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Friday 21 December 2007

Cambridge companions to literature & classics

If you suddenly find you don't have all the books you need over the Christmas holidays, take a look at the Cambridge Companions to literature and classics - a collection of ebooks containing over 1400 essays on major authors, periods and genres. You'll need to login to MUSE to gain access.

There is a vast collection of full text Cambridge Companion ebooks available on everything from Arthur Miller to Chaucer, Christopher Marlowe to Margaret Atwood. There are also more general guides such as Eighteenth-Century Poetry, and Feminist Literary Theory, so whatever modules you are currently studying you are bound to find some useful material here.

See you in 2008!

Thursday 20 December 2007

Using library electronic resources over the Christmas break

Many of you will need to access electronic library resources while you're at home over Christmas, but accessing them can sometimes work differently when you are off campus.
Here's a few tips in case you get stuck.

ALWAYS access ebooks, ejournals and databases by logging into MUSE and going to the 'library' tab. See here for more information about on and off campus access.

If you are having problems accessing ejournals, there is help available on the library website. Each publisher / supplier is listed with some advice on how you can gain access with screen shots to guide you through.

If you are still having problems, don't give up! It's always worth trying again later in case a problem on the supplier's side has been resolved.

But if you are still having trouble after that, please let us know so we can try and fix it. Email us at lib-eservices@sheffield.ac.uk (though please note library staff will not be available from 24th December until 2nd January).


The Information Commons will be open throughout the Christmas break on a self-service basis.

Happy Christmas!

Thursday 15 November 2007

Internet resources for your studies

Increasingly you’ll find primary texts and secondary / critical material are available online. Brilliant! If you know where to look that is! To get you started, try this online tutorial for English students 

As the internet is so vast and uncontrolled, it is important that you know how to spot reliable information. Try the Internet Detective tutorial and don’t forget to use the Information Skills Tutorials through MOLE where you’ll find general guides on ‘Effective searching of the internet’ and ‘Evaluating information’ as well as subject specific guides for English Language & Linguistics and English Literature.

The best way to go about accessing online material for essays and assignments is to use a ‘gateway’, which is basically a selection of web resources chosen and evaluated by subject specialists so you can feel confident that they are both reliable and academically credible. There are lists of recommended gateways available on the Library website for English Studies, and more specifically for Linguistics & Language Studies  and Literature.









Intute is a particularly good gateway to begin with, very easy to natigate and allows you to carry out advanced searches or browse by subject. You can keep up to date with new additions to the website too.  


BUBL is also worth exploring, it contains sections on Language and Literature & Rhetoric.

If you come across any internet resources that are really helpful, share your find by leaving a comment. 

Happy hunting!

Thursday 25 October 2007

JSTOR on Facebook

JSTOR provide electronic access to archives of Arts journals - it is a major resource for history students and one you will become very familiar with if you are not already! JSTOR are now on Facebook (further details here) - there are two JSTOR applications:
JSTOR Information gives guidance on how to search JSTOR, frequently asked questions and links to further help pages.
JSTOR Search application allows you to search for journal articles from within Facebook.

There are also JSTOR tutorials available on YouTube - How to Search JSTOR and How to Browse JSTOR.

If you find any other Facebook applications helpful for finding information for essays, leave details as a comment.

Wednesday 24 October 2007

Inquiry-based learning

If you haven’t come across the idea of inquiry-based learning (IBL) yet, you probably soon will! It is a self-directed way to learn, study and collaborate, working to proactively discover and reflect, rather than passively absorb information that is given to you. More information about the concept can be found here.
For a student perspective from the University of Manchester on IBL and some practical tips on how you can take part, click here.

The University has a Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences (CILASS) which works with departments to support and develop IBL in teaching practices. Student input and involvement is a key element – each department has a Student Ambassador and there is a CILASS Student Blog and CILASS Student Journal. Details of the English Department’s involvement with CILASS can be found here.

The Library works with CILASS to develop student’s Information Literacy skills. Information Literacy is key to enabling you to engage with IBL. You need the skills to look beyond your reading list, to locate and evaluate sources of information and carry out independent research – the English subject guides and the Arts & Humanities Finding Information Guide are good starting points.
The Library has developed a set of Information Skills Tutorials accessible through MOLE. There are general tutorials on topics such as effective searching of the internet and evaluating information. There are also English specific tutorials. Have a go at the Internet for English tutorial produced by the Intute Virtual Training Suite too.

As a student you are part of an academic community in your discipline, and this is another aspect of IBL – get involved! Discussion and the exchange of ideas are key, not just with your immediate peers here at Sheffield, but with academics and students from other institutions. Try searching for blogs and discussion boards about topics of particular interest to you. The English Subject Centre for instance has online discussion boards and email lists and the Postgraduate English page has a journal and forum for postgrads. The Script Circle is worth a look for any budding playwrights. Or if you are studying Shakespeare, try SHAKSPER - The Global Electronic Shakespeare Conference.  JISCmail lists for Literature  and Linguistics are particularly valuable when you are thinking about your dissertation.

