Easter opening hours at your Library

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With the Easter vacation approaching, make sure you know our upcoming opening hours and borrowing policies for the break!

Easter chicks

The Library building will be closed for the University Easter Closure from Thursday 1 April to Tuesday 6 April.

Between Monday 29 March and Wednesday 31 March the Library Building will be open from 08:30-19:00.

From Wednesday 7 April until Friday 16 April, the Library will be open 08:30 – 19:00 Monday to Thursday and 08:30-17:00 Friday to Sunday.

Remember that there will be no Closed Access or Store collections on Bank Holidays. The last Closed Access collection before Easter will be Wednesday 31st March.

Outside the University Easter closure, the PC Labs in the Palmer and Agriculture buildings are also open 24/7. They are accessible with your Campus Card and you do not need to book them.

Please see our opening hours web page for more information. Opening hours for the Summer Term are not yet confirmed – we will post them as soon as possible.

Christine Milne, Library User Services

Library books renewed until 30 April

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To help all our members we have renewed all Library books until Friday 30 April.  This new due date will apply to all loan types: standard, 7-day, short loan and journals.

Return loans in the Book Drop flap to the right of the Library front doors

The recall process is still in place for items that are in demand. Please continue to place holds on anything you need and we will try to get it back for you.

If you do get a recall notice for a book you have on loan, you will be asked to return it sooner. Return your items in the book drop, located to the right of the main entrance.

If you have any difficulties returning items or any other questions then please get in touch with us on 0118 378 8770 or email library@reading.ac.uk.

If you have an inter-library loan and are not certain about when it is due back, please contact us or check your library account via Enterprise.

Rebecca Ashley
Library User Services

Problems accessing some e-resources- resolved

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The issue we were having with our secondary authentication system has now been resolved, and you should be able to access e-resources as normal.

If you encounter any problems, please try clearing your browser cache in case your browser has “remembered” any errors, and if the problem persists contact the E-resources

Open laptop

Team by emailing eresourceshelp@reading.ac.uk or submitting a problem report form.

We apologise for the inconvenience this has caused you. Thank you for your patience as we worked on a solution.

Lindsay Warwick, E-resources Team

It’s fixed! – Problem with study space bookings system

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Image of laptop and mobile phone on deskApologies for the technical problems we were experiencing with the study space bookings system this morning.

Fortunately the situation has been resolved, and the bookings form should be working as usual again.

If you have any further issues, please email library@reading.ac.uk, and we will try to get back to you as quickly as possible.

Library User Services

Problems accessing some e-resources

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There is currently an issue with one of the authentication systems we use to authenticate users. This is not our primary authentication system and only a relatively small number of links are affected, but you may find that you encounter error messages with some links.

Open laptopThe links that are currently problematic, are identifiable by the prefix we are using in the weblink. It may look like this- https://login.dblibweb.rdg.ac.uk/login?url=. We are working as a matter of urgency with the company who manages this authentication system to resolve the situation and hope to find a solution soon.

The majority of our E-resources are not using this system, and you should still be able to access them via the A-Z database, in Summon and on Talis. However, if you do encounter an issue, please do contact the E-Team at eresourceshelp@reading.ac.uk or via our e-resources problem report form, we may be able to provide you with alternative access.

Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

Lindsay Warwick, E-resources Team

 

 

Library loan extensions

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Good news from the library, which will hopefully alleviate any concerns you may have about library fines during the current lockdown period.

To help you stay at home and cut down on non-essential trips to the library, we extended the due date on all library books for the second time. This time, loans were extended until Sunday, 28 March and the extension applies to all loan types: standard, 7 day, and short loan. All new loans will go to this date too.

Return your items in the book drop, located to the right of the main entrance if recalled. The recall process is still in place for items that are in demand so do continue to place holds on anything you need and we will try to get the book back for you.Metal letter-box type flap (labelled Book drop) in glass and metal section of building

If you do get a recall notice for a book you have on loan, the due date will be brought forward as normal, and you’ll need to return it in the usual way via the external Book Drop. If you have any difficulty doing this, please get in touch with us on 0118 378 8770 or library@reading.ac.uk for advice and further information. If you have an inter-library loan and are not certain about the date that it is due for return, please contact us via the details above or check your library account via Enterprise.

Library User Services

Interested in Arts and Health? Take a look at our new guide

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Paint brushes in a glass jarIf you are planning your Masters dissertation, or you are heading into your final year this Autumn and your thoughts are starting to turn to topics for your dissertation, you might be interested to take a look at our new guide covering Arts and Health. It draws together useful resources for undertaking research in this interdisciplinary area, which is the focus of the University’s Health and Arts Research Initiative.

