Month: June 2022

International Women in Engineering Day 23rd of June 2022

23/06/2022 / jemmalidgard / 0 Comments

International Women in Engineering Day is a campaign from the Women’s Engineering Society that began in 2014 to celebrate and highlight women in engineering around the world. Although women are still under-represented in their professions today, the campaign also encourages more women to work in the sector. You can find more information at https://www.inwed.org.uk/about/

Drawing

Over the years, women have made an important contribution to engineering particularly during the industrial revolution and to the war efforts by delivering many technical elements. Examples include munitions work and manufacturing respirators.

Here are some amazing women pioneers in engineering that have and are inspiring future generations of women to work in the engineering profession:

Victoria Drummond was the first British marine engineer and was awarded a war medal for her bravery at sea during World War Two. Drummond also worked on the Caledon Ship Works in Dundee. You can find a trail in Dundee on women that have contributed to engineering: https://www.dundeewomenstrail.org.uk/
Christina Koch is an engineer and NASA astronaut who contributed to scientific instruments on several space missions.
Kimberly Bryant is an electrical engineer and founded the Black Girls Code to change the face of technology and introduce girls of colour to computer science https://www.chartwellspeakers.com/speaker/kimberly-bryant/

Did you know that today it is also estimated that only 25% of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) are women? This shows that girls are often stereotyped from an early age in the classroom, as boys are more likely to pursue these subjects such as Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, and Computing. The sector needs to be more diverse, and Equate Scotland also works with women to be more inclusive: https://equatescotland.org.uk/

At Edinburgh Napier, 20% of our staff and students in the School of Engineering & the Built Environment are female. You can find more information about our engineering courses here:

BEX students in the Seven Hills complex for the ‘Student Stories’ series. 4th year Civil Engineering students who took part in international beX work experience during summer 2019. Louise Amy Rogers pictured.

23 questions were answered by women in Engineering at Edinburgh Napier and why more women should take the leap https://www.napier.ac.uk/about-us/our-schools/school-of-engineering-and-the-built-environment/international-women-in-engineering-day-2019

If you want to read more try this article.

Additional resources:

https://www.inwed.org.uk/resources-2022/

https://napier.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma9923485414102111&context=L&vid=44NAP_INST:44NAP_ALMA_VU1&lang=en&search_scope=MyInst_and_CI&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=Everything&query=any,contains,women%20in%20engineering&offset=0

Refugee Week 2022

20/06/2022 / julietkinsey / 0 Comments

Refugee Week : 20^th-26^th June 2022

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word refugee originates from two Latin words: “fugere” meaning to flee and “refugium” – a place to flee back to. But specifically, the word refugee was first noted in 1685. It referred to the 50,000 Huguenots, French Protestants who fled religious intolerance in their home country.

There are no identifiable Huguenots today, but that’s the point about refugees – as local, national and global circumstances change, so do the movement of people and the labels we attach to them. Wherever there is war, famine, natural disasters or a clampdown on human rights, there will be refugees.

So, there have been refugees since there have been established human communities around the world, but it wasn’t until 1951 that there was an international standard on how to treat them. The Refugee Convention defined a refugee as someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted.

A refugee’s journey can be long, dangerous and highly publicised, but in fact, most refugees don’t travel far. Most stay in neighbouring countries until it’s safe enough for them to return home. Those who travel the furthest often feel the most alienated and are often least welcome in their host countries. With this in mind, Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival that celebrates the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary.

Refugee Week 2022 this year

This year’s festival runs from 22^th-26^th June. Its theme is healing – a celebration of community, mutual care and the human ability to start again. It will promote a programme of arts, cultural, sports and educational events alongside media and creative campaigns.

Here at Edinburgh Napier University, we have an amazing project designing refugee housing by Lara Alshawawreh. Check it out here.

In addition, if you want to get involved, please see here: https://refugeeweek.org.uk/

For more local information, get in touch with

https://www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/

https://www.rst.org.uk

https://www.bikesforrefugees.scot

https://www.scottishactionforrefugees.org

In addition for information available in the library why not use librarysearch.napier.ac.uk

Need help using Librarysearch? Check out our article here.

By Lesley McRobb

Photo by Levi Meir Clancy on Unsplash

National Insect Week 2022

20/06/2022 / julietkinsey / 1 Comment

National Insect Week 2022

Love them or loathe them, insects are an important part of the earth’s ecosystem. Furthermore, they are a vital source of food for birds, fish and animals. In addition, they pollinate crops and plants and break down plant and animal matter. Over one million species of insects have been discovered and described, but it is estimated that there may be as many as 10 million species on earth. Scientists estimate that insects make up to 90% of all species of animals on the planet and more than half of all living things.

