Category: Library Information (Page 2 of 13)

Merchiston Tower

08/11/2024 / mayagreen / 0 Comments

Merchiston Tower

In the centre of Merchiston Tower, you will find Merchiston Tower.

Bang in the middle.

Have you ever wondered what’s inside? What’s its history? Wanted to peek inside?

Let us take you on a brief digital walk through the Tower in the blog post. But before we go any further, we would like to add that you can tour the Tower in person and see its 500 years of history in person for free. Email us at heritage@napier.ac.uk or library@napier.ac.uk. Please bear in mind that we need at least 24 hours’ notice. Group tours are available, but no more than 15 people can attend.

History of Merchiston Tower

Merchiston Tower has stood firm for over 500 years. Built in the middle of the 1400s, either by Andrew Napier or his son Sir Alexander Napier, both served as Provost of Edinburgh, and both moved in royal circles.

John Napier (Alexander’s grandson) was born in the Tower in 1550. Specifically, the University is named after John Napier. His inventions and contributions to Mathematics are longstanding, with his most known invention being logarithms. There is a lot of “myth, mystery, and intrigue” (John Napier napier.ac.uk) about the man, and you can read about him in a previous blog post on Edinburgh Napier University’s webpages.

The Tower remained in the Napier family until the beginning od the 1800s. It was then owned by the Merchiston Castle School, followed by Edinburgh Council. For a while, it was also a storage space for fire hoses during the Second World War. By the 1950s, the Tower was set for demolition. It was in ruined. However, in 1958, a new technical college was coming to Edinburgh. A college that needed a campus. Napier College was formed around the Tower, saving from it demolition and beginning a work of restoration. These restorations would uncover ceilings and stairwells that had been hidden for a century.

The hallway ceiling of the Tower now proudly displays the University’s crest and showcases the Tower’s timeline, a nod to the Napier family, Merchiston Castle School, and Edinburgh Council.

Inside the Tower

Can’t wait to have look. Let’s go on a digital walkthrough. And while, we have lovely pictures, nothing compares in person.

The original great hall stands to the left as you enter. In this hall, you will find a stunning, decorative ceiling that was commemorated during the reign of Charles II, the decorations showcasing the Napier family’s loyalty to the crown. The massive fireplace is thought to be original to the Tower. The north and south windows are original, while, the east window dates from the 17^th century. During the restoration in the 1950s, a staircase in the thick walls was found.

The once hidden staircase leads to the Boardroom that now stretches across the third and fourth floors. The fourth floor would have been a loft area, home to servants but it has now been opened up to make the room fell bigger, and to properly showcase.

The magnificent Prestongrange Ceiling, it dates from 1581. A rare example of a Scottish Renaissance painted ceiling, it was from Prestongrange House to Merchiston Tower in 1964 for preservation purposes. The ceiling is filled with art, featuring many motifs from folk plays. Truly Unique!

Merchiston Tower and John Napier

In 1550, John Napier was born in the tower house. Over 400 years later, the Tower was saved from demolition and restoration work began for a new college to be named after John Napier. Now, it stands proud in the middle of our biggest campus, home to two of our schools; School of Arts and Creative Industries and School of Computing, Engineering & Built Environment.

Doors Open Day

On the 28^th of September, we opened up the Tower to the public to celebrate Doors Open Day. Our second year running, we were delighted to welcome over 180 visitors.

If you are interested in visiting Merchiston Tower in person, please get in touch by emailing heritage@napier.ac.uk or library@napier.ac.uk. Tours are free but are dependent on staff and room availability so will require booking in advance.

Please note that – due to the steep and uneven medieval staircases – the Tower is unfortunately not wheelchair accessible.

For more information about the University’s Heritage Collections, have a look at our website.

Read more about the Heritage Collections

References

Merchiston Tower Edinburgh

The Napier Estate Past and Present

Construction Information Service (CIS)

29/10/2024 / mayagreen / 0 Comments

Construction Information Service (CIS)

The Construction Information Service (CIS) is a major database for anyone working in architecture, civil and structural engineering, building control, mechanical and electrical engineering, surveying, building contracting and other areas within the construction industry.

The CIS database is updated daily and covers every phase of the construction process. It is an online tool which provides access to current construction regulations, construction standards, technical advice, construction project management tools, and industry news on building, engineering, design, and construction processes in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

Construction Information Services and You

The CIS database has over 20,000 documents from over 300 publishers. And contains essential sources providing the most up-to-date information from within the construction industry.

