Policies and documents
Customer care statement and Service objectives
These Library documents show how we work to monitor and improve our services, and how our users can support us to deliver a great service for all.
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Customer care statement
The following is our commitment to high-quality service and how you can help us achieve it.
In the library you can expect that:
- The staff will be friendly, polite and knowledgeable, and will take part in regular training to ensure we are providing the highest level of service.
- We will strive to understand your needs and tailor our service to you as individuals.
- We will try to give you a solution or referral at the first point of contact. If we are unable to solve a problem immediately, we will make clear what will happen next.
- We will conduct a roving service from 9.00am to 5.00pm, so that staff are available across the building to help you and will have staff dedicated to phone and email queries.
- We will provide a range of study spaces and monitor their use and suitability, and will ensure that all areas are comfortable, clean and safe.
- We will provide you with information on all our services, as well as any changes and improvements via a range of communication channels.
- We will conduct regular shelf tidying to make sure that resources are easy for you to find.
- We provide self-service issue and return points as well as back-up systems, in case of malfunctions, in order to provide continuity of service.
- You are allowed hot and cold food and drinks across all floors, with the exception of the silent room on the ground floor, where we only allow water.
- During staffed hours we will register a member of the public or someone applying under one of the library's reciprocal agreements, within 30 minutes. Where there is a large group of external users requiring registration at the same time, we aim to register each person within one working day.
- We will publicise our service objectives (see below) and measure against them so that we can ensure we are meeting our standards. We will use the results to improve our services.
You can help by:
- Observing and complying with Library codes, policies and zones; the IT Acceptable Use Policy; as well as the university’s Policy on Behaviour
- Respecting other library users and staff.
- Carrying your York St John University ID at all times.
- Helping to keep the library environment clean and tidy.
- Responding when required to communications from Library and Learning Services.
- Checking your weekly 'renewal status' email to see whether you can continue to keep your library items.
- Making sure library items are returned on time so that other people can use them. It will also help you avoid fines!
- Giving us feedback by talking to us or, through social media, email or internal feedback channels (wall, cards, kiosks) so that we can improve the services we offer to you.
Service objectives
As part of our strategic planning process, Library and Learning Services has conducted a comprehensive review of our service standards. Our service standards have been in place for three years and as part of our commitment to continuous improvement we review our standards on an annual basis to ensure they are fit for purpose. Our new service objectives and underpinning key performance indicators (KPIs) are linked to the university's strategic themes: Purpose, People and Place. Our new service objectives provide a comprehensive outline of our service offer and our new KPIs offer improved clarity on our performance.
We will monitor our KPIs on a monthly basis to ensure we are meeting or exceeding our service objectives. We commit to publishing our performance throughout the academic year along with an annual report evaluating our performance over the previous 12 months.
Our previous service standards and performance reports will remain accessible via links on this page.
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions on our objectives and KPIs, please email us at support@yorksj.ac.uk.
Victoria Watt
Head of Library and Learning Services
Last updated 1 August 2022
Comments, suggestions, and complaints
While we always strive to provide the best possible service for our customers, we know there is always room for improvement and sometimes things go wrong, so we welcome your feedback to help us identify and resolve issues.
Here are some options for sharing your ideas or concerns with us.
Informal feedback
To get quick action on issues as they happen, please talk to a member of staff at either of our Information Services desks in Holgate or Fountains. You can also call us on 01904 876 696 or email us at support@yorksj.ac.uk.
Other options include filling out feedback cards available in Fountains, or using this feedback form.
Escalating concerns
If you aren't happy with the response to your feedback or concern, please email our Customer Services Manager at j.powell@yorksj.ac.uk
Formal complaints
If you are still not satisfied with our response, you can log a formal complaint using the university's Appeals and Complaints process.
