Uncategorised – Library Subject Support

Beyond the Library

Will you be working on a dissertation or project this summer or next year? Worried that the Library might not have access to the specialist books and other resources which you need? Wondering how you can find out about resources relating to your research topic which are held in other libraries?

Wonder no more! There are three main ways you can find and access books and other resources held elsewhere:

1. Search

You can search the catalogues of over 100 UK and Irish academic libraries, national libraries and other major research libraries via COPAC. For a more in-depth and up to date search, you can also search individual academic library catalogues online. Need to look further afield? Search library catalogues internationally via WorldCat.

2. Visit

We have more information about how you can visit other libraries, locally and nationally, here. The SCONUL Access Scheme enables students to use other academic libraries around the country, but you need to register online first (and be sure to check the access arrangements for any library you are planning to visit, as they may alter during the year).

3. Obtain

If we haven’t got the book you want, you can ask us to consider buying or borrowing it, via our Books on Time service. If you need a copy of a journal article to which we don’t have access, please apply via our inter library loan service.

Image by andreas160578 from Pixabay.

Spotlight on …. UbuWeb

Have you tried using UbuWeb yet? You’ll be surprised at the amount of ‘stuff’ in there!

First of all, what is UbuWeb? UbuWeb is a completely independent resource dedicated to all strains of the avant-garde, ethnopoetics, and outsider arts. It hosts a wide range of texts and audio-visual materials. A few examples include:

Conceptual Writing:

“Poetry expresses the emotional truth of the self. A craft honed by especially sensitive individuals, it puts metaphor and image in the service of song.” Read how Craig Douglas Dworkin continues his explanation of ‘The UbuWeb Anthology of Conceptual Writing’ and have a look at examples such as John Baldessari’s text “I will not make any more boring art”

Outsiders:

Here’s how the editors describe this section: “Formerly known as UbuWeb’s Found + Insane section, we’ve redesigned and renamed it Outsiders, reflecting broader cultural trends toward the legitimization of Outsider work, be it in the visual, musical, or literary arts. Beginning with the mainstreaming of Folk Art (now known as Outsider Art) and the work of Jean Dubuffet in the mid-twentieth century, and moving into the present with the recent well-received museum retrospectives of visionary art of the insane (Adolf Wolfli and Henry Darger), there appears to be an insatiable hunger for this raw and emotionally-charged work”

UbuWeb Contemporary:

Read about the works presented by over 100 (to date) contemporary practitioners including one of our own Fine Art graduates, http://www.ubu.com/contemp/copeland/index.html who’s also listed among UbuWeb’s Top Ten!

Podcasts:

Produced by the Poetry Foundation, listen to podcasts of, for example: interviews with artists; the sound of Fluxus; women of the Avante-garde; the malady of writing, to name but a few.

Why not give UbuWeb a try – you’ll be surprised at how much ‘stuff’ there is!

(You can get to UbuWeb from the Fine Art Subject Guide http://www.ubu.com/).

Learning and Teaching Conference: Library activities

You’ll find links to the relevant Library resources below.

As time is limited, your handout gives you suggestions as to which sections you may find it useful to explore, and what sort of feedback we’d welcome, but please feel free to explore as you wish!

A. Academic skills resources

B. Research skills resources

Aimed at UGs/PGTs: please explore our dissertations/projects guide.

Aimed at PGRs: please explore the new online format for our HSS8002 information and library skills module. We’ve created a dummy version of HSS8002 for today’s workshop. You should be able to access the dummy course directly via this link. If not, log in to Blackboard, click Courses, and then type HSS8002 in the search box. Now click on the link to HSS8002conference.

You can also read our LTDS case study about this project.

C. Reading lists online

D. Employability guide

Supporting our students over the Easter vacation

We are Still here during the Easter Vacation [29th March-29th April]

Your University libraries will be open throughout the Easter vacation (closing only on Sunday 21^st April). Our main change is the libraries will be open slightly shorter hours and will include self-service time. Please note that during self-service times, access to the building will be by Newcastle University Smartcard only. For more info on opening hours please see the link below:-

https://www.ncl.ac.uk/library/about/opening-hours/#robinson

We are still around and can help with 1-1 consultancies and Endnote support. Take a look at the topics below and see how we can help you during the vacation.

Live chat

If you have an urgent question, you will find 24/7 support via our out-of-hours Live Chat Service http://libhelp.ncl.ac.uk/ provided by a co-operative of academic librarians from around the world

Revision

Please remember to stay hydrated and take regular breaks

For exam and revision advice visit: https://internal.ncl.ac.uk/ask/exams-revision which has information to help you at this stressful time.

Library Help FAQs

Believe us, there is no such thing as a stupid question and you’ll probably find that your question has been asked many times before! Why not check the library FAQ to see we have already found the answer http://libhelp.ncl.ac.uk/

Visit your Subject Guide

Working on an assignment or revising, and unsure where to find the information you need? Visit your library for advice and quick links to specialist information resources for your subject. Want to know more?

Are you working on a Dissertation or Project?

Make sure you visit our brand new interactive guide:- https://libguides.ncl.ac.uk/dissertations

This provides you with advice on a wide range of relevant skills, such as finding, managing and evaluating information. It also directs you to the key information resources for your subject area.