You can find CIS by clicking on the Databases tab within LibrarySearch and then searching for Construction Information Service. Two options will appear. Namely Knowledge Workspace: Occupational Health and Safety Information Service (OHSIS): and Environmental Management and Construction Information Service (CIS). Select Construction Information Service (CIS).

The database provides access to a wide range of content that is not available anywhere else. Users can conduct a standard search or use the Advanced Search option to find information. Using keywords relevant to your topic will help to narrow down the number of results and there are filters available to help you narrow your search further and find relevant content.

CIS provides access to a wide range of UK construction catalogues. As well as equipment information and CAD drawings as well as access to product catalogues from manufacturers both within the UK and overseas. CIS offers a single search point for the widest set of Eurocodes, UK National Annexes and Non-contradictory Complimentary Information (NCCI) material. Users can also have direct access to other publications. As well as extensive coverage of healthcare building and construction information. CIS Building Regulations Interest areas are available covering Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to help with compliance.

Using CIS will help users to create designs and construction methods, and keep up with advances in new technology. And ensure that their designs are compliant and sustainable. The entire construction process from beginning to end is supported which will help projects to be completed precisely within designated time frames.

Through LibrarySearch

By Sharon McMichael

Read about previous databases

LibGuides and Referencing

22/10/2024 / mayagreen / 0 Comments

LibGuides and Referencing

What are LibGuides? Simply LibGuides are beloved by librarians. All 22 of them. A crucial tool in helping you through your studies. They are designed to “help you find out more about the resources and support available from the library”.

They can be divided into two features:

Subject Guides
Research Guides

LibGuides: Subject Guides

Subject Guides are designed by our team of specialist subject librarians who have handpicked key resources such as databases, readings and more. You will find a guide for each subject area available at Edinburgh Napier. Subject librarians constantly update these guides to help you get the most relevant and useful information available for your topic.

Your subject librarian is available to go through these guides with you.

LibGuides: Research Guides

Our Research Guides are outlines that help you develop research and digital skills, including writing, referencing, data collection, and much more.

LibGuide: Referencing

One of our most popular guides is our reference guide. Referencing is a must-skill in academia. You will expect to be able to reference all your sources in academic work. Referencing helps us avoid plagiarism, shows that read sources, be able to back up arguments. We have two guides, one for reference management software which are tools to help you. And a guide on APA 7^th Style.

Please remember if you are stuck, you can contact your subject librarian or programme leader.

Our Reference Management guide goes over Endnote and Mendeley. Both are software that collect references and PDFS of papers, organises references and automatically outputs a bibliography. Our guide breaks down which one might be better suited to you. And how you can install and use it.

Additionally, we have a deep dive into APA 7^th referencing. This guide details how citations work. Always double-check which referencing style you are expected to use for your course and if you are unsure, please speak to your programme leader.

Wellbeing

We can’t end this post without the mention of our Wellbeing Collection. We also have our Wellbeing Collection featured on our LibGuides. University life can be stressful. The collection covers a range of topics and guided self-help approaches to help University life a little bit easier.

We will leave you to enjoy the world of LibGuides.

A bit stuck on assignments, have a look at Academic Skills.

Returning borrowed items

21/10/2024 / mayagreen / 0 Comments

Returning borrowed items

It’s almost the end of term and time to take a break from studies and relax. You may be planning to return home, go on holiday or do some work experience, but before you go-just a quick reminder to return the books, laptops and ergonomic equipment which you might not need to use over the summer. It’s time to return borrowed items to the library.

Information on returning borrowed items

Books and laptops can be returned even when the helpdesks are closed, as long as there is access to campus. Ergonomic equipment should be returned to the helpdesks during staffed hours.
Libraries will be open throughout the summer should you wish to bring items back later in the summer. And if you have any questions, you can always ask.
If you have fines which you would like to query, you can submit a fine appeal form along with any supporting evidence, and you will receive an answer promptly. Information on fines and charges can be found here.
We hope you enjoy your summer break and look forward to seeing you again in September. Remember- it’s never too late to return items to us! One book was returned over a hundred years later to a San Francisco public library. And you can read about some rather valuable late returns

Good luck with your exams and final assignments

Also, remember we have our virtual relaxation space

Additionally, our online wellbeing area.

Each campus library has a relaxation space and wellbeing areas too

By Vivienne Hamilton

photo source: unspash Kimberly Farmer

Laptop Loans

14/10/2024 / mayagreen / 0 Comments

Laptop Loan

Continuing with our induction, we are going to look at laptop loans.

