Library Services Charter, approved by the General Library Commission on 3 December 2021
(Links updated with the new website pending approval)
The Library of the University of Valladolid (hereinafter BUVa) is an essential and active part of the university system of the University of Valladolid (hereinafter UVa), to which it offers a wide variety of spaces, services and bibliographic and information resources that provide the appropriate means for the development of learning, study, research and new teaching practices in the field of higher education in our University, as well as in the society in which it is immersed.
The BUVa is conceived as a single, integrated and flexible system made up of the Directorate and central services, 4 Campus libraries, 7 Centre/Area libraries, 2 General Libraries and the European Documentation Centre.
The service charters are documents that highlight the principle of "Good Administration". The BUVa, as part of the Public Administration, considers management according to principles of quality and responsibility, and reports through its Service Charter of the commitments made in the provision of services by all libraries in the system that make up the BUVa, expressly stated for the knowledge of both the university community of the UVa and society in general.
The Library has been a pioneer in the UVa in applying a management methodology based on continuous improvement; hence the initial process of self-evaluation, initiated in 2004, abandoned in 2006 and resumed in 2011 whose consequences have been:
- the first and second Improvement Action Plans
- the Strategic Plan 2014-2018
- the annual Operational Plans
- obtaining quality certifications, initially the EFQM 200+ Seal for the entire Library in 2013, the EFQM 400+ Seal in 2015 and the 500+ Seal in 2017. The seal was not renewed in 2019.
- the Strategic Plan 2019-2022
The first BUVa service charter was drawn up in 2004, following the first self-evaluation. It was taken up again and a new service charter was drawn up in 2013, within the framework of Excellence. It was revised in 2014 and 2015, both to introduce improvements in the quality commitments and to adapt it to the new commitments acquired by the BUVa. A 5th update was carried out in 2016, a 6th in 2019 and this is the 7th update, necessary due to changes in the UVa Statutes, staff and guides for each library in the Library System.
As a complementary document, the BUVa has a Code of Ethics, revised and approved by the General Library Commission on 15 June 2017.
Mission
The Library is the management unit of the information resources necessary for the university community to meet its objectives in teaching, study, learning and research. Its main purpose is to facilitate access and dissemination of all information resources, both internal and external, to the university community of the UVa, as well as collaborate in the processes of creation and dissemination of knowledge, contributing to the integral formation of people.
Vision
Consolidate the University Library as a key agent and service at UVa. It will manage and organise workspaces and equipment, own and external information in various formats easily accessible to the user. Virtual and face-to-face services will be provided for learning, teaching and research.
Values
The values that define us are the following:
- Quality: we offer our users excellent services
- Visibility: we contribute to disseminate the results of research produced at UVa.
- Accessibility: we facilitate access to our spaces, services and website, paying special attention to people with disabilities.
- Communication: we establish communication channels, both virtual and face-to-face, among all BUVa staff and with our users.
- Open Access: we adhere to existing proposals in this field, in order to share knowledge.
- Professionalism: we are committed to developing the professional skills of our staff in the most effective and efficient way possible.
- Learning: we promote a higher level of information literacy among our users so that they become self-sufficient.
- Research: we offer excellent services that meet the needs of research and contribute to the dissemination of UVa's scientific output.
- People and organisation: we guarantee the professionalism of all library staff and propose an efficient plan for training and continuous professional development in an optimal working environment.
- Alliances, Cooperation and Society: we consolidate and continue with existing good practices in relation to national and international alliances and cooperation. Our aim is to have a direct or indirect impact on society.
The values are in the Code of Ethics (Approved by the Board of Directors on 08/03/2017 and approved by the General Committee of the University Library on 15 June 2017).
The BUVa is a university service attached to the Vice-Rector's Office to which the Rector has delegated responsibility for Research and Science Policy.
The Director of BUVA is responsible for this service, sharing this responsibility with the Technical Advisors, Section Heads of central services, Directors and Section Heads of the Centre/Area/Campus Libraries.
Structure:
- Central Services: coordinate the processes and services of the libraries. They also offer some services directly to users.
- Centre/Area/Campus Libraries: provide services directly to users.
Collegiate Bodies/Committees:
- University of Valladolid Library Commission.
- Board of Directors
- Centre/Area/Campus Library Commissions.
Working groups for the development of strategic lines and improvement actions.
BUVa specific regulations: see regulations.
