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 6 of 21)

Opening Hours: Termtime

Opening Hours: Termtime

Standard Opening Hours

Craiglockhart Library & Sighthill LRC Library /LRC Open Helpdesk Staff Available
Monday – Friday 8am – 9pm 8.45am – 4.45pm*
Saturday – Sunday 9am – 5pm Unstaffed*
Merchiston Library Zones 1 – 4 Zone 5
(Books)
Helpdesk Staff Available
Monday – Friday 24 hours 8am – 9pm 8.45am – 4.45pm*
Saturday – Sunday 24 hours 9am – 5pm Unstaffed*

Merchiston Group Study Rooms: Please note that Rooms 3, 4, 9 and 10 will be closed from 9pm to 9am. Find availability and book using Resource Booker.

*Outwith these hours Library support will be provided by the NorMAN out of hours service, in this case you’ll receive a response from e59.servicedesk@normanmanagedservices.ac.uk.

Inter library loans

Interlibrary loans

As a student or staff member at Edinburgh Napier, you can use our catalogue, Library Search, which provides access to thousands of books and articles. You can also use Google Scholar to search for articles which are free to access. Occasionally, you will be able to find book chapters and theses there too. Sometimes, even with these resources, it’s still not possible to get access to the item you need. That’s where our inter library loan (ILL) service comes in – all you have to do is fill out the appropriate form and the ILL team will check it and process it.

The ILL form can be found on the Library Search main page simply by clicking on the Interlibrary Loans tab

Inter Library Loan

First choose the correct form from the selection:

Inter Library Loan fees

It’s essential to select the correct form for either a book/book chapter request or an article request, as the two forms require different information. In both cases please provide as much information as possible. Choose the pickup location that suits you best and then submit the request. The request will show in our library management system, and the ILL team will check and process it and let you know if the item

  • is available in Edinburgh Napier stock
  • Is available using Google Scholar
  • if we are requesting the item from one of our partners.

Inter Library Loan Process

The team will use the JISC Library Hub Discover tool to determine which partner institution to request the item from. In the case of articles, the tool lets us see which years our partners are holding a journal for. If they hold the required year we will send the request to them, and they will then let us know if they can supply the item or not. There may be embargoes and they will be unable to do so. Our main partner was the British Librar,y but following a cyber-attack in 2023, they have been unable to supply and we are now sourcing from other universities and institutions such as the Royal Society of Medicine. Requests are processed all year round apart from during the festive break around Christmas and New Year.

Article and book chapter requests are supplied electronically and can be supplied very quickly. Books take much longer to be supplied and it can take as long as 3 weeks for a book to arrive with us. Books will be sent to the campus selected on the request form and you will receive an email notification that the book is available for collection. Please note that inter-library loans must be collected from the Library Helpdesk during staffed hours Monday-Friday, 8.45-16.45 and please bring your student/staff card.

There is no charge for ILL requests; however, Edinburgh Napier University Library is charged for items that are lost or damaged by our borrowers. We pass on this charge, plus any administrative costs, to the borrower.

Books can also be recalled by the external lending library who can ask us to return an ILL before its due date. If this happens, the ILL team will send an email to your university email account asking you to return it as soon as possible. You can return books at any point before their due date to library helpdesks during staffed hours, and it may be possible to ask the partner to extend the loan. We allow a maximum of 3 renewals.

So far this year we have requested over 500 items from our partners, and we have found many others for our users which were freely available. It’s been quite a busy year for inter library loans and we hope to continue providing this service to assist with your studies. If you have any questions you can contact us at ill@napier.ac.uk and if you are sure of which items you would like to access, feel free to place your requests.

 

By Vivienne Hamilton

Cyber attack on the british library

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Library Search

Library Search

During your time at Napier, you’ll find that by far one of the most important tools to help in your studies is our university Library Search.

Library Search is the search engine you can use to browse the library catalogue here at Napier. This includes giving you information about the location of physical books on our library shelves, as well as links to read e-books or online journal articles available through the databases the university has access to. Please keep in mind that some of our more specialised databases, such as EBSCO are not included in library search results; those ones will have to be searched separately.
You can also use Library Search to request books or to check your library account if you want to see the return date for any of your books.

