The Library Blog

Edinburgh Napier University Library blog. Filled with useful and fun blog articles on using the Library, the University, Edinburgh and many other fun topics.

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Sighthill campus home of social sciences

Social Sciences Library Resources

17/02/2025 / / 0 Comments

Social Sciences Library Resources

Our university libraries provide many academic resources to help you through your studies. The most prominent of these will of course be the books.  Whether it be physically in the libraries or e-books available through library search. Alongside these, we also provide you with access to hundreds of online academic databases and journal collections. Through these, you can study academic articles and essays stretching back decades and covering a wide range of subject areas. Today, we will briefly introduce you to some of the resources available for studying Social Sciences.

Social Sciences Resources

Social Sciences at Napier falls under our School of Applied Sciences. As such the primary collection of Social Sciences books can be found in LRC 3 of the library in our Sighthill Campus,. But there are smaller collections found in the libraries of our Craiglockhart and Merchiston campuses. This collection is overseen by Catriona Robertson, the Subject Librarian for the School of Applied Sciences. And Cat is happy to provide you with any study support or advice when you’re carrying out social science research.

Through our library libguides portal, you can locate over thirty academic social science databases. These consist of access to academic journals and articles. Once you access any of these databases, you can login using your Napier student account via the Institutional Login option. Included in these databases is JSTOR, one of the internet’s most popular academic databases.  You can access thousands of journal articles, research reports, and even full e-books. JSTOR is not a specialised service, providing countless articles across all topics. So it can be a great way to begin research into whichever topic it is that you’re studying.

Similar to JSTOR is ProQuest, which has the added benefit of being able to search via specialised collections of subject matter. ProQuest includes its own premium Social Sciences collection.  This goes for an in-depth search into more specialised and niche topics in Social Sciences. The ProQuest Social Sciences Collection consists of a range of specialised collections such as the Criminology collection, Politics collection, and Sociology collection. But there is much more. This ensures that any searches you make will return results from relevant academic journals and e-books, instead of having to wade through irrelevant results that only lightly touch on the subject you are interested in.

An example of one of the more specialised resources we have available is Digimap, an online collection of digital maps. These include historical ordnance maps, demographic maps, or geological maps, with the format of the maps including traditional maps as well as aerial photography or 3d renderings. This could be a great resource for historical or sociological research, such as looking at how demographics have shifted over time or using older ordnance maps to track changes in city layouts. This can be useful for in-depth and niche study into specialised areas of social sciences. These are just a brief look into only a few of the social sciences resources available through the university library. Remember that if you’re interested in checking out more you can always have a read through what’s available on the university LibGuides page or contact Cat, the subject librarian for the School of Applied Sciences.

By Matthew Ferrie

Our databases cover a wide range of subjects, read our previous posts.

Music at Edinburgh Napier

Music and Edinburgh Napier

09/02/2025 / / 0 Comments

Music and Edinburgh Napier

Napier University has a rich musical heritage. The university has also helped to nurture a wide array of major Scottish talent.

The Music department is noted for its range of approaches to the study of Music. Professor Zach Moir a jazz musician and improvisor, researched cochlear implants for his PhD. He researches popular music education. Dr Paul Harkins has experience working for the PRS (responsible for licensing and collecting royalties for songwriters). And has written an acclaimed study of the history of Digital Sampling.  On top of this, the university also has a strong Jazz tradition.  Holds the Scottish Jazz Archive in its collections.

Music Alum at Edinburgh Napier

As with its teachers, so it is with its students. Some have also branched out into music promotion. Putting on their own concerts. And making an impact in the Scottish music scene. Here is a small selection of Napier alumni. Annie Booth is a Scottish indie rock singer-songwriter and Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) awards nominee. Making waves in the early aughts, Conquering Animal Sound (Jamie Scott and Anneke Kampman) produced complex electronic pop. She earned a SAY awards nomination for their second album On Floating Bodies, released on the legendary Scottish indie label Chemikal Underground. ½ of CAS, Jamie Scott has branched into alternative rap (e.g CARBS, with Johnnie Common), and is a core part of the SAVE AS collective. Another SAY award nominee and Napier graduate is Becky Sikasa, a singer-songwriter who produces sharp, intelligent contemporary pop music. More recently, Napier alumnus Josh Mannie – under his moniker Barry Can’t Swim – has been nominated for both the BRIT awards and Mercury Music Prize in 2024. His ebullient dance pop has earned plaudits far and wide.

