Library Services &

Resources

Paula Anne Beasley

Subject Advisor (Maths, Physics & Computer Science)

p.a.beasley@bham.ac.uk

Contents and Introduction

� Library & IT Services

� The Main Library

� Locating books at Birmingham

� Using the internet for your studies

� Avoiding plagiarism

� Where to find help and further resources

� Summary

Library & IT Services

� Providing support for research and learning to

all areas of the University

� For example:

� Access to over 2.6 million books, 16,000

electronic journals and 800 databases

� Help on finding quality information

� Online training in ICT skills

� Computing facilities and support

� Study spaces

Connecting to us

� There are two ways to connect electronically to our services:

- via the website www.library.bham.ac.uk and www.it.bham.ac.uk

- via the Student Portal www.my.bham.ac.uk (click on the Library & Computing tab)

Study Spaces

� Individual and group study spaces available

in the Main Library

� and many of the other libraries across

campus

� The Nuffield Learning Suite, located opposite

Poynting Physics

� Other learning suites on campus

� http://www.clusters.bham.ac.uk/clusterloc.shtml

Computing Facilities� IT Services manages 11 dedicated computing facilities on

campus for student use � including:

� Main Library: including a 135 PC cluster

� Poynting Physics: P6 and P9 (98 PCs)

� Nuffield Learning Suite

� Learning Centre (Building R28): LG04/21, UG07/31/32

� Some of these facilities are only available when the

rooms are not being used for teaching

� Computing help from www.helpdesk.bham.ac.uk

Library Services

� Locations

� 10 Libraries & Resource Centres

� Group Study facilities

� Opening Hours

� http://www.library.bham.ac.uk/using/openinghours/

Your keys to our resources� Your University ID (UID) card

� Allows access to Main Library, Learning Centre and other buildings

� Is required in order to borrow books from the library.

� Is used for printing and photocopying.� Your Active Directory (ADF) username and

password

� Enables you to log-on to all IT Services computers

� Allows you to check e-mail

� Enables you to access certain online resources, such as eLibrary and my.bham

E-mail

� All students at the University of Birmingham are provided with a University e-mail account

� For example: ABC123@bham.ac.uk

� It is essential that you use (and regularly check) your e-mail account as this is an important channel of communication both from the School and the University

� When sending e-mails relating to your studies, always use your University account

� Mail sent from other addresses may be filtered out as spam and your message will not reach the intended recipient

The Main Library

The Main Library

� Building R22

� 8 floors: Lower

Ground (LG),

Ground (G), Upper

Ground (UG) and

floors 1-5

� 5 zones: A-E

� All parts of the

library have a name

of the form floor-

zone

� E.g. LGC, GA,

1D

Layout of the Main Library

� Foyer: Reception and Information Desk

� GA: iLounge, Refreshments and current newspapers

� GB: Short Loan and Lending Support

� GC: PCs, library catalogues, General Reference, multimedia, and Self-Service Area

� GD/GE: Computer cluster, Computing Helpdesk, Training Room

Books

� Physics books are mostly located in the Main Library,

on the lower ground floor (zone LGC)

� Short loan books can be found in the short loan

collection in zone GB

� All books are shelved by subject and will have a class-

mark which reflects the subject of the book, for

example:

� Nuclear Physics (QC 782 - 783)

� Relativity (QC 178)

Finding Books in the Library

� The Library Catalogue can be used to:

� Search for books

� Access reading lists

� Manage your library account

� Search for other material such as printed

journals, DVDs and Videos

� Accessible via:

� Dedicated PCs in Main Library (zone GC) &

interactive kiosks on all floors

� The LS website: www.library.bham.ac.uk

Your Library Account

Borrowing Books

� Up to 12 (including 2 short loan) books at any one time� Three loan types:

� Long loan (28 days)

� Week loan (7 days)

� Short loan (due back by 11 am the following working day)

� Fines� Recalls (if other users request them)

� University e-mail account� Books (except Short loans) can be renewed

� In person, online or by telephone

Short Loan Collection

� Contains material in heavy demand, especially items

from lecturers� reading lists

� Loan period � overnight, until 11:00 am next working

day

� Fines apply for late return � 50p per hour or part of an

hour.

� Book in advance

� Photocopying

� Study areas

� Self issue terminal

Electronic Resources

� Electronic resources and electronic journals can be accessed via the eLibrary. They are either:

� Freely available

� Charged for by suppliers/publishers, so we verify your right to use the service via:� IP recognition� University Username & Password� Another Username & Password (where

stipulated)

eLibrary

� Full text electronic journals

� Online dictionaries & encyclopaedias

� eBooks, particularly reference books.

� eJournals

� Databases

� Institutional repositories

� Web pages

� www.elibrary.bham.ac.uk

Screen shot of eLibrary

The Internet as an information source

� A lot of material � can lead to information

overload.

� There are issues with the quality of the

information.

� Start with subject gateways like Intute

www.intute.ac.uk which are catalogues of

sites evaluated by subject specialists.

Avoiding Plagiarism

Avoiding Plagiarism

� Plagiarism, in its simplest terms, is the use of any published or unpublished work without proper acknowledgement. It has been described as:

� �The submission for formal assessment of an assignment that incorporates, without proper citation or acknowledgement by means of an accepted referencing standard, the intellectual property or work of a third party.� (http://www.as.bham.ac.uk/study/support/sca/plagiarism.shtml, Sept 2008)

Avoiding Plagiarism

� Ask your tutor if you are unsure if something

is plagiarism or not

� The University has a website on plagiarism:

� http://www.as.bham.ac.uk/study/support/sca/plagiarism.shtml

� A WebCT self-enrolment course on

plagiarism is at www.weblearn.bham.ac.uk

Further Help

Advice & Support

� Web site http://www.library.bham.ac.uk/

� Just Ask! http://www.library.bham.ac.uk/help/ask.shtml

� Information Desks

� Clinics http://

www.library.bham.ac.uk/searching/subjectsupport/

� Paula Anne Beasley, p.a.beasley@bham.ac.uk

Just Ask!

Further Help

� Main Library Tours

� Monday 21st September � Friday 2nd October (11:15; 12:15; 13:15; 15:15)

� Every Wednesday at 14:00 during October

� Sign up in the I-lounge (Zone GA in the Main Library).� Audio Tour

http://www.library.bham.ac.uk/searching/infoskills/mainlibrary_audiotours.shtml

� Information Services Guides and Leaflets

http://www.library.bham.ac.uk/searching/guides/ � Online training in Information and Communication Technology

(ICT) skills

� More info at www.skills.bham.ac.uk