We have launched a new map and library guide to help you navigate the Hugh Owen Library and locate your books and other resources on the shelves.
Browse the map online at libraryfloormap.aber.ac.uk to find out what’s where, get more information about library resources and spaces and familiarise yourself with the layout – never get lost again!
The Library Floor Map is integrated with Primo, the library catalogue. When you’re viewing your item in Primo, click the Library Floormap link to open the map and the shelves where your item is located will be highlighted.
We are interested in your feedback
The Library FloorMap is a new resource, and we need your feedback to let us know how we could make it as helpful as possible for our users. Let us know here or by emailing is-feedback@aber.ac.uk
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.
This term has been busy and has passed really quickly! It’s been a great mix with online as well as face to face teaching sessions and providing support. We’ve loved being back on the Hugh Owen Level F enquiry desk, helping with many varied questions and queries.
We are here until the Thursday 22nd December, if you need any help contact us at librarians@aber.ac.uk After the break we’ll be back on the Tuesday 3rd January.
The Iris de Freitas Room is open 24/7 from 22 December – 3 January 2023
Subject Librarians provide information skills training, look after your reading lists and subject guides and offer support and advice on using the libraries, finding resources for your assignments and referencing.
Aberystwyth University Libraries has 8 Subject Librarians, each with their own areas of expertise.
You are very welcome to arrange a MS Teams meeting with your Subject Librarian if you have any questions about using the Library or would like advice – you can do this online here, or by e-mail. Or just drop them a message to say hello!
When I was fourteen, I volunteered at my local library to gain work experience. I honestly enjoyed spending hours alphabetically sorting the cardboard library cards into the beautiful oak drawers. The desire to travel later drove me to pursue a career in dance. I returned to libraries by graduating with an Education and Information & Library studies degree, at the age of thirty-three, having studied part-time around a full-time job as a dance instructor at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre.
I’ve been employed at the Hugh Owen Library since 2017, and I consider it an honour to be Aberystwyth’s first subject librarian for Healthcare Education.
I’ve just completed a PG diploma in managing information and library services and have begun learning Welsh, better late than never! Before Covid I enjoyed ballroom & Latin dancing, travelling and karaoke. Nowadays I love visiting local wildlife projects that have re-opened and watching professional road cycling on TV.
As a child, I was a keen reader and collector of books. As an adult, I worked for many, many unhappy years in the second-hand and rare book trade before becoming a librarian here at Aberystwyth University. All of this might lead you to think that I’m a bit of a one-trick-pony, but I want to make it abundantly clear that I do enjoy things other than books, like…um…!
I started volunteering in libraries at the age of 14, then secured my first paid Saturday library job at 16 and everything has come from there. When I’m not out cycling on the rolling Ceredigion hills, I really enjoy teaching and being able to help, so please do get in touch with any question however big or small!
Prior to working at Aberystwyth University I taught English Language in Spain, the Czech Republic, Italy and Poland. I’ve also worked in the Careers Services at SOAS and Newport, so you could say I’m familiar with working with students! Please get in touch if you need help, that’s why I’m here!
I wanted to work in libraries after spending a lot of time hanging around the music collection in Llanelli public library after realising they had Sonic Youth’s back catalogue available to loan. After university I worked at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Library, University of London, then studied an MSc in Information and Library Science. I later worked at Newport public libraries and the Courtauld Institute of Art library. Later I produced a PhD studying art collections at the National Library of Wales…. all of which has given me a good background for supporting students and staff in the departments I work with as a Subject Librarian at Aberystwyth University.
In my spare time I’m an assessor on the Professional Registration Panel of CILIP (Chartered Institute of Librarians and Information Professionals) and have curated exhibitions on modernism and contemporary art in Wales.
Ever since I got work experience at my local public library here in Aberystwyth when I was a pupil in secondary school (… and I’m going back several years now!), I knew I wanted to be a librarian. I joined Information Services in 2001 and a few years later received a postgraduate degree in Information and Library Studies here at the University as a distance learner. In my spare time – in between looking after the family, cats, chickens and hamsters – I enjoy reading and being creative with art, craft and calligraphy.
I liked to help my colleague in the school library where I taught in Shanghai. I guess that is where my librarian journey started. I enjoy travelling, gardening and baking. Most of all, I enjoy being able to help people, so please get in touch if you have any questions.
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 theCeltic 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.
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 our Lifelong Learning students and external users.
Lifelong Learning
LibGuides Our Lifelong Learning LibGuide is your complete guide to library and learning resources for your subjects. Here you’ll find details on key resources and guidance on how to use the library and who to contact for help.
The Lifelong Learning LibGuide homepage
Effective Study Collection The Effective Study Collection is designed to help you develop your study skills. It covers topics including how to research, writing skills, academic writing, time management, communications skills and some general guides to help you research and study in the arts. If you are returning to education after a break, have a look.
Study spaces and IT facilities at the library Don’t forget that Lifelong Learning students can also make use of the library’s facilities, such as quiet study spaces, computers, excellent WIFI and printing and copying facilities. Browse our A to Z of library services here.