Euan Lyons, drums in the DIY punk/metal band Dead Pony, whilst another Napier graduate – cellist Graham Coe – is a core member of Edinburgh’s Tinderbox

Orchestra, known for their wide range of performed material across generic boundaries (and also within libraries). They also regularly work in a community music context, committed to increasing access to music regardless of material barriers – one of their initiatives is facilitating instrument lending in our local library system.

Last, but certainly not least, is Anna Meredith. An electronic music artist as well as film music composer, Anna was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2020 for her album Fibs. In recognition of her achievements in music, she was granted an honorary doctorate from Napier in 2022.

Napier Graduate Mix

By Kieran Curran

Grove Music is one of our biggest databases at the library, for more information, we have a blog post

Statue of Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens’ Birthday

07/02/2025 / / 0 Comments

Charles Dickens’ Birthday

Happy birthday, Charles John Huffam Dickens – born this day 212 years ago and still going strong!

Not many authors get their names turned into adjectives, but our Charles did. If I were to describe circumstances as “Dickensian”, you’d know exactly what I mean. It’s thanks to this forensic analysis of the seedier aspects of London life that he’s generally considered to be the greatest Victorian novelist.

Childhood

He didn’t have the best start in life, young Charles. His father had a decent job but was so financially reckless that he ended up in debtors’ prison, and his 12-year-old son was withdrawn from school and sent to work in a factory. It was all grist to the mill, though, for Dickens. This harsh start provided a rich source of material for him to draw on when he wrote his sprawling, serialized novels and created his many memorable characters – so much larger than life that they live on in our cultural imaginations more than two centuries on.

Characters

Who has not known an Ebenezer Scrooge? (I’ve known a few). How many of us have skelped an artful dodger around the lugs? (I’m not admitting to that one.) Who has not cheered on Philip (Pip) Pirrip as he rises up to become a gentleman and then remonstrated with him when he treats brother-in-law Joe so abominably? Who has not cried with Bob Cratchit as he strives to keep his young son alive?

You’ll have your favourite characters. Some are sweet and innocent, some are cruel and heartless; still, others are preposterous buffoons. My favourite is Betsey Trotwood, David Copperfield’s eccentric aunt. She’s stern and stubborn, to begin with but comes good in the end. If you’re looking for character transformation, look no further than BT.

Charles Dickens on LibrarySearch

We’ve got all Dickens’ books. If you haven’t read any, why not start today.  Log into the library catalogue LibrarySearch to see which are available:

In order of publication:

Pickwick Papers (1836-37)

A Christmas Carol (1843)

Oliver Twist (1837-9)

Nicholas Nickelby (1838-9)

The Old Curiosity Shop (1940-1)

Barnaby Rudge (1841)

Martin Chuzzlewit (1843-4)

Dombey and Son (1846-8)

David Copperfield (1849-50)

Bleak House (1852-3)

Hard Times (1854)

Little Dorritt (1855-7)

A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

Great Expectations (1860-1)

Our Mutual Friend (1864-5)

The Mystery of Edwin Drood (incomplete when Dickens died in 1870)

By Lesley McRobb

Read more on another Literary Master, Jane Austin in our post on her here.

Sources

photo by Taha (Unsplash)

LGBTq+ History month

LGBTQ+ History Month

04/02/2025 / / 0 Comments

LGBTQ+ History Month

February is the month we celebrate LGBT+ History here in the UK. It is a month-long celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and non-binary history, including the history of LGBT+ rights and related civil rights movements. In the United Kingdom, we celebrate it in February to coincide with the 2003 abolition of Section 28.

Events and celebrations are organised by the LGBTQ+  History Month organisation which was founded in 2004. The first LGBTQ+ History month was in February 2005 by was run by Sue Sanders and Paul Patrick. The organisation has three taglines ‘claiming our past, celebrating our present, creating our future’. The main aims are ‘increasing visibility, raising awareness and advancing education’. Whilst ‘working towards creating safe spaces and promoting welfare’. You can find all events that are taking place this month on the LGBTQ+ Plus History Month website here.

Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month at Napier

Resources at the Library

Here at the Library, we think supporting and promoting equality and diversity is incredibly important. Furthermore, we are working hard to create more inclusive collections and to support our LGBT+ users and staff. For example, we have a  LGBT+ virtual bookshelf here on our blog.  We have our  Libguide on sexuality and relationships, please remember if you have suggestions for books we can add to our stock, you can email library@napier.ac.uk

And we want to add that we strive for the library to be a safe and inclusive space for all. If you have any feedback on our spaces, please email library@napier.ac.uk

Resources at University

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

Celebrating the life of Alan Turing

 

Study support

Study Support and Resources

26/01/2025 / / 0 Comments

Study Support and Resources

Classes have started, and trimester 2 is already on its way. While assignments may seem a bit far away. The university has many support and resources to help you through the trimester. Before those assignments appear closer, we thought we would list the support and resources available to help you get through the trimester.

