Category Archives: Uncategorized

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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Want to access exam papers? We’ve got your back…

So you’re looking for some past exam papers in prep for the forthcoming summer term, a.k.a exam term? Well, the College institutional repository is the place to find them and this is how you can access them…

1. Are you on campus? If yes, carry onto 2.
If no, please use CampusAnywhere (If you don’t do this, you might not be able to see the papers.)

2. If you’re using Moodle: click on the Past Exam Papers link on the right to go through to past papers for that course code only.

past papers

3. To search the Past Papers database directly, go to the Library homepage, and click “Exam Papers”.

4. Check you are logged in by looking in the top right hand corner. If you can’t seem to access the exam papers, check the top right hand side and see if you are logged in as a guest. If you are, log out and then log in using your Royal Holloway username and password.exam papers login

You can browse by Department or search for your course code using the search function. And the good news? All exam papers can be downloaded as PDFs.

If you have any questions, please let us know! Happy revising and good luck in all of your exams!

via GIPHY

Resource of the Week – RefWorks

This week’s Resource of the Week is RefWorks.

RefWorks is a web-based tool that is free to use for undergraduates and taught postgraduates. It will help you to capture, save and organise references, create bibliographies in a range of difference styles that can be used in a range of Word processing tools. You can access it on- and off-campus, from any PC which has internet access.

How do I access it?

  1. Go to the Citing and Referencing Tab on your Subject Guide OR the Citing and Referencing Guide.
  2. Click on the RefWorks Link.
  3. Create your account:

When you first use RefWorks you will need to register. From off campus you may be required to enter a Group Code which is RWRoyalH. Then fill in your registration details as follows:

  1. Your name
  2. Your email address
  3. Choose your login name and password (we recommend using your RHUL IT username e.g. abcd123)
  4. Select your user type (e.g. undergraduate)
  5. Select your focus area (e.g. humanities)
  6. Select ‘register’ to finish

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.SendtoRefWorks
  • RefWorks creates a database of your references and you can search it, and organise it into Folders.
  • Capture Use RefWorks to generate an automatic bibliography
    CreateBib
  • You can also insert citations and reference directly into your assignment using the Write and Cite tool for Word

Further Help

  • Training sessions run throughout the year. The next session is on Friday 24th February at 13:10-13:50, Computer Centre, PC Lab 5
  • Email library@rhul.ac.uk, or contact your Information Consultant
  • Visit the RefWorks You Tube Channel for lots of video tutorials

Getting to Grips with Reading Lists

Want to get started with Reading Lists? This post will show you how to:

  • Find reading lists for your course
  • Use reading lists to find library resources
  • Download your reading lists

Reading List Guide

Check out our PowerPoint to find out all you need to know about accessing and using reading lists:

screenshot

Have a go yourself!

Try our fun Reading List to learn how to use reading lists:

Back to the 90s – Example Reading List

Need help?

If you get stuck we’re always happy to help. You can either email the Reading List Team or the Library.

Psychology Toolkit Today!

If you’re taking part in the Psychology Toolkit today you will want to use the following details to access the Padlet tool:

https://padlet.com/library2/obhyr5v10nio

ThisIsThePassword

Meet Your Librarian – Leanne Workman

Could you introduce yourself, and let us know your job title?

Hiya, I’m Leanne (Workman). I am the library information consultant for the Sciences. I look after the subjects: Biological sciences, Computer Science, Earth Science, Information Security, Mathematics, Physics and the Centre for Professional Studies!

 How long have you been at RHUL Library?

Aha a bit of a complex question! Technically I have been h

Leanne Workman

ere (in this post) since May 2016, but I worked in the library from 2012 to 2015 as an information assistant providing copyright-cleared digital copies of book chapters and articles for Moodle. (I was also a student here, so I should know the place quite well by now!)

 What is your role within the Library?

