The HardiBlog

Library Reading Room (Basement Level) Christmas/New Year Opening Hours Saturday 21 st December - Tuesday 24th December:   07.00-02.30   Wednesday 25th December - Thursday 26th December:  Closed   Friday 27th December - Tuesday 31st December:  07.00-02.30   Wednesday 1st January:  Closed   Thursday 2nd January onwards:  07.00-02.30      

Come along to the summer Microfiche/Microfilm demo in the Microfiche/Microfilm area on Wednesday 18th December, 2013 Event Description: 30 minute Microfiche/Microfilm demo  Some features: Simplified, step-by-step loading On Screen instructions Searchability High-Resolution Images No messing with lenses- on screen control and many more easy to use features Book Now

Dear Students, The Academic Writing Centre will close on Friday 13 December and re-open in late January. This week, we are open everyday 11-1 and 6-8. You do not need to book an appointment, just call in to us on floor 2 in the James Hardiman Library, Make sure to bring some recent work (notes, drafts, past assignments, or current assignments). This week we are also testing out our new service: Phone Consultations for Distance Learners. These need to be booked in advance: http://awcnuig.eventbrite.com/ Contact: irina.ruppo@nuigalway.ie Best wishes The AWC Team

Library User Fora, College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies 1000 on Tuesday, 10 December in the Special Collections & Archives Seminar Room This is open to academic staff and class reps in the College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies. Please register by Monday 9 December via this link if you wish to attend: http://doodle.com/afsmfekis2sn6p7u#table

The following venues are available as additional Study Spaces from 08.30 – 22.00. Larmor Theatre Sunday 1 Dec – Tuesday 17 Dec 2013 (08-00 until 22.00) Tyndall Theatre Friday 29 Nov – Tuesday 17 Dec 2013 (08.00 until 22.00) O’Flaherty Theatre Friday 29 Nov – Tuesday 17 Dec 2013 (08.00 until 22.00) Cairnes Theatre Saturday 30 Nov – Tuesday 17 Dec 2013 (08.00 until 22.00) Darcy Thompson Theatre Saturday 30 Nov – Tuesday 17 Dec 2013 (08.00 until 22.00) Kirwan Theatre Saturday 30 Nov – Tuesday 17 Dec 2013 (08.00 until 22.00) Dillon Theatre Saturday 30 Nov – Tuesday 17 Dec 2013 (08.00 until 22.00) McMunn Saturday 30 Nov – Tuesday 17 Dec 2013 (08.00 until 22.00) AC216 Friday 29 Nov – Thursday 5 Dec 2013 (08.00 until 22.00) Aras Uí Chathail Theatre Sat 30 Nov – Tuesday 10 Dec (08.00 until 22.00)

*UPDATE* Access to the library catalogue has now been restore. Thanks again for your patience. ____________________________________________________________________ We're currently experiencing some glitches with our library catalogue system this evening. We're really sorry about this, and are working to get it resolved asap. Thanks for your patience!

The competition is now live. Every year, the Academic Writing Centre holds a writing competition. This year's prize is I-Pad 2. The winner's piece will be published in the Sin newspaper and on the AWC website. We would like to invite you to a 15-minute presentation to ask questions, get a re-cap of the rules, and pick up some tips.  The presentation will be held today, on Wednesday, 27 November 2013 at 3.15, in the Training Room at the James Hardiman Library. If you have a question about the presentation but cannot come to the presentation, email irina.ruppo@nuigalway.ie. Competition rules and FAQs are also available at http://www.library.nuigalway.ie/awc/academicwritingcompetition/

An introduction to EndNote bibliographic management software for teaching staff, taught postgraduates and undergraduates in the College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies will take place on Monday, November 25, 2013 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the Nursing & Midwifery PC Suite. Please register at:   http://www.eventbrite.ie/event/9241671087/eorg     Presenters: Kathleen Burke, Subject Librarian email: kathleen.burke@nuigalway.ie Niamh Walsh, Subject Librarian email: niamh.walsh@nuigalway.ie

Dear Students, If you have not yet visited the Academic Writing Centre this term, please drop in today (11-1 and 6-9). One of our tutors would be delighted to look over your work and help you improve your writing. Best wishes The AWC Team

The Medical Library & PC Suite has reopened following this morning's leak and power outage. We apologise again for any inconvenience caused.

