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 7 of 21)

Filmhouse

The Filmhouse Re-Opens

11/07/2025 / / 0 Comments

The Filmhouse Re-Opens

 

Rejoice as the Filmhouse re-opens.

After a three-year closure due to pre-existing financial issues combined with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Edinburgh cinematic institution The Filmhouse reopened on Friday, the 27th of June. Due to a combination of business backing, government grants, crowdfunding and protests, the Filmhouse has finally rejoined Edinburgh’s cultural firmament.

Originally built as a Presbyterian church in the 19th century, the Filmhouse became Edinburgh’s first dedicated arthouse cinema in 1979. The area around it on Lothian Road is a major thoroughfare, known for a ‘lively’ nighttime scene. It has long been a significant spot for culture – The Usher Hall (which also hosts Napier graduations), the Lyceum, the Traverse, as well as sadly departed music venues like Henry’s Cellar Bar and The Citrus Club.

In its new incarnation, the building has undergone comprehensive renovation inside, with all three cinema screens refurbished. The largest screen, cinema 1, now looks better than ever. The much-loved café also returns, as well as spaces for film education. On that last point: Edinburgh film-maker Charlotte Wells (best known as the director of Aftersun), in an interview with Sight and Sound, described the crucial role of the Filmhouse in her artistic education:

When I was about 14, I took part in an Ideas Factory competition where we had to pitch an idea for a short documentary; I pitched one about female footballers and got an opportunity to meet Nick Broomfield, who did a masterclass, and Mark Cousins. Through that, I found a place on the Filmhouse’s Scottish Kids Are Making Movies (SKAMM) initiative…Discovering what it felt like to point the camera wherever you wanted to shoot, and to work collaboratively, was a very early introduction to filmmaking, which was like any art form when I grew up – it was not considered a viable career. SKAMM provided a vision of filmmaking as a possibility. As did walking through the Filmhouse doors every Saturday morning.

Cinemas are palaces of dreams – intimate places, where people gather to see the vision of a director and the collective work of a cast and crew manifested on the big screen. You can watch pictures from a range of time periods, nationalities, big names and small names, the established classic (the Filmhouse’s first screening on re-opening was Cinema Paradiso), as well as the up-and-coming creative force (it is back as the main host of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which is primarily focused on new work). They are also, of course, places for communities to come together, to celebrate culture and to thrive. Edinburgh – like any city – needs this. Support it if you can.

 

by Kieran Curran

Photo by Jeremy Yap

 

Keep the cinematic flow, we have a post on how Barbie conquered the cinema world of 2023

Green and Sustainability

Green and Sustainability Libraries

10/07/2025 / / 0 Comments

Green and Sustainability Libraries

Libraries are perfect hubs for green and sustainability awareness. Filled with information and resources, but also play a role in being environmentally conscious.

Green and Sustainability at Edinburgh Napier Library

Academic books can go out of date, particularly in computing, health and sciences. Do you ever wonder what happens with these? We donate our outdated stock to Better World Books. Better World Books is a “for-profit social-minded business that collects and sells books online with each sale generating funds for literacy initiatives around the world”. Books typically go to landfills, but Better World Books sells these books, with profits funding library programmes. If books are not able to make a sale, they are recycled and used for animal bedding.

We have reduced our physical footprint, with more digitisation and e-resources to save paper and trees.

Green and Sustainability at Edinburgh Napier.

At the university, we are committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as well as Scotland’s National Performance Framework. Much of our research and curriculum is dedicated to the SDG14, there are embedded toolkits and case studies that are available for academics to frame their programmes to meet these. In the School of Computing, Engineering and Built Environment,  sustainable construction is focused on heavy.

On top of this, we have made strides from biodiversity to reducing waste.  80% of our waste is recycled, while the remaining 20% is used for fuel production. All our campuses and accommodation’s energy usage is monitored, and LED lighting is used throughout.

Did you know that Craiglockhart campus contains around 50 different plant species, which include a rare fungus and a yellow barista. We also have the Lion Gates Garden that sits just outside Merchiston Library, or you can take part in a gardening club at Sighthill. And we are proud that all our campuses are hedgehog-friendly.