If you come across any websites you find useful, post the link as a comment on here to share your discoveries with other students and let us know why you found it helpful.

Inquiry-based learning

If you haven’t come across the idea of inquiry-based learning (IBL) yet, you probably soon will! It is a self-directed way to learn, study and collaborate, working to proactively discover and reflect, rather than passively absorb information that is given to you. More information about the concept can be found here.
For a student perspective from the University of Manchester on IBL and some practical tips on how you can take part, click here.

The University has a Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences (CILASS) which works with departments to support and develop IBL in teaching practices. Student input and involvement is a key element – each department has a Student Ambassador and there is a CILASS Student Blog and CILASS Student Journal. Details of the History Department’s involvement with CILASS can be found here.

The Library works with CILASS to develop student’s Information Literacy skills. Information Literacy is key to enabling you to engage with IBL. You need the skills to look beyond your reading list, to locate and evaluate sources of information and carry out independent research – the History Subject Guide
and the Arts & Humanities Finding Information Guide are good starting points.
The Library has developed a set of Information Skills Tutorials accessible through MOLE. There are general tutorials on topics such as effective searching of the internet and evaluating information. There are also History specific tutorials. Have a go at the Internet for Historians tutorial produced by the Intute Virtual Training Suite too.

As a student you are part of an academic community in your discipline, and this is another aspect of IBL – get involved! Discussion and the exchange of ideas are key, not just with your immediate peers here at Sheffield, but with academics and students from other institutions. Try searching for blogs and discussion boards about topics of particular interest to you. The Historical Association for instance has online debates, discussion boards and a page specifically for History in higher education. JISCmail lists for history
are particularly valuable when you are thinking about your dissertation – there are a huge number of interest groups on everything from Cornish History to Hadrians Wall to Mining History to the Mass Observation project!

If you come across any websites you find useful, post the link as a comment on here to share your discoveries with other students and let us know why you found it helpful.

Thursday 18 October 2007

Accent and dialect sound recordings

The British Library Sound Archive has a collection on Accents and Dialects, a great resource for anybody studying this aspect of English language. Collect Britain has a selection of over 600 sound recordings you can listen to online taken from the Survey of English Dialects and the Millennium Memory Bank. You can browse the collection here or search the collection by area, but make sure you select 'Recorded Speech' in the Object Type selection box, otherwise you will get a lot of results in other formats.

And here are a few links to similar projects and collections.

Let us know what you think of this resource, or ask any questions by leaving a comment on the blog, or by emailing lib-eng@sheffield.ac.uk.

Tuesday 9 October 2007

John Milton: a bibliography

The Library currently has access to an online bibliography of the works of John Milton and secondary works referring to him and his writing. We only have access on a trial basis, so we need your feedback to determine whether this is something we should consider investing in long term, so please let us know what you think.

The bibliography does not include any full-text access to works by or about Milton, but does provide a great tool for discovering references if you are researching Milton or perhaps considering writing your dissertation on him later this year. It may also be of interest to those of you currently studying LIT3028 Writing the English Civil War or LIT207 Restoration and Eighteenth-century Literature.

The bibliography states it aims to:

"bring together all manuscripts and editions of John Milton's works and all studies and critical statements concerning his life and works, all allusions and quotations, and all significant imitations during the years 1624-1799."

Further info can be found here. There is a search facility with search tips to get you started. The content of the site is divided into 17th century primary sources and secondary sources, and 18th century primary sources and secondary sources, you can browse here. There's also a small collection of images on the site.

Get in touch on lib-eng@sheffield.ac.uk, or by leaving a comment.

Friday 5 October 2007

MyiLibrary ebooks

We currently have access to around 60,000 electronic books via MyiLibrary. You will need the password to login and view the full content (follow the login link at the top right hand side of the MyiLibrary homepage). There is an extensive collection of both European and American history books. You can browse by topic or search for something more specific. Some (but not all) of the ebooks have an Index at the end that links you to the relevant pages.
It's well worth a browse to see what's available, especially as it can sometimes be difficult to get hold of the books you need in the library when they are in high demand.

We'd like to hear your feedback on this resource.
And as ever, you can leave a comment on the blog or contact us at histlib@sheffield.ac.uk.

Monday 24 September 2007

New term!

Hello and welcome / welcome back from all of us here at the Library!

This blog will be used to keep you up to date with what’s happening in the Library and what resources and sources of help are available to you. And, we want to hear from you, so please leave comments and questions on the blog.

For undergraduates, most of the books you need will be in the Information Commons. Take a look at the virtual tour of the IC.

