LibraryLabs Pop Up at Central

MG games1Following on from the success of our Pop Up Library Metadata Games sessions during Innovative Learning Week, this week we took Metadata Games to the City of Edinburgh Council’s Central Library, the first time the game has been taken off campus since its initial pilot back in August. We battled through the inclement weather and set up stall in the library’s ground floor foyer area then, poised with laptops and lollypops, set about recruiting people to take part in our tagging game.

We were keen to spread awareness of our work – and the university’s collections – beyond the confines of campus and we were also interested in to see if there was any noticeable difference between the sorts of tags that members of the public contributed in comparison to those provided by students, academics and staff (that analysis is yet to be done!). Over the course of the two hour session, 15 players, ranging from teenagers to pensioners,  provided us with 776 tags (more than 50 per person) – an impressive total considering there was no free coffee on offer for participants on this occasion!

MG games2

These tags will now be moderated and then uploaded to our image database, ultimately helping to make our collections more discoverable online. You can see an example of how the tags we have harvested from the game have directly contributed to the improved description of one of our iconic items, Rashid al-Din’s History of the World (http://collections.ed.ac.uk/iconics/record/51419). The crowdsourced tags ‘horses’ and ‘knights’, which were harvested from the game, complement the existing formal descriptive metadata showing author, date shelfmark etc.

MG games5

We enjoyed taking the game on tour: many thanks to Bronwen Brown, Fiona Myles and all the staff at Central Library for all their help with the event, and to all players who contributed their time to help us improve the description of our images.

Keep on playing at http://librarylabs.ed.ac.uk/games/ (EASE login required)!

Gavin, Claire, Charlie and Paul

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye (for now)

Goodbye_1Pop-up Library has now packed up and there will be no more sessions this semester. After 9 weeks and 90 sessions we wanted to say a big thanks to all the students and staff who popped-up to these sessions and hope that you enjoyed finding out more about the Library and Museum collections, services and resources.

Staff at the Pop-up Library sessions spoke to over 2200 people, mostly students, within this 9 week period and enjoyed this unique opportunity to meet you and show off what they do. We were even happy to tell you where the toilets on the first floor are (for future reference when facing the two lifts go through the doors on the right-hand side and then follow the signs!)

Watch this space:

For further Pop-up Library events that we are hoping to hold next semester (popping up in a space near you?)

For your feedback. During the trial, particularly in the Be in charge of the library for the day sessions, you were asked to complete feedback cards on what you love or don’t love so much about the Library and suggestions you may have for improvements. We’ll post a summary of your feedback in the near future.

Good luck to you all with your exams!

What do you want to learn today?

wordle3Come along to the Pop-up Library between 2-4pm on Wednesday 5th November to find out about free taught courses and online resources in information technology from IS Skills.

We have learning opportunities in:

  • Basic IT, library and bibliography
  • Learning technologies
  • Posters, presentations and design
  • Programming and operating systems
  • Spreadsheets, data analysis and management tools
  • Web publishing
  • Working collaboratively
  • Working with text

Our courses can help you to create an engaging presentation, format your thesis in Word 2013, learn a new programming language, and get your referencing right.

You can also help influence the courses we provide in the future by filling in our short survey to tell us what you want to learn about and how you prefer to learn.

Catherine Koppe, IS Skills team

Finding and using China-related library resources

FO_China

Are you curious about China? Do you need to find relevant resources but don’t quite now where to start? Are you looking for primary sources?

If any of these questions have popped up, please come along on Friday, 7 November, 10.00am-12.00pm to the First Floor of the Main Library for our Pop-up Library session!

Picture5We will tell you all about both Western and Chinese language materials available through the Library. We will show you how to use our different databases on China, which contain both English materials (for example, British Foreign Office Files on China, Chinese laws, etc) and Chinese sources (classics, e-books, newspapers, journal articles, etc).

Whether you are just curious about China or need some help with a specific research question: we are there to help, so please ‘pop up’ to the First Floor on Friday!

Engage: #LibraryPop

Finding Data

DataLibrary

The Data Library team want to help you find data sources for your studies and your research. Pop up to the Pop Up Library this Tuesday between 10am and 12 noon, and tell us what data you’re working with, ask us any questions you have about finding and using data and we’ll do our best to help.
Pauline Ward is a Data Library Assistant at the University of Edinburgh
See the Data Library’s online Catalogue for more information.

@PaulineDataWard

Collaborate: The University Supported Virtual Meeting Tool

Collaborate Pop Up Library

On Wednesday November 5th from 10am-12pm come and find out about Collaborate!

Collaborate is the University Supported Virtual Classroom and/or Meeting tool and as students you can access Collaborate via the MyEd Portal.

Why use Collaborate?

  • Great for online Group Work, Study Groups or Meetings
  • It’s FREE!
  • Once you have set up the meeting you can invite people from within, or outside, the University, you just need their email address.
  • It’s supported by the University through IS Helpline

Collaborate is a great resource for study groups or other kinds of group work as you don’t have to be in the same location. There are many different tools within Collaborate to make your group work as successful as it would be if you met up in person.

  • Interactive Whiteboard (great for brainstorming)
  • Application/Desktop Sharing (great to work on shared documents)
  • Load & Display PowerPoints (great for presenting)
  • Share & Transfer Files (great for sharing)

We will be having a LIVE! Collaborate Session during the Pop Up Library…come join in and see what Collaborate is all about!

(this session will be open from 05-Nov-2014 09:30 to 12:30 we would love to see you then)

Click to join!

All you need to get started is a computer (or mobile device) and internet connection!

Thanks!

The Collaborate Team

What’s on in our last week: 3rd – 7th November

#LibraryPop

Drop in sessions -1st Floor Main Library

3rd November – 7th November

AM PM
Monday Digital Footprint – managing your digital footprint Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) Artists’ Books collection
Tuesday Data Library Community Fundraising – Development & Alumni
Wednesday Collaborate IS Skills
Thursday Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) Library resources – how to find and use MyEd Mobile
Friday Finding and using Chinese related Library resources Exam Papers Online

 

Halloween Zombie Apocalypse (or how to access Library resources off campus)

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jack-o%27-Lantern_2003-10-31.jpgHalloween! Zombies! Candy!

The Zombie Apocalypse is here and the real question is how do you survive both the zombies and your studies at the same time? 

Stay calm … arm yourself with this list: Zombie Apocalypse Guide – How to access resources during a zombie outbreak (or any other event that may affect access to University services).

 

This guide created by the Library Learning Services team using Resource Lists @ Edinburgh provides handy tips on how library services can be accessed remotely and off campus. It also provides information on h
ow to get the most use from Resource Lists and provides direction towards self-study in the areas of zombie outbreak and survival.Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/petehogan/5416999952

Library Learning Services will be up on the first floor of the Main Libraryfrom 10am-12noon this Halloween (31st October) to answer all your off-campus and Zombie Apocalypse questions.

Attractions may include: pumpkins, zombies, games, chocolates, lollipops, assorted candy.

Note: if you are not already, you will be prompted to log in to EASE to access subscription content.

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Stephanie Farley

Library Learning Services Assistant