Are you sitting comfortably?

I realise as I type that question that the reference - to a radio show called Listen with Mother from last century - is ridiculously fusty and antique! [Cue jokes about librarians...]

But, as the gentle voice of my childhood used to continue "Then, I'll begin".

Bedford Library has swish new chairs for the new academic year. Unfortunately, Hurricane Bertha has made the skies so black I can't take a decent shot of Level 1 (or the Training Suites on the top floor). Here's a picture of Luton instead. When the IT Suite there was gutted and refitted, they bought new chairs. And they've proved so popular and robust, we've bought the same ones for Bedford, as well.

IT Suite, Luton

If you're a returning student, you may have had the misfortune last year to find the only spare chairs were permanently locked at an angle more popular on sun loungers. This kit has stood up to heavy traffic at Luton - which is 24/7/365 like Bedford - so your long sessions in the library this year should be a lot more comfortable.

If you're feeling nostalgic for yarns of pirates, steam trains to boarding schools and talking mammals...I direct you to the Teaching Practice room on the Third Floor. We've got everything from hungry caterpillars to high-school vampires. 

BREO>Library: the journey just got better

The library team do not get summer holidays [sad violins] so we've all been very busy working on new things, or improving old ones.

We know a lot of people prefer to navigate to library resources from BREO, instead of LRWeb. So, our web designer has overhauled the Library tab on BREO.

Library tab on BREO

The links to DISCOVER, our Readinglists site, Study Hub and the What's On calendar, as well has many other websites, are now easier to find.

And you will also find a link to the online reading lists in every unit on BREO, so you can jump from your tutor's recommendations to checking the library's stock, reserving a copy, buying from John Smiths or reading online smoothly.

Study Hub: online and on-campus

The Study Hub - accessible from LRWeb and BREO - is a 'hub' of resources providing advice on

• academic skills, like writing, maths, note-taking etc
• how to use Microsoft Office products for academic work (writing long assignments, working with spreadsheets, creating presentations)
• referencing skills
• and which library resources to use in your subject area

It is a collaboration between the Computer Skills Trainers, Academic Liaison Librarians and the PAD (study skills) Team.

As well as the online resources, you can 'drop in' on the Study Hub service every day during term-time at Bedford and Luton site. The times and locations will be posted on the What's On calendar and there will be further information on the plasma screens and noticeboards on campus.

The library is trying to get a feel for whether this kind of service would also be popular 'online', through a voice-over-IP service. Let Adele and Hilary know what you think. The university is trialling a service from the company who produces BREO which is as easy to use as Skype and FaceTime but more with a lot more study-friendly features. 

Classroom as research laboratory

One of the new facilities being developed at Bedford Campus is a teaching laboratory. This classroom will integrate the latest in pedagogic technologies but also function as a typically classroom on the university's timetable. As well as letting being a sandpit for experimental teaching methods, it will also provide opportunities for new forms of research into teaching. With mirrors and cameras, student and staff researchers can use ethnographic and other techniques to observe learning behaviours of all kinds.

The lab-classroom will open during 2014-15 and the project was led by Dr Andrea Raiker.

This is a very exciting development for the university. However, it is common for people to feel inhibited about using these spaces. Even Brown University has a problem getting people to feel comfortable enough to get through the door as this podcast, from the excellent EDUCAUSE series,

outlines. Digital scholarship is a growing into a substantial research field.

New library getting closer

I can't decide whether this looks more Gattaca or The Island; either way, it definitely looks spectacular. There will be lots of new learning spaces and more silent study areas. The bus stop at 0.32 seconds is where you can catch the bus for Putteridge Bury (where Applied Education Studies is taught). Luton's current LRC is considerably older than the library on Bedford Campus and needs to move to allow for the 60s block to be dismantled and replaced. The library's new site replaces the old HR building so it will still be an integral part of the campus. And the library management team will be looking at what works well in the building so we can bring the best ideas into refreshing Bedford's library. Like Bedford, the Luton building will be open 27/7/365.

Get out the bunting

Well, blow us down with a feather! Learning Resources won the Tell Us award and our lovely Sarah Arkle (Reader Services Manager) and Marcus Woolley (Deputy Director of Learning Resources & Student Services - University Librarian) collected it from Colin Salmon. Unfortunately, your correspondent had to leave before the dancing began, but he promised to make the most of the dance floor. 

Colin Salmon compered the evening really well. He has an honorary doctorate from the University and grew up in Stopsley (Luton) "less than three miles from Putteridge, but I never got to see it". He knew a lot about what the university is trying to achieve and the impact it has in Luton, And there was a heartening  'small world' moment, Ine of the other night's winners - Gurch Randhawa (Professor of Diversity in Public Health and Director of the Institute for Health Research) - pointed out that he and Dr Salmon are both involved in the same campaigning organisation to promote organ donation in BME communities; they'd just never met before.

@ACLTcharity @NBTA_UK @NHSBT Colin Salmon - organ donation ambassador at @uniofbeds research awards pic.twitter.com/WTm7zzkBIM
— GURCH randhawa (@gurchrandhawa) June 13, 2014

Student Experience Awards: Learning Resources nominated

Tonight the University's Student Experience Awards are being held at Putteridge Bury site, near Luton. This site is mainly used by the Post-Graduate Medical School and for post-graduate business courses. But occasionally it gets used for internal conferences and other functions.

The Student Experience Awards were founded by Bill Rammell when he became Vice-Chancellor because he wanted to ensure every department puts the 'student experience' at the centre of their activities.

This year Learning Resources are really proud that the Reader Services team have been nominated for their championing of the Tell Us scheme. Although every team in Learning Resources is always looking at ways of improving our resources and services for students, the clearest feedback about 'fixes' and issues comes from students who use the Tell Us (or other feedback routes) to explain what improvements they'd like to see.

Tell Us feedback gave Learning Resources the evidence to get the go-ahead for 24/7 opening in Bedford and Luton and the creation of the Silent Study floor at Polhill. Sometimes Tell Us suggestions are really big ideas like those, but we also get lots of messages about smaller but important issues which are things we can review and quickly fix.

This infographic summarises the Tell Us comments, compliments or concerns the university had in the first half of this academic year. The National Student Survey which has been heavily publicised this Spring is hugely important for the university's rankings but the questions are quite 'big picture' (non-specific) and it is only completed by final year students so Tell Us is a great way to influence the university's policies and facilities whilst you're doing your course.