Green Libraries

Upon reading for this article, I stumbled across the Warsaw University Library, and I helped myself not to talk about it. It is one of the most impressive green libraries, is Warsaw University library. To such an extent that it has become a major tourist attraction in the city. In 2002, a garden was opened on the University of Warsaw library’s rooftop. It is one of Europe’s largest rooftop gardens. The garden is divided into two sections: the lower section and the upper section. The lower section even includes a fish pond that ducks have taken kindly to. It is open to the public from April to October, and it’s a must-visit if you’re ever in Warsaw.

 

Read about International Forest Day that happened earlier this year.

 

Discovering the Future: Research at Edinburgh Napier University image of 3 researchers and a robot

Discovering the Future: Research at Edinburgh Napier University

05/07/2025 / / 0 Comments

Discovering the Future: Research at Edinburgh Napier University

When you think of cutting-edge research, you might picture sprawling labs, scientists in white coats, and complex algorithms running on glowing screens. You’ll find all that—and much more—at Edinburgh Napier University (ENU).

Whether it’s developing AI systems to solve real-world problems, helping veterans reintegrate into civilian life, or leading the charge in sustainable construction, ENU is quietly making a big impact. It’s not just a place to study—it’s a place where ideas come to life.

Let’s take a look at some of the exciting research happening across the university—and how you can get involved.

Research with Purpose

One of the things that makes research at ENU so dynamic is its clear focus on real-world challenges. The university’s work is guided by four key themes:

  • AI & Advanced Technologies

  • Health

  • Culture & Communities

  • Environment

These aren’t just buzzwords. They shape everything from collaborative projects to the kinds of PhDs being offered. You can read more on our research webpages.

Cutting-Edge Tech on Campus

In 2024, ENU took a big leap forward by launching ENUCC—a brand-new high-performance computing (HPC) and AI cluster. It gives researchers and students serious computing power to run simulations, analyse big data, and build AI models.

It’s part of a wider push to make sure students and staff have access to the kind of tech that fuels innovation. Read more about it here: ENU launches new HPC and AI cluster

Cool Projects You Should Know About

Cool Projects You Should Know About

ENU is home to some seriously innovative projects and research centres. Here are just a few standouts:

Swarmchestrate: An EU-funded project using swarm computing and blockchain to develop smart, autonomous digital systems. Think of it as nature-inspired tech!

In 2023, a team of Edinburgh Napier University students participated in a pioneering construction project in Guangxi, China. They collaborated with local universities to build the world’s first bamboo-timber composite gridshell structure. This innovative project aimed to explore sustainable building methods to combat climate change. Among the participants were female students like Devika Vijayan, Alice June Davyson, and Zara Anam Rafiq, who contributed their expertise in architectural technology and civil engineering. The project was led by PhD student Yanghao Pei and supervised by faculty members, including Dr. Ahmed Mohamed.

Research into supporting Scotland’s armed forces at the Centre for Military Research and Public Engagement: Housed at the historic Craiglockhart campus, this centre explores topics like PTSD, military transitions, and veteran education.

Innovation Support & Opportunities

If you’re a student, early-career researcher, or even an entrepreneur, ENU has support for you through its Innovation Hub. From Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) to funding for start-ups and seed grants, the university is serious about turning ideas into action.

You can check out what’s on offer here:
ENU Innovation Hub
Research, Innovation & Enterprise Blog

Events & Community

From the ENclusion Conference on equity and inclusion to innovation meetups, ENU offers loads of opportunities to get involved, network, and learn.

One highlight is the annual ENclusion Conference, a day-long event packed with talks, panels, and practical sessions.

The Library

Libraries are essential to research because they provide access to high-quality, credible resources—books, journals, databases, and archives—that researchers need to build on existing knowledge. They offer expert support in information literacy, data management, and referencing, helping researchers work efficiently and ethically. Libraries also preserve knowledge and ensure long-term access to scholarly work, including open-access materials and institutional repositories. Simply put, libraries are the backbone of academic research, connecting people with the information and tools they need to discover, question, and innovate. Start your research journey at one of our campus Libraries or by using our wealth of online resources found at librarysearch.napier.ac.uk.

Don’t forget all the useful information on our Library webpages, including study guides and lists of resources.

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

Edinburgh Napier University is fast becoming a major leader in Research. Whether it’s AI, sustainability, social justice, or health tech, ENU’s research is focused on creating a better future.

So if you’re curious, creative, and ready to make a difference, this is a great place to start.

Want to know more? Dive into ENU’s Research and Innovation pages or explore funding and partnership opportunities through the Innovation Hub.

