The HardiBlog

On Thursday, July 31st from 16:00 to 20:00, the following services will be unavailable:    ·          Student Records (Quercus)  ·          Careers & Placement (Student Placement Self Service & Student Placement   Administration)  ·          Exam Processing Services (Academic Web Services for Staff and Students) including access to exam timetables, exam results, past exam papers and PAC  ·          Campus Account Self Service (CASS)  This downtime is to facilitate a database upgrade. If you have any queries, please contact the Service Desk (Tel. x5777 eMail servicedesk@nuigalway.ie).    

Please note that on Wednesday, July 30th from 11:00 to 21:00 , the following service will be unavailable: · Exam Processing Services (Academic Web Services for Staff and Students) including access to exam timetables, exam results, past exam papers and PAC. On Wednesday, July 30th from 13:00 to 21:00 , the following service will be unavailable:   · Campus Account Self Service (CASS).   On Wednesday, July 30th from 13:00 to 21:00 , the following services may experience intermittent service disruption:   · Financial Management (Agresso)   · HR/Payroll (Core)   · Student Records (Quercus)   · Careers & Placement (Student Placement Self Service & Student Placement Administration)   · Library catalogue service (Aleph)   · IRIS   · TDS suite software   This downtime is to facilitate an Oracle infrastructure upgrade. If you have any queries, please contact the Service Desk (Tel. x5777 eMail servicedesk@nuigalway.ie ).

Access to some Library services will be interrupted on Wednesday 30th July from  13:00 -21:00 to facilitate an Oracle Grid upgrade on the University’s Oracle production servers.    Access to the catalogue will be as normal, but real-time item location information will be impaired for a time. No self-check facility for borrowing of items will be available Books may be returned via the book sorter Booking of Group study rooms will not be possible Placing of Hold requests will not be possible No online renewal or online fines payment facilities will be available. If you have any queries about this maintenance activity, please contact the Service Desk   servicedesk@nuigalway.ie  

  The AWC us running a short summer camp for students who would like to improve their writing skills ahead of next year. We will focus on the writing process, grammar, and composition skills. The camp will run on 5-8 August 2014 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm  at the the e Nursing and Midwifery PC Suite in the James Hardiman Library Book your place  here: http://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-awc-summer-camp-a-four-day-free-course-in-academic-writing-tickets-5177461928?aff=eorg If you have any questions please email irina.ruppo@nuigalway.ie

No, it is not a subtle (and incorrectly spelt) reference to this week’s equine activities in Galway, but rather a nod to the exquisite woodcuts in this edition of Dante Alighieri’s La comedia (Venice : Francesco Marcolini, 1544) . Three full-page woodcuts mark the beginning of each book of the Divina commedia, with smaller woodcuts dispersed throughout, such as this delightful detail from canto 23 of Paradiso:  Detail from: Paradiso, canto 23 Whilst the woodcuts are unsigned, it has been suggested that the item’s printer Francesco Marcolini may have been the artist. A contemporary and friend of Titian ( approximately 1488-1576 ), he was himself an accomplished artist. Inferno, canto 23 If you would like to view/ consult this item, please submit an online request or contact the staff of the Special Collections Reading Room in the Hardiman Research Building at specialcollections@nuigalway.ie

As mentioned in our previous blog post  we have been working on upgrading the search features of our online catalogue. This upgrade is now live and can be accessed by searching our online catalogue via the library website . If you have any queries, or if you want to learn about some of the new features, please don't hesitate to contact us: library@nuigalway.ie

  PsycTHERAPY now on trial A database of streaming psychotherapy demonstration videos; users may create playlists, clips, search transcripts of videos, and more.

