Category: Collection insights

Summer Reading 2025: Top Picks from Durham University Library

Summer’s here – and for once it actually feels like summer! Hopefully you are all trying to make the most of the weather and any time off you might have.

Whether you’re jetting off somewhere sunny, staying local, or just enjoying a slower pace between terms, it’s the perfect time to get stuck into a good book (we are librarians, so of course we are going to think this a good idea).

At Durham University Library, we’ve got everything you need to build your perfect summer reading TBR (To Be Read) pile, from gripping thrillers and swoon-worthy romances to thought-provoking non-fiction and magical escapes. And the best part? You don’t even need to worry about baggage allowance for the flight. With the Libby app, you can borrow 5 eBooks/audiobooks (yes, audiobooks do count as reading!) at any one time, straight to your phone or tablet. Prefer the feel (and/or smell – we don’t judge) of a real book in your hands? We’ve got plenty of popular titles available in print as well.

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Book Of The Month is BACK!

What is a library, without a celebration of its contents?

For the last few months, Book Of The Month has been revived, and this time all the titles in the running are suggested by our students!

When we put the word out via Instagram, students will suggest their favourite titles to compete for the crown. We’ll then choose three of those suggestions (that we have physical copies of) and pit them against one another. To keep the options balanced, we’ll usually try to include at least one fiction and one non-fiction title in the running, so everyone has an opportunity to vote for something that appeals to them. In a second Instagram vote, students will then have 24 hours to pick their favourite of the three!

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Blind date with a book

A post by Graduate Intern Nancy Harber

According to Wikipedia, ‘Blue Monday’ (or, the most depressing day of the year) is calculated using an actual equation. The formula uses many factors, including W (weather), T (time since Christmas), Q (time since the failure of new year’s resolutions), and Na (the feeling of needing to take action). Some have dismissed this theory as pseudoscience, but clearly those people have never faced the bitter cold months of winter in the North of England.

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New library reading list for Greenspace hopes to deliver wellbeing boost

A post by Sarah Cleeve

Optimistic climate scientists, “doughnut” economics, problem-solving fungi and rewilding are some of the topics on a newly-created Talis reading list: “Greenspace: reading on environment and sustainability”. This is now available to anyone in the university community wishing to know how best to navigate the often overwhelming problems of environmental sustainability while keeping a sense of wellbeing.

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From coffee and cake to a published volume – a successful collaborative project!

A post by Research Engagement and Collections Development Archivist Dr Jonathan Bush

One of most rewarding aspects of working in the Archives and Special Collections team of ULC is the opportunity to build close working relationships with a diverse range of researchers, including academics, students, and family historians. These interactions often begin as conversations, where we offer specialist advice about our collections and guide researchers to relevant material in the catalogue. Occasionally, however, these exchanges can evolve into more significant collaborations.

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eResource of the month: IEEE Xplore

A post by Science Faculty Librarian Colin Theakston

Here’s one for all you budding Engineers, Physicists and Computer Scientists out there – IEEE Xplore.

If you don’t know already, then let me tell you that the IEEE Xplore Digital Library is a trusted gateway to science-based peer-reviewed—journals, conferences, standards and eBooks.

IEEE Xplore can therefore help you expand your current knowledge base by helping you discover highly focussed scientific resources. It does this by providing you with access to more than 6 million full-text peer reviewed documents. The database is crammed full of easily searchable peer-reviewed materials; and offers users the opportunity to search by title, author, abstract, keyword, affiliation, and even more!

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Welcome week and ongoing support

From Wednesday 2nd to Tuesday 8th of October, Bill Bryson Library hosted our ‘Welcome Fair’. Coming to into a Library the size and scale of the Billy B or the first time can be a bit of a daunting experience for many, so we wanted to offer a friendly and approachable hello! We also looked to make our students (both new and existing!) feel welcome in our spaces by promoting awareness and encouraging engagement with everything we have to offer across all of Library and Collections. Plus, we wanted our users to know that we are here to support them all throughout their time at Durham.

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eResource of the month: UK Parliamentary Papers

The UK Parliamentary Papers collection from Proquest is an interdisciplinary resource that encompasses nearly every aspect of life in the life in the United Kingdom, British Empire, and The Commonwealth from 1695 to the present day. As Proquest state, these Papers ‘constitute a major part of the world’s historical record’ and can be used by researchers in many subjects, in particular law, politics, history, economics, education, health, and science. The content includes Hansard debates (speeches and reports in Parliament) from 1803-2005; all Bills and Acts and Acts of Parliament 1695-2022; and House of Commons papers 1715-2022. You can see the detailed gathering of evidence for Royal Commissions and select committees, command papers (1715-2022), petitions to Parliament, proposals for legislation, the debates in the Commons and the Lords outlining different political, economic and philosophical perspectives on issues, the laws passed, and subsequent amendments. There are biographies of MPs (up to 2005), the public offices they held, and their contributions to debates.

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Item of the month: A Peek into the Mysterious World of 16th Century Witchcraft

A post by Archives & Special Collections Apprentice, Charlie Lough

Amongst the vast Durham Probate Records (DPR) collection is a modest document wrapper from the 16th century. However, upon closer inspection, this unassuming item hints at a world where witchcraft and sorcery were very real fears.

Let’s travel back to 1592, to the village of Chatton in Northumberland, where a man named Steven Revlye died. After his death, an inventory of his belongings was created. But what is really fascinating is not what Steven owned, but what was used to wrap up this inventory; a piece of paper that had served as a public notice. The document in question had the remains of a public announcement about “sorc[ery]” and “incha[ntment],” words that would send shivers down the spines of any 16th century villager. During this time, the word “witchcraft” was used to describe a wide range of practices, some of which were purely imaginary. But whether real or not, those accused of such practices often faced severe consequences.

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