Rutherford Building
Overview of facilities
Library Services
The Library and IT Help Desk is open at all hours that the Library is staffed. For details of loan entitlements, please see our borrowing information. On weekdays during term time the Enquiry Desk on the ground floor is staffed by a qualified librarian available to assist users. We have also dedicated a number of computers in the Library for the use of electronic resources.
Library Collections
The Library has a stock of over 250,000 books and subscribes to over 1,700 journals and electronic resources. The main subject areas covered are the Arts, Social Sciences, and Education. Collections within the Library include the School Practice Collection, the Audio Visual Collection, and Special Collections and Archives.
The Library Catalogue
The Library has a computerised catalogue called ALEPH, which is a database of our holdings of books and journals, together with their location code. It is accessible from most computers in the RB, as well as dedicated PCs on all floors of the Library and on the web.
Audio Visual Collection
The Audio Visual Collection consists of video-cassettes, DVDs, audiocassettes, CDs and LPs. Listening and viewing facilities are available, with headphones in the open study area, and for small groups in three viewing rooms which can be booked at the Help Desk.
Language-learning facilities
There are facilities for viewing video and live satellite broadcasts, and a digital language laboratory. Materials include: foreign-language documentaries and feature films on video; and multimedia self-access language courses. There are materials for all the languages taught at Goldsmiths, including English as a Foreign Language.
Assistive Technology Centre
The Assistive Technology Centre (ATC) is an open access computer suite and study room on the ground floor of the RB for the use of all students with a disability, dyslexia, or health-related problem that makes studying difficult. In addition to the normal range of software available on the other computers in the building, the ATC's facilities provide for screen magnification, screen reading, scanning, voice input, and a range of other functions to assist in coursework.
Computer facilities
The RB houses the College's central computer facilities for students, comprising large open-access areas and four computer teaching rooms. Both PC and Macintosh computers are available, with wide range of software. All computers are connected to the College network, providing access to central file storage, e-mail, and the Internet. There are printing facilites (including colour) and a range of specialist computer hardware, including scanners and music keyboards is available.
IT Help Desk
The IT Help Desk located with the Library Help Desk on the ground floor, provides support for all users on weekdays, including evenings during term, and is the initial point of contact for all computer queries and problems. An extensive range of documentation is available both on paper and electronically. Manuals and tutorials for all the main software packages used in the College are available in the Library.
Digital Media Suite
on the ground floor of the Rutherford Building provides facilities (and assistance if required) with many media copying tasks (e.g. from DVD to DVD, from Mini-DV to DVD, from VHS to DVD, etc.) and has twelve Apple Macintosh digital video editing suites utilising Final Cut Pro. Two acoustic booths are also available in the suite for audio and post-production testing of video projects. Occasional training sessions are also held on the use of high-end video recording equipment such as HD video cameras. A separate Media Services Equipment Centre in the Main Building offers a stock of equipment for loan to staff and full-time students for College work.
Copy Centre
The Copy Centre, run by the Reprographic Unit, provides facilities for monochrome and colour photocopying, as permitted by the licences held by College and by copyright legislation.