Distance Learners

Postal loansUsing other librarieseBooksYour Academic Subject LibrarianSubject guidesAcademic Writing Support

Distance learners are students registered on courses which are delivered remotely.  Distance learner status does not relate to the distance travelled between the student's home and the University.

If you are unsure whether you are registered as a distance learner please contact the Library.

Postal loans

Distance learners can request up to 4 items at a time via the postal loan service. We will post items to addresses in the UK, Europe and BFPO using Royal Mail Signed For to the address on your Library account. We are unable to post inter-library loan requests outside the UK.

If you use the postal loan service, you are responsible for the books from the point that you receive them until they are checked back into the Library so we recommend that you return them before the due date via a postal tracking service.

Before requesting a postal loan, please check if we have an electronic version. We encourage you to use e-books but if this is not feasible please request a print copy via the Library website.

Using other Libraries

As a distance learner you may find it helpful to access a library nearer to you. We participate in the SCONUL Access scheme which offers you access to other higher education libraries in the UK.

eBooks

eBooks are available via the Library website and are available off-campus. Unfortunately not all books are available in an e-book format: publishers set any restrictions on whether an e-book is are available and whether it can only be viewed online or downloaded for use over a number of days.

We subscribe to two ebook providers whose databases you can search directly. Searching either of the ebook databases allows you to search for content using the full-text of all ebooks, and not just the title:

If you are using ebooks from Dawsonera you may be able to download the item to your device:

Your Academic Subject Librarian

Each subject has a librarian who offers support and assistance to students and staff:

• We offer library inductions and workshops for your subject
• We offer Learning Development Workshops and 1-to-1 service
• We offer individual research sessions
• We can advise on citing and referencing
• We can answer your queries about using the Library

Find out who your Academic Subject Librarian is and how to contact them.

Writing Development

The Writing Development team can discuss with you aspects of your written work such as: 

• understanding and planning your assignment
• structure
• paragraphs
• introductions and conclusions
• argument and critical thinking
• strategies for editing and proof-reading

We are available for all students at the University. If you are in Lincoln and would like to see us, please make an appointment from our website.

If you are on a registered Distance Learning course and are unable to visit the Library you can email us a draft of your assignment, letting us know which aspects you would like to focus on and we can either: 

1. Send you some comments by email or
2. Phone or Skype you at a mutually convenient time.

Contact details

GCW University Library
University of Lincoln
Brayford Pool
LINCOLN
LN6 7TS

Subject Guides

If there are texts you need access to regularly you may find it helpful to purchase a second-hand textbook:

FAQs

Browse the FAQs or ask us another question on using the library as a distance learner on Just Ask:

FAQs on Just Ask