Using Primo Effectively 📚

Blogpost by Jeffrey Clark (Student Digital Champion)

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Introduction to Primo

It can be challenging to go into any library and find what you’re looking for. Most libraries contain hundreds of books, and the Hugh Owen library has THOUSANDS of books. If you want to find what you’re looking for with clinical precisions, then I recommend you give Primo a try. Primo is a digital library catalogue used by Aberystwyth University. It’s a massive database that allows students to search for books to loan from the University, make lists of books to check-out, and access online versions of reading materials. It has tonnes of features which have made my time at Aberystwyth that much easier. While it’s easy to see it as ‘just Google search for the library’, it’s much more than that. From saving lists of books to requesting books I need for my course, Primo has saved me time and from many headaches during my studies. In this blog post I’ll be going over Primo, what it does, and how to make it work for you.

Using the search function

Using Primo’s search function is easy. Simply type the name of the item you wish to find and Primo will tell you where it is in the Hugh Owen library or if you can access it online (some items have both online and physical copies.) Primo’s search function is set to search for ‘all items’ by default, which can muddy your search results a bit by giving you too many options.

At the bottom of the search bar, there are three drop-down menus which have options to help you find EXACTLY what you’re looking for. For example, let’s say that I want to search only for books by John Steinbeck. From the bottom of the search bar, I would select ‘Books’, then ‘with my exact phrase’, selecting ‘as author/creator’ and finally searching ‘John Steinbeck.’

Screenshot of Primo showing how to insert text in the search bar and the different filters

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Discover your Digital Skills at the CareerFest!

Come and say hello to our Student Digital Champions tomorrow, Friday 17 February, at their “How are your digital skills?” stand on Level D of the Hugh Owen Library from 10:00-13:00!

The stand is part of an exciting programme of CareerFest ’23 activities, including skills workshops, employer events, webinars, networking opportunities and in-department sessions.

We hope to see you there!

Promotional poster with text: How are your digital skills? Friday 17 February, 10:00-13:00 at Level D of the Hugh Owen Library

Microsoft Word Tips and Tricks 💡

Blogpost by Jeffrey Clark (Student Digital Champion)

Banner with Student Digital Champion

Making things easier

Microsoft Word is perhaps the most used and widely recognized computer program in all of academia. Virtually every course you can take at Aberystwyth University uses Microsoft Word to some degree, with some courses requiring you to do more with it than just type out an essay. In this blog post, I’ll tell you about some shortcuts in Microsoft Word that have helped me during my studies.

Tip 1: Keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are a combination of keys that you press to perform a function. For example, press control (ctrl) and C at the same time while highlighting text copies that text onto your clipboard. Instead of right-clicking and scrolling down the drop-down menu to ‘Paste’, you can press ctrl + V to paste the text instead.

The ALT key can also be used for shortcuts. Specifically, the ALT key is used for shortcuts as they relate to the top task bar. By holding down the ALT key for a few seconds, the keys for each shortcut will pop up. For instance, on my keyboard, pressing ALT and 2 will save my document.

But if we press ALT + S to go to the References tab…

We get an entirely new set of ALT keyboard commands to use!

By holding down the ALT with a different tab open we can see what shortcuts are available for each tab on the taskbar. If you forget what ALT key shortcuts do, holding the ALT key down will give you a helpful reminder of your keyboard shortcuts!

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Discover your Digital Skills at the CareerFest!

Blogpost by Jeffrey Clark (Student Digital Champion)

CareerFest Banner. 13-17 February on campus and online.

Are you interested in learning more about digital skills and how developing them can support your learning, your employability, and your general confidence with technology? Then swing by our Digital Skills stand, which will be running as part of the University’s CareerFest on Friday 17 February. You’ll be able to find us on Level D of the Hugh Owen Library from 10:00-13:00.

The stand will be your one-stop-shop for finding information on digital skills and what resources are available to help you develop them. A Student Digital Champion will be there to greet you and answer any questions you may have about digital skills.

There is also an exciting program of skills workshops, employer events, webinars, networking opportunities and in-department sessions being delivered at CareerFest from 13-17 February.

We hope to see you there!

Join the Digital Marketing Masterclass (8 February)

Want to learn how you can use digital marketing to promote your Business or Social Enterprise?

Woman holding a tablet

AberPreneurs, part of the University’s Careers Service, are running an exiting online event on Wednesday 8 February (2pm), Digital Marketing Masterclass with Francesca Irving from ‘Lunax Digital’.

Join the webinar online through MS Teams.

For any queries, please contact aberpreneurs@aber.ac.uk.