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Person on Computer - Edinburgh Napier’s repository – a home for the university’s research

Edinburgh Napier’s Repository – a home for the university’s research

28/11/2022 / / 0 Comments

Edinburgh Napier’s repository – a home for the university’s research

A repository is a kind of digital archive for storing all the research outputs created by a university’s academics and researchers. Most importantly, it also makes much of this research publicly available for everyone to read and download. The Edinburgh Napier Research Repository is the home for Edinburgh Napier’s research. We moved to the current repository platform earlier this year, so it might look a little different now if you were familiar with the old one.

Open Access

Making research open access in the repository benefits researchers whose work can be more widely read and cited. It’s also great for students who can access research much more easily. Almost every university has a repository now.  so you can use aggregator services like CORE to find research from around the world. CORE includes the 20,000+ outputs from Napier’s repository and millions more as well. Take a look at our open-access LibGuide with more tips for finding open-access research.

 

 

Screen shot of the University Research Repository

Screenshot of the University Research Repository

 

 

WorkTribe

For Edinburgh Napier academics and researchers who want to curate their own profile or add new research outputs to the repository, just log in to Worktribe using your usual university credentials. If you need any help, check out the support pages on the intranet or feel free to email repository@napier.ac.uk with any questions about open access – including publishing open-access journal articles using one of the library’s publisher deals.

The repository is not just for academic staff though. In fact, Research students can be set up with a profile if they have publications to share. Furthermore, all postgraduate theses awarded by Edinburgh Napier are made available in the repository and then included in the British Library’s national thesis collection for anyone to read.

And that’s what repositories are all about. Making it easier for everyone to find and share the knowledge our universities create.

 

By Stuart Lawson

 

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Come visit our Library and see Picture of Books

Come visit our Library and see…

24/10/2022 / / 0 Comments

Come visit the libraries and see…

 

What delights lie behind the cover of an unopened book?

What adventures could you embark upon, and what new things you will learn, by simply turning the pages one by one?

Who’ll be hiding there amongst the pages, friend or foe you’ve never seen or met before, or someone that seems a little familiar to you, someone you know?

What places will your imagination create and visit? what other delights

and challenges will you overcome and experience?

OR will you just delve into something academic?

To learn and expand your understanding & knowledge of your subject area?

But this can be done in so many ways, by firing your imagination and taking the plunge outside of your comfort zone.

Working together in a group study area or having a quiet conversation, exchanging ideas whilst searching the web to cross-reference.

Will you delve into something new, or just dip in your toe?

There’s so much to choose from, drama, thriller, horror, fantasy or an autobiography and maybe even a little poetry, to mention a few.

Then there’s all the academic books and journals, shelf help and DVDs too. The list is pretty much endless I believe.

Will you find an interesting new genre to read, a new favourite writer, who knows?

Will you carry your books in your bag remembering to self-issue them?

Or choose to read them online instead?

Will you use the library catalogue with exact search terms to narrow and focus your search?

Or maybe not to broaden the results to see what else comes up or falls into that category of yours?

Will you ask for help if you’re unsure of what to do, to find what you’re looking for?

We promise we’ll do our best to assist.

Will you chop and change your study environment, find what suits you best, or choose to work from home?

I’ll leave that decision up to you.

But do come to visit the library and see what you could read to broaden your mind and how the environment has changed and is different from a long, long time ago.

Links

https://my.napier.ac.uk/library

Read more on our blog:

Such as how to use LibrarySearch, our online Catalog in our article: A Quick Guide to finding a book with LibrarySearch or how to find a book on the shelf in our article: The Dewey Decimal Classification System

View of Edinburgh Places to Visit in Lesser Known Edinburgh

Places to Visit in Lesser Known Edinburgh

17/10/2022 / / 0 Comments

Places to Visit in Lesser Known Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyrood and Greyfriar’s Bobby statue are some of the most popular attractions for visitors to Edinburgh.  However, there are lots of other attractions which are less well-known but just as interesting and pleasant to visit. Here are a few of them:

Museum of Childhood

This can be found on the Royal Mile but is often overlooked by guidebooks. A treasure trove of old children’s toys, games, clothes and playthings.

The People’s Story

Housed in the Canongate Tolbooth at the bottom of the Royal Mile it houses collections which tell the stories of the working-class people of Edinburgh from the late 18th century to the present day using oral history, reminiscence and written sources.

