The Adult Continuing Education Library

As well as housing part of the South Wales Coalfield Collection, the South Wales Miners' Library is also the main library service for staff and students of the Department of Adult Continuing Education (DACE). The collection contains materials to support most subjects taught by DACE.
In addition the library houses a growing collection on the history, theory and practice of adult education.
The Adult Continuing Education subject team provide a range of information services for DACE staff and students.

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Open Access Computing

There are 22 Open Access PCs in the South Wales Miners' Library. They offer the full range of Open Access software, including: word processing, databases & spreadsheets, web browsers, networked databases and the Library catalogue, Voyager. 

The South Wales Miners' Library has self-service Laser printing facilities. Printing costs 5p per A4 sheet.

There are additional Open Access PCs throughout UWS.

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Finding material on the shelves

To find books and other items in the Library, you first need to know the classmark for the books you want. You then need to know where books with that classmark are shelved. The Finding, borrowing and reserving page explains how to use the Library catalogues to find the classmarks of the books you need. Some classmarks have a prefix to indicate that the books are not kept on the main bookshelves but in a separate location.

Classmarks with a prefix
Prefix.	Location in SWML
AV.	Shelved in Room 2.
Folios.	Upstairs in Room 15.
Pamphlets.	Reading Room 3.
Periodicals.	Recent issues on the Current Periodicals stand, older issues shelved in Room 2.
Photocopy collection.	Ask at the Issue Desk.
Ref.	Main service area.
Oral History.	Ask at the Issue Desk.
SWCC Ref.	Ask at the Issue Desk.
Theses.	Ask at the Issue Desk.

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Services

Part-Time Students
Books and articles for DACE part-time and distance learners based at Banwen or Swansea can be obtained by contacting the South Wales Miners' Library Tel: 01792 518603 or e-mail miners@swansea.ac.uk. 

The DALLAS (Distance And Lifelong Learners At Swansea) page describes these services in full.

Special Needs
The South Wales Miners' Library is on two floors, there is good access for disabled people, with a ramp at the main entrance. Please contact the library on 518603 if you have problems gaining access.

Inter-Library loans
The South Wales Miners' Library provides an inter-library loans service to staff and some graduate students in the Department of Adult & Continuing Education free of charge. All others students in the Department of Adult Continuing Education must pay to use the service. Please contact the SWML for details. We will notify you by letter when the inter-library loan is ready for collection. More information can be found on the inter-library loans page.

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Study Facilities
There are 20 study places in the South Wales Miners' Library.

Lockers
Lockers are available in the library foyer, if you need somewhere secure to leave your belongings. They operate with a refundable deposit of £5.00 payable at the Issue Desk.

Photocopying
There are two self-service photocopiers in SWML. Photocopying costs 5p per A4 sheet and 10p per A3 sheet. Your student card can be used to photocopy, just recharge in the ICS machine. If your a vsitor or researcher please ask issue desk staff to loan you a card; or staff may do your copying for you at a cost of 10p A4, 20p A3.

Audio-Visual Material
Both the South Wales Miners' Library and Banwen Library have small collections of audio-visual material, including videos, audio cassettes and slides. The videos and audio cassettes can be borrowed by part time students and SU staff. Details can be found in the Voyager catalogue. SWML also houses the oral history and video collections of the South Wales Coalfield Collection which may be searched via the SWCC web catalogue.

Exam Papers
Paper copies of most part time degree exam papers are kept in the South Wales Miners' Library, Banwen Library and the Library & Information Centre. 

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Toilets 
The toilets at the South Wales Miners' Library are situated in the main foyer. 

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Lost Cards
If you lose your library card, report the loss immediately at any LIS issue desk, so that we can prevent any unauthorised use of your card. We will also let you know if the card has been returned to us. Part time degree students should request replacement cards from the Academic Registry, and staff from the Estates department (your library card is also your University ID card). Other borrowers should request a replacement card at the library you normally use. A charge will be made for replacement cards.

Lost Property
Please ask at any LIS service point. Unclaimed lost property is normally disposed of appropriately after one term.

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 South Wales Coalfield Collection

 The South Wales Miners' Library (SWML) was established by UWS in 1973 to house material collected by the Coalfield History Project. The project attempted to locate, collect and preserve records relating to the social, political, educational and cultural aspects of mining communities throughout the South Wales Coalfield. The material collected is now known as the South Wales Coalfield Collection. It is split between two sites: the South Wales Miners' Library and the LIS Archives located in the Library and Information Centre on the main Singleton campus.

Material held at the South Wales Miners' Library includes:

• South Wales Miners' Federation and National Union of Mineworkers (South Wales Area) minute books and annual reports.
• An oral history and video collection.
• Posters.
• Banners
• Books and pamphlets from Miners' Institutes and Welfare Halls across South Wales.
• Private collections of books including those donated by the families of the late Gwyn Thomas, George Daggar, Gomer Evans and Brinley Griffiths.
• Collections of pamphlets which belonged to politically active men in the Coalfield, such as Dai Francis and S. O. Davies. The library holds a particularly strong collection of pamphlets relating to the involvement of Welsh miners in the Spanish Civil War.

Material held in the LIS Archives includes:

• Photographs.
• Records of the South Wales Miners' Federation and the National Union of Mineworkers (South Wales Area) and its individual lodges.
• Records from Miners Institutes, Welfare Halls, Co-operative Societies and individuals connected with the mining industry in South Wales.

Finding material in the South Wales Coalfield Collection:

• Manuscript material deposited in the collection between 1983-1993: consult the SWCC online catalogue. This catalogue also covers the many media in the collection (audio, video, photographs, banners).
• Manuscript material deposited before 1983: consult the printed catalogue Guide to the South Wales Coalfield Archive and the Supplement to the Guide to the South Wales Coalfield Archive, available in the SWML (Reference section) and in the Library & Information Centre (Catalogue Hall) at Z6621.S8 BEV.

Enquiries

General enquiries should be referred to the SWML Issue Desk. Help using electronic and other information sources can be obtained from SWML staff, who also offer basic help with Open Access computing facilities, although students may be directed to IT Support staff in the Library and Information Centre for specialist help. The Subject Support: Adult Continuing Education page has further information about assistance and training for LIS services and resources.