U3A RESOURCE CENTRE

INFORMATION BOOKLET

L – R

Odette Coram

(Senior Library Assistant)

Cassy Langley

(Library Assistant)

Susan Radford

(Resource Centre Manager)

The Resource Centre

We do DVDs and CDs but we do not do books

The Resource Centre is open Mondays – Thursdays 9.30am - 4pm

We can be contacted by telephone, e-mail, mail, and internet

Resource Centre Unit,1, 52 Lant Street, London SE1 1RB

Tel: 020 8315 0199

Email: resource.centre@u3a.org.uk

WHAT IS THE RESOURCE CENTRE?

The Resource Centre in the National Office in London has a collection of non-book

material available for all U3A groups to borrow free of charge, except for the cost of

return postage. There are DVDs and CDs available in many subject areas. Lists on all

subjects are free and available on request, and there is an online catalogue accessed via

the Members Area of the U3A website. A user guide for this is available by email.

To borrow items from the collection please contact the Resource Centre staff by

e-mail, telephone (Monday to Thursday between 9.30am and 4.00pm please) or letter at

the address on the previous page, or order via the online catalogue. Give the title of

items you would like on loan and the date of the meeting at which you expect to use

them. The earlier you send your request, the more likely you are to receive the items

you want. Bookings can be made for up to nine months ahead.

Loans are for a period of three weeks and may be renewed if there is no other group

waiting to use them. Longer loans and previews can be arranged on request. Items will be

sent by post 2-3 weeks in advance of a meeting to allow for preparation, with a note

telling you the date to return them.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Our ‘List of Lists’

Architecture Art (artists, sculptors, collections, tutorials)

Biography Environment and Transport

Gardening Geography and Travel

Health and Exercise History (incl. Family and Archaeology)

Languages & Foreign Film Literature and Poetry

Philosophy and Psychology Photography

Religion

Music (incl. classical, opera, ballet, jazz)

Recreation (incl. walking, sport, dancing, fashion, cinema, antiques,

wine appreciation)

Pure Science (incl. chemistry, physics, astronomy, geology, meteorology)

Natural Science (incl. natural history, biology, zoology, anthropology)

Individual lists can be generated for subjects not

shown here, such as ‘Shakespeare’ or ‘Genetics’

We have an online catalogue, a link to which can be

found in the members’ area (www.u3a.org.uk) Example of our printed list... and a screen shot of the online page for the same ‘list’

A factsheet is available for help with online access

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Every week we change the

‘DVD of the Week’ which

sometimes shows a chosen

website.

New

resources are

shown here.

Information boxes

are on the left.

Our Illustrated user guide helps you to source the resources!

Please send us

your email address for

an electronic copy

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ode to Sticky Mitts and Wobbly Discs!

Sticky mitts on DVDs

Cannot be cleaned off with ease.

So hold its edge and carefully place...

...it in the middle of the case.

Secure it well until it’s clicked

Then package and post with stamp affixed!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We have over 8,500 registered borrowers and 3,200 resources. These include DVDs, CDs and CD-Roms, including Power Point Presentations.

The Resource Centre is always looking to add new stock to help our users. We welcome suggestions from group leaders about what they would like us to buy. We also check our current suppliers for new material as and when it is produced. When considering requests there are several factors we have to take into account. We have a fixed budget so price is always a factor. Then we have to consider whether an item is something that would be of interest to other U3As as well. We also think about whether items fit with our current collection and stock policy, for example we do not have feature films apart from foreign language ones for the language groups. And the vital factor – is the item actually available on DVD! Unlike books, not every topic is covered in non-book form. Experience of our collection helps us to spot new material that we think and hope will be of interest to our users, and we also like to hear from the U3A subject advisors.

© The Third Age Trust 2017

MOST POPULAR RESOURCES BORROWED:-

OPERAS, ART, PHOTOGRAPHY AND LANGUAGES