Due to a water leak and power outage in the basement of the CSI Building this morning, the Medical Libary and the PC Suite are closed. Work is ongoing to restore power and we will provide an update in due course. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

The Academic Writing Centre will hold two group workshops on 6 November 2013. At 2pm, we will hold the first writing group session for PhD students. These sessions have been designed to support PhD students throughout the writing process.  Please register here: http://www.eventbrite.ie/event/8948999699/eorg Please note: You will need to be able to access your work from the computer suite PCs to fully benefit from the session. At 6pm, we will hold a workshop on 'How to Write Better Essays' for undergraduate students. Please register here:  http://www.eventbrite.ie/event/9130657041/eorg

From 30 October until 30 November, the AWC will be open during the following times: Monday--Thursday: 11am-1pm and 6pm-9pm. Friday: 11am-1pm. Bíonn seirbhís Ghaeilge ar fáil Dé Luain, (18.00-20.00) agus Dé Máirt (18.00-20.00). (Bíonn seirbhís ar fáil Dé Céadaoin freisin idir 11.00-13.00 ach coinne a dhéanamh). We hope that the new extended opening hours will allow more students to visit the AWC. All students are most welcome.  

Please note that commencing on Monday 28 th October 2013 that we will be extending the Opening Hours of the Library Reading Room at basement level.   This facility will henceforth be available for 1 9 .5 hours daily .     Opening Hours from Monday 28th October will be as follows:   07.00 - 02.30    7 Days per Week  

In addition to our usual opening hours, the Academic Writing Centre will open today for one hour at 11am. If you have not yet visited the AWC and would like for a tutor to help you improve your writing, please drop in.

The Academic Writing Centre is extending its opening hours. If you have not yet visited the AWC and would like to improve your writing, please come and see us today. The AWC is located on floor 2 of the James Hardiman Library. Everyone is welcome.

    From Thursday 17th October the entrance/exit to the James Hardiman Library is via the main entrance to the adjacent Hardiman Building.   Please note that for the moment the Access Control Gates will not be operational.  The gates will simply be left in the open position and you can walk in and out of the Library through the lanes without any need to swipe your ID Card.   However within the next week or two we will be finalising arrangements in preparation for the system going live, and at that time you will need your ID Card with you on each visit as you will be required to swipe in on entering the library and swipe out on exiting.  This will ensure that only bona fide University students/staff and authorised visitors will be able to gain access to the Library.      

Please be advised that a scheduled maintenance and upgrade for Web of Knowledge will take place beginning on Sunday, October 27, 2013 at 1400 GMT and ending by Monday, October 28, 2013 at 0200 GMT. Web of Knowledge may not be available intermittently during that period. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

World Mental Health Week takes place from October 6th - 13th 2013.  Did you know that the Library has a collection of books dealing with a range of health and well-being issues, including mental health.  The Mind, Body, Soul collection was developed in conjunction with Student Services and the Student Counselling Service .   During Mental Health Week, why not take the opportunity to check the collection out.  Whatever the issues or challenges you are facing, there's likely to be a book there that can help.  You'll find the Mind, Body, Soul collection on Floor 1 of the Main Library opposite the Humanities Reference Collection. The theme of World Mental Health Week this year is 'Me Time', emphasising the importance of 'me time' in looking after your mental health and well-being.  If you're giving yourself some 'me time', don't forget the Library's Popular Reading collection, containing both fiction and non-fiction books for your ...

