Reading Resources is closing!

9217 (1)We regret to announce that the Reading Resources blog will soon be discontinued. Information for FAHSS staff and researchers will instead be posted on the University Library News blog, and liaison librarians will also forward relevant information to their departments via email. We hope that this move will enable us to communicate more effectively with our users.

Thank  you for reading this blog! If you have any questions or comments, please contact YiWen Hon.

– YiWen Hon, Liaison Librarian (Education and Modern Languages)

Early European Books: an online treasure trove

The University Library has recently subscribed to a new resource, Early European Books.

This resource provides access to the full text of almost 25,000 early European books from 1450–1700. It offers full-colour, high-resolution facsimile images scanned directly from the original printed sources. Each item in the collection is captured in its entirety, complete with its binding, edges, endpapers, blank pages, and any loose inserts. By allowing such detailed study of printed works, scholars can rely on a wealth of information about the physical characteristics and provenance histories of original artefacts at the click of a button. All works printed in Europe before 1701, regardless of language, fall within the scope of the project, together with all pre-1701 works in European languages printed further afield.

'Woodcut of St. Jerome in the desert and in his study', from Provenance Online Project on Flickr

‘Woodcut of St. Jerome in the desert and in his study’, from Provenance Online Project on Flickr / CC-BY

Content includes collections from libraries across Europe, including the Royal Library, Copenhagen, the National Central Library of Florence, Italy, the Wellcome Library, London, and the National Library of France.

This resource will be of interest to any scholars of medieval or renaissance literature and culture.

– YiWen Hon, Liaison Librarian

Practical Law: more than just for practice

Old Bailey Statue of JusticeWe are trialling the Practical Law database which provides tailored information for understanding both scholarly and practical aspects of topical legal issues.

Resources cover a wide range of practice areas, from corporate to private client matters, and include standard documents, how-to guidance on the law, practice notes and updates on the latest legal developments.

This trial is available from campus PCs until 27 May 2015.

Let us know what you think!

Your feedback is requested to assist us evaluate this service, please email the Law Liaison Librarian with your comments: r.connell@reading.ac.uk.

Rachael Scott, Electronic Acquisitions Co-ordinator

This post was originally posted on the Library News Blog.

Digital scholarship opportunity

BL iconThe British Library have launched their BL Labs competition for the third time.  Researchers may submit their ideas for innovative and transformative projects relating to the library’s digital collections that aim to bring those collections to life!  The deadline for submissions is Thursday 30th April, 2015.  There will also be awards available to those who have already used British Library digital content in their research.  More information is available on the British Library’s digital scholarship blog.

HEFCE report on monographs and open access

Open Access logoScholarly communication has undergone major changes in recent years, with the rise of electronic publication, the use of social media for engagement and promotion and, not least, the increasing importance of making publications open access. However, much innovation and debate around open access has focused on journal articles and extending this to monographs, still a mainstay of arts, humanities and social sciences research, is not easy.

After deciding to exclude monographs from its current open access policy (which informs the next REF), HEFCE decided to commission the HEFCE Monographs and Open Access Project to investigate the opportunities and issues relating to the open access publishing of monographs.

The report resulting from this project is now available online and is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of open access in the arts, humanities and social sciences and how this may affect future successors to the REF.

More information

More information about open access can be found on our website.

Anna Richards, Liaison librarian

Making the most of OUP e-resources

Oxford University Press LogoThe Library subscribes to many OUP e-resources, including Electronic Enlightenment, Oxford Handbooks Online, Oxford Bibliographies Online, Oxford Reference Online and Oxford Scholarship Online.

Why not learn from the experts and attend one of OUP’s free online live training demonstrations to help you make the most of these e-resources! Each training session typically lasts 40-45 minutes and takes a closer look at the search options, features and practical uses of an e-resource. It also gives you an opportunity to ask any questions you might have. Once registered, all you need is access to a computer with an internet connection and a speaker.