Central Services
Calle Chancillería, 6
47003 Valladolid (Valladolid)
They are responsible for making proposals and implementing the coordination, unification and supervision of the technical and operational processes of the UVa Libraries.
Directorate
direccion.biblioteca.universitaria@uva.es
Tel. 98342-3028
Technical consultancy
They act in the following areas:
- Bibliographic, information and other resources (Tel.: 98318-5687).
- Services, cooperation, communication, projects and user training (Tel.: 98318-5911)
- Technical process, standardisation and technological development of library systems (Tel.: 98318-5914)
Heads of section
They are responsible for the following services:
- Interlibrary Loan (Tel.: 98318-4061)
- Acquisition of Electronic Periodicals (Tel.: 98318- 4138)
- Acquisition of paper periodicals and electronic books (Tel.: 98318- 4138)
Administrative staff
- Head of Department (Tel.: 98318-4138)
- Administrative staff (Tel.: 98318-4062)
Specialist technical staff
Libraries
General, centre and area libraries
Libraries timetable
You can consult the opening hours of the different libraries that make up the Library Service of the UVa in the following link: Opening times
These schedules may be subject to change in periods of holidays or local holidays, announced in a timely manner. Depending on the library, some libraries offer special opening hours for specific services or spaces that are indicated on their own website.
- Guidance and bibliographic and reference information, as well as general and specialised searches in person, by telephone or by electronic means.
- Spaces and equipment for study and individual or group work: access will be provided to spaces and equipment such as consultation and group work rooms, computers, wireless network, microform readers, reprographic machines (photocopies), portable scanners and equipment adapted for people with functional disabilities.
- Home lending, reservations and loan renewals of the Library's collections, as well as obtaining documents between BUVa libraries and interlibrary loans (with other national and international libraries).
- Acquisition of books, journals and other bibliographic materials: requests for the purchase and subscription of documents necessary for learning, teaching, research and management will be dealt with.
- Acquisition and management of the bibliography recommended for the development of teaching.
- Online access to the Library's electronic resources and services provided through internet connections and wireless networks of the UVa also available in all libraries of the system also ensuring off-campus access to electronic information resources.
- Publication and communication of information products: Selective Dissemination of Information (DSI), digital bulletins, etc.
- Preservation and conservation of the old bibliographic collection: restoration and digitisation.
- Training courses and activities on demand or on the library's own initiative, both online and face-to-face, on bibliographic resources and services: guided tours, courses aimed at undergraduate, Master's and PhD students (ESDUVa) or Teaching and Research Staff on the Library's services and resources (VirtUVa), as well as other training activities of general interest.
- Activities aimed at society: reading clubs, workshops, exhibitions, environmental initiatives and integration of people.
- Communication and interaction with users through all the communication channels available in the Library, and especially through the use of blogs and other social networks that constitute Library 2.0.
- Visibility of scientific production and knowledge of the UVa, generated by the University Community, through the management of the Institutional Repository of the UVa.
- Advice, support and training through the Library Service with Research to teachers and researchers at UVa in the processes of publication, accreditation and sexenios.
- Management of APCs (Article Processing Charge): cost of article processing charges, within the framework of the Transformative Agreements signed by the UVa.
Rights
BUVa users have the following rights:
- To access the resources and services necessary for learning and research appropriate to their curricular development.
- To have access to spaces and equipment for individual and group activities.
- To receive information and advice about our resources and services from library staff.
- To receive training in the use of library services and the acquisition of information skills.
- To have access to the Library's service timetables aimed at adequately satisfying their needs.
- To know the status of the processing of their requests, as well as any other change or new development that affects their demands and requests.
- To be treated with the utmost courtesy by Library staff.
- To be guaranteed respect for the confidentiality of their personal data, as well as the use they make of the library and its services in accordance with current legislation and the Library's Code of Ethics.
- Knowledge and rectification by the interested parties of the data and information that may affect them.
- To actively participate in the operation of the library services through the institutional channels made available to them: Centre/Campus/Area Library Commissions, General Library Commission, suggestion box on the BUVa website, and any other means available on the library website or in the University directory.
Duties/obligations
Users of the UVa Library have the following duties:
- To respect the library's bibliographic heritage, its equipment and facilities, ensuring their integrity and using them appropriately for the purposes for which they are intended and no others.
- To collaborate with the library staff and comply with their instructions, as well as the regulations governing the use of the library's facilities, collections and services.