All insects have:

Six legs.
Three body sections (head, thorax and abdomen)
Pair of antennae.
Compound eyes.
Most have wings.
Three or four stage life cycle (egg, larva or nymphs, pupa and adult)

Insects can be found in every habitat on earth from hot deserts to snow-covered mountains, some such as termites and ants live in large colonies. Others, like the praying mantis and some bees and wasps, are solitary only coming together to mate.

Insects in trouble

It has been well documented in recent years that insects are under pressure due to loss of habitat, climate change and chemicals used in farming. It is estimated that every minute an area of rainforest the size of a football pitch is being cleared, displacing the insects that occupied it. In addition, Insects are also being killed by pesticides and herbicides designed to increase crop yields.

To reduce the impact scientists are trying to develop disease-resistant crops. This will lessen the need for harmful chemicals. Also farmers are being encouraged to develop wildlife strips to try to boost insect numbers.

Honey bees are also under threat from the varoa mite . It attaches to the body of the bee and sucks out fat bodies and also feeds on the larvae in bee hives. Moreover, these mites are a vector for at least five different debilitating bee viruses contributing to the current higher levels of bee losses worldwide.

How can you help this National Insect Week 2022?

You may think that there’s little you can do to help the insects’ plight, but there are some simple and cheap things you can try at home. Should you have a garden, you can leave a wild area where you don’t cut the grass, let weeds and nettles flourish and leave tree branches where they fall. This provides shelter and dedicated space for insects to thrive. Also, you can try planting flowers and shrubs which are good for insects in your flower beds or planters.

Don’t have a garden? You could plant up a window box with bee-friendly flowers such as cornflowers, cosmos and pot marigolds. These can be bought for a relatively small price.

Bug hotels are a fantastic way to provide shelter and a breeding spot for insects. They can be purchased at garden centres and online, but you may like to try making your own. There are several tutorials on YouTube and it’s a great way of recycling old materials and garden waste which you might have lying around.

Alternatively, you could take part in citizen science projects to help scientists better understand how insects are coping and if their populations are in decline or expanding.

Examples of citizen science projects are:

Counting insect splats- https://cdn.buglife.org.uk/2022/05/Bugs-Matter-2021-National-Report-Summary.pdf

Tell us about your bee hotel- https://saviourbees.co.uk/citizenscience/

Garden butterfly survey- https://gardenbutterflysurvey.org/

UK ladybird survey-https://www.coleoptera.org.uk/coccinellidae/home

A future food source?

In some countries, insects are seen as delicious snacks. Walk around a market in many parts of Asia and you will almost certainly come across fried grasshoppers and mealworms on the menu. This concept seems very alien to us in Scotland, but some scientists believe that there is a need for us to start using insects as a food source. The ever-increasing global population and events such as wars put pressure on food commodities. This can cause shortages, which if they were long-term, could mean that we must consider some more unusual sources to feed the world’s population.

Edinburgh Napier has lots of books and articles about insects available at Sighthill campus library and online. Use Library Search to find them.

By Vivienne Hamilton

Want to read some more nature-inspired articles? Why not read Vivienne’s post in Ospreys.

Photo by Elegance Nairobi on Unsplash

Our Library over Summer

13/06/2022 / julietkinsey / 1 Comment

Our Library over Summer

The exams may be over, but our campus libraries are still open and offering a full range of services. That means that you still have access to laptop loans, printing, study space, and group study rooms. Also, Click and Collect and Inter Library Loans services are still operational. During staffed hours you can still contact us or come to the helpdesk for assistance.

Although you have finished your studies for the summer the library may still have something to offer:

Merchiston library has a wide selection of novels, poetry and photography books.

Craiglockhart Library has French, German and Spanish textbooks if you are interested in learning another language.

Sighthill library has books about birds, animals and plants for nature lovers.

Use Librarysearch to check out what is available!

You can also still access our relaxation spaces to take some time out or have some quiet time.

Don’t forget our online services where you are able to access electronic books and journals throughout the summer break. Also, Box of Broadcasts has lots of summer themed programmes to enjoy:

Countryfile Summer Diaries

Secret Scotland

Roads Less Travelled

Britain’s Best Walks with Julia Bradbury

Iain Robertson Rambles

All Aboard! The Canal Trip

Nature’s Calendar (Summer)

Travel Man (48 hours in….)

The Great British Seaside Holiday-Timeshift

And when the weather permits, why not visit the extensive grounds around Craiglockhart campus where you can take a walk or relax and take in the fantastic views of Edinburgh.