The next live demonstrations are:

  • Wednesday, 4th March, 10:00 a.m.- Electronic Enlightenment
  • Friday, 6th March, 10:00 a.m. – The Research Journey. This session covers Oxford Reference, Oxford Bibliographies, Oxford Handbooks and Oxford Scholarship Online. N.B. Very Short Introductions and University Press Scholarship, to which the Library does not currently have a subscription, are also covered.

If you are unable to attend but would like to find out more, you can access the archive of recorded training sessions or contact your Liaison Librarian.

Rachael Scott, Electronic Acquisitions Co-ordinator

Adding ‘audiovisual spice’ to your teaching

Have you ever considered using TV and radio programmes in your teaching?

The Educational Recording Agency (ERA) licence held by the University means that you can record content from Freeview channels (including digital channels like BBC4 and ITV2) and BBC radio. The licence is very flexible which means that:

  • you can make your own recordings
  • you can show the recordings in lectures or upload the recording to Blackboard
  • you can make extracts
  • we can loan recordings via the Library

You can also show items using on-demand services such as BBC iPlayer, although you can’t record programmes from them. You also can’t show programmes outside of the UK, edit the programme (e.g. add subtitles) or copy any commercially produced programmes i.e. DVDs that we buy. You also have to label your recording correctly, the details of which are available on our website.

Why use audiovisual material in your teaching?

There are many advantages to using audiovisual material in your teaching. Often documentaries cover topical issues that can provide background information or provide a starting point for your students, they can be helpful when students are revising or provide a way to cater to different learning styles. They can also be used as part of task-based or flipped learning and can be incorporated directly into discussions of how an issue is presented to and received by members of the public. TV documentaries often cover issues from many different angles as well.

So what’s this got to do with the Library?

Although anyone can record a programme you may not know in advance whether it is going to be useful or you may only find out about it after the fact. If this is the case contact our Multimedia Manager, Natalie Guest, who will be able to get copies of programmes that have already been broadcast. We also keep past ERA recordings in the Library, which are shelved among the books at the appropriate call number.

What to do next

If you’re interested in exploring this further we have more details on our website or you can contact Natalie Guest or your liaison librarian. The Library also subscribes to the TRILT database, which provides information about upcoming programmes and allows you to set alerts for programmes matching your keywords.

Anna Richards, Liaison Librarian

 

Help! I can’t find any information!

Picture of subject guides button from Library website.Where is a good place to start doing your research? Have you had a look at the Library’s guide for your subject?  Every subject has a liaison librarian and they have put together a guide for each subject, with lots of helpful information and advice, such as new books that have come into the library for that subject, useful dictionaries and encyclopedias as well as relevant online resources and other helpful information.

 

We want to help you find the information you need. Please contact you subject Liaison librarian if you are stuck.
The subject guide has links to their email address and office hours. Also check out the Help tab for more sources of advice.

Doctoral Students’ Open Days at the British Library

Have you just started your PhD, or do you know someone who has? The British Library is offering a series of Doctoral Students’ Open Days targeted at new PhD students. The events will introduce attendees to the resources available through the British Library, provide information on how these resources can be accessed, and provide an opportunity to meet expert staff and researchers in specific fields.

For further information and to book your place, visit the British Library website.

– YiWen Hon, Liaison Librarian

#ShareMyThesis competition – Win a MacBook!

Are you currently studying for or have you completed a PhD degree? Do you want to tell the world why your research is important?
Enter the EThOS #ShareMyThesis competition and win a 15 inch MacBook Pro! Summarise why your PhD research is important in 140 characters or less, and tweet using the #ShareMyThesis hashtag. Your tweet should:

  • convey what your research is about
  • convey why it is important
  • be self contained
  • be understandable to a non-specialist.

The closing date for this competition is 9 February 2015. For further information, visit this website. Good luck!

– YiWen Hon, Liaison Librarian