By Juliet Kinsey

Read more on research at Edinburgh Napier University here on our Blog, with our latest post on Women in Stem

Graduation

ENU Alumni Network

03/07/2025 / / 0 Comments

ENU Alumni Network

Graduations are soon, and we want to say many congratulations to the class of 2025 but it doesn’t mean your time with Edinburgh Napier is over.

Join the ENU Alumni network today.

ENU Alumni Network

165,000 members

183 countries

1 ENU Alumni Network

What is ENU Alumni Network

The alumni community has members across the world. There is no sign-up required as alumni are automatically enrolled on graduation day. The Alumni Team is responsible for helping these graduates stay in touch with each other and the University and organising opportunities that will help them advance in their careers.

Benefits of Joining Alumni Network:

There are opportunities to get involved with the alumni community all over the world. This network can help you take your career to the next level, breathe new life into your business, help you reminisce about University life and more.

Events programme

The Alumni Team runs a robust international events programme. Activities include business networking events, programme celebration reunions and alumni receptions.

Career opportunities

Alumni retain access to Student Futures’ careers support for two years after graduation. Entrepreneurial graduates have lifelong access to Bright Red Triangle, the University’s enterprise hub. The Alumni Team also organises other initiatives that will support graduates throughout their careers, such as digital networking groups.

Study Opportunities:

Looking to do a postgraduate degree at Edinburgh Napier, as an alumni member, you can receive a 20% discount on tuition fees for the first of your full-time course (Terms and conditions apply). Library access is free when applying 12 months after graduation. After this, it is 50% off library membership meaning for £20, you can have full access to library books and spaces. Please note you won’t have access to e-resources.

Keeping in touch

The above are just a couple of examples of how the Alumni Team supports the Edinburgh Napier alumni community, however, there are many other opportunities and benefits available to graduates. It’s important that alumni to keep their contact information up to date and follow the alumni’s social media channels so the Alumni Team to share information with them.

Learn more about the ENU Alumni Network: https://www.napier.ac.uk/alumni

Or contact the Alumni Team on: alumni@napier.ac.uk

Alumni can join networking groups to meet fellow alumni, share ideas or ask for advice. By keeping in touch with the University after graduation, you will also receive invitations to networking events, reunion get-togethers, further study opportunities and hear about upcoming activities that will help you in your future career.

Keep in touch and stay connected.

And remember the library blog for all updates.

 

Safer Internet Day

AI and Libraries

26/06/2025 / / 0 Comments

AI and Libraries

AI (Artificial Intelligence) has several “connotations arising from strong public imagination fuelled by scientific fiction and other popular media forms”.  It can be viewed as an “evolving” technology rather than a single idea, which includes and not limited to, machine learning, solving and making decisions (Davis 2024). AI can be found in healthcare, transport and finance, growing and expanding rapidly into different services and industries.

With this, AI has been a topic of discussion in academia for a while, with much of the talk focusing on its implications for higher education. And this conversation includes libraries.

What does AI mean for libraries?

It’s not a unique question. Nearly 30 years ago, libraries were wrangling the exact same question regarding Google and Audiobooks/readers. However, libraries are still here. We simply adapted, something we have been doing throughout our 1000-year history.

We adapt, adjust and reinvent.

Digital advancements have brought a reinvention and transformation of our resources, spaces and technologies.

The demand for physical items has declined while the e-book format has thrived. E-book circulation in the United States was 662 million in 2023 and is expected to surge to 1 billion by 2030. In a span of 10 years, libraries in the USA have seen computer usage go from 4 million in 2010 to 250 million in 2020 (Meesad, 2024).

These figures don’t reflect a threat but a change. They reflect the augmentation of library services and engagement.

“Librarians are uniquely positioned to rise to the challenge that AI presents to their field. Libraries and their like have existed for millennia; they progress with society, altering and adapting their services to meet the information needs of their communities. Academic libraries today have greatly expanded their digital offerings, not just to include electronic books or journal articles but also to support software application discovery and use. Some academic libraries might say they lack a fundamental knowledge of AI or that they are ill-equipped to speak on the subject, and yet they have likely been interacting with AI through the different types of software applications they support. At the very least, they have accounted for and mastered the art of the search algorithm.” (Nevis 2022)

Libraries are already becoming increasingly digital, with e-versions of print items becoming more popular than their physical counterpart. Study spaces are more reflective of digital needs. AI is perhaps more present in libraries than some people might know. The introduction of chatbots, sleeker interfaces, and predictive searching in catalogues.

