Category: Learning

Introducing: Database Search

Megan Williams [mew37] Help & advice, Information Skills, Learning, Research Leave a comment

We are pleased to announce the release of our new Database Search functionality on Primo – the library catalogue, which has replaced the A-Z of Electronic Resources page.

Our new Database Search page is fully integrated within our main library search tool and can be found at the top of Primo, so no need to remember any separate URLs.

The new Database Search is divided up into different subjects so you can browse resources applicable to your course. Alternatively, you can search by key terms and draw results from the whole of the collection.

Each resource comes with a brief description so you can explore how each one might benefit your studies.

Find the new search feature here.

Introducing BrowZine

Abigail Crook [abc27] Information Skills, Learning, Research Leave a comment

BrowZine is new way to browse and search thousands of electronic journals available to you as a member of Aberystwyth University.

BrowZine homepage

Using BrowZine you can:

  • Browse or search by subject area to find ejournals of interest
  • Search for a specific title
  • Create your own bookshelf of favourite ejournals and organise them how you want
  • Follow your favourite titles and receive alerts when a new issue is published
  • Save articles in your personal library which will sync across your devices

BrowZine can be used on your computer, or you can download the app for use on an Android or Apple device. The BrowZine app will sync across multiple devices so you can keep up with your ejournal reading on the move.

Find it on Primo, the library catalogue, by clicking on the eJournal Search button on the top of the homepage or download the app from your app store.

How to get to BrowZine from Primo, the library catalogue

Shwmae Su’mae Day – 15th October

Abigail Crook [abc27] Help & advice, Learning Leave a comment

To celebrate Shwmae Su’mae Day this year, we are sharing a guest blog from our Student Digital Champion, Laurie Stevenson and taking a quick look at some library resources to help you practise and develop your Welsh-language reading and speaking skills.

Laurie Stevenson

Dw i’n dysgu Cymraeg!

The 15th of October is Diwrnod Shwmae Su’mae, a day marked to celebrate and promote the Welsh language and I wanted to take this opportunity as one of the Student Digital Champions to use this blog to share my own experiences as a Welsh language learner.

What made me decide to take up Welsh?

I fell in love with Wales straight away after moving here and knew from the very start of my degree that I wanted to learn more about Welsh culture and learn the language as a way of respecting the culture and gaining a sense of belonging. I enjoy intellectual pursuits but never saw the point in learning languages like French or Spanish if I was never going to be able to use them in real life and I always struggled to feel any passion for this kind of language learning at school. However, when the opportunity arose to learn Welsh I was very keen, I love having the ability to make basic conversation on the bus, in a shop or café and I really enjoy the smile it can bring to peoples faces to see someone learning the language.

How did I go about learning Welsh?

I enquired about Welsh lessons in my first year but due to Covid these were not running however when I went to the Freshers Fair in my second year I spoke to someone at the UMCA Welsh student’s union stall and put my name down. The lessons are provided by learnwelsh.cymru and I started off with their taster course which was one hour weekly sessions, this year I have moved onto the accredited entry level course which is two hours a week. I also use Duolingo alongside my lessons and I have found this to help with retaining information in between lessons.

What resources have I found at Aberystwyth University to help me?

The Welsh student’s union UMCA are people I found the courses through but they also host Welsh language and culture events as well as opportunities for Welsh learners to meet up and practice their Welsh with Welsh speakers. There are also links to the courses on the University website as well as links for online resources to help your learning.  The library also has great resources including books, dictionaries and phrasebooks for learning the language.

Laurie Stevenson

Find out more about Laurie and the work of the Student Digital Champions over on the Digital Capabilities Blog

Library Resources

If you are on your journey to learning Welsh, thinking about starting it, or you’re a Welsh speaker looking to polish your skills, the library has a wide-range of helpful resources.

Head to the Celtic Collection on Level F of the Hugh Owen Library where you’ll find books to help you practise and develop your reading and speaking skills – from graded novels with vocabulary to grammar books to complete language courses.

And remember to say su’mae to the Library staff!