PsycTESTS now on trial   http://www.library.nuigalway.ie/aboutourcollections/databases/databasetrials/  

At the half-way point in this year's Galway International Arts Festival, it is a good time to catch a breath after what has been such a packed week of the festival. This year being the first 'International' Galway Arts Festival (though of course it always was International!) it is a good opportunity to open up the archive of the Galway Arts Festival and look back at some of the hits and big events from over the years. We are proud to hold the archive of the Galway Arts Festival here at the James Hardiman Library. It is a rich resource of history, great memories, major names and acts from all spectrum of the Arts and a record of just how the Arts Festival has grown and developed over the years, where today it stands as one of the great international arts festivals. Here we open up some of the archives to see just how strong the programming was from its early years in the 1980s. Theatre names such as Druid of course stand out, along with Footsbarn Theatre Company and also a v

Unfortunately there will be some noise disruption on the western side of floor 1 of the James Hardiman Library in the vicinity of the PC Suite over the next few weeks due to building works.      This work is necessary to facilitate the construction of new Group Study Room facilities.     In order to avoid any impact on your work you are advised to study elsewhere on floor 1 or on an alternative floor.  For those using the PC Suite area please note the availability of additional PC Suites on floor 2 and in the basement of the Nursing & Midwifery Library Extension.    We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Please note that further to a recent upgrade there have been some minor changes to logging into and using Multi-Function Printers (MFPs).    Access via swipe card remains the same; if accessing via the touchscreen the username and password screens are now split over two consecutive displays. Once signed in you are now taken directly into print mode – there is no need to press “PRINT” button.    To move from print mode to copy or scan mode please press the relevant button on the machine or press the “JOB END” icon on top left corner the screen. If in copy/scan mode press the “PRINT” icon on the top hand corner of the screen.   Information posters have been put up at each of the machines.

Do your first year students lack the academic skills needed for success at University?   Do you know of the supports available in NUI Galway to help students develop those skills?   There is an opinion widely held, that students entering third level education from secondary school are not well prepared for the needs of higher education and do not have the core academic skills they need.   The provision of support for academic skills development is recognised as a key factor in student engagement and retention, particularly in first year.   NUI Galway has a range of different services that provide support for these academic skills, e.g. : ·           Skills4Study Campus (online module available via Blackboard) ·          The Academic Writing Centre ·          SUMS: Mathematics drop-in support centre ·          Information skills support via the subject librarian team ·          etc. Academic staff, please complete our survey and tell us what you thi

From Monday 21 July  - Sunday 17 August, Library opening hours will be as follows: Monday - Thursday    08.30 - 22.00 Friday                       08.30 - 17.30 Saturday                   10.00 - 17.00 Sunday                        Closed  Monday 4 August (Bank Holiday): 10.00 - 17.00          

One of the more frequent questions we receive in the Library is regarding online access to the Irish Times.  We have electronic access but not through a direct subscription via the Irish Times website. Instead we access through our databases.  To find the Irish Times Online: open our Library Catalogue  and sign in search for Irish Times the following results display our print, microfilm and online links to the Irish Times the bottom two links within the black lines provide our main online links to the newspaper The Irish Times (Online Access) Current Irish Times content is available through Proquest, accessible via the Irish Times link above. The newspaper is updated on the database within a day of the print and the content - not images - are made available. The articles are listed in order by page from the newspaper and it can be browsed or searched by date.   Irish Times Archive (1859-2012) The Irish Times Archive  is a more sophisticated re

On the 29th July 2014, the Library will host a Digital Collections Seminar. This event will showcase Digital Scholarship from NUI Galway (The Library, Moore Institute, School of Humanities, Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, Whitaker Institute and Insight), UCD, and the University of Ulster. The aim of this event is to showcase innovation while also facilitating discussion and collaboration. Schedule Time Title Speaker 0930 Opening address and launch of the James Hardiman Library’s Digital Scholarship Enablement Strategy Consultation Prof. Pól Ó Dochartaigh, Registrar and Deputy President, NUI Galway 0945 Digital scholarship in the Moore Institute Prof. Daniel Carey, Director, Moore Institute for the Humanities and Social Studies 1010 Supporting digital projects in the Humanities and Social Sciences David Kelly, Research Technologist, Moore and Whitaker Institutes 1035 The Archive is the Repertoire: Working with the Abbey

Beginning Thursday 17 July 2014, the Library will offer tours of and introductions to the collections and facilities of the Archives and Special Collections service. Visit and discover the treasures within the wide-ranging collections of the Archives and Special Collections, including historic local history collections, landed estates; rich literary papers such as John McGahern; world-leading theatre archives such as the Abbey Theatre Digital Archive; the Druid Theatre Archive, Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe Archive and Thomas Kilroy Archive. Learn about the tensions and struggles in Peace and conflict from our Northern Ireland collections, such as the Duddy, Boyle and Ó'Bradaigh archives and many other related and unique collections.  Also included on this tour will be a visit to the  Performing Ireland 1904 - 2014  exhibition, currently on at the Hardiman Building foyer and being a digital journey through Irish theatre history.  The tour will commence from the Hardiman Bu