It’s easy to navigate, with clear text and short videos throughout. We hope you find it helpful, and if you’ve got any feedback, please let us know.

Put Your Skills to the Test: Escape Room Mini Game

Time to put your skills to the test!

As part of our ‘Level Up Your Academic Skills’ event we will be running an exciting ‘Escape Room’ mini challenge across three different locations this week.

In teams of 2-3 people you’ll be tasked with solving a series of puzzles against the clock, with the fastest team set to win a prize!

To take part, drop by our Academic Skills displays at the following times:

Walton Library – Tuesday 19 March from 13:00-14:30

Philip Robinson Library – Wednesday 20 March from 10:00 – 12:00

Marjorie Robinson Library – Friday 22 March from 10:30-12:00

Taking you to the next skills level

Have you heard about ASK? It’s the University’s one-stop-shop for academic skills.

Are you concerned about being accused of plagiarism? Having some difficulty with statistical analysis? Struggling to write a persuasive argument in your essay? Feeling like you’re not able to manage your lecture, seminar and assignment workload? Or perhaps you are a master procrastinator who needs to just crack on with some work. The ASK (Academic Skills Kit) can help!

Signposting you to the services, resources and support available across Newcastle University, it will help you identify where to go for advice and support to improve your study habits and develop skills that are invaluable for University and what comes after.

ASK directs you to the correct place for support and includes online resources such as quizzes and videos, to help you better understand where you may need to grow.

Why not start with the myth busting quiz developed by the Writing Development Centre for some quick tips on how to study well?

Build your bag of tricks and special skills

We’re probably all familiar with the fact that the library is where you find the books, but this month, why not explore all of the other types of information that can add to your academic skills bag of tricks. The library’s Resource Guides draw together the best resources available, organised by the type of information rather than subject area.

So if you are trying to find historic newspapers, company financial data, market research, standards or images you will find a resource guide for all of that!

Market research resource guide homepage

The guides are updated all the time as we add new subscriptions to our collection or identify online resources that we think will be useful for teaching and research. You’ll find the Resource Guides on the library website and as quick links on every Subject Guide.

Resource guide quick links from the subject guides

We’ve also highlighted the Resource Guides that are most commonly used for your subject area in the Specialist Resources section.

Specialist resources quick links image

So next time you need to find a newspaper article, a government paper or some statistics to analyse, visit the Resource Guides to help you identify where to look.

Spotlight on …….. Bridgeman Education

This database provides access to over 1.2 million images, including paintings, posters, artefacts and photographs, from galleries and collections worldwide. All images are copyright-cleared for educational use, and cover a wide range of themes. Here are just a few reasons why you’ll love using Bridgeman……

No matter what subject area you’re studying – from science to fashion, from history to Chinese art, from Prehistoric times to contemporary works, you’ll probably be able to find an image on Bridgeman to illustrate your work:

Bridgeman Education provides a platform to search over 8,000 locations covering the world’s major museums, art collections and historical sites:

https://bit.ly/2HEhEad

You can download the images and create a slideshow of them for your presentations:

https://www.bridgemaneducation.com/en/slideshow/3790

You can zoom in to see every little detail of each image and you’ll be able to see two, three or four images side by side for comparison. You can add notes and captions to the images before they are added to your presentation

https://bit.ly/2T8enll

Join the mailing list to receive regular news bulletins and details of events direct to your in-box and, if you can’t find what you want, just get in touch with the team at Bridgeman Education.

Why not have a look and become really creative!

Bridgeman Education is available via your Subject Guide or directly from Library Search.

(Images: Bridgeman Education)

Trial: Society Digimap

Society Digimap is free on trial until 31st July 2019. Adding to our existing EDINA collection, Society Digimap includes census and socio-economic data which can be layered across the map software to provide a picture and give an insight of society in a given area.

To access this resource, click on the link to the Digimap collection via Library Search or our Maps library guide, log in with your university account and click on the Society tab to access the data. You will need to accept the license agreement the first time you use it.

Please explore and email us your feedback, or post it as a comment on this blog.

Government Publications: Questions in the House!

GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

Surely all MPs are giving us the correct facts?

Take a look at our links to resources for Legislation, Statistics and Official Publications to make sure!

Government publications provide primary information in a variety of subjects. Statistics, White Papers, Parliamentary Bills and a whole range of Official Legislation.

These are a good reliable source of accurate statistics, and can give support to your argument in essay topics across all subjects.

Many government publications are now available online; our Library Guide highlights the useful websites.

Interested in Student Loans or the legal details of part time Employment Contracts?

Details of all UK legal processes can be found at the government website Gov.uk which provides lots of useful information about government services, with an A-Z of departments, agencies and local councils.

Meaningful Vote mean anything to you?

Keep up with the debate and Prime Ministers Questions at this website.

Follow the Brexit shenanigans as it happens!

Democracy Live is the BBC’s new website which offers live and on demand video coverage of the UK’s national political institutions and the European Parliament.

Who stole 40 llbs of butter from Mr Wadsworths wagon in 1778?

You can find out here in The Proceedings of Old Bailey which contains accounts of over 100,000 criminal trial held at London’s criminal court.

So, for more information about finding your way around all aspects of Government Publications please take a look at our helpful video.