New article recommender service free trial

Information Services have implemented a free trial of a new article recommender service ‘bX Recommender’. The recommender service is similar to Amazon’s “customers who purchased this also purchased…” except it is for journal article recommendations. It makes recommendations based on real usage data gathered internationally and points to relevant scholarly articles. More information. If you would like to provide feedback on this service please email ujh@aber.ac.uk.

Password security when using e-journals or e-books

Please ensure that you do not use your Aberystwyth University (email) login and password on the websites of e-journals, e-books and other AU electronic resources. You should only use these on a website or dialogue box that is in the .aber.ac.uk domain e.g. shibboleth.aber.ac.uk. Instructions for accessing e-journals etc off-campus are given in the ‘Authentication’ note in E-journals @ Aber or via the ‘i’ button in eLibrary.

Please access these via Voyager or the ElecInfo gateway. For further help, email ejournals@aber.ac.uk

Mind the GAP

"Mind the GAP - avoid pitfalls with Good Academic Practice"

• Good study skills lead to better marks and make you more organised and less stressed.
• Good referencing and reading widely help to avoid plagiarism.
• Using high-quality sources of information improves the quality of your work.

New videos show how researchers use advanced technology

New videos showing how JISC is helping researchers achieve faster, better and different research through virtual research environments have just been released on YouTube.

The videos feature projects from JISC's virtual research environment (VRE) programme, which is trying to find ways to connect people and speed up research processes across disciplines. These include astronomy, physics, electronics, chemistry and the study of ancient documents.

Electronic-only subscriptions

The Library alerted and sought feedback from academic departments in the summer that we intended to move to electronic-only subscriptions for Oxford University Press, Springer, Cambridge University Press and Elsevier journals from January 2010 onwards. This has now taken place. Please see the lists of journal titles which have been converted to e-only.

Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) Part 2

Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO): This vast collection of fully-digitised material, including books, pamphlets, essays, broadsides and more, has recently been expanded. From Gale, the publisher:

E-books in Information Services

 

We are living in an age where time is perceived to be in short supply. We all need information; we would ideally like to receive it at point and time of need. If it is 3am and you are trying to finish a piece of research but need to check a quotation or citation, then you don't want to wait until the library opens in order to do so.

Devolution and the New Legislative Bodies in the UK

The bibliography on Devolution and the New Legislative Bodies in the UK is a useful tool for researchers and others interested in the process of devolution and the working of the new legislative bodies.

Keeping up to date with your subject

Isn't it nice when something you want is brought to you, so that you don't have to go out yourself to fetch it?

If we apply that thought to research, it is possible to individually visit the websites of a wide range of journals - and to browse the printed copies the library holds - in order to try and keep up-to-date with your field. But it would be a monotonous job that could take up all your time if you want to monitor a lot of titles.

Win a £40 Book Token

It's that time of the year again. Last year you let us know that you wanted new computers in the computer rooms, and we provided them. What do you want us to do this year?
Information Services User Survey
How are we doing?
Please tell us what you think
Closing date March 31
http://www.inf.aber.ac.uk/user-survey.asp
Prize draw - Win a £40 Book Token

World Book Day 2009 – How Do You Read Yours…???

In celebration of World Book Day students and staff are invited to drop into the Hugh Owen Library, Thursday 5th March between 10am and 3pm to:

• Play with the Latest E-book readers

• Take part in our Book Swap – Bring a book - Take a book!

New online resources at AU: the Burney Collection and British Periodicals Collection I and II

Digitised in 2007 through collaboration between the British Library, Gale/Cengage and the National Science Foundation, the Burney Collection was acquired by the British Library a year after the death of Reverend Charles Burney (1757-1817), a classical scholar and schoolmaster. The online collection contains 1,270 titles and consists primarily of parliamentary papers, London newspapers, periodicals, English regional papers, Irish, Scottish and American newspapers.

New skills courses at lunchtime

Short skills courses in Hugh Owen Library, 13:10-14:00 on Wednesdays, are available as follows:

• Find everything on your reading list (February 18th)
• Keep up to date in your subject of study (February 25th)
• Evaluate online information for your academic work (March 4th)
• Use software to create easy bibliographies (March 11th)
• Word for essays and dissertations (March 18th)

Course descriptions and online booking.

The JISC National E-books Observatory Project

As part of our commitment to providing the latest resources, Information Services became part of the JISC National E-books Observatory Project - an experiment aiming to understand how e-books are being used that could help to shape the future of e-book provision in the UK. The project is investigating:

• the impact of core text e-books on student learning;
• how students find and use e-books;
• what they think of them;
• how e-books can be promoted;
• how e-books might fulfil their potential as a vital educational resource.