What you think of the new Library…

Over the summer, levels 2 and 3 of the Library were refurbished. This is what  students think of it.

Christmas opening and closed hours

It’s that time of year again!

• Opening hours remain on the term time pattern (midnight weekdays, 9pm at weekends) until Sunday 20th December.
• We then open until 9pm from Monday 21st – Wednesday 23rd with Library staff here till 5.
• Early closure at 3pm on Thursday 24th December.
• When we reopen on Monday 4th January, it’s 24/7 opening until 22nd January.

Opening times for all library sites can be found on the website . Check when your books are due back by logging in to your Library record online or giving us a call.  No books will be due back over the Christmas period that we’re closed, but don’t forget to renew them if they are due back before the vacation to avoid a fine in the new year.

iPhone=e-book reader

E-books are being marketed as a great Christmas gift. Me, I’m not so taken (so far) as I quite like taking my battered paperbacks around with me. Besides, the chances of me losing (or dropping) such an expensive piece of kit is quite likely (!) and they just don’t seem as friendly. However, I can see the positives – why carry a dozen heavy textbooks and hurt your back when you can have a sleek all-in-one tool that can hold hundreds of texts?

A halfway point might be the new free Kindle app for the iPhone, which was launched back in March and launched internationally this week. Kindle is the e-book reader that Amazon have lauched – the theory is you download the app and have access to the e-books you have purchased through Amazon on your iPhone. This Guardian story looks at the app when it was launched in March.

And remember, the Library provides access to e-books available on your computer through the Library catalogue – simply search for your title or by keyword, and if we have it follow the link through the catalogue and log in with your Library barcode and PIN.

Do you Google for your news? Perhaps no more…

Earlier this month, it was reported that unlimited free news via Google may be a thing of the past. Reports include that you may now be limited to five free news stories, and anything after you may find yourself being asked to register if the publisher charges for content. For more information, this story from the BBC. The Guardian has also just launched its iPhone app for its content at a cost of £2.39.

Through your Library account, you can access our news databases – entirely free, full text stories from global newspapers and major publications – oodles better than Google! Check out Nexis UK (you will need your Library barcode and PIN to access). Any problems, let me know.

iPhones: IEEE Xplore in the palm of your hand

iPhones are usually a pretty good distraction from getting work done, but now you can access certain resources on your iPhone, meaning you can do your research on the move.

Our IEEE Xplore resource is available online. Simply search for your keyword, and email results that you like to yourself to collect at a later date. You will need to log into the full IEEE Xplore site using your library barcode and PIN, and remember you will only be able to access the full text of resources that we subscribe to.

Facebook and you

Saw this post recommended by someone else on our new collaboration tools at City. We share an awful lot of information on Facebook with our ‘friends’ – but think about who, how and what information you want to be made available to anyone who searches online (be they old school friends, your parents or a future employer).

This article goes through some of the key privacy settings that you might want to use to control who sees what about you.

Library opening 24/7 during January exams

Information Services and Libraries are happy to announce that the University Library will be open 24/7 from 8.30am on the 4th January to 12am on the 22nd January for the examination period.

A decision on extending 24/7 opening to the Summer examination period will depend on the numbers using the services and on a reduction in the number of complaints received from local residents and fellow students – so in other words use it (but nicely!) or lose it…

For this reason the following rules have been agreed. Library users must

* Not disrupt other students learning
* Respect the designated use of the floors of the Library
* Leave the University premises quietly
* Not bring hot food into the Library – this can be consumed in the Student Union
* Must arrange pick ups and drops to take place outside the Student Union on Spencer Street and should stay out of Northampton Square
* Must only smoke in designated areas in groups of no more than 3

Anyone in breach of these rules will receive an immediate ban from Library and Student Union services and may be reported for further disciplinary action.

The demand for 24/7 opening has come from students themselves over a number of years. Please ensure that we will be able to provide it in future by coming and using our services and by respecting the rules that are put in place for your benefit.

Liz Harris, Head of Library Services, Northampton Square
SU President

IEEE Webinar – tomorrow

IEEE’s 125th Anniversary Celebration Webcast
Live from The Royal Institution of Great Britain on 6th October.

6 October 2009,  16:30-19:00

Register Today

The programme
Welcome Address        

Dr. John Vig,  2009 IEEE President & CEO

Keynote Lectures

Dame Wendy Hall, Professor of Computer Science at University of Southampton, and 2009 President of the Association for Computing Machinery

Chris Toumazou, Professor of Circuit Design and Director of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London

New page

A new page has been added to bring together the growing collection of online guides and tutorials that you can use – have a look at what’s already available and let me know if there is anything you would find useful or would like to see!

More content will be added as time goes on… currently, plans include:

• Using advanced features of Google Scholar
• Database demos
• Using the Library catalogue (basic and advanced)
• Vancouver/Numerical referencing

Lots of information, resources and guides are already available on Upgrade, so check there if you can’t wait.

Essay writing and presentation workshops

Learning Success in the Student Centre are running some workhops over the new few weeks to help you prepare and complete your assignments.

You don’t have to book, so just come along! All sessions are run between 1pm and 2pm.

• Academic English and different types of assignement: essays, reports, reflective writing, literature reviews etc.
  Thursday 8th October, Room CG05
• Interpreting essay titles and organising essays
  Thursday 15th October, Room CG05
• Writing introductions, conclusions and body paragraphs
  Thursday 22nd October, Room CG05
• Citation and referencing
  Thursday 29th October, Room CG05
• Effective note-taking
  Monday 2nd November, Room E212
• Grammar and punctuation
  Monday 9th November, Room E212
• Presentation preparation
  Monday 16th November, Room E212
• Presentation practice
  Monday 23rd November, Room E212

For more information on training and support that you can access through Learning Success, see their website. Or why not check out the resources they have created in Upgrade, our new CitySpace module with resources to help you develop your study skills, research skills and give you the inside edge on thinking about your career?