Library Welcome Week Events

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Photograph showing a line of rainbow coloured pots, each with a single letter, spelling out the word welcome.We’d like to wish you a warm welcome from all the staff at the University of Reading Library!

Wondering about how to use the Library and what’s available?  We have a variety of events planned for you all week, and information to help you settle in:

New student Libguide

An online guide telling you about the library including useful videos, answers to questions, where to get help and all our welcome week events.

Introducing your library

We are running tours Monday – Thursday, every 30 minutes from 10:00 – 15:00. No need to book, just meet in the Library foyer.

Self-paced tours

We know there’s a lot going on right now!  So if you want to just take things slowly, at a time that suits you, we’ve created a self-paced tour for you to go through online.  Or you can pick up one of our handy expandable maps in the Library, to take a look around the building yourself. Or check out our Instagram tour.

Library talk

Come along to find out how the Library can support your studies.  We’ll be in the Palmer building room 102 at 15:00 – 15:45 on Tuesday, no need to book.

Special Collections

Find out about the University’s Special Collections and make yourself a badge. In the Library foyer 11:00 – 14:00 on Tuesday.

Mystery Books

On Tuesday and Wednesday we will have a selection of Mystery Books you can borrow. Library staff have recommended some great reads from our collection. We’ve mixed them up and hidden them in bags, pick one and relax with a book!

The Legendary Library Escape Box Challenge

On Thursday between 10:00 – 14:00 we will be running a library themed escape game. Come along in a team, or drop by and we will put you into a team. Meet in the Library foyer.

If you join in with anything, don’t forget to let us know on social media!  You can find us on Twitter/X, Instagram and YouTube.

Your Library Team

Library is open Saturday 16 September

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Stay ahead of the term time rush and come and make the most of our final summer vacation Saturday opening.

On Saturday 16 September, we’re open 08:30 – 17:00 and our friendly staff will be on hand all day to answer your questions.

Student looking at laptop in study booth

Time to focus in one of our many study spaces

So, if you’d like to enjoy some quality study time, or maybe just browse and explore our resources before the busy autumn term kicks off, this is a date to put in your diary.

Looking for more specific help from a Library professional within your subject area? Visit our online guidance or make an appointment as we won’t be able to deal with specific one-to-one subject enquiries on the day.

Please be aware that the Library Café will not be open and the IT Service Desk will be working on Registration – further information about their service hours can be found on their webpages.

We look forward to seeing you soon.

Your Library team

Your new, improved subject guide is coming soon

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Homepage of the new style subject guideDuring July the Academic Liaison Team will be revamping our subject guides. These are designed to bring together key resources and support tailored for your subject.

To make it easier to find what you need we are moving key information to the homepage of the guide and reducing the number of pages. Each guide will include the following:

  • Homepage – guidance, links and search boxes for finding books and journal articles for your assignments quickly and easily
  • Key resources page – databases and websites you can use to find relevant academic sources for your subject
  • Citing references page – information and guidance on the referencing style used by your department

Additional pages may be added by your librarian to highlight other relevant resources and guidance. We’re also giving the guides a cosmetic tweak to make them more attractive and ensure they are more mobile friendly.

Students who have reviewed the new design have described it as “compact and clear” and “easier to navigate” and have loved the new big banner. We hope you will like it too!

Please contact your Academic Liaison Librarian if you have any feedback about your new guide.

Jackie Skinner, Academic Liaison Team

The summer deep clean

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If you’re visiting the Library for access to study space, please be aware that deep cleaning works are underway.  

Member of staff filling up carpet cleaner with water from yellow bucket

The carpet cleaner is a vital part of the summer deep clean

During the summer vacation, Library Support Services work to clean and refresh the Library, ready for the upcoming Autumn term. As part of this essential maintenance, we go beyond the usual areas and reach into the spots which aren’t covered by the day-to-day clean. This includes relocating chewing gum to the bins and washing all the carpets.   

In order for this essential cleaning to be done as quickly as possible, some study areas will be temporarily closed off during the summer vacation. 

We apologise for the inconvenience. Please ask at the Welcome Desk if you need help finding an alternative study space. 