Accessing Library Search

You can get to Library Search through the tile on your student app, and each of our campus libraries has computers set up as designated catalogue machines that are set to only be able to access Library Search.

From the homepage of Library Search, you’ll also find helpful links for information about the library; you might have even found this blog through the link under the social media header.
Above the search bar, you’ll see there are some other library-related links, such as one for our interlibrary loan service, but you’ll learn more about these in other blog posts.

Firstly, before looking for something on Library Search its best to make sure you’re signed in, which you can do by pressing Sign In on the top right, then selecting University Member from the pop-up.

Library Search Sign In

This is important because many online resources, such as e-books or journal articles, require you to be signed in to access them, and you also have to be signed in if you see a physical book you’d like to request.

Once you’re signed in, you can also click your name from the top right and select Library Card to see your library account listing the books you have on loan.
You can also select the pin icon in the top right corner to look at your favourites.

Library Search Results

Through Library Search, you can browse through our library catalogue, searching by title or author, with options to filter results based on format (such as physical books or online articles), campus library, author, and subject matter. This can be useful as some searches can bring back an overwhelming number of results (you can see in my screenshot below that I got back over 2000 results!), and it can help to use filters to make your search more specific.

Library Search results

When you click on one of the search results, you’ll be taken to an information page about resource. Here is an example of what the information page looks like for a physical book:

library search results

 

This gives you the basic information you would need on where to find the book in the library, how many copies are available, and the option to request that the book be held in reserve for you.

Library Search Requests

As you can see under “Location Items” you’ll be told which of our campus libraries the book is being held at, if it is part of the main book stock or a different collection (such as the research collection) and the call number for the book which you can use to find the book on the shelf. Books are organised on the shelves in order of call number and within that call number are in alphabetical order based on the three letters at the end.

Selecting Request under Get It will give you the option to have the book be set aside for you to collect at one of our libraries.  You can also select for the book to be sent to whichever of our libraries is most convenient for you to get to. Please note that books will only be set aside for one week.

You can also use the links under Send To to make links that lead to this library record. This can be helpful if, for example, you’re helping another student with their work and you’re trying to direct them to a helpful source they can use. You’re even given options to make the link in different formats

You can also press the red pin icon next to the spanner to pin the record to your favourites bar, just in case there is a record you need to keep coming back to.

When looking at an online record instead of seeing the shelf information or an option to reserve the material, instead you’ll see the different links you can use to access the material. Your university account grants you permission to read this material, so make sure you are signed in to your account on Library Search.

You’ll also be able to search further in this journal to see if they’ll be other articles relevant to your research.

Library Search results ebook

Library Search Issues

If you’re having issues accessing a link through library search, such as if the link is broken, then you can report the issue by clicking on the red spanner icon at the top of the record. Fill out some quick information about the issue you are having.  And a member of the library team will investigate and get back to you.

This was intended to be a short introduction to Library Search, but as you can see, it went a bit long just because there’s so much to talk about!

Library Search might seem a bit daunting at first. But as you use it, you’ll find yourself getting familiar quickly.
Remember that if you have any questions at all, the library staff are more than happy to lend a hand.

By Matthew Ferrie

Laptops

Laptops

Laptops Laptops Laptops!

Library loans are not exclusive to books; we’ve got laptops too.

Laptops have become a crucial part of student life, from taking notes in class to writing up assignments. And there is nothing worse when yours goes kaput.

 

Lapsafe laptops

At each library campus, along with the Jack Kilbly Centre and Bainfield Student Accommodation, you can find a Lapsafe locker. They are like a self-service laptop vending machine. These laptops are available to all Edinburgh Napier Students, you do need your student card, in physical or digital format to borrow and return.

You can check laptop availability through the my Napier dashboard before you make the trek to campus.

Additionally, you can find out if laptops are available at the LAPSafe. If you see blue lights, then you are good to go.

Tap your card and follow the on-screen instructions.

 

Laptops are available to loan for 2 weeks. Unfortunately, we can’t extend the loan period; they need to be returned within two weeks. If you still need a laptop, you can borrow one as soon as you return the other. Please be aware that the laptop loans are subject to terms and conditions.

Please don’t save any work to the laptop; copies of work should also be backed up. If anything happens to the laptop, we can’t recover unsaved files.

 

Long-Term Laptops

We understand that two weeks isn’t enough. That is why there are long-term laptops that are available through the Digital Access Scheme. You can find out more on their webpages as well as any contact information for enquiries. These laptops are for each academic year and renewed for each year you return to study.

 

Still figuring things out at Napier, our geography of campuses post might do the trick

Welcome to ENU Libraries

Welcome to ENU Libraries

Welcome to our ENU libraries and to our library blog. Whether you are a new or returning student, you will find lots of useful information about the library, e.g., opening hours, services, facilities, as well as information on special events so please keep an eye on the blog to keep up to date with what’s happening.

Here is some useful information to help you get started. Just click on the links for more details.

Library Services

Our current library opening hours can be found here. The library help desks are staffed Monday – Friday from 08:45 – 16:45. Please be aware that our opening hours change during holiday periods. The NorMAN Out of Hours Service provides library support when the help desks are closed.

 

LibrarySearch is the library catalogue which can be used to search for a wide range of books, articles, and ebooks. LibrarySearch provides details of all items on the library shelves as well as subscription databases including ebooks, ejournals, online multimedia and e-conference proceedings.

 

Library Loans. You can borrow and return books via the Self- Service machines. They are really easy to use, just follow the on-screen instructions. When returning items, you can leave them in the return boxes beside the self-service machines after you have scanned them.

 

Click and Collect services are available at each campus library. Items can be requested and will be held in our designated Click and Collect areas where you can pick them up at your convenience. Requested items will be held for seven days. Please remember to check your books out via the self-service machine.

 

Printing, scanning and copying is available using our Multi-Functional Devices (MFDs). MFDs are situated in all three campus libraries. You must ensure you have enough print credit to be able to print.

 

Laptops to Loan. Lapsafes are available at each campus library, JKCC and Bainfield where laptops can be borrowed for up to 14 days. The lapsafes are self-service and can be operated by scanning your physical student card or your digital ID card.

 

Study Spaces.

We have a variety of study spaces available at each of our campus libraries. There are individual and collaborative study spaces as well as silent study areas. Group Study rooms.

Group Study Rooms are also available and can be booked up to 14 days in advance. You can check availability and book online via Resource Booker for a maximum of one two-hour slot per day.

 

Wellbeing Collections are available at each campus and have a range of books to support both your physical and mental health and well-being. There are also relaxation areas where you can take a break from studying and de-stress for a while by reading, playing games or doing some relaxing activities such as jigsaws and colouring in.

 

Library Tours are available, either individually or as a group. We are more than happy to show you around our libraries whenever it is convenient for you.  This will highlight study areas, using facilities and how to search for and find books.

 

LibCal is our training and events calendar. Be sure to look for any events which might help you with how to use the library and how to develop your academic skills. Check out our module Introduction to Computing and Library Services to find out about the services we offer.

 

Get Connected sessions are being run to help students set up access to Eduroamprint credit (our free University Wi-fi), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and the Edinburgh Napier App. The sessions will run across all three campuses from Monday 8th September until Friday 26th September 2025.

 

More information about our libraries is available on the My Napier Library Webpage so be sure to check it out.

Welcome to Edinburgh Napier University. We are looking forward to meeting you!

 

Contact Us

If you need help from the Library, please do not hesitate to contact us.

In Person at Library Help Desks (Mon – Fri: 08:45 – 16:45)

By Email: library@napier.ac.uk

By Phone: 0131 455 3500

You can also log and track your own issue and keep up to date with actions taken by using the Self-Service Desk.

 

By Sharon McMichael

Welcome to the Napier Libraries

 

Edinburgh book festival blog

Edinburgh book festival blog

August in Edinburgh is of course, usually completely taken up by the Fringe Festival (just try walking through the tourists on the Royal Mile to see what we mean!). We’d like to take a quick blog post to tell you about another festival that is running in Edinburgh: the Edinburgh International Book Festival. It’s not surprising that we here at the library would be more interested in this festival. But we imagine a lot of other people will be overlooking it in favour of the Fringe. So we’d just like to tell you a little about one of the largest book festivals in the world.