You may also want to familiarise yourself with the Western Bank Library. Take a look at the virtual tour to help find your way around.

There’s plenty of info on the Library website to help you settle in. It’s all a bit daunting at first, so please don’t hesitate to ask staff if you’re unsure about anything.

Try these things to get you started:

Here are some basics you’ll need to know to find your way around and borrow books. There's also information on how the Library can help you with your studies.

You’ll need to use Star (the library catalogue) to find out where to access books and journals, so familiarise yourself with this and use the Help section for tips on how to search.

As well as offering physical space to study, the Library provides a huge range of resources online. See our screencasts to get you started.
The best way to access all our resources is to login to MUSE and go to the ‘Library’ tab.

For History specific help, see the subject guide.
See your reading lists online with myResource Lists – this links you to recommended readings for your modules.
For further help with how to find information for seminars and assignments, have a go at our Information Skills Tutorials.

Enjoy intro week!

Thursday 17 May 2007

History internet resources

Increasingly, both primary and secondary history resources are being made available online, brilliant - if you know where to look. To get started, try this online tutorial for history students.
You can access good quality websites that have been selected by subject specialists using the following links:

Intute allows you to search for sites on a chosen topic. You can also browse the history links. Keep up-to-date with additions to the website here.

BUBL provides a catalogue of internet resources. Again, you can browse the history resources or search for something specific.

There are links to more websites like the two above here.


Happy hunting!

Friday 11 May 2007

Revision tips

Revision is a skill, so knowing how to revise and how to make the best use of time is crucial. Here’s some sites with good general advice aimed at degree level students:

Revising for and taking exams – brief tips and hints

Passing examinations – revision and exam technique

How to demonstrate your learning

Revision strategies and coping with exam pressure

Study skills notes from Cardiff University and something amusing if you’re in need of a break.

Friday 4 May 2007

It’s that time of year again….

Exams are looming! You may find some of the following resources on the Open University website helpful with your revision, as the hardest part is often knowing where to begin! Learning Space provides lots of materials to help you get started, here are the ones of particular relevance:

Revision and exams
Learning how to learn
Extending and developing your thinking skills
Particularly the section on Analysis, argument and critical thinking

There’s also subject specific help:

Finding information in Arts and History

As well as guides on specific topics, such as:

The Enlightenment
The French Revolution
Late nineteenth-century Britain and America: the people and the empire
The Holocaust

I’ll be adding some more revision resources over the next couple of weeks.
Good luck!

Thursday 19 April 2007

Where are my books?!

The thing that came up in the History Surgeries time and time again was the problem of book availability. It seems to be the thing that you all find most frustrating about using the library. Second year modules were mentioned as being particularly problematic, while a lot of third year modules relied on borrowing tutors copies of books. We’d like to hear your suggestions on how we can improve this situation – more reference copies perhaps?

Some modules have been mentioned specifically, including:
HST3040 War, Decolonisation, and Independence in India, 1939-1950
HST223 Fascism 1918-1945
HST257 Decolonisation: Britain’s Retreat from Empire
HST3060 Muslim Conquest of Spain
HST3058 Colonial history of New York
HST396/7 Britain at war

Let me know your views on this. Have you struggled to find books for the same modules? Or are there others you have found problematic?

As part of the current project between the History Department and the Library, we have some additional funding to improve access to key undergraduate texts. We would like as much student input as possible in deciding how this money should be spent, so this is your chance to let us know which modules we should focus on. You can also recommend books you think the Library needs additional copies of. I’ll be updating the histlib blog to keep you informed on how the money is being spent and how we have responded to your suggestions. Leave a comment at the end of this message, or email histlib@sheffield.ac.uk.

Anna.

African History Resource

Those of you currently taking modules HST3005/3006 Liberation Struggles in Africa and HST3077/3078 Of Savages and Saints may find Aluka useful. There’s currently a section on Cultural Heritage (particularly strong on images, but there are relevant documents available too), but of more relevance is the forthcoming section on Struggles for Freedom in Southern Africa. The first content will be made available in June. The Library is running a trial of Aluka until June 30th and we’d like to know what you think of this resource, so please leave a comment or complete the feedback form.

Anna.
histlib@sheffield.ac.uk

British History Online

Hi, just wanted to draw your attention to an online resource you may find useful, British History Online. It includes a range of primary and secondary sources for medieval and modern history of Britain. Much of the content is free and well worth a look. The library is currently running a trial of more content offered by BHO which must be subscribed to and can be accessed on the Trial electronic resources page for a limited time. We have to decide whether this is something the library should consider subscribing to on a long-term basis, so all feedback on how useful and easy to navigate you found it would be much appreciated. You can complete a feedback form, or leave a comment on this post.

Anna.
histlib@sheffield.ac.uk