The Pentland Hills Regional Park

Just south of Edinburgh these hills are the highest points around the city and are often covered in snow in the winter. There are many walks over the hills with an abundance of wildlife. There is also a dry ski slope should you want to try out a new pastime. Easily accessible on public transport.

Dean Village

Situated five minutes away from Princes Street, visitors can find the Dean Village, a beautiful oasis right by the Water of Leith. In the past the village housed mills of various kinds, and the remnants of the industry can still be seen today. Look out for mill stones and carved stone plaques with baked bread and pies. Follow the walkway along the Water of Leith and you will come to the impressive Dean Bridge designed by Thomas Telford, and the classical temple of St Bernard’s Well.

Places to visit in Edinburgh Dean Village

Surgeon’s Hall Museums

Just a short walk from the Royal Mile, the Surgeon’s Hall Museums are a unique collection. Full of surgical tools, fascinating paintings and more than a few body parts in jars. Learn about the evolution of surgery throughout the ages and find how great Scottish minds brought us some of the medical breakthroughs we take for granted today. The present Surgeon’s Hall was designed by William Henry Playfair and completed in 1832. It is a category A listed building.

Gardens – Dr. Neil’s Garden

This is located beside Duddingston Kirk on the lower slopes of Arthur’s Seat. Created from a wilderness by Drs Nancy and Andrew Neil. Two features of particular interest are the physic garden, which grows medicinal plants, and Thomson’s Tower. It was constructed in 1825 and was originally built for the Duddingston Curling Society. This was back when frozen lochs were the grounds for curling and other winter sports.

Kyoto Friendship Garden

This Japanese garden can be found in the grounds of Lauriston Castle in the Edinburgh suburb of Cramond. With bamboo shelters to picnic in, breath-taking views over Cramond Island to the Firth of Forth, avenues of blossom trees and calming water features. It’s no surprise that it is rated one of the top three Japanese gardens in Britain. The garden was created to celebrate the twinning of the towns of Edinburgh and the prefecture of Kyoto in Japan. It was opened in 2002. Its official name is ‘Castle Garden to Water and Beyond’. Continue reading

Black History Month Bannerr

Black History Month

11/10/2022 / / 0 Comments

Black History Month

October marks Black History Month in the United Kingdom.

Known as the ‘Father of Black History, Carter Godwin Woodson brought forward the celebration of Black History in 1926 in the United States. Initially, it was the second week of February, as Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass celebrated their birthdays. But in February 1969, at Kent State University, it was proposed that it should be a whole month and the first Black History Month was celebrated at Kent State a year later.  President Gerald Ford became the first President to recognise Black History Month in 1976.

Black History Month in the United Kingdom

Black History Month was first celebrated in the United Kingdom in October 1987. That year marked the 150th anniversary of Caribbean emancipation, the centenary birth of Jamaican political activist Marcus Garvey and the 25th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity. October also coincides with the start of the Academic year. It was seen as an opportunity to bring in mainstream education. As organiser Akyaaba Abdai-Sebo recalled

‘I was stirred up in the mid-1980s by the identity crisis that Black children faced. A crisis of identity faced us squarely despite the Race Awareness campaigns of the Greater London Council and the Inner London Education Authority. More had to be done and so I conceived an annual celebration of the contributions of Africa, Africans, and people of African descent to world civilisation’ Source Link

At first, there was a focus on Black American History, but the emphasis shifted to ‘recognise the contributions and achievements of those with African or Caribbean heritage in the UK (BBC)

Decolonising our Collections

Here at the Library, all our Librarians are working hard to decolonise and improve the diversity of our Library collections. We realise the importance and significance of the work we need to do here at the Library. Not just when celebrating Black History Month but all year round to make our Library inclusive to all.

You can see some newly added books on our BIPOC virtual bookshelf.

More Information

Remember to check out our library/book displays at each campus site.

You can find out more including details on all the events that are taking place across the country at:

https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/

Also, check out our Library catalogue for more information on Black history and to see new titles we have added.

By Maya Green

Libraries week 2022 Logo

Libraries Week 2022

28/09/2022 / / 0 Comments

Libraries Week 2022

Libraries Week is an annual event held to celebrate the best that libraries have to offer. This year, Libraries Week takes place between the 3rd and 9th of October and will focus on the vital role libraries play in supporting individuals of all ages to access lifelong learning.