- Maintain a correct and respectful attitude, both with the library staff and with any other person, to ensure the smooth running of the service and the exercise of the rights of other users.
- Comply with current legislation on intellectual property and licences for the use of the resources made available to them.
- Refrain from using services or facilities to which they are not authorised to have access.
The Library, in a clear commitment to continuous improvement of our services, aimed at providing the highest degree of satisfaction to our users, is committed to:
- Respond within a minimum of 24 hours and a maximum of 3 working days to queries for information and reference raised by users, both in person and virtually.
- Acquire new bibliography requested by teaching and research staff, students and other users, provided that there is commercial availability, sufficient budget and a prior study of its relevance.
- Respond within a maximum of 5 working days to queries about problems of access to electronic resources.
- Respond within a maximum period of 5 days on the acquisition or not of new titles requested.
- To process interlibrary loan requests within 6 days of the user's request.
- Facilitate and speed up the supply of documents requested by users between the libraries of the different UVa campuses.
- Keep users up to date on new services or information products through the website, blog, social networks, etc.
- Provide a basic training course on the resources and services of the Library to all first-time undergraduate students who request it.
- Deliver specialised sessions on information skills to all Bachelor's and Master's/Doctorate students who request them.
- Deliver courses framed within the Cultural Activities of the UVa with credit recognition to users who request it.
- Advise the PDI of the UVa in the processing of applications for sexenios and other recognition of their teaching and research activity.
- Contribute to the production and institutional and scientific visibility of the UVa through the Institutional Repository and any other means available to the Library.
- Promote the "Institutional Policy of Open Access to Scientific and Academic Production of the University" assuming with the UVa, the responsibility to transfer research results to society, disseminating the widest possible scientific production, both results and research data.
- Contribute to and participate in the HRS4R strategy (Human Resource Strategy for Researchers) of the quality seal "HR Excellence in Research" awarded to UVa (April 2020).
- Improve virtual access to BUVa services and resources that can be requested and consulted online.
- Promote the presence of the BUVa in social networks.
In order to improve the quality of our service, statistical data are collected on the following indicators:
- Efficiency of the Bibliography Requested Programme.
- Rate of first-time undergraduate students who receive training.
- Effectiveness of the User Training Service with UVa credit recognition.
- Rate of master's/doctorate students receiving training.
- Success rate of the Information Service with 24 hours to 3 days response.
- Effectiveness of the Interlibrary Loan Service as a requesting library.
- Effectiveness of the Interlibrary Loan Service as a supplying library.
- Efficiency of the Electronic Resources User Service.
- Rate of advice to teaching and research staff in the processing of applications for six-year periods.
- Rate of increase of items in the UVa Institutional Repository.
- User satisfaction with the BUVa Virtual Library.
- Rate of BUVa presence in social networks.
In the case of complaints about non-compliance with our commitments, specific actions will be sought, where appropriate, to remedy the damage to the user.
In addition, the BUVa has the following quality assurance mechanisms:
- User satisfaction surveys.
- Complaints and compliments registered.
- Monitoring of the commitments of the Charter of Services in the Annual Report.
- Annual programming of objectives (Annual Operational Plan) according to the Library's Strategic Plan.
- University of Valladolid Library Commission, made up of members of the UVa government team, lecturers, students and librarians.
- Specialised and Campus Libraries Commissions, made up of Campus Vice-Rectors/Deans/Directors, Library Director, lecturers, students and PAS of the corresponding library.
- Opinion polls.
- Through the library's website.
- Through the Library's different Web 2.0 tools.
- By sending us your opinions and suggestions to our "Complaints, suggestions and queries mailbox".
- In person at the library lending and reference desk.
By post:
University Library (University of Valladolid)
C/ Chancillería, nº 6
ES- 47003 Valladolid
Telephone: 34 98342 3937
E-mail: biblioteca.universitaria@uva.es
Complaints and Suggestions Mailbox: click on the following link biblioteca.universitaria@uva.es
Library Social Networks
Consult the regulations of the Charter of Services on the Regulations page.
Date of publication on the UVa E-Office notice board.
Validity: it will be reviewed at least every two years, although there is the possibility of annual review after the results report.
In coherence with the value of gender equality assumed by the University of Valladolid, all the names used in this document in the masculine gender, when they have not been replaced by generic terms, will be understood to be used indistinctly in the feminine gender.