All posts by Rachel

Technical Issue with some library resources

Have you seen the error message “Connection refused, please try again later”? 

Some of the library resources have been experiencing a technical error and when trying to access them via the library website you might receive the message “Connection refused by (URL of resource) please try again later”. This is only affecting users not using the Campus network and this has been reported, the library and IT are working to resolve this issue.

The resources that we know that are affected by this issue are:

  • Taylor and Francis Online
  • American Economic Association Journals
  • Emerald Insight
  • Wiley
  • IEEE Xplore

If you do encounter this error message with any other resources please email library@rhul.ac.uk 

If you see this error message there are a few workarounds that you can use to gain access to the resource:

  1. Log in using Campus Anywhere
    These issues should be resolved when accessing library resources using the Campus Anywhere VPN (Virtual Private Networking) service. It works by mimicking you being on campus and giving you a Royal Holloway network address so it should help to resolve these issues.It is also best practice to use this if you do live off campus as it can provide access to your Y and W drive, and can make accessing the library resources more streamlined as you don’t have to log into each resource separately.To find out more about this visit:
    https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/it/faq/itfaqs/vpn/faqwebvpn.aspx
  2. Google the name of the Database and log in using Shibboleth
     If you want to access an article from say Taylor and Francis online you can google the name of the database and log in using Shibboleth.If you are experiencing this problem when linking to an article on a database via library search, this short video will demonstrate how to access that resource.

     

 

 

Resource of the Week: The Listener Historical Archive

This week’s resource of the week is The Listener Historical Archive 1929-1991.The listener

The Listener was a weekly publication that was established by the BBC in 1929. It was a medium for reproducing radio and television broadcasts, and is our only record and means of accessing content of many early broadcasts.

There were many contributors to the publication including E.M.Forster and George Orwell, it also provided a platform for new writers and poets such as Sylvia Plath and Philip Larkin.

Step back in time and see how key historical events like VE Day or the Queen’s Coronoation were broadcast through the British Media, or explore the numerous book reviews and pieces poetry that were published by the magazine.

You can access “The Listener” from the eResources A-Z page.
If you want to learn more about the resource then email library@rhul.ac.uk

Resource of the week: New RefWorks

This week’s Resource of the Week is the new version of RefWorks.

RefWorks has recently gone through an upgrade to imporve the interface and also add some extra features. You can continue to use RefWorks (Legacy) or feel free to give RefWorks (New) a try. Some new features include being able to read documents within RefWorks and the ability to highlight and add notes to these documents

RefWorks is a web-based tool that is free to use for all staff and students. It will help you to capture, save, organise references and create bibliographies using a range of different referencing styles. You can also link it to Word and Google Docs so you can insert citations as you type and also create your bibliography within your essay.

How do I access it?

  1. Go to the Citing and Referencing Tab on your subject guide
  2. Click on “New RefWorks” from the drop down
  3. Create an account (you must use your College email address)

If you have used the previous version of RefWorks and would like to migrate your content to RefWorks (New) you can watch the short video below to find out how.

Using RefWorks

You can import information on resources from databases like Library Search, JSTOR, Science Direct and many others. Most databases will have an export to RefWorks option, for websites you can use the Ref-GrabIt tool

You will then see the option to save to RefWorks Legacy or RefWorks New, ensure you select RefWorks New.

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RefWorks creates a database of your references and you can organise these by folder.

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Use RefWorks to generate an automatic bibliography. You can insert citations and bibliography directly in your assignment using the Write and Cite tool for Word and Google Docs.

Further Help

 

Resources of the Week: Box of Broadcast & Kanopy

Box of Broadcast (BoB): On Demand TV & Radio for Education

Our resource of the week this week is Box of Broadcasts (BoB).  BoB allows users to record items broadcast on over 65 free to air channels including BBC channels, ITV, Film 4, and 10 foreign language channels.

You can request up to 10 items a day to be recorded and added to BoB. The 9 most popular channels are listed first and programmes aired on these will be immediately recorded and added to BoB. If you would like programmes from other channels you can  request these within 30 dys of broadcast. You can also request programmes up to seven days in advance.

BoB is therefore a really good catch up service and there is no need for a TV license as the University has a license which allows students to access content via BoB.

BoB also has an archive of over 2 million broadcasts that date back to the 1990s, these include TV programmes, documentaries, films and radio broadcasts. You can also make your own playlists and create clips.

Access BoB via our eResources A-Z page.

KanopyKanopy

Kanopy is another great resource for watching films and documentaries online, again you don’t need a TV license to access this!

It provides access to over 6,000 videos on a range of different subjects including humanities, education, the arts, business, health and sciences.

Also included are a lot of Hollywood films, British Cinema, international cinema and also early cinema.

