How to make a request | Ordering multiple items | Other useful information

The Caird Library uses an online request system called Aeon for you to order items to view in the Library's reading room.

Aeon allows you to order items in advance of your visit, keep a record of items you may wish to see in the future, and items you have already seen. This is helpful when planning your research and allows you to request the same items again very easily. Aeon also keeps a record of emails you may receive from the Library, for example telling you when items you have requested are unavailable to view.

All of the Archive & Library collections can be requested via Aeon. This includes modern and rare books, journals, ephemera, pamphlets, manuscripts, charts and maps (onsite and offsite), and prints and drawings (onsite only). An appointment is required to view prints and drawings held offsite, and also to view the reserve (object) collections – for details please contact the Library at aeon@rmg.co.uk. Appointments are also required to view the historic photographs and ship plans which are stored offsite.

Requests to view items in the reading room need to be made initially via the online catalogues:

• the library catalogue for the printed collections such as books and journals
• the archive catalogue on the Collections website
• Prints and drawings and Charts and maps can also be ordered via the Collections website
• requests placed via the online catalogues will then take you to Aeon.

The retrieval period for items held offsite is longer than for items held onsite – this is indicated in the online catalogues.

The Aeon request system is for viewing original material in the Caird Library. To order copies of documents or books, see the Digital Scanning/Photocopying service.

How to make a request on Aeon

To make a request from our Collections website (for archives, prints and drawings, and charts and maps):

• Find the item you wish to request in the Collections website
• Click on the 'Place order' button
• The Aeon log-in screen will appear and you will need to log in to your Aeon account (note that Aeon is a separate system from the online catalogues)
• The details of the items you have requested will automatically open in your Aeon account
• If your session has timed out, Aeon will prompt you to log-in
• Click on the time and date when you wish to view the items (drop down menu for date and time). Items cannot be requested to view on bank holidays, public holidays or Sundays
• Should you wish to place your order, please ensure the ‘keep in review’ box is not ticked
• Click ‘Submit Request’

To make a request from the online library catalogue:

• Find the items you wish to request in the library catalogue
• Click on the 'Place order' button
• The Aeon log-in screen will appear and you will need to log in to your Aeon account (note that Aeon is a separate system from the online catalogues)
• The details of the items you have requested will automatically open in your Aeon account
• If your session has timed out, Aeon will prompt you to log-in
• (For journals, specify the issue/volume and date in the Notes field in the Aeon request form)
• Click on the time and date when you wish to view the items (drop down menu for date and time). Items cannot be requested to view on bank holidays, public holidays or Sundays
• Should you wish to place your order, please ensure the ‘keep in review’ box is not ticked
• Click ‘Submit request’

Other useful information about making requests

• Prints and drawings and charts and maps require advance ordering (by 12.30 one working day before visit) – see Viewing prints and drawings in the Caird Library and Viewing charts and maps in the Caird Library.
• Items that have been requested and viewed on one day can be held overnight for viewing the following day. To do this, please request the item again in your Aeon account for the following day and tell the staff at the Issue desk when you return it to the desk at the end of your first day
• When collecting items from the Issue desk, please show your reader’s ticket to the member of staff, so they can issue you with the correct items
• You must return items to the Issue desk if you are leaving the reading room for more than 30 minutes, and at the end of your visit to the Library, so that the items can be checked back in

What happens once you’ve made your request

Once you’ve placed your request using your Aeon account, a member of the Library team will check the details of your request and the location of the item. If there are any problems with the request they will contact you directly by email (or in the reading room if you’re onsite).

• If the item is held onsite, the retrieval technicians will retrieve the item from the stores and take it to the Issue desk. The production time for onsite items is 40 minutes.
• The production time for offsite items is 7 days. This is indicated in the online catalogues – you will receive an email from the Library staff confirming the delivery date and time if you have requested the item earlier than is possible for us to retrieve it in time.

Production times at the Issue desk

10.00  All collections (order before 15.30 the previous day)
11:10  All collections (order before 10.30)    
12:10  All collections (order before 11.30) 
13:10   Modern books and journals only (order before 12.30)
14:10  All collections (order before 13.30) 
15:10  All collections (order before 14.30) 
16:10  All collections (order before 15.30) 

Thursday (in addition to times above)
17:10  All collections except prints and drawings, charts and maps (order before 16.30) 
18:40  Modern books and journals only (order before 18.00) 

Saturday
10:00 All collections, except prints and drawings, charts and maps (order before 15.30 the previous day)
12:10 All collections, except prints and drawings, charts and maps (order before 11.30)
15:10 All collections, except prints and drawings, charts and maps (order before 14.30)

Maximum number of items that can be requested and viewed at one time

• The maximum number of onsite items that can be ordered in advance is three items
• The maximum number of items that can be ordered on the day is 21 items. 27 items can be ordered on Thursdays. Three items can be requested per reader per retrieval
• The maximum number of offsite items that can ordered in advance is 21 per retrieval (per week). Please note that you can view up to 21 items a day in the reading room, including all collection items
• The maximum number of items that can be viewed at one time in the reading room is 1 collection item plus one working collection item, excluding those items on open access in the Caird Library
• The maximum number of prints and drawings that can be requested in advance is 21. You can view them one at a time in the reading room
• The maximum number of charts and maps that can be requested in advance is 21. You can view them three at a time in the reading room.