Book Festival Ongoings

Since its beginning in 1983, the Edinburgh International Book Festival has been a celebration of literature and culture. And going strong for over forty years. It has seen some changes along the way. Initially it was held biennially before switching to annual in 1997. As well as changing venue a few times (it’s currently held at the Edinburgh Futures Institute) but has consistently remained a place that encourages discussion and debate, celebrating art and culture both within and outwith Scotland, with events being both educational and entertaining. These events include panel discussions, book signings, writing workshops, talks by creatives about their work, or public readings of works.
In addition to the main adult programme, there is also programmes of events tailored for children and young people. These have story time and educational events for children, and games and quizzes for young adults.

Book Festival

Previous years have included events such as 2024 hosting a 200th anniversary celebration of Scottish gothic satire The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner and 2017’s festival seeing then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon popping in to take part in a talk about living life under public scrutiny.
>The primary theme for this year’s festival is Repair, with events focused on examining how aspects of our society feel broken and what can be done to address them. Events will be based around activities that help restore a sense of purpose and calm in the modern world. There have been events promoting the therapeutic benefits of gardening, readings from local writers and poets on the theme of repair, and discussions of modern climate activism.
>Other themes from this year have included New World Orders, focusing on international and domestic politics, and Brainwaves, which explores all aspects related to the brain, such as psychology and neuroscience. You can find more themes of this year’s festival on the festival website.
>I’m personally looking forward to the festival hosting the first Scottish presentation of Mark Kermode Live in 3D this year, which sees the popular film critic being joined by several Scottish screen actors to discuss upcoming film releases and their personal history with cinema.

As you might have noticed from some of the name dropping I’ve been doing so far. The festival has regularly played host to celebrities from all around the world. These have of course included authors and artists, but also political thinkers and politicians. The alumni of the festival including as disparate a group of people such as American author Toni Morrison, Pakistani political activist Tariq Ali, linguist Noam Chomsky, and essayist Susan Sontag.
>In addition to celebrities from around the world, the festival has also hosted events by Scottish celebrities such as Glasgow based comedian Brian “Limmy” Limond. This year will see local singer-songwriter Hamish Hawk appear to celebrate the works of eccentric Scottish poet Ivor Cutler.

You can find a full list of all of this year’s events on the festival’s website. We hope to see you there!

By Matthew Ferrie

photo by Evy Prentice

 

All about the Fringe this august 

The Burryman Festival

The Burryman Festival

 

When the Edinburgh festivals are running the show in the city, the nearby town of South Queensferry on the edge of the Firth of Forth, hosts a very different kind of party. Situated overlooking the iconic Forth Rail Bridge and the slightly less iconic Forth Road Bridge, ‘The Ferry’ plays host to the Burryman’s Day, which always takes place on the second Friday in August.

The Burryman himself is always someone either from South Queensferry or closely connected to the town. He is elected by committee, and occupies the role of Burryman until such time as he chooses to step down (now that’s a peaceful transition of power).

Preparing in the wee small hours of the morning – and wearing a bodysuit to protect his skin – a man covered in burdock flowers, from head to toe, proceeds from the Stag’s Head hotel at 9am. He follows a prepared route through the town, visiting shops, pubs, churches as well as housing estates, attempting to see as many of the townspeople as possible.

“Hip hip hooray, it’s the Burryman’s day” is the refrain heard around its streets, belted out by the town crier, ringing bells chiming with gusto. Fed liquids (mostly whisky…though sometimes water) through a straw, his work (or, if you prefer, performance) is a labour of love – and one that is greatly appreciated by the towns and visiting tourists alike. Meeting the Burryman is considered good luck by some – crossing his path on the day of your wedding is especially welcome – whilst others simply enjoy the strange, unconventional spectacle of it. Folk are also invited to ‘drop a coin in the box’ as a donation to local charities.

Overall, the atmosphere is one of community, conviviality and fun – locals help by picking burdock and other flowers that make up the Burryman’s garland. Every year, the event coincides with the town’s Ferry Fair – with a mix of newcomers who have, in recent times, moved out to South Queensferry from the city in search of space, peace and quiet.

Where did this come from?