Smart Libraries

We are hearing about smart libraries. Although the term dates to the 1960s with the emergence of tagging books (Farkhari, F., CheshmehSohrabi, M., & Karshenas, H. (2024). It has seen a resurgence in conservation. The term smart libraries is flexible in definition. Smart stands for Services, Methods, Automation, Resources and Technology. For a library to be deemed smart, it can be because the library offers self-service for patrons, e-resources, wifi, printers, green technology and even automated doors (Orji, Anyira 2021). Smart libraries are really libraries with some form of digital offering (Kumar, G. Chikkamanju, (2024).

Smart Library services include

  • Library marketing and engagement
  • Discussion forms
  • Electronic board services
  • Contact the librarian
  • Digital references
  • Portals
  • Virtual library tours

 

(Kumar, Chikkamanju 2024)

 

As the term smart libraries is not a new term, the qualification for being smart is to have some digital aspect. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that libraries are currently in their smart era. But when technology evolves, so will this concept.

Future technologies aren’t far away for libraries, and some of these technologies are already integrated or will be. And while it can be seen to bring opportunities for libraries rather than threatening their existence, that doesn’t mean there aren’t limitations, risks, or concerns.

 

The Risks of AI in Libraries

For every pro for AI in libraries, there is a flipside with a con.  It is important to acknowledge the risks and concerns before proceeding.

AI is known for finding information, and it is used in search engines. All you need to do is search for a question for ChatGPT. And it can assist librarians and library systems in this regard, but it is not without issues. AI poses issues regarding the privacy and confidentiality of library users.

It’s great for patrons to have more personalised searches than general ones. AI can provide more results that patrons want. However, it poses problems of limiting information for the patron. AI has cultural bias; being Western-centric, which can skew information provided (Darrell Gunter 2024).  Providing a certain representation limits different opinions and views, which shrinks the understanding of results.  And back to the point of personalised searches, it means offering information that you think the user would like, rather than what would be useful or interesting, which again limits search results and information (Liblime 2024). Libraries are information hubs; this is what makes them wonderful. A library user can enter a library knowing nothing about a topic but leave knowing everything. AI personalising results and having a Western focus can take away from that.

And then there are ethical issues to consider. For these personalised searches to occur, AI needs to learn from users and access their personal data. Libraries are committed to user confidentiality, which AI can jeopardise by learning from the users.

AI can assist with searching, but there is a possibility of bias and narrow results.  And it might reduce the art of searching itself. AI can create co-dependency. Why do you need to filter search thousands of options on a catalogue when AI can bring up the direct results? This adds to the concern of library users not using libraries to their full potential, but instead receiving limited knowledge.  And in turn can ruin critical thinking.

Again, sticking with the flip side of the coin regarding the pros and cons. AI-assisted tools can aid digital literacy skills by making understanding easier.  It can also deepen the divide. People who already have a basic knowledge of digital skills will grasp these technologies more easily, given an unfair start. To combat this divide, libraries would require more resources, funding to teach users, which not all libraries can provide. Libraries in poorer areas will be disadvantaged already in covering this divide.

 

Conclusion

It is clear that for every benefit that AI can provide, there is a counterargument. It is important to acknowledge both pros and cons. These technologies are impending for libraries, and it is up to libraries to implement and use them. AI is the future technology; it is available in every service and industry, and libraries will not be the exception.

Libraries can work with these technologies, but we need to understand the wider picture before taking up the brush.

By Maya Green

 

References

 

Davis, J. (2024). Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Academic Libraries: A Leadership Perspective. College & Research Libraries News, 85(8), 347. doi:https://doi.org/10.5860/crln.85.8.347

Farkhari, F., CheshmehSohrabi, M., & Karshenas, H. (2024). Smart library: Reflections on concepts, aspects and technologies. Journal of Information Science, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/01655515241260715

Kumar, G. Chikkamanju, (2024) Smart Libraries in the Digital Era: An Overview. Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research https://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2401582.pdf

Meesad, P., Mingkhwan, A. (2024). AI-Powered Smart Digital Libraries. In: Libraries in Transformation. Studies in Big Data, vol 157. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-69216-

Meesad, P., Mingkhwan, A. (2024). Future Vision: Libraries as Digital-Era Beacons. In: Libraries in Transformation. Studies in Big Data, vol 157. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-69216-1_5

Nevi, E. (2022) New from ACRL The Rise of AI https://acrl.ala.org/acrlinsider/new-from-acrl-the-rise-of-ai/

Orji, Sotonye & Anyira, Isaac. (2021). What is “Smart” About Smart Libraries?. International Journal of Research in Library Science. 7. 265-271. 10.26761/IJRLS.7.4.2021.1482.