If you don’t have access to a laptop for your studies here at Edinburgh Napier there are laptops which can be borrowed from our lapsafe lockers. Lapsafe lockers exist in all 3 campus libraries, in the JKCC and at Bainfield student accommodation. They are self-service, so as long as the premises are open and a laptop is available, you can borrow a laptop.

Accessing a laptop

You can check the availability of laptops at each site using the tile on your account.

All laptop cabinets have a coloured light to indicate availability.

Light colour	What it means
Blue	Laptop available
Red	Laptop updating, available soon
Purple	Laptop in repair
No light	Laptop is on loan

You will need to have your plastic student card or digital student card on your phone to swipe on the lapsafe reader, then follow the on-screen instructions. Once you have swiped your card the lapsafe will allocate a laptop to you and the cabinet door will unlock. A charger is also provided don’t forget to take this. Only one laptop can be borrowed at a time so you must return one before borrowing another.

Loan Period

Laptop loans are for 2 weeks and are on a first-come, first-served basis. After 2 weeks laptops should be returned to the lapsafe locker they were borrowed from. You will be able to take another one if one is available, or if not you can wait for the one you have returned to become available (the cabinet light will be red whilst the laptop updates). If you don’t return the laptop, it will be locked making the laptop unusable. Full terms and conditions for laptop loans can be found on our webpage

Saving work

Work should not be saved on the desktop, instead, save to One Drive.

Digital Access Scheme

The Digital Access Scheme (DAS) is a service which provides long-term laptop loans to students who are having difficulty accessing appropriate IT resources. The loan is for the academic year and will be renewed for each year you are returning to study. To find out more and if you are eligible check the DAS webpage

If you have any questions regarding laptop loans please don’t hesitate to ask us in the library and staff will do their best to assist you.

By Vivienne Hamilton

Mer wellbeing Mental Health Awareness Week

World Mental Health Day 2024

10/10/2024 / mayagreen / 0 Comments

World Mental Health Day 2024

It’s World Mental Health Day 2024. Celebrated every October 10th. Everyone is encouraged to come together and talk, showing that mental health matters. Check in on the people in your family and how they are doing.

Mental Health Support at the Library

“Here in the Library, we believe that looking after your physical and emotional health is just as important as your studies. We are committed to supporting positive mental health and wellbeing, and believe that the key to wellbeing is the care and balance of different aspects of our lives.” We have curated a collection of books and other resources to support the different areas of your well-being. “Our collection covers a range of topics and includes guided self-help approaches to supporting mental health, personal development and achievement. You’ll find stories of resilience and recovery, discussions of family matters, and practical tools to help with the everyday realities of University life, such as finance and exam stress.”

Our wellbeing collections are available online

And on each campus library, all books are loanable.

Mental Health Support at the University

At Edinburgh Napier University, we understand things might not be “plain sailing”.

“Being at University is about finding your own way – but that doesn’t mean you have to go it alone” especially when things get difficult. The Wellbeing and Inclusion team at the university are incredible. A team of “professional staff are here to listen, offer support and guidance, and aim to point you in the right direction at every turn so you feel safe, supported, healthy and able to fulfil your potential”. The Counselling and Mental well-being team would like to highlight that “Our goal is to help you feel content, healthy, and well-supported. If you are facing challenges with your mental health, we are here to help.”

There is also free, online and anonymous support available through Togtherall and Silver Cloud.

The myNapier webpages provide information about all the services and support available to staff and students. And how to contact them.

More Information

Look at all the amazing work, the Mental Health Foundation are doing.

We have a wide range of articles on the importance of wellbeing.

A Quick Guide to Finding a Book with LibrarySearch

08/10/2024 / julietkinsey / 3 Comments

Finding a book with LibrarySearch

Are deadlines coming up? Assignments due? And Google just won’t do. Our quick guide to finding a book with LibrarySearch that will save the day!

There are books, journals, peer-reviewed articles and much more. We have over 225 databases, 33 000 journals, 100 000 books and well over 300 000 e-books all available at your fingertips at LibrarySearch. We can’t sing the praises of LibrarySearch enough!!

That’s all great and everything but the question now is how does it work?

Simply go to librarysearch.napier.ac.uk, access it through our web pages or click the shortcut here.

Don’t forget to sign in the right-hand corner to give you full access.

In the search bar, type the book title. If you don’t have any books in mind, you can type the keywords for your subject area and let LibrarySearch do its magic. There are filters on the side to narrow down your search for example if you only want books and books for a certain decade and books from a certain campus.

