Book EndNote Web training for easy referencing!

Student studyingThere are spaces still available on next week’s EndNote Web workshop for undergraduates and masters students.

Come along to learn how to use EndNote Web to…

  • store details of the books and articles you read
  • download references from databases such as the Web of Science
  • insert citations in your Word documents
  • build a bibliography in a style of your choosing at the click of a button

Workshop time

Wednesday 25 October, 14:00 – 15:30

Book your place

Book your place via the ‘Library course bookings’ link on the RISISweb portal. The bookings link is located in the ‘Actions’ tab if you’re a student. If you’re a member of staff click on ‘Specialist Actions’ in the ‘Specialist Actions’ tab.

This workshop is part of the Student Training and Experience Programme (STEP) and counts towards the RED Award.

Unable to make this date?

Check the EndNote training webpage for other dates when this workshop is running this term.

Sally Smith, Learning Support Co-ordinator

Challenge yourself to maximise your Library and Study Skills – info tip

Student studyingWant to make sure you get the best possible marks by working smarter, not harder? Week 6 is the perfect time to review and develop the skills you need to succeed and work effectively in your studies. The Library and Study Advice teams have guides and videos that will help you achieve just this. And why not take one of our challenges and learn a new skill that will make your studying more successful and help you to find excellent resources?

What do you need to develop?

Everyone starts from a different place and progresses through their studies at a different pace, so you will need to consider what your own needs are and how they are best met, but the suggestions below should have something for you.

Ten challenges to try something new

  1. Learn how to access and use an e-book.
  2. Sign up to an app like Forest, Evernote, Tomato-Timer or Remember the Milk to keep yourself organised and on schedule.
  3. Use Summon to find a newspaper article or book review that’s related to your subject.
  4. Try a new learning technique – video or record yourself talking for three minutes on a topic from your course.
  5. Set up an EndNote Web account to store your references.
  6. Start a reading diary to record your reflections on what you’ve read (use a paper notebook or set up a private blog).
  7. Find a map that will help with your subject – they’re not just for geographers!
  8. Watch a video tutorial on an aspect of study that you need to develop.
  9. Pick up a free year planner from Study Advice and get control over your deadlines.
  10. And finally, take a break from studying and use Enterprise to find and borrow a film on DVD – we’ve lots to choose from.

Alarm clock“I don’t have time to develop my skills!”

It can be hard to develop new skills when you’re already busy using the old ones – but it’s worth doing to save lots of time in the future. If you don’t have much time, try these quick ideas:

If you’ve got 5 minutes…

If you’ve got 10 minutes…

  • Record yourself recapping the main points of your last lecture – it’s more effective than rewriting your notes.
  • Open an EndNote Web account to manage your references, then bookmark our guides and training sessions to find out how to use it.

If you’ve got 30 minutes…

  • Enrol on a LibLearn tutorial to learn how to get the most out of your library – there are advanced versions if you’ve already tried one.
  • Book a session with a Study Adviser to review your study practices and see if there’s anything your could develop.
  • If you’re a Part 1 undergraduate who hasn’t enrolled in Study Smart yet, now’s your last chance – free enrolment only remains open till 12 Nov. Check your emails for details of how to do this: once you’re enrolled you retain access to the resources for the whole year. If you’re already enrolled, re-read any sections that are more directly relevant to what you’re doing now in your studies.

This is one of a series of tips to help you save time and effort finding or using information.

This tip was written by Kim Shahabudin, Study Adviser and Sally Smith, Liaison Librarian.

Library refurb: 2nd/4th Floor Information Desks relocate

Plan of 2nd Floor

2nd Floor Information Desk

Plan of 4th Floor

4th Floor Information Desk

Library staff are still here to help you on the 2nd and 4th Floors of the Library, Monday to Friday 09:00-17:00, even though we have moved our Information Desks! Come and find us on the north (Palmer building) side of the building. We’re now closer to book areas where you might need help finding things, but away from areas where building works may take place. We expect to be here until summer 2018.

The Ground Floor Help Point remains by our entrance, as before.

Stay up-to-date

Keep checking the Library blog for the latest refurbishment news and updates. For more information on the Library refurbishment, please see our dedicated Library Refurbishment Project page.

Rachel Redrup, Library Marketing Co-ordinator

Beware spam email asking you to renew your account

A spam email has been sent to some University members asking users to renew their Library account. Please DON’T click on the link in this message. It is not from us, even though the login page it takes you to looks like our ‘Online Resources Single Sign On’ page.

This is the text of the message:

Spam email received by University members

Protect your account

Always check the following before clicking on any link in an email purporting to be from the University, to avoid your University account being compromised:

  • Check the email address of the sender – libraries@reading.co is not our address, it is library@reading.ac.uk
  • Watch out for poor spelling and grammar, for example ‘base’ instead of ‘basis’, ‘inconveniences’ instead of ‘inconvenience’
  • Hover over any link to see if it is actually going to the address stated

Jackie Skinner 
on behalf of Sam Tyler, Library Systems Manager

Your one-stop shop for Library information – info tip

Library homepageDistance learner? No time to make it to the Library between lectures? Don’t worry – the Library website contains a wealth of help and information to support your studies.