So my role is to work with all of the students, lecturers and researchers in the departments I look after to ensure that the Library has the resources they all need. I also provide information skills training (us library folk like to call it “information literacy”!) Basically we want to make sure our library users can recognise when they need info, where to find that information (i.e. what resources are available both inside and outside of the Library) and be able to evaluate & use the information well thereafter. I would like to think of us as the Jedis of the Information World!

Have you always worked in Libraries?

No, not always! I’ve worked in various administration & customer services roles, which tbh I did not find all that thrilling! I was a warden and tour guide at Windsor Castle for three years just after graduating, which was great fun! But it was when I volunteered in the Royal Archives for about a year that I worked out I love digging around for information, researching and organising  it all, so it got me thinking that perhaps this was something I could do for a living! From that I applied (and got) a graduate trainee information assistant role at the National Art Library in the Victoria and Albert Museum (you can see I really only choose very pretty buildings to work in/nearby!) After that, I started at Royal Holloway as an Information Assistant and the rest, as they say, is history…

What did you want to be when you were little?

Well, this is embarrassing *blushes*… I remember very distinctly wanting to be a Native American and to live with Pocahontas (whilst simultaneously being a ballerina of course and/or a nurse – until I realised I fainted at the sight of blood and rethought my career choice!)

 Do you have any heroes and if you do, why are they your heroes?

I don’t really have any heroes- sorry that’s such a lame answer!!

What did you study?

I studied History at University of Essex. I then went on to do a Masters here in Gender History and I am currently studying for my Library and Information Studies Masters at Aberystwyth University (you could say I’ve got the ‘study bug’!!)

 Do you have a favourite book, and why?

Ah man it is like asking a parent to choose their favourite child!!

….

……..

I am of the Harry Potter generation and I am still a HUGE fan so I think I will say that! But tbh, I just love a good book!!

 If you had a superhero alter ego, what would they be named, and what would your super power be?

This is a tricky one as I am also a small-time closet comic book geek! I think I would like to be a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer (though I rather think I am more like Giles the Librarian than Buffy!) and Phoenix from the X-Men (telekinesis, telepathy and ability to manipulate matter on a subatomic level? Darn yes!)

 Describe working in the library in 3 words

CAKE! Fun; information-sharing! (I think I am technically cheating with the last but :P)

 What advice would you give to a new student?

Use the library- seriously. [That’s not just in the inner library geek coming out here!] The studying side of life is soooo much easier when you use the library & you get better grades top! We have lots of stuff you’ll need, and if you’re not sure where to find information, please just ask! We’re only an email or an email away (or pop by!) And it is our job to help YOU J

Changes to the Copyright Licensing Agency Higher Education Licence

This licence covers the photocopying and scanning for education not for personal use. 

The College has recently signed the new CLA Higher Education Licence which runs from the 1st August 2016 to 31st July 2019. It is essential that all staff and students are aware of the new licence with the important updates and comply with the licence.The licence covers photocopying and scanning for the provision of print copies and digital copies on Moodle used in teaching.

Up to the following may be copied under the Licence:

  • One whole chapter from a book
  • One whole article from a journal issue
  • One short story, poem or play (not exceeding 10 pages in length) from an anthology
  • One whole scene from a play
  • One whole paper from a set of conference proceedings
  • One whole report of a single case from a volume of judicial proceedings

Or 10% of any of the above, whichever is the greater (this is an increase from the previous licence which stated 5%)

  • Where a digital publication is not organised in a similar way to conventional printed items, you are advised to exercise your best judgement to copy reasonable extracts.

You can make as many copies as are required to provide one for each student and tutor on the module.

Staff are reminded that all articles and chapters provided on Moodle must be digital copies as supplied by the Digital Copies Service in the Library. This ensures compliance with the licence which is monitored annually by the CLA via audit.

