Training Sessions This Week

For Taught Students:
Using the Web of Knowledge – 4:15pm-5:05pm, Thur 12th Nov,  Library Level 5 Training Room
You can use the Web of Knowledge to search for information in journal articles from all areas of science. This session will explain what is included in the database and give you hints and tips on how best to search it.  See the Library web page to book a place.

For Research Postgraduates:
Literature Searching in Sport & Exercise Science and Health – 10:15am-12:15pm, Fri 13th Nov, Library Level 1 Training Room
If your research is in areas related to sport or medicine you might find this session helpful.   You will find out more a bout literature searching using, amongst other databases, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Library and Pubmed.  Book a place through the University’s Postgraduate Skills Programme

Information on all our training sessions is given on the Library’s Infoskills web pages

Loan reminders – sign up and avoid overdue fines!

It can be easy to forget when your books are due back, so why not sign up to the Library’s ‘loan reminder’ service?   It’s simple to set up, and means you’ll get a reminder email before you start incurring overdue fines!   All you need to do is log into ‘Your use of the Library’ via the Library Catalogue, and select the ‘loan reminders’ option.   

Following requests via the talkback board and SSLCs, there are now options to receive loan reminders three days or seven days before the due date, in addition to those sent one day before which already existed.  Log into “Your use of the Library” to change your preference.

Library training workshops – sign up today!

Programmes of Library training sessions are currently underway, and workshops will run throughout the academic year.  If you want to find out more, check out the web links below.  You can even book your place online! 

• Workshops for undergraduates and taught postgraduates - book a place via SORTED
• Workshops for research postgraduates - book a place via the PG Skills Booking System

These sessions cover a range of Library and information skills including literature searching and the use of specific databases e.g. Compendex.   There’s also the opportunity to learn more about how to reference your work correctly and avoid plagiarism.

Advice for students starting Final Year Projects

In case you are feeling a bit lost with starting your Final Year Mechanical Engineering Project and aren’t sure where to look for things beyond Google and Wikipedia, I have put together a few webpages outlining the basics. There are notes relating to journals and conferences, I’ve introduced some of the databases the library subscribes to and give some (hopefully) helpful tips to make your searches more effective and refine results to get the articles most relevant to you.

You can access my Final Year Project Introduction pages here.

While my focus has been on the Mechanical Engineering Resources, the search strategies and introductory notes are relevant to any Engineering and Design department.

Best of luck with your research projects and do tell me if there is anything else you think I should add to these pages.

Library email notification problems

The system used by the library to email users with library book overdue notices and reminders to return books is experiencing problems.

Staff are working to solve these issues as quickly as possible, but to avoid any fines please use the personal account options available through the library catalogue to check your books’ return dates.

Your use of the library requires you to login using the barcode number on the back of your library card with a 4 digit PIN or you can sign in using your BUCS login details.

“Principles of Marketing” by Kotler in high demand

I have noticed that a lot of Mechanical Engineers are trying to get hold of the “Principles of Marketing” book by Philip Kotler.

If you are stuck waiting for a copy and are low on the Holds list, you may want to browse the electronic book version.

It’s an earlier edition from 2005, but many of the principles and much of the content is sure to be similar.

Principles of Marketing [electronic resource] by Kotler, P. 2005

Information Skills Training Programme for UGs

The library has laid on a series of Information Skills sessions for Undergraduate students throughout Semester 1. If you are concerned about issues of Plagiarism and Referencing correctly whenever it comes time to present your first written assignments, you may find our sessions on these topics particularly helpful.

The library can seem a bit overwhelming when you don’t know where things are or how to find the books and articles you’ve been advised to read. We’ve developed training sessions to help you make the most of the Library Catalogue and ELIN to find books and electronic resources.

If you have a more advanced topic to research the meetings we are running covering Basic Search skills and the Web of Knowledge database will help you track down articles and research papers the match your topic area.

Further information about the sessions on offer this semester are available on the Information Skills for Undergraduates webpage. On that page you can select which session you would like to attend and submit your booking request automatically.

Welcome to all new Library Users

Hello and welcome to the Engineering and Design News blog from the university library. Throughout the year, the Level 3 Engineering & Design library staff use this blog to post news and information that you may find useful to your studies.

I have written this post to highlight a few places on the Library website that those of you new to the library, may find useful to familiarise yourself with the way the library works and the services available. Remember, that you can contact your Subject Librarian about any library related query at any time. Our offices are at the back of the floor on Level 3, or you can drop us an email.

Firstly, if you want to be self sufficient in finding items from your course reading lists or finding books recommended by colleagues you will want to get to grips with the Library Catalogue. The online guide will introduce the basics about how the catalogue works and how to get the best out of it. but don’t hesitate to come and ask a member of staff for some advice if you cannot find that shelfmark number on the subject floor!

Secondly, you may want to take a look the library Induction Tutorial. You will find that this short tutorial will cover most of the frequently asked questions users have and introduce the various services and facilities to be found in the library.

The library website hosts a lot of Guides introducing resources for your subject, specific databases and online services as well as guides to help you with referencing skills. Look at the Library Guides page for a full list and links to download copies. And don’t forget to speak to your Subject Librarian if you need further advice.

If you want to develop your information and research skills, the Library is offering a varied programme of sessions for Undergraduates in the coming semester. View the programme of events and make a booking on the Training for Undergraduates webpage. If you cannot make the sessions offered this time around or would like to learn about a topic we haven’t listed on the page, let your Subject Librarian know. We’ll do our best to help.

And finally, don’t forget that your library subscribes to a wide variety of online journals, databases of journal articles and conference papers, electronic books and datasets for you! You don’t need to rely on Google and/or Wikipedia for the next few years of your course. Check the Resources for your Subject pages and drop your Subject Librarian an email if you want to know more about what resources the library has that can help you.

1st August – changes to login pages for some resources

All you need to access the Library’s electronic resources, e.g. databases and e-journals, is your University (BUCS) username and password, as long as you connect from the Library’s web pages, ELIN or the library catalogue.

This will not change, but from 1st August the login pages for some resources may look slightly different.

Along with other UK HE institutions we are moving towards Federated Access Management for electronic services. If you see a prompt to Login via the UK Federation or Institutional login you should choose this route, and select the University of Bath from any list of institutions.

See further information for the UK Data Archive, the Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS), the ESRC Census Programme (Census.ac.uk), Digimap, Science Direct and ZETOC.

We have not been using direct Athens authentication for resource access for some years. However, if you have still been selecting an Athens link within any resource, this will no longer be possible from 1st August. An alternative method of access will be available.

Please connect to our resources from the Library web pages for the most up to date links.

If you have any problems accessing electronic resources, please Ask a Librarian.

New book in stock: Standard Handbook of Engineering Calculations

The Library has just added the most recent edition of the Standard Handbook of Engineering Calculations to the Level 3 printed book collection.  This is part of the McGraw Hill Standard Handbooks Series and this is the first update since 1995.  As such it includes significant developments in relation to environmental engineering, the widespread use of PCs by engineers and the increased emphasis on energy conservation in the engineering sector.

Staff and students alike should find this to be a valuable reference tool.  Available on Level 3 in the Library for Reference Only:

Hicks, Tyler G. (ed) Standard Handbook of Engineering Calculations 4th Edition 620.08 STA