Once you’ve spotted a book that looks useful click on the link. You will be able to see if it’s available online or in one of our Campus Libraries. If it’s available online just click on the links to take you right on through to your book. If the book is on one of our shelves note down the Dewey Decimal number. It will tell you where your book is positioned. Afterwards, If you get stuck check out our guide or ask one of our lovely Librarians who will be happy to help!

All there to make life easier. Like we said LibrarySearch is there to save the day

By Maya Green

Discovered your book on LibrarySearch, but need help spotting it on the shelf? Try our Guide to the Dewey Decimal System here!

Still stuck finding something useful then why not check out our LibGuides

Finding your book with Dewey Decimal Shelf Marks

07/10/2024 / julietkinsey / 0 Comments

Finding your book with Dewey Decimal Shelf Marks

HELP! How do I find my book?

Finding your book with Dewey Decimal Shelf Marks may seem confusing at first but really it is very straightforward. First off, make sure you have checked your book is available by looking it up on our Library Catalogue: LibrarySearch

For help using LibrarySearch read our quick guide here: Quick Guide to LibrarySearch

Not only will you find the shelfmark that will help you locate your book, but it will also show you if copies are available.

What’s it all mean?

Green means go! So if you see the words “available at” like in the above picture. You know you should be able to find the book on the shelf.

Here you can see that there is an available copy of this book. The word “available” is green (for yes we have it) and it is located at Merchiston Library shelfmark: 891.7342 BUL

Hurray! But now what?

Now you can go find your book!

The shelfmark is your book’s location so you will need to find it (kinda like a very simple treasure hunt!)

Start by matching the first part of the number: 891

891.7342

Once you have located the 891’s it’s time to delve deeper. Now you need to match the digits after the 891.

891.7342

That’s the 7342 after the decimal point. These numbers help narrow down the subject.

Once you have all the numbers matched you look at the Letters, in this case, BUL.

891.7342 BUL

The letters usually refer to the author or editor, not the title.

The author of this book is Bulgakov, so BUL are the letters to match.

These go in alphabetical order so work your way along till you find your book.

Quick synopsis:

Match the first 3 digits
Match the digits after the decimal point
Match the letters

—————————————————————————–

It’s as simple as that…ok maybe not that simple!

If you have any problems a member of the Library staff will be happy to help! Also you can read more on the History of the Dewey Decimal system here on the blog in the article The Dewey Decimal Classification System

An introduction to Library Search.

07/10/2024 / mayagreen / 0 Comments

An introduction to Library Search.

Now that the returning students are back and classes underway again. We thought it would be good to have a quick introduction to the university’s Library Search system. This provides the best way for you to access the study materials you need for your coursework. If you’re new to the university, then this will be a great way to learn how to use one of our most helpful services. And any returning students can see this as a nice refresher as they get stuck into studying again. We’ve made sure to include plenty of screenshots to help while we talk you through all the aspects of Library Search!

You can access Library Search through your account page on MyNapier. Or with the student app, by pressing the yellow Library Search tile.

What is Library Search?

Library Search can be used to browse all the reading materials the library provides you access to. Whether that is the physical books in the library’s collection. Or material available online. Looking up a book or subject in Library Search will show you all the available resource that are related to the subject matter you searched. For example, looking up “Scots Law” will show all the results related to Scots Law, or any titles which include the phrase.

Library Search Results

As you can see, each result will show you basic information related to the book, such as author, edition, and publication date. As well as if the book is available in a physical or online format. Results for physical books will show which campus library the book is held in. And the collection the book is part of. And the class mark so you can find the book within that collection. For example, we can see here that “Human Rights and Scots Law” can be found in the Law Hub of our Craiglockhart library, while “Scots Law for Journalists” can be found on our Merchiston library as part of the main collection.

You will also see if there are multiple versions of a book available, which happens if there are different editions of the same book as part of our collection. Selecting “See all versions” will show these different versions.

You can see here that these are all the same book, but different editions and each held at a different campus library.

At the side of the search results there are also options for filtering results. You can use to narrow down your search to specific formats, libraries. Or even sort the results by date or alphabetically.

When you open select one of the search results for a book you will be shown a more in-depth profile for the book. With further information such as page number. And how many copies of the book the library has and how many copies are available, as well as any links that can take you to an online copy of the book.

Requesting a book

From here you can also request to place a hold on books. This means that our library staff will keep the book on a separate shelf near the help desk for you to collect. This can be a handy way to make sure you can get a copy of books that are in high demand. Especially books that are core texts on reading lists. Simply select “Request” and you will be able to choose which campus library you would like to collect the book from. You will receive an email from the library team to let you know when the book is ready for you to collect.

