Category: Wellbeing

Cleaning up

A post by Faculty Librarian Ben Taylorson

I’m not really one for new year’s resolutions, but one thing I wanted to make sure I did in 2023 was make full use of the volunteering time that Durham University generously provides for staff. I have done a bit of volunteering through work before, at a foodbank and preparing Christmas treats for children. But with an entitlement of 35 hours of volunteering time to use, I set about finding something that I could do across the course of the whole year, via the Staff Volunteering Newsletter.

I’m quite an outdoorsy type, so I settled on litter picking/beach cleaning. The university work closely with SeaScapes to improve the state of our beaches and ultimately protect the fragile marine environment, and run monthly beach cleans (starting in April) on 1st Wednesday of every month 10 – 12pm.

Continue reading “Cleaning up” →
0

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.

Continue reading “Cost of Living: How DULib can support you” →
0

‘Rockin’ around the Christmas (Wish) Tree…’

If you visited the Billy B last December or follow us on social media, you’ll have seen our lovely Christmas Tree opposite the Help and Information Desk, adorned with all the festive decorations you could want – twinkling lights, sparkling tinsel, beautiful baubles, and – the ultimate decoration for us – hand-made craft bees. 🐝

You’ll also have seen our very special gift tags hanging delicately from the branches, handwritten with wishes for items to be donated to local charities to help someone in need.

Continue reading “‘Rockin’ around the Christmas (Wish) Tree…’” →
0

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.

Continue reading “Delightful dogs visit the Billy B” →
0

Study skills guidance

We have a wide range of guides available to help our users get the most of what Library and Collections offer. These include:

  • Subject guides
  • Site guides
  • Service guides
  • Archives and Special Collections guides
  • Museum guides
  • Research skills guide

The research skills guide offers advice and support on finding and managing information, keeping up-to-date, and the subject guides point to the different resources available for staff and students working in particular disciplines.

Until recently, one area we felt we were not offering specific support for was study skills – but that has change now, with our newest guide!

Continue reading “Study skills guidance” →
0

Don’t judge a book by its cover – go on a Blind Date with a Book

Trying to find a new book to read isn’t always as straightforward as it seems. Of course, you can easily take to the internet, searching for leisure title inspo, but inevitably you find yourself getting lost in the long lists of recommendations online. You spend all your time trawling through the titles, debating between this one and that one before realising the spare time you once had has now slipped away, resulting in you making your own list of ‘books to read when I find the time.’ Ironic, don’t you think? (Alanis Morissette classic – couldn’t resist!)

Continue reading “Don’t judge a book by its cover – go on a Blind Date with a Book” →
0

Libraries are not just for reading

A guest post by Liz Mytton, the first of our artist-facilitators in our #CreativeCosins summer workshop programme

“If the pandemic has taught me anything, it’s the value of moving freely. To travel, to shake hands and embrace. In the early months of lockdown last year, I remember driving to my shift (I was a part-time NHS worker at the time) and on observing the empty streets during what would have normally been rush hour, I felt like a character in some apocalyptic thriller – everyone had disappeared.

Continue reading “Libraries are not just for reading” →
0

#DULibWellbeing Guide

Exams and assessment period. Self-care and wellbeing.

Two phrases that should go hand in hand, right?

We know what you’re thinking. “Wellbeing? Yeah, right – I don’t have time for that! I’ve got so much studying to do!”

But did you know that taking a break from your studies can actually be very beneficial? Believe it or not, breaks can help to have a positive impact on your productivity and help to boost your performance. Not to mention your wellbeing which, let’s face it, might have taken a bit of a battering over the last 12 months or so…

Continue reading “#DULibWellbeing Guide” →
0

World Bee Day

Almost every day it’s international ‘something’ day. You may not know it, but already in just the past month it has been ‘International Hummus Day’, ‘World Naked Gardening Day’ and ‘World Penguin Day’.

So what is the purpose of such days? Well, to celebrate and/or raise awareness…of hummus. And naked gardening. And penguins. But in short, it’s all about the dissemination of information. And as you can imagine, as a library service we’re all for that.

Continue reading “World Bee Day” →
0

Journeys: Reading the World

Header for the Journeys exhibition

This February saw the launch of our new online exhibition Journeys: Reading the World, showcasing material relating to travel and tourism from our rare books, archives and manuscript collections. David Wright, Assistant Curator (Exhibitions), gives us a preview of the exhibition, which we would encourage you to visit for yourself.

There is a certain irony to us launching an exhibition about the pleasure, value and excitement of travel when are all mostly stuck indoors, unable to venture much further than the local supermarket, but so far visitors seem to be finding it a pleasant escape from the mundanity of lockdown.

Continue reading “Journeys: Reading the World” →
0

Powered by WordPress.com.

Up ↑