The guide has been compiled by our Academic Liaison Librarian for Pharmacy in conjunction with Dr Ranjita Dhital, Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice and Co-Chair of the Arts, Health and Wellbeing Special Interest Group of the Royal Society for Public Health. It includes details of recently purchased books bought specifically to support research in this area, as well as relevant databases, and key websites.

So if you are studying Art, Architecture, Film, Theatre & Television, Food & Nutrition, Pharmacy, or Psychology, take a look at our new guide to whet your appetite for possible dissertation topics.

Jackie Skinner
Academic Liaison Librarian for Pharmacy

 

Dissertation videos, guides and 1-2-1 support

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It’s February which means if you’re a final year student, you’re probably frantically trying to complete your dissertation. Over the past few weeks, the Study Advice Team and your Academic Liaison Librarians have been running webinars to support you to find resources and write up your projects and dissertations. But don’t worry if you missed them, we have a plan….

Plan #1: watch our videos

We have recorded short videos on all aspects of dissertation research and writing which summarise what was discussed in the webinars. These short videos cover tips on critical thinking for dissertations, writing your literature review and discussion chapters, and managing the final stages. We also have a video on finding resources online, if you’re at this stage of your research.

Plan #2: check out our guides

We have a range of study guides that support you with various aspects of your dissertation:

  • Our Study Advice dissertation guide covers everything from planning your project to finishing off your dissertation. And our guide on literature reviews will support you to write this important chapter.
  • We also have a suite of Study Advice videos on major projects and dissertations, if you’d rather watch a video than read a guide.
  • Our Library guide on systematic reviews will be of interest to those of your conducting this type of research. We also have a guide to help you with searching databases.
  • Managing your references – whether you need help referencing a resource in a particular referencing style, or using reference management software, our online guides can help you with referencing and your dissertation bibliography.

Plan #3: book a 1-2-1

You can book a 1-2-1 appointment with a Study Adviser or your Academic Liaison Librarian to discuss your own specific questions. Remember we are not subject experts, but we can help you with the following:

  • If you need some support with managing your time for your dissertation, academic writing style, using evidence or overcoming writer’s block and procrastination, you could book a Study Advice appointment
  • If you’re struggling to find the resources you need, navigate the library databases or manage your references, book an appointment with your Academic Liaison Librarian. You can find your Librarian’s contact details and request an ALL appointment online.

Study Advice and Liaison Librarian Teams

Celebrate LGBT+ History month

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Image shows the LGBT+ 2021 history month logo

Image kindly provided by https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/resources/lgbt-history-month/

This month is LGBT+ History month, an opportunity to learn about lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and non-binary history, and we wanted to share some resources with you all…

LGBT+ Guide

LGBT+ is an area of research which can cover a wide range of academic disciplines so we would like to highlight the online guide to support research into LGBT+-related topics.

Taking the same format as our subject guides this guide focusses on the range of materials available from the Library and Special Collections relating to LGBT+ topics.

It is one of a series of cross-disciplinary research guides we have developed to support research in areas such as disability and inclusion, gender, and race and ethnicity (forthcoming).

It has been created, in consultation with staff and student representatives, to help you find some of the key resources the Library can provide in this area, as well as point you towards other useful online resources, libraries and archives.

We’d love to hear your feedback on the guide, so let us know what you think!

Join in with our 2020/2021 reading challenge

We’ve taken LGBT+ history as our February topic for our reading challenge.  We have both e-books and ‘real’ books available to read on our reading challenge list here!  Tag us on social media if you try any, or use #UoRreads2021, we’d love to hear about anything you have read and enjoyed!

Suggest resources to help diversify our collections

You can also help us to continue to diversify the Library’s collections by putting forward your suggestions for Library materials to help support a more diverse curriculum.

If you would like to suggest other items for the Library, please complete our regular book suggestion form.

You can see all the Diversity fund titles purchased in current and previous academic years on our dedicated Library Diversity fund reading lists.

Ruth Ng, Academic Liaison Librarian

Accessing dissertation resources remotely – workshops

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Working from home? Need guidance on accessing the material you need for your dissertation? Then sign up for one of our sessions run by your Academic Liaison Librarians.

Given current circumstances these three identical sessions will focus on getting hold of material you need for your dissertation while away from the University and unable to visit libraries or archives in person. In these workshops we will…

  • Look at finding the books and journal articles you need for your research by locating any online content available (both via the University Library and beyond) and how the Library may be able to help if the item you need isn’t available online.
  • Outline strategies for finding alternative sources for your research.
  • Show how some primary source documents, such as archives, may be accessed online via the University and beyond, for those who need this type of material for their research.

