Tag: #eresources

eResource of the month: IET Inspec database (being trialled during February – March 2023)

Each month we spotlight one of our databases to highlight the range of resources available to our users. This month, Science Faculty Librarian Colin Theakston turns the spotlight on a database we have on trial.

Our status as a research active university means that we are frequently approached by data-providers who are keen to have us trial their databases, obviously they do this as they are hoping we might subscribe to their product.  Truth be told, if the feedback is good enough we often do!

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eResource of the month: International Encyclopedia of Human Geography

Each month we spotlight one of our databases to highlight the range of resources available to our users.

On encountering the word ‘geography’ one tends to think of the physical world. At least, I do. I think instinctively of the location of countries around the globe and capital cities, followed perhaps by features of various landscapes then maybe aspects of climate and weather. Indeed ‘Physical Geography’ is a core first year undergraduate module here at Durham and the various programmes on offer are peppered with modules on topics like climate change, glaciers, landscapes, rivers, oceans, mountains and other physical features of the Earth’s environment. But geography is as much about humans as it is about the landscapes we inhabit and, indeed, ‘Human Geography’ is another core module taken by our first year undergraduates with its themes also running through the degree programmes on offer.

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eResource of the month: The Churchill Archive

Each month we spotlight one of our databases to highlight the range of resources available to our users.

Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965) was one of the most important figures in British and Imperial history. The son of the aristocratic Churchill family of Blenheim Palace, he gained military experience as a soldier and war correspondent in India, Afghanistan, Sudan, South Africa, and in the trenches in France during the First World War.

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eResource of the month: BFI Player

Each month we spotlight one of our databases to highlight the range of resources available to our users.

BFI Player is a video on demand service from the British Film Institute streaming acclaimed, landmark and archive films. The focus is on British and European independent films, as well as international releases. It reflects the BFI’s wider cultural mission, complementing its seasonal programming of its UK venues, film distribution and DVD/Blu-ray publishing strands.

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#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…

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5 things I wish I had known about library e-resources as a student

By Customer Service Advisor and postgraduate student Gracie Sharp

Navigating the vast array of physical and electronic resources offered by the library can be a daunting task for many students, and it can be hard to keep track of where to find this information in the ocean of university emails we receive on a daily basis. I know from personal experience that as a student sometimes you just don’t have the time or mental energy to devote to finding these resources, and that’s okay.

Since becoming a Customer Service Advisor at the Bill Bryson, whilst also studying for a master’s degree, I have become more aware of certain, very helpful, e-resources offered to us by the library. Which is why I’m writing this blog post as a low down of some online resources that just might make your life a bit easier.

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The importance of being eBooks

Although academic eBooks have been around for years, current circumstances have meant that they have very suddenly become more important than ever. Reduced access to physical collections and distance learning have resulted in eBooks becoming an ever-more vital format. Earlier in the year, during lockdown in particular, our acquisitions team wrote about how things had rapidly changed for them with ordering items to support research, teaching & learning at the university.

Even well before the Covid pandemic we have seen over the last few years how increasingly accessing a key text in e-format has become the favoured option amongst taught students in some subjects. And as a result, for some time now we have been purchasing our key texts in electronic format to meet that demand, where possible.

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Having issues accessing articles off campus?

We all have those moments, having found 5 minutes where we can actually read that journal article our friend/colleague/supervisor/lecturer/mum sent us. We might be nestled in our nice comfy chair, laptop at the ready. Or we may be perched uncomfortably between the washing machine and fridge; the safest place to steal a few moments peace and quiet from the increasingly feral children running rampant through our homes.

And then it happens. That journal article, in the journal we know we could access at the click of a mouse when we were on campus, tells us we have to pay $38 to have 24 hours access. Why can’t it be easy? Why!!?

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Working on webinars

Over the course of the past few weeks, we’ve all had to adapt to a rapid change in working circumstances. With our physical Library and Collections sites closed, the support we offer for our users has shifted firmly online. In previous blog posts we have looked at the realities of working and learning from home, and how we’ve introduced services such as the virtual enquiry desk to help our users remotely.

Looking further ahead, we are now planning as to how we can continue to offer some of the other training and support we regularly provide, but now in an online environment. As a Faculty Librarian, a large part of my role is user education and support. This can be support for 1-2-1 queries, and it can be delivering sessions to cohorts of students related to particular topics, disciplines or resources. As we are currently unable to see our users face-to-face – and it may be some time before classrooms/lecture theatres can be used to see groups en masse – it’s important to plan for alternative delivery methods. Continue reading “Working on webinars” →

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