St Mary's have access to a wealth of printed and electronic information resources, both directly through the library and indirectly through our close proximity to specialist libraries in London.

The Learning Resources Centre

Our Learning Resources Centre (LRC) brings together library and IT services. The LRC is open seven days a week during semester time and five days a week outside, with swipe-controlled entry there is access to IT facilities for at least 21 hours a day. The LRC has a range of different study space, including group, quiet and silent areas, and around 110 computer workstations. All students have access to the internet and the email system. St Mary's uses St Mary's Online (Blackboard) as its virtual learning environment, which facilitates distance learning, the sharing of experiences between students and allows access to programme content, self-assessment tools and other learning support facilities. Some of the MA programmes taught off campus are using this new technology. A wireless network is being developed.

The LRC holds around 120,000 books and subscribes to 450 printed journals. You will have access to the full text of over 3,000 online journals through databases including EBSCO, Academic Search Primer and Psych Info from your own home, workplace or wherever you can access the internet.

Our postgraduate students have access to over 130 academic libraries in the UK. You are entitled to use borrowing facilities at many of these libraries. Being in close proximity to London, students also have access to the British Library and other specialist libraries and archives for their study and research.

Library staff work closely with Schools to provide information, skills training and support for staff and research students, including training in the use of full-text facilities and accessing specialist research resources.

A Learning Café within the LRC is under development and will offer a different kind of learning environment in informal and pleasant surroundings.

Design, Print and Reprographic Services

A fast, competitive service to students that includes high/medium volume photocopying, production of teaching and project materials such as pamphlets, leaflets, posters and overhead transparencies, lamination and thesis binding. In addition to the central service, photocopiers are provided within the LRC.