Tag: Reading lists

Scan-tastic! Digitisation that delivers!

WordPress User [nrb] Digitisation

Now that the academic year has ended, it’s a great moment to reflect on the impact of our digitisation service—and what a year it has been! Working closely with teaching staff and responding to sustained student demand, the service has delivered consistent access to key readings across departments.

A year in numbers

Our digitisation service has supported teaching and learning at scale:

  • 379 combined reading lists processed—these include shared lists across multiple courses (e.g. Welsh/English or UG/PG equivalents)—representing 503 individual reading lists supported in total
  • 2,210 extracts released to reading lists, comprising both book chapters and journal articles
  • 40,813 pages digitised
  • 12,134 students supported

These figures highlight not just volume, but reach: tens of thousands of pages made accessible to over twelve thousand students, directly embedded within their module reading lists.

It’s equally encouraging to see how actively this content has been used:

  • 26,762 views
  • 2,678 downloads
  • 596 prints

This level of engagement shows that digitised readings are not just available—they’re being used in meaningful ways to support study, revision, and research.

A reliable, responsive service

The digitisation service has remained a reliable way for students to get hold of their core readings, helping make key materials accessible to everyone. Across a wide range of teaching needs, the team has delivered extracts promptly and in line with copyright requirements.

Don’t stop now: Summer access

While the academic year has come to an end, the digitisation service is still on hand to support your summer reading and research. If you’re continuing your research, preparing for next year, or simply following your academic curiosity, you can still request:

  • Book chapters
  • Journal articles
  • Thesis extracts

So, whether you’re getting ahead, catching up, or diving into something new, we’re here to help you keep your brain in motion over the summer months.

Visit our webpage to find out more – the digitisation staff will handle the copyright checks and get the scan to you: https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/library/help/digitisation/

Submit your request and keep your reading going—wherever you are!

Season’s greetings!

WordPress User [jrc] Information Skills, Uncategorised

Seasons greetings to all University Libraries customers from the Academic Engagement team.
Here’s a few highlights to share from a packed year

Find usage stats and further information about library services we deliver including Information Literacy teaching and one-to-one support, Digitisation, AberSkills, Aspire Reading Lists, LibGuides and Digital Skills in the 2024-2025 Library Action plan.

Reading List Update for Teaching Staff

WordPress User [jrc] Help & advice, Teaching Leave a comment

Create / update your module reading lists for 2024-2025

Advice for adding library resources to a new Aspire list and updating an existing list

Empty reading lists are being created in Aspire for new and returning modules requiring a list. Once you have added some content to your reading list, it will be linked to the appropriate Blackboard module by Library staff.

Remember you can also add links to sections in your reading lists.

When updating your Aspire reading list content for the coming year, be sure to update the 2024-2025 edition of your reading list. If you add books to 2023-2024 reading lists they will not be purchased. FYI 2023-2024 Aspire reading lists will remain visible in 2023-2024 Blackboard modules until the end of August when they will be archived.

Contact

Please contact librarians@aber.ac.uk or your subject librarian if

  • there is no reading list in Aspire for your module
  • you would like a reading list appointment with your subject librarian
  • you have any questions

Libraries Week 2022 – Students

WordPress User [abc27] Help & advice, Information Skills, Learning, Research Leave a comment

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.

You’ll see our virtual tour of the Hugh Owen Library below and here’s our handy A to Z of Library services to get you up to speed.

Software and IT services Take a look at our webpages for some of the IT Services and resources available. If you need help or advice, you can contact the Service Desk team online or by phone.

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.

Visit Primo, the library catalogue to have a look.

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 collection This 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 the Celtic 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.

Watch this short video to learn more: