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Accessible Library Services and Facilities

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Accessible Library Services and Facilities

Support for disabled or neurodivergent users, and anyone needing adjustments to access library resources and physical spaces

This guide contains information on the services we provide to disabled users. Please speak to any member of library staff or contact us at librarydisability@abdn.ac.uk to discuss how we can help you. All enquiries are strictly confidential: we will never share your personal information without your consent.

The University Library service has 3 locations: the Sir Duncan Rice Library, the Taylor Law Library (both on the Old Aberdeen campus) and the Medical Library (on the Foresterhill campus). We are committed to making our libraries and services accessible to all. Detailed information on the facilities and equipment available in each of our libraries is listed at the end of this document.

Library staff have created guides on a range of subjects, including referencing and searching for materials, you can find these on the Library webpages.

Services

We offer a range of services to students registered with the Student Advice and Support Office.

Priority lending and book fetching

We can fetch books and hold them at one of our Information Desks for you to collect. We can renew your loans over the phone as long as the items haven't been requested by another user. Please contact us to arrange this.

One-to-one support

We provide an individual induction to the library for disabled students. This can be held in person at any of our branches or over a video call. We will tailor this session to you and answer any questions you might have. We can:

  • help you use our equipment (such as Multi-Functional Devices [MFDs - our printers] and self-service machines)
  • give a tour of our physical locations and help you find a space that works for you
  • teach you how to effectively search for materials online and show you how to find electronic resources for your subject area
  • demonstrate how to use our services and facilities (such as how to find books and other print resources)
  • give you help with referencing and using citation management software
  • refer you to other support services (such as the Assistive Technology team)
  • give you a named contact for any follow-up questions
  • give you access to a specialist database of accessible books and request free accessible materials on your behalf

Please email librarydisability@abdn.ac.uk to request a meeting with us.

Accessible reading materials

We offer a range of enhanced digital services once you register with the Disability Advisors at the Student Advice and Support Office. Please see IT Service's Toolkit for more guides on accessibility .

We can request books or other resources in a different format directly from publishers. If we only hold a book in print and you need an e-book (or vice-versa), please let us know. We may be able to provide an accessible copy for you, free of charge. This is not always successful or fast, but we are happy to ask on your behalf.

RNIB Bookshare

RNIB Bookshare is a database of electronic resources offered by the Royal National Institute of the Blind. Their collection includes more than a million books and is completely free to use. All books can be downloaded in various formats and are compatible with screen readers and other assistive software. More information can be found on the RNIB Bookshare website .

To get started, please ask your disability advisor to contact Library staff. Membership is not restricted to those who are visually impaired, the eligibility criteria is very broad. People who have specific learning differences or physical disabilities are also eligible - you can view RNIB Bookshare's eligibility criteria here . Library staff will create an account for you, then send you an email with the login details. Your account can be used while you are a student at the University.

Personal scans

Library staff can scan items for you if you need access to a work available only in physical format. These scans are for personal use only and must not be shared with anyone else. To make a request, please email librarydisability@abdn.ac.uk with the book/article details. We will get back to you if we have any questions, then email the scan to you.

Reading lists

The library provides digital reading lists for each course using Leganto software. You can find these in your course areas in MyAberdeen. Leganto is compatible with screen readers and has options to change contrast, font size, and pop-up duration. It is also possible to export your entire reading list into an accessible file.

Facilities

Assistive Technology booths

There are Assistive Technology Booths in the Sir Duncan Rice Library and Medical Library, as well as at other locations on campus. The booths are all equipped with a range of assistive software - please see the Assistive Technology webpages for more details. We can refer you to the Assistive Technology Team if you would like to use these. You can drop in and use the booths, or they can be booked using the online booking system .

Booth 408 (Floor 4, Sir Duncan Rice Library) is adapted for visually impaired users and contains extra software and a CCTV magnification system.

The Assistive Technology Team can also produce reading materials in braille, please contact them for more information.

Fire and other emergency procedures in the Sir Duncan Rice Library

The Sir Duncan Rice Library has been fitted with a pager system. Vibrating pagers are available at the Welcome Desk for those who may not be able to hear the evacuation alarm.

If you are unable to use the stairs you might wish to inform a member of staff when you enter the library. There are two staff-operated lifts in the Sir Duncan Rice Library that can be used for evacuations. These are located:

  • in the North stairwell next to the main glass lifts
  • next to the South stairwell at the back of the floors

If the fire alarm sounds when you are not on the ground floor, please go to the call point near the lifts and use the intercom system to speak to a staff member. A trained member of staff will use the fire evacuation lift to assist you with leaving the building.

Any student who needs to use the lift for evacuation should ensure that they have discussed a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) with their Disability Adviser in the Student Advice and Support Office. Please see Emergency Evacuation Procedures for Disabled People (The Sir Duncan Rice Library) .

Sir Duncan Rice Library

AccessAble guide to the Sir Duncan Rice Library

  • Disabled parking bays by the Special Collections Centre accessible from Bedford Road.
  • Seven floors with assistance available from the Welcome Desk on the Ground Floor and the Information Centre on Floor 1.
  • Four Assistive Technology booths situated on Floors 1 and 4. Booth 108 on Floor 1 is equipped with specialist equipment for visually impaired users.
  • A Reader Carrel for disabled users on Floor 3 with a height-adjustable desk.
  • Height adjustable desks, with and without PCs on each floor. There are signs above the desks to help you find them more easily.
  • Standing desks on in the Heavy Demand Area on Floor 1, and on Floors 6 and 7.
  • Lifts to all floors (assistance is available on request).
  • Accessible toilets on all floors, including a baby changing unit within a toilet on the Ground Floor. There is a power-assisted door fitted to the accessible toilet on the South side of the Ground Floor.
  • Induction Loops are fitted at the Welcome Desk, Information Centre, and in all meeting rooms.
  • One mobility scooter and one manual wheelchair are available for using within the library. These can be collected from the Welcome Desk. Please notify us in advance if you would like to use these.
Taylor Library

AccessAble guide to Taylor Library

  • Disabled parking bays in Dunbar Street next to the entrance to Taylor Block C.
  • Ramp access to the entrance on the east side of Block C (opposite the car park), as well as to the entrance on the west side of Block C (opposite the Old Brewery), followed by automatic double doors.
  • The Taylor Library is on the 1st Floor of Block C, there is a lift providing access to all floors of the building.
  • Automatic-opening door to the Library (push-button operated on entry and sensor operated on exit).
  • Two floors with lift access to the upper level of the library. This lift is quite narrow.
  • Internal ramp from Level 2 Block C to Level 2 Block D.
  • Accessible toilet on the landing outside the Library.
Medical Library

AccessAble guide to the Polwarth building

  • Access via the Medical School Building.
  • Ramp at Cornhill Road entrance. The ramp at the IMS building entrance is closer to the Library.
  • Lift to all floors in the building with high control buttons (the Library is on the 1st floor).
  • Internal lift in the library to all floors. This lift is quite narrow and may not be accessible to all due to this.
  • Four floors with no internal steps; the Basement fire exit is very narrow and unsuitable for wheelchairs.
  • One Assistive Technology booth located near the Issue Desk on the First floor.
  • Accessible toilet available outside the Auditorium, Polwarth Building, very close to the Medical Library.
  • Induction loop fitted at the Issue Desk.

Last revised by Sarah Todd and Jenna Storey, June 2025