The Celtic Collection The Celtic Collection contains approximately 25,000 books relating to Brittany, Cornwall, the Isle of Man, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The collection contains material on all subjects relating to Celtic countries, and is a wonderful resource for all researchers and enthusiasts.
Learning Welsh or looking to improve your skills? You’ll find everything you need to help you practise and develop your reading and speaking skills – from graded novels with vocabulary to grammar books.
Find the Celtic Collection of Level F of the Hugh Owen library:
Some of the Welsh-language resources in the Celtic Collection
Digimap Digimapoffers 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.
Linkedin Learning All AU students and staff have free and unlimited access to the wealth of expert-led courses available online 24/7 through Linkedin Learning.
Here’s a small selection of courses chosen by our Student Digital Champion, Urvashi Verma, that may be of interest to Lifelong Learning students.
Lifelong Learning CollectionA collection of courses and short videos to help you develop your study skills and improve your time management skills.
Urvashi Verma
External Users
Our libraries welcome different categories of external users, from Aber Alumni and retired staff members who are keen to maintain their access to library resources, students at other institutions who are visiting Aber and need a place to study or local residents.
Special Collections External users can apply to use the library’s IT facilities and study spaces, and can also arrange to view items in our beautiful special collections.
The theme of this year’s Libraries Week is the central role that libraries play in supporting life-long learning.
Today, we are focusing on the ways the library offers a range of learning opportunities for Aberystwyth University students, beyond their courses and outside of the teaching rooms.
Library tours If you’re new to Aberystwyth University, firstly, welcome! Secondly, come on a library tour! Our friendly staff are here to show you around and introduce you to your library. There’s no need to book in advance and everyone is welcome – times and other information here.
Fiction and reading for pleasure There’s no shortage of books in our libraries and if you’re looking for something to read – that’s not a course textbook – we can help! Browse Primo the library catalogue online to find books and ebooks, take a look at our Contemporary Fiction collection by the Enquiries Desk on Level F, browse the shelves from classmark PN or in the Celtic Collection. We also have graphic novels and lots of non-fiction and poetry.
Contemporary fiction collection in the Hugh Owen Library
Linkedin Learning All AU students have free, unlimited access to thousands of expert-led online courses from Linkedin Learning. Here’s a small selection of courses that might spark some new hobbies or interests and help you develop new skills put together by Laurie Stevenson, Student Digital Champion:
Extra-curricular activities for students collectionThis is a collection of courses containing a variety of skills and creative activities you might be interested in learning alongside your studies, as a break from assignments or to fill a moment of boredom!
Laurie Stevenson
Learn Welsh Fancy learning or improving your Welsh whilst you’re at Aber? Look no further than theCeltic Collection!The 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.
Find it on Level F:
Welsh-language learning resources in the Celtic Collection
Library Guides Familiarise yourself with the library’s range of LibGuides. Not only will you find your specialist subject guide to help you find resources for your subject, but also a range of guides to help you make the most of the library, develop your information literacy skills and enhance your employability.
These guides have been compiled by your Subject Librarians who are here to help you with academic and specialist resources for your studies. They can help you to find and evaluate the information that you need and help you to reference it correctly. Find the contact details for your subject on the Subject Librarians page.
Borrow DVDs You can borrow DVDs for free from our large DVD collection on Level F. Take a look through what we have on Primo, the library catalogue
DVD collection
Read Well – Wellbeing collection The library’s Wellbeing Collection is here to help you understand and manage many common mental health conditions or difficult feelings and experiences. You can have a look at the list of titles included in the collection on the Read Well reading list which is organised by topic areas to help you find what you need.
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.
DigimapDigimapoffers 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
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 WorkstationThe entrance to The WorkstationInside The WorkstationThe 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:
We are so lucky here in Aberystwyth with lovely rolling hills and great walks. It seemed fitting for our last team meeting of the year to escape the screens and get together outside before the Christmas break with a team walk and coffee catch up at Nant yr Arian.
This term has been busy and has passed really quickly! It’s been a great mix with online as well as face to face teaching sessions and providing support. We’ve loved being back on the Hugh Owen Level F enquiry desk, helping with many varied questions and queries.
We are here until the Thursday 23rd December, if you need any help contact us at librarians@aber.ac.uk After the break we’ll be back on the Tuesday 4th January.
Whether you’re planning ahead for your dissertation or part way through it and regretting every decision you’ve made, this guide can help you!
In one easy-to-follow and simple guide, you will find all you need to understand and manage the dissertation process from finding information sources and developing your searching techniques to evaluating and referencing the sources you use.
For help and advice for every stage of your dissertation, from concept to conclusion, take a look our our Dissertation LibGuide: https://libguides.aber.ac.uk/dissertation.
Our News and Media guide is a clear and comprehensive resource to help you navigate the tricky world of news and media throughout your time at University and beyond.
Protect your image online
Define key concepts such as free speech, misinformation, disinformation and censorship
Learn how algorithms are used to target people on social media platforms
Simone Anthony – 
Joy Cadwallader – 
Simon French – 
Anita Saycell – 
Sarah Gwenlan – 
Lloyd Roderick – 
Non Jones – 
Connie Davage – 