The Library’s webpages have been updated:

https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/library/teachingsupport/copyrightadvice.aspx

https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/library/teachingsupport/digitalcopiesforteaching.aspx

The CLA has provided a very useful page with the Licence in full at http://he.cla.co.uk/your-he-licence/your-he-licence/about-the-cla-higher-education-licence-2/cla-licence-documents/

 

 

Referencing Tools

You may have seen our recent Twitter polls that asked users which referencing tool they used. The results are in!

Poll 1                                                                                                                               Poll 2
EndNote 0%                                                                            Cite This For Me 18%
Mendeley 8%                                                                                                RefMe 29%
RefWorks 92%                                                                                              Other 14%
Zotero 0%                                                                                                          None 39%

From these quick polls we can see that RefWorks is popular among our students, a number of students have investigated other referencing tools and some students don’t use any. So what are referencing tools, and why are they useful?

What are referencing tools?

These are different types of software that allow you to store your references in one central place so you can easily access them again and find the referencing information you need for your work. They can also help you with creating your in text references, reference list and bibliography.

Some of these tools are only available for students and staff at Royal Holloway, such as RefWorks and EndNote. The others listed are freely available on the web.

Why use a referencing tool?

Referencing tools have a number of advantages which make them really useful for all students and researchers to use.

One of the main advantages is the ability to organise your references in one place. When writing an assignment or conducting some research you will read many different sources, it can be quite difficult to manage all of these and to remember where you found them! A referencing tool will allow you to save the details of different sources and you can also create folders to organise your references by topic. These tools will also provide links to the original source so you access it quickly and easily, some even let you save PDF documents within the software.

Another big advantage is the referencing support these tools provide. They will allow users to export bibliographies and reference lists into a number of different referencing styles. Some of these tools will also connect with Word and Google Docs, meaning you can quickly insert references, bibliographies and reference lists as you are working. However it is always important to check these generated references against the guidance outlined by your department.

The different tools available

Freely Available                                                                Available for members
on the web                                                                                      of Royal Holloway

Zotero                                                                                                                  RefWorks
RefME                                                                                                                     EndNote
BibSonomy
JabRef
Mendeley
CiteULike
CiteFast
Cite This For Me

Found out more about these tools by visiting our Referencing, Citing and Structuring Bibliographies: Referencing Tools Subject Guide: libguides.rhul.ac.uk/referencing

If you would like to learn more about these tools or learn how to use them contact your information consultant  libguides.rhul.ac.uk/informationconsultants

Online Reading Lists at Royal Holloway

The College and Library have been investing in an Online Reading List System  to help you get to the resources on your reading lists.

Search box for OnlineReading Lists

We currently have over 400 lists inputted for 2015/16 and we are adding to it daily so keep checking if you are a student in:

  • Classics
  • Criminology
  • Biological Sciences
  • Drama
  • Economics
  • English
  • Geography
  • History
  • Law
  • Management
  • Maths
  • Media Arts
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology

Currently not all modules in these departments will have lists but if you want to see if yours does search using the main search box on the Reading Lists Homepage (http://readinglists.rhul.ac.uk).

Reading List example

If you are an academic and would like to get involved with the system please contact the Reading Lists Team on readinglists@rhul.ac.uk

Here are a few tips to get you started:

  • Click on the title of the item in your list to view further details about an item, where it is held in the Library, or to see if it is available.
  • You can sort your list by importance (e.g. ‘Recommended for student purchase’, ‘Essential’ reading, ‘Recommended’ reading etc.) or by resource type (‘book’, ‘journal’, ‘article’ etc.)  by clicking on the ‘Grouped by section’ button at the top of the list. This might help you to manage your time and plan your reading more effectively.
  • To print out your list as a PDF, just click on ‘Export’ at the top of the list and then ‘Export to PDF’.This will give you a downloadable PDF version which you can then print out.

For more information and FAQs see this blogpost: https://libraryblog.rhul.ac.uk/2016/02/11/faqs-about-the-online-reading-list-system-from-students/