UCMK drop-ins

During term-time, one of the Academic Liaison Librarians is at the UCMK site every Thursday. The whole team is happy to help with queries about literature searching, using online resources or referencing. But if you particularly want to see one of the education subject specialists, Adele will be onsite all day on 9th January and Hilary on 30th January. Alternatively, just drop either Adele or Hilary an email and they can arrange to visit the site on another day as well.

Honestly, it's not IKEA

Like Bedford (Polhill) Library, University Square in Luton's LRC is open 24/365. Over the summer the ground floor IT Suite (which used to just house rows of computers and occasional printers), was refurbished to provide more study spaces for group and individual study.

Study pods with power sockets and data points. They vary in size to fit groups of 6-8, pairs and people working independently. New light fittings have brightened and warmed the space.

Over 200 computers, with a retractable screen to stop exams closing access to the area. Even though there are over 25 more computers than before and they've been moved to one half of the room, the computer area feels less cramped than before.  

Bill Rammell, Vice-Chancellor, opened the new facility. The cubes on the wall seem to muffle sound so, although foot-fall in the suite has risen, it is a less stressful environment to study in.

The library managers worked closely with a specialist design team to make a welcoming, colourful but study-friendly space. They visited new or redesigned HE libraries from Scotland to Wales to see how furniture catalogues and 'mood boards' translate into real working spaces. 

The refurbishment is part of the Academic and Student Experience Enhancement Project and is a small testing ground for some of the design ideas being planned the new Academic Building in Bedford and the new Luton LRC which should both open in 2015.

To get more of a feel of how the space looks and works see the photos on the UOB Flickr pages. And tell us what you think @uoblibrary on Twitter, Facebook or the 'Tell Us' page. In the first week, the space had already been vandalised - was that a message too?

Going home for the holidays?

If you're hoping to get some study time in over the holidays but you're going to be away from Luton and Bedford's 24/365 libraries, remember you will be eligible for the SCONUL Access scheme so you can use the library of an HEI near your holiday base. 

When and how much you can use each library depends on what kind of course you're doing: 

• a postgraduate research student registered for a PhD, MPhil or similar qualification

• a part-time, distance learning and placement student

• or a full-time postgraduate

To check which universities belong - pretty much all of the university libraries in the UK and Ireland, really - and find out how you join, follow the link above or type 'Sconul access' into a search engine; it'll be the top hit.

Copyright-free images: finding and acknowledging

To find content you can share, use and remix online look materials which have been stamped with 'Creative Commons' licenses. There are options for this within a lot of online media sites (like Flickr or YouTube) but you may need to dig to find the search filter. It is much easier to go to the Creative Commons search hub where you can search all the main media sites from one place: http://search.creativecommons.org/.

Then you can paste or insert CC license buttons (which are little thumbnail images) to indicate what kind of resource you're using or remixing. The CC license buttons can be downloaded from the CC website.

It gives different file-type options, for whether you're producing a print or digital publication. So, if I'm putting together a Powerpoint presentation, I insert the 'png' version (using Insert>Picture) and re-size (as necessary) within the slide. The 'Bring to Front' and 'Send to Back' (accessible from your right-click) help you to layer the original image and the buttons.

RefWorks problems: What's the 'group code'?

People have been ringing to ask for the 'RefWorks Group Code' so they can access RefWorks off campus or via WiFi whilst on campus.

Logging in to RefWorks site

 A 'Group Code' message comes up if an authentication step is skipped.

Usually you'll see a log-in screen a bit like this picture. It is tempting to immediately type your BREO/library account details in the log-in boxes. That's where the problem comes in!! The system needs to know which institution you belong to first. RefWorks is used by hundreds of organisations, you see. 

To avoid the 'Group Code' message, you need to select your institution. So, ignore the log-in box and look underneath. There is a blue hyperlink saying 'Login through your institution' (this is known as the 'Shibboleth route' as well. Choose the University of Bedfordshire from the menu [Top tip: click 'U' to skip all the As, Bs etc] and then you'll be prompted for your usual username and password.

Installing Write-N-Cite

The other time you may see a dialogue box asking for the 'Group Code' is when you install the plug-in Write-N-Cite 4 (for which helps you create references in MS Word (step 5.2 on the Five Steps helpsheet). Underneath that box, you'll also see an alternative route which asks you to put in a log in code. That's the option you want.

When you found the download file for Write-N-Cite (by going to Tools>Write-N-Cite), you'll have seen the code above the 'Downloads' heading. Just copy the long code in the white box and then paste it into the relevant dialogue box in Write-N-Cite. 

This is something you only need to do once per device, when you first install Write-N-Cite 4. If you find Write-N-Cite 4 doesn't perform well on your machine - RefWorks are aware that it is glitchy for some operating systems/versions of Word - then we'd recommend installing Write-N-Cite III instead. The link to that download is under the heading 'Other Versions' on the download page.

3D Christmas

In Luton, there is an open-to-all 3D printer service in A block. It's an amazing machine which builds copies of 3D objects (or interprets design files) in layers of powder which then sets to form a solid object. These can be highly irregular shapes like the pretend cookie in this picture or precision objects like the threaded bolt behind it. The process is mesmerising, if a bit smelly.

There is a nominal charge to use the service (which is calculated by the size of object or length of time required). You do not need to be an art, design or engineering student either.

So, if you've got a friend or relation who you think would like a replica of your oldest Chuck Taylor on Christmas morn, the opportunity is there.

Everybody shout now!

[With apologies to the Isley Brothers.]

Thanks to all the feedback at the staff-student consultative committees, course rep meetings and other fora, we've had the builders and glazers and painters and window cleaners and Uncle Tom Cobley in...and the Silent Study Area in the Bedford (Polhill) library is now open.

The Vice-Chancellor Bill Rammell formally opened the newly peaceful second floor on 15 October. Staff and students studiously broke cake and were suitably festive.

So far the feedback has been really positive but if you have comments, compliments or concerns please let us know via the Tell Us site.

The old silent study area (on the ground floor) is now a group study room.

Update workshops during (school) half-term week

The Education and Sport team of Academic Liaison Librarians are running a series of update workshops during half-term week this year. To check out what is on at the 'What's On' calendar on LRWeb: http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/help/events-calendar.There is no need to book.

The sessions will cover using DISCOVER for researching topics, the RefWorks referencing tool and how to personalise your favourite mobile device. There will also be sessions on going beyond DISCOVER and using some of the advanced research databases and other resources.