Due to Orientation Training, the Finding Books and Journals Training session scheduled for 11.00 - 11.30 am Tuesday 15th October, in the Library Training Room has been cancelled. The 7.00 pm session tomorrow is still available. Apologies for any inconvenience. More information about these sessions at: http://jhl.eventbrite.com/

School of Medicine students checking out the Health Sciences Portal at the launch event in the Medical Library, CSI on Tuesday 24th September   The Library launched its new Health Sciences Portal and Salus (Health Sciences) Blog today at a lunchtime event in the Medical Library, CSI.   The portal and blog were warmly received by both the School of Medicine student body and academic staff present at the  event.  Dr. Rosemary Geoghegan speaking at the launch referred to the excellent collaboration between Library Staff and School of Medicine academic staff and students which had brought this valuable resource to fruition.  The portal is the Library's response to feedback from our Health Sciences users requesting  a  one stop shop where all relevant resources could be easily accessed.   The Health Sciences Library Support Team welcome your feedback regarding the portal and suggestions for future blog posts....

In order to facilitate the installation of a new Access Control System, of which more anon,  temporary entrance/exit routes to and from the James Hardiman Library will operate from Monday 9 th September to the end of the month .  Please look out for the signs that will direct you to these temporary routes.    Apologies for any inconvenience caused. Entrance Route:  Monday to Friday 08.30-18.00 Approach via the slipway between the James Hardiman Library and the new Hardiman Building adjacent to the Library, at the top of the slipway proceed straight ahead and enter the Hardiman Building via the emergency entrance doors and then walk through the foyer towards the sliding exit doors. Just before reaching these doors turn right and walk along the short corridor leading into the library.                       ...

Throughout September the Library offers drop-in ‘Getting Started in the Library’ sessions to help you find your way around the Library’s 500,000 books and the many services available to help you in your studies. Monday to Thursday      11.00 Monday to Friday          14.00 and 19.00 Saturday                      11.30 No need to book, just call in to the Training Room on the entrance level of the Library.

Welcome back to all our returning students!   You'll see that things are looking a little different around the Library and that change is afoot. Building Work We apologise that our summer building work is not quite finished yet.  A new foyer area is under construction and while it is being finished the entrance to the Library is from the back of Library, up the ramp between the new building and the Library building. Please keep an eye on the Library website over the next week or so for news regarding temporary entrance/exits to the Library as the building work progresses. New Library and IT Service Desk The other big change we've been working on over the summer is the introduction of a new Library and IT Service Desk. The service desk will be located in the new foyer of the James Hardiman Library and will offer first level support for all Library and IT queries. You can contact the Service Desk by email at servicedesk@nuigalway.ie , by phone at 091 493399 or visit...

Alexander Street Press has provided 12 months trial access to the online resource  British and Irish Women's Letters and Diaries. British and Irish Women’s Letters and Diaries   includes over 100,000 pages of material assembled from numerous bibliographies and from newly conducted research. Alongside the published material are 4,000 facsimile pages of previously unpublished manuscripts. Further information on this collection is available  at:  http://alexanderstreet.com/products/british-and-irish-womens-letters-and-diaries Trial access is available until  15 June 2014  via: http://www.library.nuigalway.ie/aboutourcollections/databases/databasetrials/databasetrialfeedback/trialfeedback-britishirishwomenswriters/ Please complete the feedback form available from the link above if this resource is of interest to you. There is also a link to this resource from the library catalogue:  http://www.library.nuigalway.ie/

Teachers TV from Education in Video This is the first online collection of streaming video developed specifically for training and developing teachers. Upon completion, the collection will contain more than 3,000 video titles totalling 1,300 hours of teaching demonstrations, lectures, documentaries, and primary-source footage of students and teachers in actual classrooms. It will give education faculty, students, and in-service teachers a single source for the best research-based professional development video resources available. This release now provides 3,530 titles, equalling approximately 840 hours. Access to Teachers TV is now available via http://www.library.nuigalway.ie

Please note that access to your final year results will be blocked if you have overdue loans or fines on your library account. The same applies to any outstanding course fees. To ensure you can access your final year results you should return any overdue books to the library and pay any outstanding fines through print credit by following this link -  https://printcredit.nuigalway.ie/webcentre/Login.aspx Please check your library account to make sure it is clear -  http://www.library.nuigalway.ie/ Following the return of any overdue books and the payment of fines, access to your results will be granted within 24 hours. If you have any queries please email library@nuigalway.ie or call 091 493399 Customer Service Desk James Hardiman Library NUI Galway

Having looked at our loan usage patterns we are increasing the number of times you can renew a book loan from 3 to 5 times as long as no other user has requested the book. This change will take effect from 1st June , 2013.   Additional information on renewing books is available here

A trial of Drama Online (beta version) is available until Wednesday 29 May. For further information about Drama Online click here . To access this trial click here Please complete the feedback form available from the trial link above if this resource is of interest to you.

