Category: Teaching

Libraries Week 2022 – Staff

Abigail Crook [abc27] Help & advice, Learning, Research, Teaching Leave a comment
Image of a father and daughter reading together

The theme of this year’s Libraries Week is the central role that libraries play in supporting life-long learning.

Today our focus is on all Aberystwyth University staff as we showcase some of the library’s resources that can help staff to unlock and fulfil their potential at every stage of their lives and careers.

Gale OneFile News Online access to news coverage, including professional trade press, Gale OneFile News lets you browse and search 2,300 major newspapers, including thousands of images, radio and tv broadcasts and transcripts.

Digimap Digimap offers full and comprehensive Ordnance Survey map data and historic maps as well as geological data. It is a fascinating resource and very useful for local history researchers as well as Earth Sciences. You just need to have an Aberystwyth University email account to register to access it.

Image of a map of Aberystwyth in 1880 from Digimap
Image of a map of Aberystwyth in 1880 from Digimap

Box of Broadcasts Are you carrying out some research? Take a look at Box of Broadcasts (BoB) – an on demand TV and radio service for academic use by staff and students, allowing access to two million broadcasts from over 65 free to air channels. BoB also now includes the BBC’s archive of historic radio and television programmes.    

The Workstation The Workstation is a 24-hour work and study space for both staff and students in Aberystwyth town centre. The Workstation has PCs, facilities for printing, WiFi and a bookable meeting room. You can find The Workstation next to the Wetherspoons by Aberystwyth Train Station and you will need your staff ID card to get in.

Front view of The Workstation featuring a large building with a clock tower
Front view of The Workstation
The entrance to The Workstation glass doors with blue signage
The entrance to The Workstation
Inside The Workstation with desks, chairs and computers
Inside The Workstation
The Workstation

Careers Services for all AU staff  Did you know that Aberystwyth University staff can also make use of the University’s expert careers services? Take a look at our Employability LibGuide to get started.

Reading for pleasure The library has large collections of fiction, non fiction and poetry in both English and Welsh for your reading pleasure. Take a look at our Contemporary Fiction collection near the Enquiries Desk on Level F or browse the shelves from classmark PN (or the library catalogue, Primo) and the Celtic Collection.

English literature books on Level F of the Hugh Owen Library

Learn or Improve your Welsh The Celtic Collection contains hundreds of books to help you learn and develop your Welsh language skills, from complete language courses and grammar books to fiction with helpful vocabulary.

Effective Study Collection You may also find some of the titles in our Effective Study collection useful to help you develop your study or professional skills, such as how to make an effective presentation or tips on managing your research.

Linkedin Learning All AU students and staff have free and unlimited access to the wealth of expert-led courses available online through Linkedin Learning.

Here’s a small selection of courses that might be of interest to AU staff produced by Jeffrey Clark, Student Digital Champion:

Personal and Professional Development collection – This collection contains a series of courses designed to aid staff members with developing their professional and personal skills.

Jeffrey Clark

The Children’s Literature Collection

Abigail Crook [abc27] Learning, Teaching Leave a comment
Colourful books from the Children's Literature Collection on a table on Level F of the Hugh Owen Library
Colourful books from the Children’s Literature Collection on a table on Level F of the Hugh Owen Library

If you go down to the Hugh Owen Library today… you’re sure to find our latest display on Level F of some wonderful titles from our Children’s Literature Collection!

Our collection has a good range of children’s fiction in both English and Welsh, including picture books, contemporary children’s literature to young adult fiction – from pirates to princesses, dragons to aliens and all that’s in-between.

You’ll find it particularly useful if you’re studying PGCE or Childhood Studies/Education. You can browse the collected on Level F of the Hugh Owen Library at classmark PZ or have a look online on Primo, the Library catalogue here.

From Resources to referencing

Lloyd Roderick [glr9] Information Skills, Teaching Leave a comment

A book and notepadAssignments: from Resources to Referencing has been prepared by the Subject Librarians at the University to develop key information literacy skills essential for academic study – from finding high quality academic materials to citing resources correctly in your assignments. The module is available to all students on Blackboard.

The module currently contains three sections:

Library and IT Induction
• Provides everything you need to know about getting started with library services and collections.
• A quiz to practice using library resources.

Referencing and Plagiarism Awareness
• Helps you understand the importance of accurate referencing; how to create accurate citations and references; how to manage your citations using referencing software tools and how to interpret your Turnitin Similarity Report.
• This guide includes a quiz which allows you to practice the skills you have learned using the specific referencing style specified by your department

News & Media Literacy
• This guide helps develop critical skills in evaluating the information we consume online. You will learn how to define key concepts such as free speech, misinformation, disinformation and censorship; understand concepts of selection and bias in the media and how to spot fake news.
• This guide includes a quiz which allows you to test the knowledge you have gained.

Further guides and quizzes will be added to the module in future.
If you require guidance in using the module, have any questions on using library collections and services or have any feedback, please contact: librarians@aber.ac.uk / 01970 621896

BBC Historic Archive now available through Box of Broadcasts.

Simon French [sif4] Learning, Research, Teaching Leave a comment

An old-time television setIf you are anything like me then you are probably rejoicing in the fact that the BBC’s archive of historic radio and television programmes is being made available through Box of Broadcasts.

I for one can’t wait to watch post-apocalyptic fun-fest Z for Zachariah (broadcast in 1984 as part of the Play for Today strand). If that’s not your thing, how about Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs talking about Jack Kerouac on Arena in 1988 ? Not for you? Then maybe an episode of Horizon from 1980 exploring how voice-controlled word processors are set to revolutionise the office). Or how about a personal tour of Stratford upon Avon in the company of Welsh playwright Huw Lloyd Edwards in Arall Fyd from 1972?

Of course this is the BBC so there is so much more: cultural highlights (BBC Television Shakespeare); landmark light entertainment (Multi-Coloured Swap Shop – that’s my childhood, right there!) There are flagship news shows (Newsnight) and historic accounts of landmark social and cultural events (Yesterday’s Witness). It all adds up to a resource of unparalleled quality and depth.

Box of Broadcasts have put together some useful information on how to access the historic content in the archive, but if you get stuck with anything please don’t hesitate to contact your subject librarian for help.

Here are some other useful links for finding your way around Box of Broadcasts:

Here are some useful links for teaching staff:

Module co-ordinators: already know what you want on your new reading list?

Joy Cadwallader [jrc] Help & advice, Teaching Leave a comment

This summer we will create and populate your new Aspire reading lists on request.

If you email the content to librarians@aber.ac.uk before July 19th your reading list will be created and published before the reading list deadline.

Please include

  • Module code and title
  • Which books are Essential – the Library will order an ebook or multiple print copies if an ebook is not available
  • Which books are Further reading – the Library will order one print copy
  • Any chapters or articles you need digitising
  • Any section names to group them under

Books will be purchased, digitisations processed and you will be contacted if there are any issues.
Find advice for preparing your Aspire reading lists for the new academic year: https://faqs.aber.ac.uk/en/2978

books on a shelf