We hope you decide to use the library this summer, but if you don’t have a great summer and we will see you again in September!

By Vivienne Hamilton

For more Summer Ideas why not read our Summer Escapes article here!

World Ocean Day Wednesday 8th of June 2022

08/06/2022 / jemmalidgard / 1 Comment

World Ocean Day Wednesday 8th of June 2022

World Ocean Day was recognised by the United Nations in 2008. It advocates for protecting, restoring, and learning more about the blue planet. The ocean connects us all and we want to create a better and more sustainable future, as well as conserve marine ecosystems and life.

Did you know that the ocean covers over 70% of the planet? Also, 70% of the oxygen we breathe is produced by oceans?

It is home to most of the biodiversity and sadly due to pollution levels, coral reefs and marine life are diminishing. Therefore, as humans, we can take action to protect and understand our relationship with the ocean and its habitat.

Turtle

But how can we help?

You can support the campaign, whether this is online, a physical event, or sharing information around the world! Here is how you can help below:
Use educational materials found on the website.
Connect with your local aquarium, and schools, and amplify the event through blogging (like this one for example), signage, podcasts, and social media!
If you feel brave, you could deliver presentations (interactive alongside the ocean creatures), or if you live near the oceans, you could even host a guided walk.
Organise competitions around writing articles, books, or poems on saving our oceans.
Get creative and upcycle any materials found on the beaches that contribute to ocean pollution. · Sign the petition Conservation Action Focus – World Ocean Day – World Ocean Day
Spread the word and access promotional resources to engage communities on social media.

Protect World Ocean Day Beach Scene

The marine conservation society in Scotland has a responsibility to ban any damaged activity such as trawling and dredging. You can find more information https://www.mcsuk.org/about-us/where-we-work/our-focus-in-scotland/

There are also links on the library’s Box of Broadcasts to understand more about Oceans and the incredible creatures that live in them:

https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/125AA041?bcast=127865111 https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/118B147A?bcast=127040971

Search the library catalogue for books on Oceans.

Take action here

Celebrating Pride Month

01/06/2022 / julietkinsey / 0 Comments

Celebrating Pride Month

The start of June is upon us which means the start of Pride month. After all, June is the month of pride. Why June you may ask? Well…

The History of Pride 🏳‍🌈🌈🏳‍🌈

Celebrating Pride month in June is to commemorate the Stonewall riots that happened on the 28^th of June 1969. New York Police raided the Stonewall inn which was a prominent gay club in Greenwich Village in the early hours of the morning. As police turned violent, and a build up of social discrimination and continuous police harassment grew, the raid became a riot and a protest. Led by Marsha P. Johnson, it lasted for 6 days. It saw large media coverage and spilt out to the streets of Greenwich. This was the ‘catalyst for gay rights and activism in the United States and the world’ (Source)

Known as ‘Mother of Pride’, it was Brenda Howard who organised the first pride march to commemorate the one year anniversary of the Stonewall riots. This became America’s first ever Pride parade. It was not until the 1990s however that Pride Month became more popular (Source). Bill Clinton became the first President to acknowledge June as Pride Month.

Pride Month is not necessarily recognised internationally. However, it is increasingly becoming more recognised outside the United States.

Avoiding Tokenism

Here at the Library, we love to celebrate Pride month, but we acknowledge that working towards equality is something that needs to happen all year round. We are working hard to promote and diversify our collections to be inclusive of all people, and to redress the imbalances we find in our collections to become more representative of everyone.

Library Resources

The Library has a wealth of books and articles on the subject. From the history of LGBTQ+ rights to current Legal information to keep you informed. Use LibrarySearch to find what you are looking for, or contact us for help with any of your research needs.

Here are some items available through the Library to get you started:

Same-sex, different politics: success and failure in the struggles over gay rights

Lgbt Activism and the Making of Europe A Rainbow Europe

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people (LGBT) and the criminal justice system

University Support

If you are an LGBTQ+ student you can join Edinburgh Napier’s LGBTQ+ Society or find out more about the student LGBTQ+ community on the Queer Napier site. Staff can join the University’s thriving LGBTQ+ Network or visit our web pages to learn more about becoming an ally.

More Resources here on the Blog

Check out our Diversity Bookshelves to see some of the books we have available.

Or read more articles on Pride, LGBT+ History Month and Alan Turin.

By Maya Green

Month: June 2022

International Women in Engineering Day 23rd of June 2022

Like this:

Refugee Week 2022

Refugee Week : 20^th-26^th June 2022

Refugee Week 2022 this year

Like this:

National Insect Week 2022

National Insect Week 2022

Insects in trouble