Category: Students

WellBEEing

By Graduate Intern Nancy Harber

Exam season is a familiar beast. Though admittedly many of the staff members here at the Bill Bryson Library have not met that beast head on in years, it’s not an experience that you easily forget.

The library has been filled (almost) to the brim these last few weeks with our students, just wanting to get their heads down and lock into the study zone. Seats have been sat in, study rooms have been constantly occupied, and when the sun decides to shine at midday our students congregate on the steps outside the library doors, soaking up some well-deserved Vitamin D and having a natter.

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Valentine’s Day feedback: you said, we did

You may remember back in February, we had a stand in the Billy B asking you “Tell us how you feel this Valentine’s Day.” You could write a note to us to tell us about something we’re doing that you love, or if you would like us to make some changes.

We loved hearing from everyone and got some great feedback from the people we spoke to; with both things you really like and things you want us to improve. We’ve gone through all the feedback and just wanted to share a brief update with where we’re up to with addressing some of the improvements.

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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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Fresh Starts and Academic Skills

A post by Digital Learning Developer Rebecca Jones

Blink and there’s another year gone by. But as we brace bitter winds, wait for the days to grow a little longer and for new life to bud, 2025 brings a chance for a fresh start.

Some of you might be taking advantage of this fresh start effect [1] – setting goals, downloading habit trackers and taking steps to form new routines. Perhaps you’ll commit to reading more consistently, promise to work on your time management or learn a new skill.

For others (myself included), the thought of making a New Year’s resolution might simply make you shudder. “No, thank you. I think I’ll pass this year” you mutter, while a small part of yourself fills with dread and prays that you can cling onto the few good study habits you’ve barely managed to form so far…

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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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Upcoming Student Exhibition: Throwing it Out There 

A post by Ellie Rylance, Megan Shannon, and Perry Li

A team of twelve students from the MA Museum and Artefact Studies course in the University’s Department of Archaeology are working to produce an exhibition which will be opening in the Museum of Archaeology on the 16th June. ‘Throwing it Out There: The Archaeology of Ritual, Rivers and Rubbish’ will focus on the rich ritual history of the rivers of County Durham from the Bronze Age to the medieval period and beyond.

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Cost of Living: How DULib can support you

A screenshot of the cost of living guide

We know the cost of living is an increasing concern for many of our staff and students, with the University providing a range of advisory and support services both centrally and through colleges.

We want to help to support you as much as we can, and so we’ve highlighted a number of services and initiatives that we already have in place, which we hope will help in the current financial situation.

These are available to all Durham staff and students, giving you free access to some of our amazing resources.

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Open Days

A post by Faculty Librarian Ben Taylorson

Welcoming and introducing people to the University Library during open days is one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. It’s always nice to see so many prospective students (and their families) coming onto campus for the first time, and looking to get a feel for both the university and the city. And being able to offer them guidance, information and – in some cases – reassurance (“don’t worry, you won’t have to read all of the books!) is particularly satisfying.

Earlier this month Durham hosted a couple of open days which were easily the biggest since Covid stopped such things. As always seems to be the case on open days, the sun was shining and Durham was looking particularly welcoming as 1,000s of people descended on Durham to take in as much as they could in the few hours they were here.

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Delightful dogs visit the Billy B

Promoting student wellbeing is always high on the agenda for us (see previous blog about self-care and wellbeing 😊). Particularly during Easter term, where pressures, anxieties and stress levels increase for many, thanks to the impending exam and assessment period. Planning study time, revision, getting enough sleep, eating well, taking breaks – all massively important but we know that sometimes, it can feel quite overwhelming to fit everything in.

To try and help with this, we’ve developed a schedule of wellbeing events and activities throughout May, kicking off with a visit last Wednesday during Deaf Awareness Week from the wonderful Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

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