Get the Best from the Library Week for SPS

Posted on October 22, 2014 by spslibrarian

27^th-31^st October

Drop-in sessions on the 1st floor at Pop-up Library

Get the Best from the Library Week is all about helping you find out more about how the Library can work for you at the University of Edinburgh.

During the Get the Best from the Library Week you can:

Discover the full range of information resources available to you
Find out about new resources purchased recently
Get one-to-one support from a library specialist in your subject area

All next week the Library Academic Support team are taking over the Pop-up Library desk in the afternoons (1^st floor, Main Library, Mon-Fri 2-4pm) so why not pop-up for a chat and find out how you can Get the Best from the Library?

Continue reading →

Trial access to BBC Monitoring Library now available

Posted on October 10, 2014 by spslibrarian

The Library has set up trial access to BBC Monitoring Library and you can access this resource on the Databases trials page at www.ed.ac.uk/is/databases-trials

BBC Monitoring was created in 1939 to assess the use being made of radio by the Axis powers during WWII.

A number of its unique capabilities are still valued, such as its focus on open sources – specifically a wide range of broadcasts and news agency transmissions; its ability to provide “the words as spoken” – accurate and impartial translations of what happened, plus understanding how the media reported an event.

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Need help with using the Library? Help is available.

Posted on October 6, 2014 by spslibrarian

Having problems finding material from your reading list? Not sure how to reference or cite properly in your work? Need to work on a systematic review but not sure where to start? Or just want to know how to use Google and Google Scholar in an academic context?

The Academic Support Librarian team are running several courses this semester through IS Skills which you can book onto via MyEd. These (mostly) 1 hour sessions allow you to get expert advice and hands-on experience. So why not book on and become an expert yourself? Continue reading →

Managing your digital footprint campaign launches today

Posted on September 29, 2014 by spslibrarian

Today, 29 September 2014, the ‘managing your digital footprint’ campaign launches. The campaign is for all students (UG, PGT, online) and PhD researchers. It is being led by the Institute for Academic Development in collaboration with EDINA, the Careers Service, EUSA, Student Information Points, Information Services, and other University departments.

There will be various competitions (you could win a Kindle, book tokens and more), activities, workshops, resources and advice throughout 2014-2015. The focus will be on how to create and manage a positive online presence (digital footprint), which could assist with:

professional networking
finding the right job
collaborating with others
keeping safe online
managing your privacy and the privacy of others
how to set up effective social media profiles
using social media for research and impact

For more information visit www.ed.ac.uk/iad/digitalfootprint
Blog: http://uoedigitalfootprint.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @UoEDigitalFoot #UoEDF
Facebook: www.facebook.com/uoedigitalfootprint

Caroline Stirling – Academic Support Librarian for Social and Political Science

New online resource for SPS: Media Education Foundation digital films

Posted on September 2, 2014 by spslibrarian

The Library has recently subscribed to the Media Education Foundation (MEF) digital films service via the Kanopy streaming service. MEF produce and provide documentary films and other educational resources to inspire critical thinking about the social, political, and cultural impact of American mass media. Continue reading →

Scottish Government Yearbooks now available online

Posted on August 20, 2014 by spslibrarian

The Scottish Government Yearbooks, which were published by the University of Edinburgh’s ‘Unit for the Study of Government in Scotland’ between 1976 and 1992, are now freely available online for the first time in a digital archive. With the Scottish Referendum fast approaching this archive offers a fascinating insight into a key period in Scotland’s social and political development.

You can access the Scottish Government Yearbooks at http://www.scottishgovernmentyearbooks.ed.ac.uk/ The archive was constructed by the Institute of Governance, successor to the Unit for the Study of Government in Scotland, and was developed by the University of Edinburgh’s Library Digital Development Team. The Archive was supported by funds from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Social & Political Science, and by the assistance of the University’s Library and University Collections.

Caroline Stirling – Academic Support Librarian for Social and Political Science.

Top five library resources for Politics

Posted on August 18, 2014 by spslibrarian

It’s one month to go until the Scottish Referendum and as Scotland is gearing up to decide its future and politics dominates the news we thought we’d give you a taster of political science resources available to students and staff here at University of Edinburgh Library.

1. Why not have a look at the House of Commons Parliamentary Papers for documents relating to the previous Scottish devolution referendums? The 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st Century House of Commons Parliamentary Papers contains bibliographic records and searchable full text for papers printed between 1688-2004. It also includes Hansard 1803-2005. The collection does not include the House of Commons Journal, or daily business papers, such as Order papers and Votes and Proceedings, nor does it include Acts. You can access this and other relevant databases at databases for Politics. Continue reading →

SPS Librarian

Academic Support Librarians for staff & students in the School of Social and Political Science blogging on Library resources, services and skills.