 

Your Library Team 

System upgrade 26 June – some services disrupted

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Tonight, we are upgrading our Library Management System. During the upgrade on Monday 26 June, between 19:00 and midnight, (after the Library buildings are closed) some services will be unavailable.

 

Open laptop

 

You will still be able to …

  • Search the Library catalogue, Enterprise.
  • Access all our E-resources – so any e-books or e-journals you find on the catalogue will still be available via the ‘Click here to access’ links.
  • Use Summon for online access to journal articles, book chapters, and much more!

But you won’t be able to …

The upgrade is planned to be finished by Tuesday 27 June, but the system will be ‘at risk’ for the rest of the week whilst our Systems Team make sure everything is working correctly. We will let you know if Enterprise will be unavailable for longer than initially planned. 

If you have trouble accessing e-resources, you can contact the E-resources Team at eresourceshelp@reading.ac.uk or you can fill in a Problem Report Form.

If you want to talk to someone about your account, you can contact the Library at library@reading.ac.uk.

 

Lewis Mills – Library Systems Team

 

Wi-Fi work on 4th Floor

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Image shows a deep blue sky with lit up silhouette buildings. Several buildings have wi-fi towers on the roof tops suggesting reliable broadband by the presence of consistent, concentric circles in the sky.

Our Wi-Fi is improving!

Contractors will be in the Library on Friday 23 to Tuesday 27 June to install extra Wi-Fi access points in the group study area on the 4th Floor of the Library. These extra access points will help to improve Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the building, making it easier and quicker for you to log on. 

Please bear with us through this short period of disruption.  

For your safety, this group study area will be closed but individual study spaces will still be available on this floor. There is also a range of alternative study space on the other floors and throughout campus to choose from, including group study spaces and PC labs.  

Visit Student essentials, Study space for more information about finding study spaces and booking a group study room.  

 

 

Your Library team 

University of Reading June Open Days

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Library building on a clear sunny day with hedge in the foreground.

Make sure to drop by the Library during your Open Day visit!

The Library will be welcoming Open Day visitors on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 June. Have you registered yet? If not, make sure to head over to our Open Days webpage to find out more.    

Throughout our Open Days, prospective students and their families are encouraged to visit the Library building. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff and Student Ambassadors will be on hand to answer questions and queries and provide in-person tours. Self-guided tours are also available for those who want to explore at their own pace. 

 While you’re here, make sure you check out: 

  • Study spaces: Whether you’re collaborating on a group project or prefer to study alone, we have a range of spaces to suit your needs. From bookable group study rooms to silent study spaces, you can be sure of finding your new favourite spot. 
  • Wide range of print resources: Explore our vast selection of print books and journals spanning across three floors. 
  • Study Advice desk: Learn about our Study Advisers and how they can help you get better results and discover how our Academic Liaison Librarians can help with your subject-specific queries. 

If you need to refuel, don’t forget to stop at the Library Café before exploring the rest of our beautiful campus. 

Out of time but still want to see the Library? Watch one of our self-paced tours to learn more at your leisure. 

No matter what you choose to study, the Library is ready to welcome you. Come and visit and find out how to make the most of your studies at the University of Reading. 

We look forward to seeing you. 

  

  

Your Library Team  

System maintenance 12 June – some services disrupted

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Tonight we are upgrading our Library Management System. During the upgrade, between 19:00 and midnight (after the Library buildings are closed), some services will be unavailable.

 

Open laptop

 

You will still be able to …

But you won’t be able to …

  • search the Library catalogue, Enterprise.
  • see the current location of a physical Library item, so you won’t be able to tell if it has been borrowed.

The upgrade is planned to be finished by Tuesday 13 June, but the system will be ‘at risk’ for the rest of the week whilst our Systems Team make sure everything is working correctly.

If you have trouble accessing e-resources you can contact the E-resources Team at eresourceshelp@reading.ac.uk or you can fill in a Problem Report Form. 

If you want to talk to someone about your account you can contact the Library at library@reading.ac.uk. 