As part of Libraries Week, Edinburgh Napier Libraries and the University’s Special Collections are offering tours of the War Poets Collection led by our Special Collections Curator, Laura Cooijmans-Keizer.

The War Poets collectionLibraries week 2022

War Poets Collection 

It was at Craiglockhart War Hospital during the First World War, that Wilfred Owen (1893-1918) and Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967) first met and where some of their greatest poetry was inspired and written. As a tribute to these and other WWI poets, the University established the War Poets Collection in 1988, on the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice. Since then, the collection has grown to include other histories, incorporating items from the building’s first establishment as a Hydropathic – the predecessor of a modern Spa – up to its current use as a campus of Edinburgh Napier University.

If you’d like to come along and learn more about this fascinating collection, Laura will be providing 30-minute tours of the War Poets Exhibition at Edinburgh Napier University’s Craiglockhart campus on the 6th and 7th of October. The exhibition provides a glimpse into the daily lives of the poets, patients, and medical staff at Craiglockhart during the time when the building was used as a war hospital. The collection features contemporary photographs, books, film, audio, and memorabilia, and offers visitors a unique insight into the important personal, social, and medical achievements that occurred within the walls of Craiglockhart War Hospital.

Book a tour

To book a place on one of the tours visit our Training and Events Calendar.

You can read previous blog articles on the War Poets Collection:

The Poet and the Doctor, Craiglockhart War Hospital 1917 (War Poets Collection)

War Poets Collection: Remembering Siegfried Sassoon

Visit our website to find out about all our Special Collections.

By Sarah Jeffcott

Picture of the Library Bookshelves

What has changed over Summer at the Library

20/09/2022 / / 0 Comments

What has changed over Summer at the Library

This post is to update returning students on changes to the Library over the Summer

We hope you had a great summer and enjoyed the break from your studies. We wanted to update you on what has changed in our campus libraries for the new academic year.

All covid-19 restrictions have been lifted. This means you no longer need to wear a face covering in the library, but please feel free to do so if you will feel safer.  There are no longer any social distancing measures. So we have removed seat covers and cross stickers from desks, meaning all study spaces are available for use. We are still providing hand sanitisers throughout the libraries.

Group study rooms are back to normal capacity, although we would recommend advance booking using Resource Booker to ensure you get the room and time slot you prefer.

We will be resuming library tours at the beginning of term.

If you are visiting Craiglockhart campus you will see that we have removed unused bookshelves to create more study spaces and a larger relaxation space.

Here’s a reminder of our continuing services:

Our self-service kiosks are available so you can borrow and return books even when helpdesks are closed.

Lapsafes are still available for laptop loans and returns during campus opening hours.

Our Click and Collect service will continue to allow you to request books which can be picked up during campus opening hours from the Click and Collect shelves.

The inter library loan service is still available if you would like to access materials which Edinburgh Napier does not stock.

Remember all payments for fines, postal loans and print credit are made online.

Library opening hours can be viewed here.

 

If you have any questions, you can contact the library at any time.

We look forward to seeing you all again in September!

Want more information on the library? Read our article on Library welcome week here

By Vivienne Hamilton

The War Poets: Siegfried Sassoon and Dr Brock. Image from the Collection

The War Poets Collection: Siegfried Sassoon and Dr Brock

09/09/2022 / / 0 Comments

The War Poets Collection: Siegfried Sassoon and Dr Brock

We greatly value the Library’s War Poets Collection, housed at our Craiglockhart campus, and this week we’d like to highlight two anniversaries connected with the Collection. Read on to find out more about The War Poets Collection: Siegfried Sassoon and Dr Brock.

Siegfried Loraine Sassoon

Siegfried Loraine Sassoon was born in Kent on 8th September 1886 and signed up for active service on the very day the UK declared war on Germany – 4th August 1914. Sent to the Western Front, he soon earned himself the nickname “mad Jack”, such was his exceptional and reckless bravery on the battlefield. In fact, Sassoon’s actions were so inspiring that he was awarded the Military Cross in 1916.

Nevertheless, Sassoon developed a bitter and abiding opposition to the War and was threatened with court-martial for writing an anti-war declaration that was read out in Parliament. Afterwards, he was sent to Craiglockhart, then a military psychiatric hospital, for treatment for what was then known as shell shock.
It was at Craiglockhart that Sassoon met fellow poet Wilfred Owen in 1917. Through mutual encouragement, their poetry flourished, and today they’re regarded as two of the greatest artists to emerge from World War I.