Library Support

Our training and events calendar details useful library support sessions from Getting Started with the Library to Subject Librarian appointments. We have Getting Started with the library sessions upcoming; a quick introduction to navigate the library space both physical and online. There is Library help for computing, built environment and engineering students. Your subject librarian will detail the most useful resources to help you with upcoming assignments. And the upcoming, we will have training sessions on referencing and writing bibliographies.

With this, we have libguides that are catered to each subject. These guides are designed by subject librarians with study and research guides and the most useful resources for your studies.

Academic Skills Support

At the University, we have a dedicated Academic Skills team. They can help you with:

  • Note-taking and reading of academic literature
  • Academic writing style
  • Essay & report planning and structure
  • Dissertations & literature reviews
  • Presentation preparation
  • Academic integrity issues

The Academic Skills teams are available for any year of study and any program. 1.1 appointment or drop-in sessions are available. Both appointments and drop-in sessions can be arranged online. Email academicskills@napier.ac.uk to schedule.

Check out their web pages which have their blog containing study advice, and short presentation videos which include how to tackle dissertations. And study sheets to help with exams.

Maths Plus

Starting Monday, Maths Plus is back at Merchiston Library. Running between Monday and Thursday, 2pm till 4pm. This is arranged by the School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment, you can contact them for more information, scebe@napier.ac.uk.

Maths Plus is for anyone who needs mathematical help from numbers to data analysis. Ideal study help for computing, built environment or engineering but anyone is welcome. And these sessions make sure you can get 1.1 help.

Additionally, there is Engineering Plus but you can contact the school office for more information.

 

English for Academic Purposes

For help for international students with English in Academic settings, please contact eap.enquiries@napier.ac.uk.

What do you wish you had known earlier?

Earlier this year, a team of librarians, learning technologists and academic skills adviser created a new study tool; What do you wish you had known earlier? You can hear from older and former students about what they wished they had known before and during their studies.

 

Wellbeing.

And last but not least, the most important. Remember to take time out for yourself during university and to take care of yourself. If things ever feel too much, you can contact the wellbeing team.

Good luck with your studies!

More study skills articles.

Garden bird

Big Garden Birdwatch 2025

25/01/2025 / / 0 Comments

Big Garden Birdwatch 2025

Once again this year we’re promoting the RSPB Garden Birdwatch in our relaxation spaces. The birdwatch has been running since 1979 and is very simple to participate. All you need to do is count the maximum number of each type of bird you see in an hour. This can done either in your garden, from a balcony or in a park. Your results can be entered online.

This year the birdwatch runs from 24-26 January. It’s a good way to take a break from your studies and you are contributing to a valuable citizen science project. The results are published later in the year and are useful for conservation projects, making it interesting to read about the state of our garden birds. Last year over 600,000 people took part in the survey and if you don’t have access to a garden you can count the birds in a part of your local park or do a count from a window in your home.

Interested in BirdWatch

All the information you need can be found at Big Garden Birdwatch.

You can use Library Search to find books and articles on birds, conservation, and citizen science in our collection.

By Vivienne Hamilton

Photo by Allan Cox

Looking to unwind, don’t forget we have our virtual relaxation space on the blog. 

exam support

Welcome to Edinburgh Napier Libraries

20/01/2025 / / 0 Comments

Welcome to Edinburgh Napier Libraries

It’s good to see our campuses busy again! A warm welcome to all new and returning students. Here’s a comprehensive guide to our library services to help you get started.

Library resources: books, databases, and more

First of all, save a link to the LibrarySearch to your favourites, as it will come in handy during your academic journey. It is our catalogue that includes both online and physical resources such as journals, ebooks and databases. You can borrow books on a 7-day loan that renews automatically for up to four months unless requested by another user. You can borrow up to 30 physical items. If you need something we don’t have, our inter-library loan service is here to help with that. It allows you to borrow books and access articles from other libraries, ensuring you have all the resources you need for your studies.

Finding information: reading lists, subject guides, and librarians

Each of your courses will have a reading list, that you can access through the LibrarySearch. Make sure to log in at the top right corner as a university member. We also offer subject and research guides created by subject librarians to help you with finding information and resources. These guides are available online and cover a wide range of topics relevant to your studies, you can find them in LibGuides. For more personalised help, you can contact your subject librarian or arrange a one-on-one appointment. Details about your subject librarian are available on the library webpages.

Libraries: physical and online spaces

Our libraries offer various study spaces, including silent areas for focused work, and group work zones for collaborative projects. We have study rooms equipped with PCs and Macs, as well as printers and scanners for your convenience. Each library also has a relaxation space with games, colouring sheets, and comfy sofas, providing a perfect spot to unwind. Make sure to have a look at our wellbeing collection. It is a selection of books and resources that is designed to support your mental health and wellbeing. If you can’t make it to campus, most resources are available online, ensuring you have access to the library’s offerings from anywhere.

Useful information

For more details, visit our library webpages or contact us in person at the help desks, via email at library@napier.ac.uk, or by phone at 0131 455 3500. Don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re here to help. Our staff is always ready to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have. Best of luck this trimester!

You can also find additional library information in previous blog posts. These articles provide insights into various library services, updates, and tips to make the most out of your library experience.

By Patrycja Respondek

 

 

Postgraduate study

Upcoming Postgraduate events and advice

17/01/2025 / / 0 Comments

Upcoming Postgraduate events and advice

After hibernating over winter, we’re happy to return to campus and get ready for the upcoming trimester. A lot of our work right now is concerned with helping our returning students (and ourselves) get readjusted to life at Napier,. So we thought we’d do our bit to help welcome the new cohort of postgraduate students who will be starting with us this trimester. In this blog, we’re going to point you to some places where you can get academic advice as a postgraduate. As well as inform you about our upcoming postgraduate information event. Whether you’re just joining us as a postgraduate student, or a returning postgraduate looking to get back into the rhythms of university, there’ll be something here that you’ll find will come in handy during your studies.

Advice

Firstly, as always, the academic skills team is the first place you should turn to for support in your studies. They’re here to provide you with practical advice about managing your studies. A postgraduate course comes with heavy work.  The academic skills team will be there to advise you on how to create a schedule to keep on top of your studies. They can give you help in structuring your assignments, which is especially helpful if it’s been some time since your undergraduate studies. You can speak to the academic skills advisors by booking a one-on-one appointment or attending one of the drop-in sessions on campus. More information can be found on their web pages.

The academic skills team also provide short, pre-recorded videos on Panopto to provide useful academic tips in easy-to-digest chunks. You can find all the information related to the academic skills team on MyNapier. Also on MyNapier, any of our research students will be able to find a helpful page. This has frequently asked questions about research degrees. It covers questions related to the marking of your research thesis, or explaining the structure of the supervisory team.

Events

The other big thing to look forward to if you’re a postgraduate student is our upcoming postgraduate information event. This will be held at Johnnie Walker Princes Street on the 26th of February. This event will be a nice, informal way for you to meet and mingle with other students. Being able to get to know the other people on your course or chat with academics to get an idea of what you can expect from Napier. You can register for the event on the page linked above.

With the information on MyNapier, along with the postgraduate information event, you’ll have all you need to get comfortable in your studies at Napier or to readjust to studying after your time off in winter.

 

By Matthew Ferrie

Read our previous blog post on how the library can help postgraduate  studies. 

January

January’s Origin Story

03/01/2025 / / 0 Comments

January’s origin story

January, it’s cold, it’s dark and the festivities are another year away. But there is a lot more to January than the bleakness. We are going to dive into January’s origin story.

January and Janus’ origin

He has two heads, loiters in doorways and carries a big stick and a set of keys. Meet Janus – Roman deity, guardian of passageways and gates, and founder of the Roman calendar.  As we leave the old year and enter the new, it is Janus who ushers us in. He looks both ways, back into the past and forwards into the future, marking the passage of time and life’s cyclical nature.

Janus has been represented throughout western art and iconography over the centuries. John Bellany was a world-renowned artist from Port Seton, just a few miles from Edinburgh. In 1982 he created this image which was purchased by the Tate Gallery.

‘Janus‘, John Bellany, 1982 | Tate

Janus is a deity without equal, his dual nature unique in the Roman pantheon of gods. In today’s world, his significance is symbolic and highlights the duality of human nature. In a metaphorical sense, Janus helps us transition from old to new, between war and peace, good times and bad, public life and private.

It’s fitting, then, that the beginning of January is often a time of reflection, when we spend some quiet moments summing up the year that’s passed. Maybe it’s been the best year ever and you want to celebrate. Maybe it’s been so-so and you’re happy to carry on and consolidate the plans you made over the last 12 months. Perhaps it’s been a challenging year, and you just want to draw a line under it and move on to a better, brighter future.

Wherever you stand right now, whichever direction you’re facing, we wish you a happy, healthy January and the very best of what 2025 has to offer.

By Lesley McRob

Photo by Aaron Burden Unsplash 

Read about the origins of leap year

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