 

Lewis Mills – Library Systems Team

 

Using the Library over summer vacation

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With the end of term and the beginning of summer vacation, there are a few changes coming to the Library. 

The Library building behind a green lawn

Opening hours 

Summer term will end on Friday 9 June, which means our opening hours will be changing too. Between 10 June – 17 September, we’ll be open between 08:30 – 17:00 during weekdays. The Library will be closed at the weekends except for our three Summer Saturdays on 15 July, 12 August and 16 September. If you’re returning Library materials outside of these hours, the external Book Drop is always open and can be found to the right of the main entrance. 

Vacation loans

If you’re an undergraduate or taught postgraduate student, you can borrow items for the whole summer without needing to renew, as long as your course doesn’t end before 26 September 2023. Find out more on our ‘Borrowing over the summer’ blog. 

Continued support from your Academic Liaison Librarian and the Study Advice Team 

Although the Library opening hours may have changed, your Academic Liaison librarians and Study advisors are still here to support you over the summer. Why not book a 1-2-1 appointment or check out the range of resources on our website? 

If you have any questions during the summer vacation, you can contact us at library@reading.ac.uk or call on 0118 378 8770.  

Enjoy the summer! 

 

 

Your Library Team 

Pride month: Library resources

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Graphic of stripes of the different colours from the Pride flag. Text reads Pride Month Library ResourcesJune is Pride month, so we’re taking a moment to highlight our LGBT+ online guide which provides links to resources for researching LGBT+ issues across a wide range of academic disciplines.

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.

Suggest resources to continue to diversify our collections

Do you think we’re missing something?  Put 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.

Your Library Team

Borrowing over the summer

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Image containing a stack of books against a blurred background of trees.

Vacation loans are here again.

Summer term will be coming to an end Friday 9 June, and we will be making some temporary changes to our borrowing policy over the Summer vacation period starting Thursday 1 June. 

If you are an undergraduate or a taught postgraduate, any standard or term loan item you borrow will be due back on Tuesday 26 September and will not be subject to recall. If your account expires before then, you will need to return the item before your course ends. 

Borrowing for staff, research postgraduates, Associate and External users will remain the same, so please continue to keep an eye on your University email account and Library account to ensure you return or renew items on time and avoid fines. 

If you are unsure about your due dates or just have a question, you can still contact us via email or by phone. We will be moving to vacation opening hours soon so watch this space for more information! 

 

Your Library Team 

Starting your dissertation? Follow our top 5 study tips

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So, you may have just finished your exams but now you have to turn your attention to your dissertation. Where do you begin and how can you ensure you stay on track? Below are our Study Advice and Library tips to help you get started and stay focused.  

Tip #1: Have a plan 

Having a plan not only helps you to stay on track but weekly goals keep you motivated. Work backwards from your hand in date and remember to build in extra time for proof reading and final touches. Our videos on managing your time offer some tips to get you started.  

Tip #2: Start with something small 

To help you get going, start with a task that you can get done easily. This might be something simple, like setting up a word template or printing off a couple of key articles. Being able to complete one task can give you a sense of achievement and motivate you to tackle more challenging ones. 

Tip #3: Think about the information that you need… 

….and how to access it! If you are carrying out a literature review, or analysing documents or literature, make sure that you are familiar with the key online resources in your subject area. You can find out more about what’s available to you, as well as contact details for your Academic Liaison Librarian, on your Library subject guide.  

Tip #4: Think more, read less 

It’s important that you think critically about you’re reading. This requires you to see the links between various theories and consider what they mean for your research question. So, when taking notes remember to not only record a summary of your reading but more importantly note what you think about what you have read. This will help you when you come to write up. Our video on critical note taking offers some advice on this. 

Tip #5: Attend a webinar 

The Library and Study Advice teams are running a series of webinars for Masters students working on their dissertations. The Masters Dissertation Fair is back for another year, covering a range of topics from selecting a reference management tool, to structuring your literature review.   

  

Webinars will run online every day from Monday 5th - Friday 9th June. On the last day we will be running an in person writing retreat so you progress your writing, and a hands-on literature searching session. These friendly and helpful sessions are open to all Masters students, and you can book a place online here