Sassoon survived the Great War and continued writing for the rest of his life. We have copies of his collected poems which you can access by logging into LibrarySearch

John Arthur Brock

Local lad, John Arthur Brock was born on the 9th of September 1878 in Kirkliston, just outside Edinburgh. After qualifying as a medical doctor, he worked for spells in Vienna and Berlin before returning to his native city.

Dr Brock was one of the doctors who treated the soldiers at Craiglockhart Hospital for shellshock, or neurasthenia as he called it. The characteristics of neurasthenia, he believed, were “dissociation, disintegration and split personality” and the way to treat it was holistically, specifically by reintegrating patients with their environment and restoring community links. This often meant hard physical work.

In volume 60 (2005) of the Journal of the history of medicine and allied sciences, David Cantor quotes Siegfried Sassoon remembering that Dr Brock “pushed his patients out of bed in the dark cold mornings and marched them out for a walk before breakfast. Rumour has it that they bolted themselves into lavatories and bathrooms (the bolts had been removed) but he was wise to that”. (Department of Documents, Imperial War Museum, London).

Brock retained a life-long interest in the treatment of psychiatric illnesses. In 1925 he moved to North Queensferry and established a convalescent home for nervous patients.

The War Poets Collection further Information

To find out more about The War Poets Collection: Siegfried Sassoon and Dr Brock, visit the collection online on our special collections website. You can also visit the collection at our Craiglockhart Campus, but please check access times in advance.

Read more about the War Poets on our blog:

War Poets Collection: Remembering Siegfried Sassoon

The Poet and the Doctor, Craiglockhart War Hospital 1917 (War Poets Collection)

Let’s leave the last words of this piece to Sassoon:

Does it Matter?
Does it matter – losing your legs?…
For people will always be kind,
And you need not show that you mind
When the others come in from hunting
To gobble their muffins and eggs.

Does it matter – losing your sight? …
There’s such splendid work for the blind;
And people will always be kind,
As you sit on the terrace remembering
And turning your face to the light.

Does it matter – those dreams from the pit? …
You can drink and forget and be glad,
And the people won’t say that you’re mad;
For they’ll know that you fought for your country
And no-one will worry a bit.

Collected Poems 1908-1956, Faber & Faber, 2002.

By Lesley McRobb

Welcome to the Library image of welcome letters on the ground outside one of the University student halls

Welcome to the Library 2022

05/09/2022 / / 0 Comments

Welcome to the Library 2022!

A warm welcome from all staff at Edinburgh Napier University Library! Whether you are a new or returning student. Here is some useful information to help you make the most of the Library service.

The Introduction to Computing and Library Services module on Moodle is an excellent starting point. It aims to give you the information you need to get started with Library and IT services when you first arrive at University.

Library induction sessions

During the first four weeks of Trimester 1, we’ll be providing physical tours of the library and online sessions to introduce you to the library services.

The Welcome to the Online Library session will show you how to find ebooks and e-journals using LibrarySearch. Also where to find specialist academic databases, and how to use LibrarySearch to organise your reading and searching faster.

The Welcome to the Physical Library – In-person tours will take place in each of our campus libraries, Merchiston, Craiglockhart and Sighthill. In these tours, we will take you around your campus library and tell you useful information such as how to connect to Eduroam, how to use printer/scanners, self-service checkouts and laptop loan safes, how to search for and find books, and how to book the group study rooms. There will also be online sessions covering the same topics for those unable to make the physical library tours.

See the Training Calendar to book a place on one of the online sessions or the in-person tours.

My Napier Library webpages

Information on all the services the Library provides can be found on the My Napier Library Webpage.  This includes useful information such as Library opening hours, how to get started searching for and borrowing books, using the Click and Collect service, how to order Inter-Library Loans, and finding information relevant to your subject area using the Subject Guides.

Searching for Library resources

LibrarySearch is the quickest and easiest way to search across our three libraries for the books and online resources you require. You can find many ebooks and subscription resources online without leaving your home.

Contact us

We are here to answer your Library questions. Come and visit us in person, or call us on 0131 455 3500, email the Library, or follow us on our socials, Instagram and Twitter.