Unwelcome AI: Examining the negative impacts on Libraries, Liblime Empowering Librarians 2024

Senthilkumar, K. R. (Ed.). (2024). AI-Assisted Library Reconstruction (First edition.). Information Science Reference.

Cyberweek may have passed but you can still read about it

Writing

National Writing Day 2025

25/06/2025 / / 0 Comments

National Writing Day 2025

It’s National Writing Day – an annual celebration of the power that writing holds as well as the joy that can be found in writing recreationally and creatively. National Writing Day normally takes place in the third week of June every year and was first established in 2017 a charity organisation named First Story, whose fundamental objectives primarily centre around enhancing literacy skills and creative thinking among young people. Writing itself is a potent tool fostering effective communication, personal growth and development, active learning and the sharing of ideas among individuals, communities and across the globe as a whole.

Since its launch, National Writing Day has evolved into a nationwide annual celebration, with thousands of participants engaging with it on a yearly basis. It has helped many individuals to rekindle with or develop a love of and passion for writing. Writing takes many different forms as well. Some of these can include:

  • Short stories.
  • Novels
  • Non-fiction books and studies.
  • Poetry
  • Essays
  • Journals
  • Letters
  • Transcripts

 

There are, of course, many more! In terms of writing styles, the four main styles of writing are descriptive, persuasive, narrative and expository. Writing empowers individuals through communication and allows them to express themselves or their ideas in various ways, as well as share unique perspectives and have their voices heard. A love of writing and reading also coincides significantly, meaning that this annual celebration of writing ultimately fosters a love of storytelling and reading as well, which are fundamental aspects of education and lifelong learning. This is a huge part of why this yearly event is celebrated widely across educational institutions and schools as well as cultural organisations across the nation. It is promoted to individuals of all ages, backgrounds and literary skills, with each institution celebrating or promoting the event, often hosting a writing challenge or competition with a set unique theme.

 

How can you celebrate National Writing Day…

If you are a university student currently, it is very likely (in fact, we can pretty much guarantee) that you have been doing a lot of writing over this semester and year for assignments, essays and exams. Your hand probably hurts just thinking about writing. Nevertheless, the summertime for many presents an ideal opportunity to make creative writing a newfound hobby (or perhaps a former hobby to rekindle with!) Maybe there was a novel, short story or poem you were working on before exam and deadline season kicked into full swing, or perhaps you had been previously finishing up a personal piece or blog post? Either way, there are many more ways in which you can take part in National Writing Day, including:

  • Joining a creative writing group, club or event hosted at a local school, community centre or library.
  • Taking part in writing challenges advertised online and sharing your work on social media platforms.
  • Checking out events or free resources centred around National Writing Day to inspire creativity.

 

Want to learn more about creative writing and the art of storytelling? Here are some book recommendations from Edinburgh Napier libraries – all of which can be found and requested though our library catalogue LibrarySearch.

 

  • The Creative Writing Handbook: Techniques for New Writers, Singleton, John, 1938-; Luckhurst, Mary. 2nd ed.; 2000. Available at Merchiston Campus Library.
  • The Story Factor: Secrets of Influence from the Art of Storytelling. Simmons, Annette. Author. Revised edition.; 2006. Available at Sighthill Campus Library.

 

By Rachel Downie

 

Photo credit goes to Ylanite Koppens at Pexels.

 

Read about Shakespeare Day

International Surfing Day

International Surfing Day

21/06/2025 / / 0 Comments

International Surfing Day

The 21st of June this year will mark International Surfing Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the sport of surfing, as well as our oceans and beaches, so we thought we’d take the chance to talk quickly about surfing here in Scotland.
The day was established in twenty years ago in a joint effort by Surfing Magazine and the environmental charity The Surfrider Foundation, to establish a day dedicated to encouraging us to appreciate the ocean. In the past twenty years, it has become a day celebrated around the world, with festivals in Morocco, Canada, and Japan.