It is, in effect, a harvest festival, celebrating a good crop yield, but also, because of the town’s history of fishing, is associated with a plentiful catch from its fishermen, dating back to the 16th century. However, there are other threads intertwined here.  Rituals like the Burryman are seen in Britain, Ireland and many mainland European countries: the ‘king for a day’; the man of the Burgh (in this interpretation, the Burryman is the ‘man of the town’, as opposed to the man covered in burrs), celebrating plentiful amounts of food; the ‘Green Man’ that symbolises rebirth and change.

Other specific variations include the ‘Castleton Garland King’ in Castleton, Derbyshire – held annually on the 29th of May – and the Straw Bears processions, common in parts of Germany.

By Kieran Curran

photo by JM

Get into the festival spirit

Friendship Day

Friendship Day

Yesterday was Friendship Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the importance of friendship in all its forms. We know how hard it can be to make new friends when you go to university. And we understand how important friends can be for getting you through your studies. For that reason, we thought we’d just take some time today to talk a little about the different ways the university can support you in making new friends once you start your studies here.

Once you become a student at Edinburgh Napier you are also welcomed into the Edinburgh Napier Students Association (ENSA), our student union. Here you’ll find the student clubs and societies at the university. They are also responsible for organising student-centric events at the university. You can learn more about the students union at their website, ENSA Home.

ENSA


>Joining a club or society is a fantastic way to make new friends at university. It gives you a chance to meet other students who have some of your same interests. I can speak from personal experience and say that the greatest friends I made at university, the ones I still keep in touch with today, are the friends I made through joining different clubs related to my hobbies.
>When the new academic year begins, ENSA will host a range of events throughout the first week. They are designed to welcome new students to the university and help them get to know other students in their cohort. You can find the events list on the ENSA website at Edinburgh Napier Welcome Week 2025.   Here is  a full list of events being added at the start of August.

The Napier Friendship Club is organised by the Visa and International Support team as a way of helping students to find and make friends with other members of the university, with a particular emphasis on helping our international students to find community as they arrive in the country. The club organise events throughout the academic year. So if you’re looking to make friends at university why don’t you email friends@napier.ac.uk to find out what they have planned for the coming school year.

Whether you’re a new student joining us or a returning student, we hope you feel welcome here at Napier. And that some of the information provided can help you build a strong friend group during your studies.

By Matthew Ferrie

Sighthill Campus Library

Sighthill Campus Library

At the start of 2011 we opened our newest campus building in Sighthill just to the west of Edinburgh city centre, and for the past fourteen years it has been the home of our School of Health and Social Care, and the School of Applied Sciences, providing our students with a state-of-the-art learning environment and research centres where they can perfect their skills and conduct important research into their field.

Sighthill Campus

The Sighthill Campus can be found at 9 Sighthill Court, in the suburb of Sighthill, just off Calder Road and right next to Sighthill public park. Which makes us neighbours with the Sighthill campus of Edinburgh College!
You can easily reach the campus through several different Lothian bus routes, with bus stops located right next to and across the road from the campus. You can reach the campus through the number 3, 21, 25, 32, 34, and 36 bus routes, with the number 36 bus serving all of our campuses across the city.
The campus is also only a short walk away from Edinburgh Park train station, or you can catch the above-mentioned buses from either Haymarket or Edinburgh Waverly.  We are also only a short walk away from the Bankhead tram stop.
With all these options, there’s really no excuse to not pay us a visit.

 

The Sighthill Campus itself is divided into separate “blocks” numbered A to F, with each block being based around a particular service.
The A block is the atrium, the main entrance area, where you’ll find the canteen, espresso lab and some areas for you to sight and socialise with friends.
The B block has the offices, where you’ll find the support and administrative teams, such as the finance team, international support, and offices for the School of Health and Social Care and the School of Applied Sciences.
In the C block you’ll find our specialist teaching departments (more on those later!)
D block has our lecture theatres and class rooms.
E is for the Learning Resource Centre, the campus library.
And F is for the sports building (You’ll be hearing more on that later too!)
Each room number will include the letter for which block it is. So if you’re told to go to room 4.E.13, you’ll know it’s on the fourth floor of the library in room thirteen.