Please keep in mind that you can only request copies of physical books. Any e-books the library has can be accessed using a link on the book’s profile.

From the book’s profile you can also create citations for the book so that you can cite it in an assignment. You can make hyperlinks or even QR codes to serve as links to the book’s library search page. And or email a link to yourself or others.

What else is available on LibrarySearch?

Alongside being able to browse what is currently in our catalogue, Library Search includes links along the top of the page. These links to browse subject reading lists, the academic databases and journals the university has access to. Or to request an item through the university’s inter library loan service. These allow you to carry out a more in-depth search of the academic journals the university has access to. As well as letting you request to borrow a book from another institution the university is partnered with.

Additionally, if you are in one of our libraries and would like to search only the physical books available. You can use the library catalogue machines. These can be found in all our libraries. And are set up to only search the physical books in our collection.

We hope you’ve found this quick tour through the basics of Library Search to be helpful. And that soon you will be well on your way to using one of the most important resources the university can offer you.

You can browse Library Search

And previous articles to help you nativigate Library Search

By Matthew Ferrie

Library Spaces

23/09/2024 / mayagreen / 0 Comments

Library Spaces

All campus libraries at Edinburgh Napier offer a variety of different study spaces. Let’s have a brief introduction to the library.

There are areas with PCs and Macs and sockets for laptop use. We also offer:

Group Study Rooms

These rooms are very popular for groups to study or work on presentations. They can be booked using the Resource Booker tile on the myNapier app. As well as a collaborative desk there is also a whiteboard in the rooms. We recommend booking as the rooms will be in high demand throughout the year. Below is what looks like via the app,

Collaborative desks

These desks offer additional space for group work, but not inside a room. They are available at Craiglockhart and Sighthill campuses on a first come first served basis and are not bookable. Priority is given to groups so individuals who use them may be asked to move.

Group Study pods

Craiglockhart and Merchiston campus libraries have pods which can accommodate several students, pods at Sighthill accommodate 2 people. They have a power supply and table. They are not bookable.

Family rooms

Craiglockhart and Merchiston campus libraries offer a family study room which can be booked using Resource Booker. This room has a small selection of books and toys for children whose parents are coming onto campus to study.

Silent study rooms

Each campus has a silent study room for those who prefer peace and quiet whilst they are working. No talking is allowed and spaces are not bookable.

Individual booths

These are small booths for individual study and are not bookable. They are available at all campuses.

Adjustable height desks and assistive technology PCs

All campus libraries have these desks and PCs with software installed to provide support to students with a range of disabilities. A selection of ergonomic keyboards and mice, noise-cancelling headphones, laptop riser stands and coloured overlays are available for everyone to borrow from the library.

Rise Standing Desks

These are provided for students who prefer to stand whilst working.

Relaxation spaces

We have provided these spaces in each library to give students a space to take time out from their studies. Books, jigsaws and adult colouring are provided as well as information and suggestions on the benefits of taking some time out.

Here are a few things to bear in mind when using our library spaces:

Wifi

Log into Eduroam using your full Edinburgh Napier email address and password for free wifi.

Security gates

All libraries have security gates at the entrances and we ask that if the alarm sounds you come back to the library helpdesk.

Waste and recycling bins

In order to keep libraries clean and tidy please dispose of all food and drink waste in the bins provided.

If you have any questions about our library spaces please ask at any library helpdesk. We are happy to help.

By Vivienne Hamiliton

You can read more about our library spaces on our webpages

Or follow the blog for more library information.

Merchiston Tower

History of Merchiston Tower

Merchiston Tower and John Napier

Doors Open Day

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Construction Information Service (CIS)

Construction Information Services and You

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LibGuides and Referencing

LibGuides: Subject Guides

LibGuides: Research Guides

LibGuide: Referencing

Wellbeing

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Returning borrowed items

Information on returning borrowed items

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Laptop Loan

Accessing a laptop

Loan Period

Saving work

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World Mental Health Day 2024

Mental Health Support at the Library

Mental Health Support at the University

More Information

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Finding a book with LibrarySearch

That’s all great and everything but the question now is how does it work?

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Finding your book with Dewey Decimal Shelf Marks

HELP! How do I find my book?

What’s it all mean?

Hurray! But now what?

Share this:

Like this:

An introduction to Library Search.

What is Library Search?

Library Search Results

Requesting a book

What else is available on LibrarySearch?

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Like this:

Library Spaces

Group Study Rooms

Collaborative desks

Group Study pods

Family rooms

Silent study rooms

Individual booths

Adjustable height desks and assistive technology PCs

Rise Standing Desks

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