Now, when you think of surfing, your mind probably goes to warmer climates than here in Scotland, but we’re actually quite a popular destination for surfers around the world. The sea surrounding Scotland has a reputation for strong and consistent waves, resulting in many areas around the country becoming popular surfing spots. For example, Thurso, on the north coast of the country in Caithness, is a very popular surfing spot due to the strong and fast waves of the North Sea.
Just outside of Edinburgh, we have Lost Shore Surf Resort, an inland surf resort that houses Europe’s largest artificial wave pool.

Even here at Napier we have our own Napier Surf Club, where students meet for regular surfing trips and social events, even travelling up north to take part in the annual Scottish Student Surf Championship!
You can learn more about the surf club here!

A few years ago, we actually partnered with Lost Shore Surf Resort to collaborate on research into surfing, resulting in the creation of the Surf Lab. The surf lab will be looking at areas such as surf therapy and, development of equipment. This continues Edinburgh Napier’s involvement in pioneering work in surf research, following the completion of the world’s first PhD in Surf Therapy by Napier student Jamie Marshall. You can read more about Jamie and his PhD work at Napier here!

This is a brief blog about some surfing sites in Scotland. We hope you all take this unusually hot weekend here in Scotland to enjoy the beach!

By Matthew Ferrie

Summer is here, enjoy

Photo by Jeremy Bishop

men health

Men’s Health Week

10/06/2025 / / 0 Comments

Men’s Health Week

This week marks Men’s Health Week, an initiative started by Men’s Health Forum dedicated to encouraging open discussion of physical and mental health issues affecting men. One in five men in the UK pass away before the age of 65, with 75% of deaths from premature heart disease being from men. Speaking anecdotally, I never met either of my grandfathers, as both of them passed away from heart and respiratory issues in their early 50s. Additionally, there has long been a social taboo around the discussion of men’s emotional issues, allowing mental health issues to fester in the male population.

Men’s Health Forum was started with the mission of breaking the stigma around discussing issues of men’s health, especially mental and emotional health, and to encourage the public to take a proactive role in improving men’s health, while also drawing attention to gaps in data relevant to men’s health.

Men’s Health Week is just one of the ways they hope to achieve their goals, with each year seeing them partner with organisations across the UK to put a spotlight on these issues, as well as the resources that are available to anyone who needs them. This year, Men’s Health Forum is focusing on explaining why there is a need for a men’s Healthcare strategy, as well as urging the government to put more focus on tackling healthcare issues with the NHS. Additionally, the Men’s Health Top 5 is a handy list of resources created as part of prior men’s health weeks.

Napier Support

We at Napier take the issue of men’s health among our student body very seriously, just as we care for the health of all our students. As such, we have several resources available to any male student who requires support in this area. As part of our library catalogue, we have the Wellbeing Collection, available in all of our libraries, consisting of books that provide advice to our students who are in need of support with social, mental, or healthcare issues, as well as study tips and general life advice. In this collection are books such as Man Down: A Guide for Men on Mental Health (Available in our Sighthill Collection) which provides advice for men on how to tackle issues such as anxiety and depression, how to handle stress, and how to communicate with others, as well as Boys Don’t Cry (Available at Craiglockhart) which deals with the experience of suffering from depression as a man, and the social stigma associated with discussing one’s feelings. Although these books are housed on different campus libraries, you can use the Napier LibrarySearch to request for them to be reserved for you and sent to a different campus library.
Additionally, our Merchiston campus is now home to Andy’s Man’s Club, a charity dedicated to providing men with a space where they can openly discuss their experiences with mental illness. The club is hosted at Merchiston campus on Mondays from 7pm to 9pm in room A55. You can find out more about the club through the introductory video available on the university youtube channel.

We hope that the resources available through the university are able to provide support for any of our students in need, as they look after their physical and mental well-being. Several of our staff have been trained in providing support to those in need, or can provide contact details for those who are capable of providing support, so please don’t be afraid to approach them if you feel you need help.

By Matthew Ferrie

Photo by Dawid Łabno

Our blog post ranging mental health awareness

wellbeing study skills inclusion

Loneliness awareness week 

09/06/2025 / / 0 Comments

Loneliness awareness week

This week marks Loneliness Awareness Week, so we here at the library blog would like to discuss what Loneliness Awareness Week is, why it is important, and the support the university can provide for you if you are feeling lonely.