You can learn more about the layout of the building, along with a guide to disability access points, at Sighthill Building | AccessAble.

At Sighthill, you’ll find our most modern campus building, boasting specialised laboratories and our very impressive Simulation and Clinical Skills Centre, a facility that simulates different healthcare working environments to give the students of our school of health and social care a taste of what they can expect once they enter their careers, and a chance to practice their skills in a controlled setting.
For our School of Applied Sciences we have laboratories focusing on research into the Biological Sciences, Social Sciences, and Sports Sciences. These include facilities and equipment for research into microbiology and biomedicine, as well as labs that allow for practical psychology studies with interview rooms and equipment for testing perception and eye tracking. Of particular note, we also have an environmental performance laboratory that can be used to simulate different climate conditions for research into how extreme weather conditions effect human physiology.

Sighthill Campus Library

On campus you can also find our Sighthill Learning Resource Centre, 5 storeys tall and taking up the E block of the building. On the first floor you’ll find a café and area for group study and socialisation. The second floor has our library help desk for any enquiries you might have, as well as computers for you to use and the lapsafe if you need to borrow a laptop to help with your studies. The third and fourth floors are silent study areas that have our collection of books. On the fifth floor you’ll find the Horizon Suite, one of our Sighthill conference venues, which can accommodate over one hundred people, gets plenty of sunlight, and has a great view of the surrounding area. Also on the fifth floor is some more study rooms.
You can learn more about the learning resources on offer in the library at Sighthill Learning Resource Centre.

In addition to our research facilities, our Sighthill campus also offers a café on the first floor of the library right next to the entrance, as well as a canteen in the atrium and the Sighthill Espresso Lab for if you want a coffee on your way to class. We also have the ENGAGE Fitness centre, a gym that is open to staff and students as well as members of the public. At ENGAGE you’ll find equipment for cardio and weightlifting exercises, including Olympic weightlifting platforms and a sports hall that can be booked for activities such as badminton. There is also personal trainers available to support you while you’re there.

We’ll be looking forward to welcoming any new students to the Sighthill campus in the coming academic year, and we hope that with this blog post you’ll be able to find your way around a little easier!

By Matthew Ferrie

Read all about Craiglockhart library

 

Spotlight on Craiglockhart Library

Spotlight on Craiglockhart Library

Craiglockhart Library is the library for the Business School. Here you will find books covering a range of business topics such as leadership, marketing and law. The library is located in the basement of the campus, down the stairs leading off the foyer.

General

As you reach the bottom of the stairs and before you access the library you will see a whiteboard with information about upcoming library events. Just inside the entrance we have a display table for promotions such as Love your Library and Pride and a stand with the QR code for booking a library tour.

Stock

Print books are stocked in 2 main areas – main stock, which is the largest section and the law section which can be found in the Law Hub.

We have a small number of print journals and DVDs following on from the end of the main stock. Back issues of the Financial Times are held there too.

Our Wellbeing collection has books on subjects such as anxiety, sexuality, exam stress etc.

Study spaces

There are a variety of different spaces for studying in the library. There are group study rooms which are bookable, collaborative desks and booths which are first come first served, a silent study room and a quiet study room. One of our group study rooms is a family room with books and toys for small children.

Services provided

Pcs, some with dual screens and a small number of Macs. Assistive technology PC.

Power for laptops and charging.

Lapsafe for self-service laptop loans.

Click and Collect shelf for requested items. Self-service kiosk for issuing and returning books.

Printers.

Helpdesk

At the library helpdesk we can assist with connecting Eduroam, the university recommended network

using the lapsafe

directional queries

advice on long term laptop loans

issuing inter library loans and you can also collect your print services requests from here. Also a range of ergonomic equipment such as keyboard, mouse and headphones can be borrowed from here.

Wellbeing

Along with our Wellbeing Collection of books, there is a relaxation space for you to take time out from your studies. Books, games, origami paper and colouring sheets are provided. There are also tables for completing jigsaws.

War Poets Collection

At present, the collection and exhibits do not have a curator, but library staff can offer a limited amount of assistance regarding the collection.

We hope to see you soon at Craiglockhart library!

By Vivienne Hamilton

 Read more about the library here

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