Where to find what…

Use the menu on the left-hand side of each page to explore the site.

  • Using the Library – information on facilities and services, including borrowing, opening hours, printing/photocopying and floor plans
  • Finding information – help and guidance on finding information, including details of resources in your subject
  • E-resources – links to e-journals, e-books and databases, and information about accessing them
  • Contacts & support – people, sites and services
  • About us – policies, facts and figures
  • Libraries beyond UoR – using other libraries or getting items via inter-library loan
  • Maths Support – help with any mathematical topic you need for your studies
  • Study Advice – 1-1 and online expert advice for developing your study skills

First things first

The things you need most frequently are on our homepage.

  • Enterprise catalogue search box – most people come to the Library website to search the catalogue for books and e-books, so it takes centre stage
  • Summon search box – our new discovery service allows you to find online journal articles and book chapters on a topic
  • Opening hours – this week’s opening hours are on the homepage, enabling you to check them quickly and easily
  • Subject resources – jump straight to our subject guides to find the most relevant resources and information for you, and contact details for your librarian
  • E-resources – quick links to our databases, e-books and e-journals; all available 24-7
  • Library news – keep up-to-date with the latest Library news (or follow us on Twitter or Facebook)
  • Out-of-hours Virtual Enquiry Service – use this chat box on left of our homepage to get help from librarians around the world when our Information Desks are closed

Scroll to the bottom of our homepage for more useful links, including guidance for specific groups of Library users, alternative study space across campus, and links to related services.

Enterprise – more than just books

Enterprise is the Library catalogue. Use it to find items in the Library including books, journals, DVDs, theses etc. You can also search Enterprise to find our e-journals and e-books – so you don’t even need to set foot in the Library to make use of our resources! Just search for a book or journal as you usually would and you may find a record that links you to the online version.

You can also use Enterprise to check your account to find out when your books are due and to renew your loans. Just log in with your University username and password.

Enterprise also covers many of the collections held across the University, including those at the Museum of English Rural Life and the Special Collections Service (archives and rare books) – a one-stop shop to find out about the wealth of materials you could use for your work.

To find out more about Enterprise, and tips on using it, go to our Help using Enterprise.

Find journal articles and much more using Summon

Search results on SummonThe Summon discovery service enables you to easily find full-text articles and book chapters on any subject.

Everything you find should be available to read as the results are limited to publications covered by the Library’s subscriptions.

You will also find definitions from reliable encyclopedias and dictionaries related to your topic. Other materials covered include newspaper articles, standards, conference proceedings, government documents, trade publications and book reviews.

To find out more about Summon, and tips on searching it, go to our Help using Summon.

Hidden depths

Some pages you might not have discovered…

  • Jargon buster – what does ‘folio’ mean? I need to use an ‘Institutional login’ – what is it? What is a ‘hold’? Answers to these and more in our Jargon buster
  • How to… – answers to our most frequently asked questions
  • Wikipedia alternatives – online dictionaries and encyclopedias you can rely on
  • Can’t get the item you need? – tips on getting hold of material for your studies, and contacting us about resources not in the Library

Can’t find what you are looking for?

  • Site search – use the search box at the very top of the screen, or limit your search to pages on the Library site using the ‘Site search’ function at the bottom of the page
  • Site index – next to the ‘Site search’ function, this gives an alphabetical list of what’s on the website

Any comments?

If you have any comments about the Library website, or suggestions for improvement, fill in the Website comments form or contact the Library Web Manager Jackie Skinner.

This is one of a series of tips to help save you time and effort finding information

This tip was written by Jackie Skinner, the Library Web Manager.

Library refurbishment: Library bike sheds closed

Several empty metal bike stands receeding into distance next to brick pavement under URS building overhang

Please use the bike racks outside the URS building (next to the Library building).

Cyclists, please note that the bike sheds outside the front of the Library building went out of use from Wednesday 11 October.

The hoarding outside the Library entrance will move forward to safely enclose refurbishment works around the front of the building – as a result, the bike sheds need to be removed.

The nearest place to park your bike is in the bike racks outside the URS building. Other racks are available in the Palmer quad and outside Whiteknights House.

Blue bike shelter with red and white tape wrapped around it, enclosing two abandoned and unloved bikes,

Bike shelters beside the Library are being removed.

Please be sure to move your bike from the Library cycle sheds before they are removed.

Stay up-to-date

All the latest Library refurbishment news is available on the Library blog – keep checking back for updates.

For more information on the refurbishment, please see our dedicated Library Refurbishment Project page.

 

University Communications Team
Rachel Redrup, Library Marketing Co-ordinator