Peace Process: Layers of Meaning is a hybrid project involving collaboration between Queen Mary, University of London, Trinity College Dublin and Dundalk Institute of Technology. The project has three main elements: the collection and storage of one hundred heritage interviews of the recollections and views of key figures in the Peace Process; the imparting of interview skills to students, teachers and community members in the border area; and the development of an online directory of all extant interviews relating to the Peace Process ( LOMOND ). The LOMOND directory is intended as a select but authoritative archive, maintained regularly and available on-line, providing an essential research tool for students across the educational spectrum. In the manner of a decades-long time-lapse camera, it will permit users to access an instructive and suggestive record of changes in thinking, in public styles and statements, in sets of possibilities, in pressures experienced and insights gai...

A trial of University Press Scholarship Online (UPSO) is now available. UPSO offers 11,000+ titles available in 25 subject areas from Oxford and 10 other leading university presses. It brings together the best scholarly publishing from around the world. Aggregating monograph content from leading university presses, UPSO offers an unparalleled research tool, making disparately published scholarship easily accessible, highly discoverable, and fully cross-searchable via a single online platform. Research that previously would have required a user to jump between a variety of books and disconnected websites can now be concentrated through the UPSO search engine. To access this trial click here Please complete the feedback form available from the link above if this resource is of interest to you.

20 May - 7 July and 19 August - 1 September Monday - Friday            08.30-17.30 Saturday/Sunday           Closed 8 July - 18 August Monday - Thursday       08.30-22.00 Friday                             08.30-17.30 Saturday                         10.00-17.00 Sunday                           Closed August Bank Holiday (Mon. 5th Aug.): 10.00-17.00 Library closed: June Bank Holiday (Mon. 3rd June) Library closing at 19.30 Wednesday 31st ...

The supplier will be providing two training sessions on Thursday 31st of October in the MicroForm Room on: Thursday 31st of October   Please book your place in advance. Event Description: Some features: Simplified, step-by-step loading On Screen instructions Searchability High-Resolution Images No messing with lenses- on screen control and many more easy to use feature s

There will be a training session on Introduction to EndNote X5 (for Windows) held on Thursday 23 May. This training session is open to teaching staff, taught postgraduates and undergraduates in the College of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies. Registration is required. For further details and to register for this training session please click here

The Library's Opening Hours this bank holiday weekend are as follows: Saturday, May 4th          08.30 - 17.30 Sunday, May 5th             10.00 - 17.30  Monday, May 6th            08.30 - 22.00  (Study Facilities Only)   The Reading Room will remain open from 07.00 to 01.30   every day over the weekend.

Standards Database Workshop taking place in the library:  Thursday May 02nd at 2pm in the James Hardiman Library (Basement PC Suite). Places are limited, please book your place here: http://jhl.eventbrite.com/ The library provides full text access to International (ISO), European (EN) and Irish (IS) standards via a subscription to NSAI Standards Database. A trainer from i2i the database provider will be coming to Galway to deliver a workshop on getting the most from the standards database. Standards

Access to the FRANTEXT database is now available via http://www.library.nuigalway.ie/ FRANTEXT is a French-language database which consists of about 4,250 French texts spanning from the medieval period to the present day. Launched in the 1970s, it has been available online since 1998. It is developed and maintained by the ATILF-CNRS (Analyse et Traitement Informatique de la Langue Française-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique). FRANTEXT provides access to a wide range of literary, philosophical. technical and scientific works. It has recently been enriched with a corpus of autobiographical texts which will interest historians and sociologists as well as literary researchers. Specific words, lists, regular expressions, etc. can be located in an individual work or corpus. The database is constantly updated.

