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.

Category: Library Information (Page 13 of 21)

Academic Skills and Study Support

New Reading Lists Interface

05/08/2024 / / 0 Comments

New Reading Lists Interface

You have noticed something different if you have been looking at our reading lists lately. A new interface was launched on the 22nd of July. All the key features remain the same, but a new and improved workflow.  So what does this mean for creating a reading list.

Making reading lists using Leganto

Did you know that ENU has a tool that allows you to curate your own reading lists and share them with others? To have a go, log into Leganto and click on ‘create list’. For more information, go to our Reading List LibGuide.

If you are a lecturer, you can associate a reading list with your module code so that students can automatically view any course and further suggested readings. You can also add other resources such as videos, podcasts, and websites to the lists using the ‘Cite it’ feature.

If you’ve used Leganto before, you might have noticed that it looks a bit different. We upgraded to a new user interface in July. The new look of the reading lists makes things easier to navigate. Changes include making it easier to publish your reading lists and add resources to your favourites. If you’d like to learn more about the changes to Leganto or discover how to make your own reading list, sign up to one of our online training sessions.

Take a look at the updates and get inspired for summer reading by checking out this list of suggested summer readings. All the books are available from the library.

 

A look at the previous interface:

Old look at the reading list interface

 

And a look at the new interface:

New Reading list interface

 

 

 

If you are not familiar with libguides, read about them here.

 

 

Pictures of Library Books to represent tours

Postgraduates: How the Library can help you

09/07/2024 / / 0 Comments

Postgraduates: How the Library can help you

For many of our postgraduate students, the holiday season is not quite in full swing yet. Final projects, dissertations and exams continue to loom over the summer period. Not to worry, however. While these huge deadlines and final projects will feel very daunting, the library offers an extensive range of online resources. As well as subject guides as well as various in-person training and study sessions ran by our subject librarians, who can also offer tailored 1:1 support all year round if needed. We do, of course, also have our shelves stocked with a range of up-to-date literature and print resources.  And our research collection offers guides for enhancing research and academic writing skills such as referencing, literature reviews, quantitative and qualitative analysis, survey methods and report writing.

Our Online Resources

Our trusty LibGuides are tailored to effectively assist you with finding relevant information in a specific subject area. They feature information and advice on searching for relevant print and e-resources such as books and journal articles, recommend websites and databases. And information about how to get in touch with your subject librarian for additional assistance with accessing any further recourses you may require. You can also find our A-Z list of databases we are subscribed to for all your research needs with trial access included. Our detailed subject guides also cover every school within the university. We also have guides for conducting a literature review, critical thinking skills, reference management systems and referencing styles such as APA 7th.

Training and Events Calendar…

Throughout the year, library staff run a variety of workshops and training sessions. These are to assist you in developing and enhancing your academic skillset. The sessions are easily bookable through Libcal for students and staff. Like our Libguide, the sessions and workshops cover research skills such as conducting literature reviews, utilising reference management systems such as Endnote and Mendeley. Library help for your specific subject area and database searching skills. These are only a few examples of the training sessions we offer. Do not worry if one of the sessions you wish to attend is fully booked as well – our library staff often run several of the same workshops throughout the year to provide students and staff with the most opportunity possible to attend!

Find out more about our training and events calendar in our Home – Edinburgh Napier University webpage. You can also access our full and up-to-date calendar through here as well.

Other ways in which our libraries can support postgraduate and postgraduate study…

Whether you seek a silent study space to work with no distractions, or a group study space to collaborate with classmates. We even have somewhere to relax and unwind from your studies. Each campus library offers a range of study spaces tailored to your individual and research needs. We also have bookable rooms and study spaces which can be reserved through Resource Booker. A majority of them are also equipped with a PC, whiteboard, and plasma screen. And a family study roomsat Merchiston campus for students with young children. These study rooms feature small tables and chairs, child-sized bean bags and toys to keep them occupied while you study! You can read more about family study rooms and our regulations on our Family Study Room webpage on My Napier.

As well as our study spaces and bookable rooms, we also offer relaxation spaces in each campus library for when our students require a break and some time away from the textbooks. These cosy corners are usually equipped with comfortable seating such as sofas and armchairs, leaflets, and jigsaw puzzles. They are usually situated near our windows to let in the natural light. You can read more about our well-being collection and what kinds of books are featured within it in our  LibGuide.

 

We wish our postgraduate students the best of luck with their studies over the summer and their futures and careers going forward.

By Rachel Downie

 

A range of postgraduate posts

Study Skills

Feedback 2024

19/06/2024 / / 0 Comments

 Feedback 2024

Summer is here, well if you ignore the weather.

The libraries have got a bit quieter. So, we thought it is a perfect opportunity to ask for feedback.

At the Library, we are always trying to find new ways to improve. To make our resources both more accessible and more relevant to our users. The best way to do this is of course feedback!

We take feedback very seriously.

How you can give feedback in 2024:

You can give us feedback in various ways, from filling out feedback slip. You will find feedback stations at each library. Or you can email library@napier.ac.uk. You can also reach out via our social media accounts and here at the blog.

Importance of feedback:

We understand the idea of giving feedback, there might be a thought that it won’t matter and nothing will change. But we want to stress that this is not the case with the library. We act on feedback. We listen. For example, we launched our You Said, We Did campaign. The list below is a few examples from our campaign:

  • LapSafe laptops were made accessible
  • ID on mobile phones can now be used instead of a card to borrow laptops from LapSafe
  • Family room Craiglockhart initiated
  • Book stock hours for Merchiston moved to be the same as Craiglockhart & Sighthill
  • Increased number of loans – 30 for students and staff
  • Provided ergonomic equipment.

You can read more on You Said, We Did.

All of those things happened because of feedback.

Let us know what you like at the library but more importantly, let us know what needs changing or improving.  Check our library webpages to leave feedback.

Pride display

Pride Month 2024

03/06/2024 / / 0 Comments

Pride Month 2024

Happy Pride Month 2024 everyone!!

Pride and Library:

Our libraries are in celebration of Pride month and you will find a book display at each 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. 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.

The Library has a wealth of books and articles on the subject. We have a dedicated reading list over on our LibGuides. Reading includes the history of LGBTQ+ rights and the 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.  Or you can check out our virtual bookshelf here at the blog.

Please get in touch if you have any feedback about our Library stock.

Pride and Napier:

Pride and Napier:

Edinburgh Napier LGBT+ Network:

  • Supports developing awareness of LGBT+ matters.
  • Offers a range of training and development opportunities.
  • Provides a forum for professional and social networking and a means of peer support for LGBT+ staff and researchers.
  • Communicates information and updates to colleagues interested in LGBT+ matters.
  • Liaises with other groups, e.g., Stonewall, Scottish Trans Alliance, staff and student societies.
  • Provide advocacy on behalf of LGBT+ community to the university​.

Pride and Edinburgh:

Edinburgh Pride March is Saturday 22nd June. You can find out more about the march, the festival and more at Pride Edinburgh. ‘Scotland longest running celebration of diversity’.  Running from 1994.

 

We want to stress that Pride Month might be in June. But Pride is year-round for Napier University.

Study support

Libraries over the summer 2024

30/05/2024 / / 0 Comments

Libraries over the summer 2024

We’d like to give you an update on what is going on in the libraries over the summer. All campus libraries will be weeding unused stock. These items will be boxed up and collected by Better World Books a company which diverts books from landfills by collecting material from libraries, bookstores, and other sources with surplus materials. All libraries will also receive an extra lapsafe tower providing 12 more laptops for each one.

Individually each campus will have its own tasks to hopefully complete throughout the summer:

The Libraries:

Craiglockhart: Teaching of languages has now finished so along with the general stock weeding the language books and kits will be withdrawn. This will free up shelf space and the intention is to remove the shelving and provide extra study or social space. One of the group study rooms will become family-friendly with children’s furniture, books and toys to provide a safe space for parents without childcare to study. A third large study booth has been added following the popularity of the two which were added earlier in the year.

Sighthill: Teaching of veterinary nursing has now finished and this stock will be withdrawn along with the general book stock withdrawals. After withdrawals are completed, excess shelving will be removed and space utilised differently.

Merchiston: Along with general book withdrawals journals will also be weeded. Music scores will be re-boxed. Wellbeing space will be re-designed. O’Reilly ebooks (mainly old computing books) are being withdrawn. Retention notes are being added to the records of all last copy in Scotland of print items.

We are of course open throughout the summer.  If you need to borrow books or laptops or would like to come in to use the group study rooms. Or even use the relaxation spaces or need to print, pop in during summer opening hours. Staff will be around to help when the helpdesks are open. If you’re not planning to use the services over the summer we hope you have a great break. And we will see you again in September.

Remember if you are graduating bring back library items

By Vivienne Hamiliton

Academic Skills and Study Support

Library: Eresources and Accessibility

06/05/2024 / / 0 Comments

Library: Eresources and Accessibility

Library: Eresources and Accessibility.

We have a wide range of online resources at the library, ranging from ebooks, journals, databases, and subject guides. In fact, we have over 330,000 ebooks and over 220 online databases. More and more libraries and their resources are entering the digital sphere. With that, these resources must be accessible. And Edinburgh Napier University Library is committed to making sure that our online resources are accessible.

We are working with a range of tools and features for accessibility.

The tools and features available may depend on which platform the eresource is available on. By platform, we mean the website which hosts the resource. Sometimes we have the same resource available from multiple platforms, but often it will only be available from one platform.

In this article, we will be looking at the tools and features that make our eresources more accessible.

Accessibility Tool: Read Aloud

Read aloud tools (also known as text-to-speech) can be used to read out loud text on a webpage and PDF. How to use:

  • In Microsoft Edge, use the built-in Read Aloud tool. Look for the icon at the top of the page with a capital A and sound waves, or use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + U to start. You can adjust the speed of the speech and also choose from different voices and accents.
  • In Google Chrome, try the ‘Read Aloud’ extension which can be added from the Chrome Web Store. You can adjust the pitch and speed of the speech.

These tools sometimes work less well if platforms have embedded ereaders. In these cases, try to download a PDF if available.

If you can download a PDF, try these options:

  • Use Microsoft Edge to open the PDF and use the Read Aloud tool.
  • Use Adobe Reader to open the PDF and use the Read Out Loud option under the View menu.
  • Use ClaroPDF to open the PDF and read aloud (part of the ClaroReadPlus package which can be accessed from AppsAnywhere).

Other tools

In ProQuest Ebook Central, you will need to switch on a text-only mode which will allow you to use read-aloud tools. To enable this, go to Settings in the top menu bar, then choose Profile, and select ‘Enable Text Only Mode’.

A few platforms have their own Read Aloud tools, such as VLeBooks and Gale. Look for the ‘Listen’ or ‘Read Aloud’ buttons if you are on one of these platforms.

Changing the colours, font and text size:

With most of our eresource platforms, you can use browser extensions to change various visual features of the webpage, including the text colour, colour background/overlay, font and text size.

We recommend the Helperbird extension (available for Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox).

You can change the colour of the text, links, and background, and apply a colour overlay. There are 30 different colour options to choose from, and the brightness of the colour overlay is also customisable.

You can choose from 25 font options, and six text size options, as well as customising word spacing, letter spacing, and line height.

After you have chosen your customisation options, the changes will be applied on any webpage you visit, as long as you have the Helperbird extension still switched on.

Helperbird also includes various other tools and customisation options which may be helpful. More information can be found at Helperbird tutorials.

There are some platforms which don’t work with extensions like Helperbird, usually because there is an embedded ereader rather than a plain text webpage. VleBooks and JSTOR are two examples. VLeBooks does have their own feature in Read Online mode which offers some colour customisation – look for the paint palette icon or the cog icon appearing in the top bar of the ereader.

If downloading a PDF is possible, you can open the PDF in Adobe Reader and navigate to Edit > Preferences. In the Accessibility settings for Document Colours, you can change both the background colour and the text colour, choosing from a wide range of colour options.

Keyboard Navigation

All of our major eresource platforms can be navigated using a keyboard only.

In a few cases, such as with VLeBooks, additional shortcuts may be needed to navigate to all areas of the screen, and these shortcuts are listed on the platform’s accessibility page.

Further Information:

You can find more information about browser extensions and other tools at Technology to help you study.

You may also refer to the web accessibility statements for all our third party products to find more information about specific platforms.

Need more support? You can contact the Library or the Disability & Inclusion team.

We have Ergonomic Equipment available at the Library Help Desks for loan.

Read our previous blog articles.

Study support

World Copyright Day 2024

23/04/2024 / / 0 Comments

World Copyright Day

Today, 23rd of April, is a big day in the world of words. Massive. Not only is it Shakespeare’s birthday (460 years young and still going strong), but three world-famous writers all died on this day in the same year: Shakespeare again (rotten luck, Will!), Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes (he of Don Quixote fame), and Peruvian historian and chronicler Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. Phew. That’s a lot going on right there.

So, it’s no wonder that UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) chose this day to be recognised as World Copyright Day.

What is copyright?

Copyright is a way of protecting the integrity of a work of creation, be it a poem, a textbook, a film, a novel, a piece of music, a painting. Even blogs, websites and podcasts are covered by copyright, which legally defines the owner of the work (of course ownership can and does change). In this case, what you own is called intellectual property. And this is important because it protects the owner from theft, rip-off, or misappropriation of their work, and ensures that they are properly paid for the work they produce.

What does this mean for you? Well, in essence it means that you are responsible for knowing how much of another person’s material you can use in your studies. This covers, for example, how much you photocopy or scan, who or what you film, whose images you use, and how much you quote from books and articles. You need to know how much you can use, how to credit it, and what purposes it can be used for.

Now, we know that you’d never intentionally misuse someone else’s work, but we have plenty of resources in the library to keep you on the right side of copyright law. The best place to start is with our copyright LibGuides: Copyright – staying legal – Copyright guidance – LibGuides at Edinburgh Napier University

As the birthday boy himself said: “No legacy is so rich as honesty.” (All’s Well that Ends Well, Act 3, Scene 5)

by Lesley McRobb

Read about our open-access research 

British Library Cyber Attack one year on

British Library Cyber Attack

04/04/2024 / / 0 Comments

 British Library Cyber Attack

If you’ve ever used our inter-library loan service, the chances are your book or article was supplied by the British Library (BL). On the last weekend in October BL was subject to a cyber-attack. The ransomware group Rhysida claimed to be behind the attack. Access to the catalogue, website, ordering process and research services was lost.

Cyber Attack: Why does it matter?

With one of the largest book collections in the world, The EThOs doctoral theses collection and access to millions of journal articles, maps and music scores it is a huge loss to those who are studying or doing research.

Our inter-library loan service used BL to supply journal articles directly to the requestor. The online self-service BL On Demand was used to renew books quickly and easily for users.

BL had service standards regarding the delivery of items-articles were usually supplied on the same day or the next day after being requested. Books usually arrive within a week.

How are we sourcing requested items now?

We are now relying on partners, such as other universities and institutes to supply books and articles. In order to find out which partners have requested items we use JISC Library Hub Discover. This allows us to see who has the book or journal which the requested article is from. In the case of journals, holdings are displayed so we are able to see if an institution has the journal for the year the article was published.

The timeframe for partners supplying can be much slower than BL’s. This is because we are using other universities and institutions whose services are dependent on the availability of staff who will also be dealing with their own students and staff. They will prioritise their own members so if their own libraries are busy with students needing assistance, satisfying inter-library loan requests will not be prioritised.

Books will not be supplied by a partner if they are on a reading list or currently on loan. This may mean we have to try more than one partner to try to get a book supplied. We are dependent on our partners following up on our requests, which will take longer at certain times such as the start of the new semester.

How are we coping?

We have coped very well. There has not been very many requests which could not be supplied. We are receiving requests from partners for books and articles available at Edinburgh Napier and our interlending team are supplying to them. This generates an income stream as we make a small charge for each item we supply.

Slow progress

BL have recently partially re-instated their catalogue, but not all materials are currently searchable. BL’s Reading Rooms in London and Yorkshire are open, but access to the collection and online resources is limited. BL anticipate restoring more services in the next few weeks, but disruption to certain services is expected to last for several months.

 

If you had created your own BL account…….

Edinburgh Napier has a BL account to request and renew articles and books. You may have your own account so there are some things to be aware of. The attackers released some of BL data onto the dark web including some personal user information. It is recommended that if you use the same password for non-BL services as you use for your BL account. Then you change this password for the other services. BL intend to alert anyone whose data has been compromised and they are collaborating with the Metropolitan Police. BL’s data protection officer can be contacted at data.governance@bl.uk if you have any queries.

 

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the BL cyber attack you can  contact the library or talk to staff at any of the library helpdesks and we will try to assist.

Photo Source Andrea De Santis

By Vivienne Hamiliton

Unfamiliar with Inter Library Loans, you can read here 

Portree independent hotel

Out and About in Scotland update

28/03/2024 / / 0 Comments

Out and About in Scotland update

If you enjoyed our Out and About in Scotland post last summer, you might be interested to know that Anna Wells has just become the first woman to complete a round of Munros (a mountain in Scotland with a height of over 3,000 feet (914.4 m) in one winter. Only 3 others have completed the challenge men.

Completing all 282 Munros during the summer months is a big enough challenge it takes many people years to complete. Tackling them in the winter is particularly challenging with snow, high winds, reduced daylight and access causing more problems. However Anna has managed to overcome all the difficulties, followed safety advice (see the previous post) and completed the round within the astronomical winter, which starts on the shortest day and ends with the spring equinox.

Now that the days are getting longer and the weather is improving you may be thinking about getting out and about more so why not take a look at the Out and About in Scotland post (July 2023) for some advice before you set off.

You can use Library Search to find books and articles on exercise and fitness.

Whatever you are planning to do and wherever you are going this weekend stay safe and hopefully, the weather will be kind!

Useful websites:

Long-distance walks:  https://www.scotlandsgreattrails.com/

Munro bagging:  https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/munros/

Water safety https://watersafetyscotland.org.uk/advice-hub/water-safety-code/

https://watersafetyscotland.org.uk/advice-hub/activity-safety/cold-water-shock/

https://watersafetyscotland.org.uk/advice-hub/activity-safety/

HM Coastguard: https://hmcoastguard.uk/in-an-emergency

Mountain Rescue: https://www.scottishmountainrescue.org/

SSSI guidance: https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/protected-areas-and-species/protected-areas/national-designations/sites-special-scientific-interest-sssis

You can use Box of Broadcasts to view episodes of the Adventure Show and Library Search to find books and articles on wildlife, plants, first aid and land law.

You can read more about Scotland

By Vivienne Hamilton

Photo Source: Claudia De Wet

Study Skills

Library Training

02/03/2024 / / 0 Comments

Library Training

The library offers a wide range of training events to help you with your studies.

Trimester 2 is rolling in and not to add panic but soon assignments and exams will be coming up. Here at the library, we want to help where we can. We run sessions that are in-person or online to help with your studies. Workshops and events are here to help you get started with the skills you need for success at University. There are bookable sessions on a range of different topics and regular drop-ins on different campuses.

Training Calendar

You can find them all on our training and events calendar. Sessions are available for all modules and levels and can range from a basic introduction to using LibrarySearch and academic journals for first-year students to subject-specific research sessions for postgraduate students and staff.

We have basic information sessions or more in-depth sessions looking at literature reviews, references management and copyright. These sessions run throughout the year so don’t worry, they are not a one-off.

If these times don’t work or you prefer a one-on-one session, you can contact your subject librarians or contact us via email, phone or ask at the help desk.

Subject Guide Training

We also have our subject guides that are created and designed by your subject librarian.  Here you will also find out more about the resources and support available from the Library.  ​You will also find libguides which are also created by subject librarians. There, you will find more information about courses and databases.

And you also read our previous posts about helpful library information.

« Older posts Newer posts »

Contact Us

Email: library@napier.ac.uk

Telephone: 0131 455 3500

Bluesky: @ENULibrary

Instagram: @ENU_Library​

 

© 2026 The Library Blog

Theme by Anders Norén — Up ↑