So Welcome to the Library 2022, we look forward to seeing you soon!

By Sarah Jeffcott

 

 

 

 

Pictures of Library Books to represent tours

Edinburgh Napier University Library Tours

22/08/2022 / / 0 Comments

Edinburgh Napier University Library Tours

Are you ready for Super September? We are! We librarians love September. In fact, it’s our favourite month, because it brings our students back and oh, how we miss you during the long summer vacation. So why not join us for an Edinburgh Napier University Library tour!

We can’t wait to reconnect with some familiar faces and welcome many new ones. We’d like to invite you to come and visit us, either in person or virtually, and allow us to introduce ourselves and our services.

It’s never too early to hone your information retrieval skills. The sooner you’re acquainted with your library resources, the easier it’ll be for you when you have to start on your first written assignments. So, come and find us and let us show you what we can offer you.

We’ll be running our library tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the first four weeks of Trimester 1.

In these short, friendly sessions, we’ll introduce our physical spaces at all three campuses, our print and electronic resources collections, explain how to borrow and request items, general pc and wifi usage, how to borrow laptops, and a whole range of other library services. See here for more details:

Library Introduction Sessions (napier.ac.uk)

Scheduled Tours

To book a scheduled library tour, please click on the link below.

Calendar – Home – Edinburgh Napier University

But if these times don’t suit you, you can also book another time from early September. We’ll have a booking form ready for our unscheduled tours in early September. It’ll be called “Personalised library tour” and you’ll be able to click on and book a session. When the page is live, you’ll find it on the library forms page in our self-service portal, Unidesk:

https://napier.unidesk.ac.uk

We look forward to meeting as many of you as possible as soon as possible.

About the Library (napier.ac.uk)

By Lesley McRobb

Are you a returning student? Find out what has changed in the Library over the summer here.

Library shelf image from a day in the life of a library assistant

A day in the life of a Library Assistant

05/08/2022 / / 0 Comments

A day in the life of a Library Assistant

Have you ever wondered what else Library Assistants do when they aren’t at the desk?

Starting our Day

Our day begins with emptying the book return bins as we check all returns to see if they have been requested or belong to another campus. If they belong to another campus or are requested at another campus, they will be put into our library crates for the porters to pick up and deliver.

We will check the library for any repairs and take any lost property to security.

The MFDs must be checked to see if the paper needs filled or if there are any issues that need to be resolved, for example, paper jams.

Using ALMA, our library management system, we compile a list of requested books and process them for the Click and Collect shelf. Any requests for postal loan users are parcelled up and put in the post.

 

 

Picture of books on a library shelf

Picture of books on a library shelf

 

We also use ALMA to generate other lists such as the missing list.

We can check our bookshelves to see if any of the missing items are there.

Our lapsafes are checked daily to make sure all laptops and chargers have been correctly returned.

During the day

We scan the bookshelves with our hand-held scanners to check for missing and mis-shelved items. We process new books and journals as they arrive and put them out on the shelves.

There is a procedure for all our tasks, and these are updated as necessary and receive an annual check.

We arrange displays and put up decorations and posters for campaigns and events such as Pride, Love your Library, and Book Week.

We write articles for the Library Blog, update the library’s digital signage, and post items on Twitter and Instagram.

 

Image of laptop with hands typing, a cup of coffee to one side and paper and pens to the other.

Creative planning at work

A day in the life of a Library Assistant: Training

There are all sorts of training courses that we attend throughout the year such as GDPR, Mental Health Awareness, and Fire Safety.

Should extraordinary events such as Covid-19 arise we respond by taking appropriate steps to fulfill University or Library guidelines.

For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to place social distancing stickers on the study desks, put seat covers on unavailable seats, block off bookshelves and make sure hand sanitisers were available for use throughout the library.

A day in the life of a Library Assistant: Summer

During the summer we will be involved in larger projects such as weeding and stock moves, but we are also on hand to help at the helpdesk and answer your phone and e-mail enquiries.

When term begins again we will be available to help with all your queries such as connecting to Eduroam, issuing books from the self-service kiosks, using the lapsafe, how to operate the MFDs, booking a group study room and so much more!

Read More about our Library here.

By Vivienne Hamilton

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Contact Us

Email: library@napier.ac.uk

Telephone: 0131 455 3500

Twitter: @EdNapLib

Instagram: @ENU_Library​

 

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