Dr. Ros Dixon The personal library of the late Dr. Ros Dixon, collected over her lifetime of teaching, researching and writing about theatre, was recently donated to the James Hardiman Library, NUI Galway, by her family.  Ros was a highly esteemed and loved member of staff at the Department of English and was a recipient of the President's Medal for Teaching Excellence in 2006-2007. Her books and audio-visual materials concern theatre history, performance, playwrights, directors, and actors, with a special focus on plays in the Russian language and in English, including a collection of plays by, and biographies of, Chekhov together with Soviet history and playwrights of that era in Russia.  A vast collection of theatre programmes, in English and Russian reflect the many plays seen by Ros and a life spent engaging with theatre within Ireland and internationally. Ros' archive of research papers and notes offer a unique insight into her understanding, interpretation

The Hardiman Library has developed a Vision Plan for 2020. We have widely consulted on this, visiting Colleges, Students's Union, Research Office amongst others We are positive and excited about the future of the James Hardiman Library as we move towards 2020. The vision document can be viewed here. http://www.library.nuigalway.ie/A_Vision_for_the_Library_in_2020.pdf

The Library was delighted to be present at the recent Adult Learning and Professional Development Information Evening. Held in the foyer of the Orbsen Building, it was a great opportunity for Library staff to meet and engage with current and prospective students from Adult Learning. The packed foyer was a key sign of how important those undertaking Adult Education courses are to the University, with a range of courses and options represented. The conversations were interesting, the questions varied and it will be great to see all new recruits to Adult Learning as new users within the Library. Librarian John Cox was on hand at the Information Evening and features in a video of the event below:  The Library is a hub for information and research and with expert staff eager to help, will be a key part of your experience at NUI Galway. For any queries or questions about the Library services or collections, visit the Library homepage here: http://library.nuigalway.ie/

Performing Ireland: 1904 - 2014 Exhibition An exhibition entitled, 'Performing Ireland: 1904 - 2014' is on display throughout the summer in the foyer of the Hardiman Building. Celebrating a century of Irish drama and writing, and exploring strong links with the West of Ireland, the exhibition provides a digital journey through Irish theatre. Learn how the Abbey Theatre connects to the West of Ireland through Lady Gregory and WB Yeats, and the writings of JM Synge. Discover the craft of the playwright through the archive of Thomas Kilroy. See how Druid theatre developed from Galway to Broadway as well as seeing first-hand the process and technology behind making digitally accessible over 1 million items from the Abbey Theatre's history . The exhibition is free and all are welcome. An Exhibition Display Board An outside view of the NUI Galway Archives and Special Collections Reading Room

We are currently upgrading the search features of our online catalogue. It is expected that this upgrade, which incorporates some exciting new features, will go live later this Summer. With this upgrade, we will roll out some new features which we feel will enhance the user experience. Some of the new features include, Browse Search and the Virtual Shelf Tab . These new features are described below. New features Browse Search To access Browse, select 'Browse Search' next to the simple search box, as shown below. The Browse Search page allows you to browse library material (local material only) by author, title, and subject heading. When you have done your search and you have results, you can select an underlined entry to see its associated records. Selecting on the entry link will bring you to the list of records. Virtual Shelf Tab Browsing through the shelves of the library has always been a great way to discover resources. A Virtual Shelf tab has

Local and international guests gathered at NUI Galway in May this year to join a symposium celebrating the work of the first Professor of Geology and Mineralogy at NUI Galway, then Queen's College Galway. The symposium marked the 150 th anniversary of the research of Professor William King and his landmark research into the origins of Neanderthal Man, in 1864. Among the series of events was a visit to the Archives and Special Collections Reading Room of the Hardiman Library by guests of honour, President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, his wife Sabina Higgins, Professor Svanto Pääbo, Director of the Department of Evolutionary Genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig and members of the King extended family, where they viewed the original records from the University Archives. The display included signatures by King in the 'Professor's Declaration Book' in which all staff and academics declared to uphold the ethos and standa