This is a great resource and is again free to use, access Kanopy via our eResources A-Z page.

If you would like to learn about these resources or any others please contact your information consultant 

Resource of the week – Box of Broadcast

BoB and kanopy

Box of Broadcast (BoB): On Demand TV & Radio for Education

Our resource of the week this week is Box of Broadcasts (BoB).  BoB allows users to record items broadcast on over 65 free to air channels including BBC channels, ITV, Film 4, and 10 foreign language channels.

You can request up to 10 items a day to be recorded and added to BoB. The 9 most popular channels are listed first and programmes aired on these will be immediately recorded and added to BoB. If you would like programmes from other channels you can  request these within 30 dys of broadcast. You can also request programmes up to seven days in advance.

BoB is therefore a really good catch up service and there is no need for a TV license as the University has a license which allows students to access content via BoB.

BoB also has an archive of over 2 million broadcasts that date back to the 1990s, these include TV programmes, documentaries, films and radio broadcasts. You can also make your own playlists and create clips.

Access BoB via our eResources A-Z page.

KanopyKanopy

Kanopy is another great resource for watching films and documentaries online, again you don’t need a TV license to access this!

It provides access to over 6,000 videos on a range of different subjects including humanities, education, the arts, business, health and sciences.

Also included are a lot of Hollywood films, British Cinema, international cinema and also early cinema.

This is a great resource and is again free to use, access Kanopy via our eResources A-Z page.

If you would like to learn about these resources or any others please contact your information consultant 

Resource of the Week: Naxos Spoken Word Library

This week’s Resource of the Week is Naxos Spoken Word Library.

This database is made up of 100s of audio books covering a wide range of areas such as fiction, history, business, drama and much more. You are able to browse by collection, author, recent additions or search for an author/title.

The audio books are available to stream online and many copies are available in abridged and unabridged versions. You can also save your place in the audio book by setting up boomarks.

There are also audio books available in French, German and Portuguese.Capture1

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Resource of the Week: Romanticism: Life, literature and landscape

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This week’s resource of the week is Romanticism: Life, Literature and Landscape.

This databases provides access to rare and priceless literary sources, and is indispensable for anyone studying William Wordsworth or the Romantic period.

It provides access to original documentation such as verse and prose manuscripts, correspondence, diaries, travel journals and much more. It also offers a wider insight into the social, political and natural environment that shaped the work of Wordsworth. 

Romanticism: Life, Literature and Landscape also has a number of visual resources including an in-depth look at some of the most significant works of art during this period. You can also explore the Lake District with maps and photographs and delve into the literary life of William Wordsworth and members of his immediate family,

Access this database by clicking on the links above, or find it in the eResources A-Z list.
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Resource of the Week: London Low Life

This week the resource of the week is London Low Life.

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This is a fascinating resource which gives you an insight into life in London during the 18th, 19th and early 20th Century. Included in this resource are digital images of rare books, interactive maps, essays and online galleries.

Explore this resource and see London as you have never seen it before!

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Resource of the Week: Eighteenth Century Drama

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Eighteenth Century Drama is a new resource at RHUL and contains a vast amount of primary sources and information relating to the theatrical world in the 18th Century.

There are 3 main parts to Eighteenth Century Drama:

  • The Larpent Collection of plays – collection of 2,500 plays submitted for license between 1778-1824, and the diaries of Larpent’s wife and professional collaborator, Anna.
  • The London Stage, 1660-1800 – this section documents theatrical performances in 18th Century London, compiled from playbills, newspapers and theatrical diaries.
  • Bibliographical Dictionary – lists London performers, from well -known names to little known musicians and performers.

This is a brilliant resource that really gives you an insight into the theatrical world of the 18th Century.

Access this resource via our eResources A-Z page. Find out more about this resource and take a tour here.

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Resource of the Week – Academic Writing Resources

Academic writing is a vital skill to master at University and the library has lots of resources available to help you develop this skill.

Books and Ebooks

The library has a large collection of books and ebooks relating to academic writing and other study skills. You can use Library search to see what titles we have available, or click on this link to see a list of useful titles.

The library has a wide selection of study skills books and can help with areas other than academic writing e.g. Critical thinking (click this link to access the ebook “Critical Thinking Skills: Developing Effective Analysis and Argument”), subject specific study skills books, critical reading and much more.

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Online Resources

We also have a number of online resources that can help with academic writing skills. One particularly useful resource is “Study Skills Success”, this has lots of useful information about various types of study skills e.g. academic writing, research and critical thinking. You can find a link to this resource via the library’s E-Resources A-Z list

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CeDAS – Centre for the Development of Academic Skills

CeDAS provides a great deal of support for all students in the development of their academic writing and oral communication skills. They offer workshops, lectures, courses and 1-1 tutorials. To find out more about this department, visit their website.