The sessions are open to undergraduates and taught postgraduates from any School/Department who are submitting a dissertation this year and will be delivered live online via Microsoft Teams.

Book your place

To sign up, please click on the link to the session you’d like to attend and complete the booking form.

We look forward to helping you access the material you need for your dissertations during this difficult time!

Jackie Skinner
Academic Liaison Team

Safer studying in the Library – remember to wear a face covering at all times

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The Library continues to remain open for bookable study space and for Click & Collect for those of you here on campus.

Following the announcement of the national lockdown earlier this month, and the risk of increased transmissibility by the new strain of COVID-19, we’ve been reviewing current health and safety control measures.

We’ve updated our face covering guidance which includes a change about how they should be used in the Library. You’re now expected to wear a face covering (unless you are exempt) throughout the duration of your visit, even when sat at your assigned desk.

Remember hands, face, space to keep all Library members and staff safe

This is the only change we’ve made to our current safety measures in the Library so the rest of our previously published guidance remains the same.

The Library is designated as a ‘common area’ along with other spaces on campus as there is a relatively high number of different people using the space each day.

During the Autumn Term and the start of this year some people, understandably, were forgetting to replace their face covering when moving around the building.  Due to this, and as the current transmissibility of the virus is heightened, this additional safety measure will help minimise the risk for all Library users and staff.

Please comply with the new guidance and the existing measures to help us keep you and our staff safe so that we can continue to provide effective library services through this time.  Our staff have been working throughout the pandemic to provide a vital service to support you. Please show them the respect they deserve and comply with their instructions – they are there for your safety.

Breaches of our guidelines are being taken very seriously, and may result in fines and/or expulsion from Halls and/or the University, in accordance with our University disciplinary procedures

We will, of course, keep our policy under review and adjust it as necessary in the coming weeks and months, in line with the wider situation.

See our Current Library Services guide and the Library website for further information about all the services available to you on campus and online.

Your Library team

How to avoid screen fatigue

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Girl with head in hands looking at laptop screenIf you find that your eyes feel tired, you feel headachy, struggle to concentrate or have neck and back pain, one possible explanation could be screen fatigue, say our Study Advisers.

Our devices help us to study and stay connected to each other but, unfortunately, they can also tire us out and limit our productivity. Screen fatigue can be avoided by putting some simple strategies in place, read on to find out more!

Tip #1: Take breaks

As with any kind of study, it is important to take regular breaks. To avoid screen fatigue, making clever use of your breaks can help. For example:

  • If you take a ten-minute study break from writing up an essay on your laptop, try to take that break away from screens. Avoid the temptation to look at your phone in your break and instead try to do something physical, even if it’s just emptying the dishwasher or making a cup of tea.
  • If you have time for longer breaks, try taking a walk or going for a run. This will give your brain and eyes a rest from the screen but can also relieve aches and pains from poor posture adopted while working on a screen.

Tip #2: Plan screen and non-screen time into your studying

Planning your studying with a timetable, to-do lists or planners is a useful practice and might be something you are already doing (see our advice on Organising your studies). However, have you considered planning your study with regards to screen time? For example, you could:

  • Mix and match your studying activities for the day to include some screen and some non-screen activities. For example, you could spend an hour searching for journal articles for an essay, take a break and then spend another half an hour sketching out an essay plan on a piece of paper.
  • Think about activities that you could switch from online to offline. Could you print out a paper to read instead of reading it from the screen? Could you make that meeting a telephone call instead of a video call?

Tip #3: Watch out for triggers

You will, of course, need screens every day to study and stay connected, but look out for situations where you end up online unnecessarily:

  • Turn off notifications. Do notifications on your email or phone pull you back to screen? Could you turn some of them off? Even just turning off notifications temporarily while you are working, off-screen can help.
  • Buy an alarm clock. If you use your phone as an alarm in the morning, it can be very easy to drift onto the internet after turning it off. Buy a simple alarm clock instead and remove the temptation.
  • Seek offline distractions. If boredom finds you picking up your phone or opening an internet browser, watch out for this, and try to replace these activities with something else – listening to the radio, calling a friend or even doing some colouring in a book will give you a break from the screen.

For more

Watch the Study Advisers’ new short videos on Organising your studies and Taking notes from videos and see our Covid-19 Guide.

Visit our Study Advice website for more resources, to book a 1-2-1 or attend a webinar this spring term.

Study Advisers

This article is also available on the Student Services News Blog as How to avoid screen fatigue.