There has been much talk in recent years about a heightened feeling of loneliness experienced by many people in the UK, with nearly half of of adults in the UK reporting that they experience feelings of loneliness, and around 7% saying they feel lonely most of the time. This trend has only intensified following the COVID-19 pandemic, with the pandemic resulting in many feeling isolated and disconnected from others. Studies have shown that levels of social engagement have yet to return to their pre-pandemic levels.
Loneliness can have a terrible impact on a person’s emotional and mental state, with studies showing it results in poorer sleep quality, a general lack of self-confidence, and potentially results in issues such as depression and anxiety.
Additionally, in recent years, people aged 16 to 34 years old are one of the groups most at-risk for experiencing feelings of loneliness. With the experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic making it clear how important social interaction is for many people, there have been efforts to raise awareness about what has been referred to as the “Loneliness Epidemic”, with Loneliness Awareness Week being one such way of raising awareness.

Loneliness awareness

Loneliness Awareness Week was started by Marmalade Trust, an award-winning charity dedicated to combating social loneliness by helping lonely people to make new connections, as well as aiming to reduce the social stigma associated with loneliness. This is done through the organisation of social events at local venues, as well as making doorstep visits to people who are unable to leave their homes. Further support is provided through online webinars that instruct people in how to manage loneliness.
The trust itself has its origins with Amy Perrin, the founder of the trust, who, through her work as a health professional,l met several older people in her local area who were experiencing Christmas alone. Amy was inspired to organise a Christmas event for local people in Bristol spending Christmas alone, and this event rapidly grew in size. Seeing the positive impact it had on others, Amy decided to expand her efforts and recruit volunteers to organise further events, taking the Marmalade name as a tribute to Paddington Bear. From there, the charity has only grown and grown, with Amy being awarded an OBE last year for her charity work.
Anyone is free to take part in promoting the week and combating loneliness by organising local events for people to meet each other and build. You can check here to find handy resources to help you set up a local event. These include resources tailored for use with businesses, local community groups, or even just some local people setting up an event themselves.

Support at Napier

Furthermore, we here at the Napier library have some resources that any of our students are free to use if they feel they are experiencing loneliness. All of our libraries have a Wellbeing Collection, with books dedicated to providing support and advice to those in need. These books cover a variety of topics, and one of these topics is to provide support for those experiencing loneliness. These include self-help books such as The Cure for Loneliness by Bill Howatt (available in the Craiglockhart wellbeing collection) which contains advice from counsellor Bill Howatts on how to handle feeling lonely, as well as novels which feature social loneliness as a major theme, such as Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (a book that I’d highly recommend personally)
Additionally, Napier Student Support is there to provide any students with advice and counselling for any issues you may have, including if you are feeling isolated at university.

If anybody reading this finds themselves feeling lonely and socially isolated, then we hope any of these resources can provide you with any of the help you need.

By Matthew Ferrie

You can access the wellbeing collection from the top tab on the blog

Ocean reef

World Oceans Day 2024

08/06/2025 / / 0 Comments

World Oceans Day 2024

It is World Oceans Day 2024. It’s not exactly a catchy title, but the theme of this year’s World Oceans Day is “catalyzing action for our ocean and climate”. Phew. The founders of the event, which is celebrated every year on the 8th of June, are hoping to build a worldwide movement, bringing together activists, politicians and business leaders, as well as ordinary citizens, to save our oceans from the ongoing climate crisis.

Protect our Oceans

They want to protect and restore natural coastal and ocean ecosystems, stop fossil fuel extraction, phase out production of single use plastics, and build a healthier, more abundant future for all.

Those are lofty ambitions to be sure. But here’s why: the oceans cover two-thirds of our planet. Life wouldn’t exist without them, but they face constant threats from plastics, overfishing, biodiversity loss, polluted runoff from land, ocean acidification, rising sea levels, and coastal overdevelopment.

Let’s take one of those threats. According to the Environmental Investigation Agency, every year 13 million tonnes of plastics enter the world’s oceans, and that staggering figure is set to quadruple by 2050.

Here’s another: illegal fishing in Mexico’s Gulf of California has led to the rapid decline of the vaquita, the world’s most endangered marine mammal.

It’s easy to despair in the face of such grim statistics. But we can all do our bit to start to reverse the damage done to the oceans. If you can’t campaign yourself, you can connect with other concerned citizens and organizations. At the very least, we can all be more mindful of the way we use and dispose of plastics. And next time you’re at the beach, rejoice in the life-giving power of the oceans.

By Lesley McRobb

Photo Naja Bertolt Jensen

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