Endnote X5 Introductory Workshop for Science and Engineering is taking place in the Nursing Library PC Suite on Wednesday April 24 11:30AM - 1PM.  Places are limited.  Register here

There will be a training session on Introduction to EndNote X5 (for Windows) held on Thursday 18 April. This training session is open to teaching staff, taught postgraduates and undergraduates in the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies. Registration is required. For further details and to register for this training session please click here

From the15th of April 2013 the Academic Writing Centre  will be open every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 11-1pm until May 24th.  The AWC writing tutorials are free, and everyone is most welcome to attend.

Land Law students studying at home or on campus should note that Wylie’s textbook Irish Land Law is available electronically (via Lexis Butterworths).   To open up the Wylie book f ollow these simple  instructions . 

Commencing 28th March, the following venues are available for study from 08.30-22.00    Cairnes Theatre / Darcy Thompson / Kirwan 28 Mar – 19 Apr and 21 Apr – 17 May    (Open Day 20 Apr) O’Flaherty 28 Mar – 7 Apr and 12 Apr – 17 May Tyndall Theatre 28 Mar – 15 Apr, 17 Apr – 18 Apr, 20 Apr– 25 Apr, 27 Apr – 17 May AC213 29 Mar – 2 Apr, 5 Apr – 14 Apr AC214 29 Mar – 3 Apr, 6 Apr – 14 Apr AC215 28 Mar - 5 Apr, 9 Apr – 17 Apr,  19 Apr – 21 Apr , 24 Apr – 3 May   AC203 29 Mar – 19 Apr, 21 Apr – 25 Apr, 27 Apr – 2 May, 4 May – 17 May   AC202 30 Mar – 14 Apr, 18 Apr – 25 Apr, 28 Apr – 17 May  

Commencing on Monday 25th March it will be compulsory to show your University ID Card on entering the Library. Please have your card ready for inspection as you approach the entrance door to avoid queues developing. This measure is being introduced to ensure that only registered users gain access to study places and facilities in the lead up to the Semester 2 exam period.

Dear All, I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage you to visit the AWC. The answers to the frequently asked questions (below) should be of interest to those of you who have not yet availed of this service. Best wishes Ira Manager of the AWC (irina.ruppo@nuigalway.ie) Academic Writing Centre Frequently Asked Questions 1. Why should I visit the AWC? To improve your writing and, by extension, to start getting better grades. One of our tutors will go over your work with you, identify areas of improvement, and help you overcome any problems you might have. 2. Do the tutors proofread students’ work? No. The AWC is not a proofreading service. Its objective is to help students become better at writing in academia. 3. I want to visit the AWC. Do I have to make an appointment? You do not need to make an appointment, just drop in during our opening hours. 4. What if I want to make an appointment? If you prefer to make an appointment, you can do ...

The NSAI standards database has a new interface.  You can search the database for standards from a range of global standards organisations.  The library subscription provides full text access to Irish (IS), European (EN) and ISO standards.   Download this guide to searching for standards on the NSAI database.  

You told us the library website and catalogue had: ‘Too much jargon’      ‘Too many options’       ‘No log in on the homepage’ We listened and redesigned the library’s website and catalogue. Now we need your help to make sure we’ve done what you needed. Please join us for a focus group and usability test of our website and catalogue on March 12th at 10.00. There’ll be a one-for-all voucher for the first ten participants to register, to thank for your time. Please register here if you are interested in participating.

The Academic Writing Centre (AWC) will remain open daily until the end of March. The AWC provides free one-on-one sessions on academic writing. If you are a student at NUI Galway, you are most welcome to attend, whatever your discipline, year or grade average. This is what some of the students said about the AWC this year: The AWC is ' a very good service'; the session 'was perfect'; 'the AWC is very valuable; it is a great help for students'. We would like to thank you for your positive and constructive feedback and to encourage more students to visit the AWC.   This month, on most days there will be two or more tutors working at the same time, so that you do not have to wait to start your session. Thanks to the near completion of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Research Building, t he construction noise has stopped, so that morning sessions at the AWC are even more enjoyable and productive. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday ...