University of Sunderland Library Culture

Community Lecture: Colm O'Brien speaks about The Venerable Bede

Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:54 +0100

Community Lecture: Colm O'Brien speaks about The Venerable Bede:

Colm is Senior Lecturer in Sunderland University’s North East Centre for Lifelong Learning (NECLL) where he teaches the history and archaeology of Bede’s time plus an on-campus specialist third year study module entitled Northumbria in the Age of Bede. Colm’s recommended reading list for this module can be found online for those interested in reading more or wishing to locate relevant titles on the subject.

He has excavated Anglo-Saxon settlement sites in Northumberland and has led research on the kings’ palace at Yeavering which has resulted in the book Yeavering: people, power, place (available in Murray Library).

With a colleague in NECLL, he leads a research group called the Bernician Studies Group, where they are studying the communication networks of Bede’s time and conducting research in the field on monasteries within County Donegal in Ireland.

Click the title link above for more details. The lecture will be held in the Sir Tom Cowie Lecture Theatre, Tom Cowie Campus at 2.30pm, tickets can be booked by emailing events@sunderland.ac.uk

Looking for newspaper articles for research?

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:31:14 +0100

The British Newspaper Archive is an online digitisation project between brightsolid and the British Library. Search newspapers from 1800 onwards. As well as keyword searching you can choose to search by individual newspaper title (or browse a list of titles) as well as by geographical area.

Although this is a subscription database there is free access to some material which is updated on a regular basis. When you sign up as an individual user you get 15 free credits which allows you access to some subscription material. Once these are used only the free articles can be viewed but you can continue to use the database to search for information.

Sign up for a newsletter which notifies you of updates and spotlights significant or timely articles. For example the latest newsletter covers articles relating to suffragette Emily Davison’s death on the 4th June 1913.

As well as the newsletter there is also a blog which highlights free materials and items of interest, a guide to getting started and a free sample area.

The University of Sunderland subscribes to an online full text newspaper database called Lexis Library. This is accessible via Discover or the Support for Your Subject Library pages. You will need to know your University user ID and password to access Lexis.

Ray Challinor Conference, Northumbria University, June 15th

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:54:13 +0100

The North East Labour History Society and the Labour and Society Research Group (LRSG) will be holding a one day conference on June 15th at Northumbria University’s Ellison Building at which Stuart Howard will be giving a paper.

The Ray Challinor Conference comprises of six papers relating to the history of the North East industry and politics. Stuart’s paper will be the first to be presented on the day and is entitled The Evolution of the Great Northern Coalfield 1582-1982: History and Industrial Relations.

Ray Challinor was a British Marxist historian, North East councillor and lecturer in History at the then Newcastle Polytechnic. He wrote extensively on mining and politics in the North East, as well as books available here in the library there is also a freely accessible online archive of his works.

Controversy over SATS tests continues

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:33:15 +0100

Today primary school students in the UK begin sitting a week of SATS tests, one of which runs for the first time this year and is designed to assess students spelling and grammar. Although students are also tested on their reading and numeracy skills, and the SATS tests have raised much debate previously, it is this new test that is the focus of a news item which appeared last week on the BBC’s website. With links to examples and sample questions if you’re so inclined you can test your knowledge of grammar and spelling and see if you would be able to pass the SATS! David Crystal, expert linguistic and academic posted his response to being asked what he thought of the new grammar test on his blog.

The SATS tests have many critics who question the purpose of the tests and how they affect teaching, how the results are used and the impact of testing on young children. If this is an area you’re interested in or which is related to your current study you can find further academic information by using the Discover online search tool to look at the latest journal articles, conferences and reports from the fields of English teaching and education.

Medieval writing - a new digital resource

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:39 +0100

Medieval writing - a new digital resource:

The focus of this new collection from the Department of Digital Humanities at King’s College London, is writing produced in England during the years 1000–1100, the time of Æthelred, Cnut and William the Conqueror. Around 300 manuscript pages and over 12,000 individual letters are currently available but this is an ongoing project.

As well as the digitised image collection other useful information can be found here, such as the blog with some very interesting further reading, links to additional resources and other relevant online projects.

UoS Library Law Blog: Top tips for preparing for exams

Wed, 08 May 2013 16:08:25 +0100

UoS Library Law Blog: Top tips for preparing for exams:

uosliblaw:

“Fortune favors the prepared mind.”

Start by reading this Revision and exams advice from the Skills for Learning section on the Library website.

Next, be prepared. Know when and where your exams are (Examination timetables, summer 2013), and know what will happen in the exam and what…

Some great advice on how to survive your exams was posted on the library law blog recently - check out the links here for advice and help related specifically to Sunderland Uni exams.

For more general advice on exams, revising, preparing and surviving them check out this great series of articles from the Guardian.

E-books Update: if you’ve used an e-book from the library...

Wed, 08 May 2013 16:00:00 +0100

E-books Update: if you’ve used an e-book from the library in the last few weeks you might have noticed that, although the procedure is the same, things look a bit different! This is due to the e-book supplier Dawsons updating their service. If you want to find out more check out their You Tube channel - there’s lots of other useful stuff here too, for example watch how to download a book, or copy a chapter.

Off Campus Library Services: Online Library Workshops Schedule

Wed, 08 May 2013 15:45:48 +0100

Off Campus Library Services: Online Library Workshops Schedule:

uosliboffcampus:

The schedule for online library workshops in June, July and August has been announced.

All time are listed as UK time. If you sign up for a workshop, please check the online time converter for the time in your location.

Who is it for?
All distance learning students and any staff…

Recently MA TESOL students were invited to participate in an online library session designed to support with finding information for assignments among other things.

Our off-campus support team have announced a schedule for further online library sessions, these are aimed at all off-campus students and TESOL students are welcome to sign up.

LAC305 - Update on this week's seminar reading

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:22:00 +0100

Following the information posted on Friday regarding accessing Susan Mandala’s article ‘Crime fiction as regional fiction’ it may be helpful for you to know that from this morning it is available as a scanned extract from the online reading list.

This means that instead of a link to the article, which was proving problematic for off-campus access, the article is available directly by clicking on the reference details (item 4 in the Criticism folder) and entering your university user ID and password. The article will be displayed on screen and from here you may read online, print or save a copy.

You may also use Discover to locate the article, instructions for doing this can be found in the previous blog post below.

If you’re a LAC305 student having trouble accessing the required article please let me know so I can help.

LAC305: English in the North East - Weekly Reading: Sheila Quigley, Bad Moon Rising

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:47:32 +0100

Students following the LAC305 module English in the North East are required to read Susan Mandala’s article Crime fiction as regional fiction: an analysis of dialect and point of view in Sheila Quigley’s Bad Moon Rising for next Thursday’s seminar discussions.

This article is available in full text via Discover (please log in with your university user ID and password, then search using the keywords ‘Mandala crime fiction regional fiction’ to directly locate the article) or from the LAC305 online reading list (item 4 in folder 1 - Criticism). If you are trying to view the article from off-campus additional login’s may be required, particularly when using the reading list. Please contact annika.davis@sunderland.ac.uk if you experience any problems with accessing this article.

Click the image below to check availability of the novel from the library.

We’ve noticed lots of students are reserving copies of...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:27:00 +0100

We’ve noticed lots of students are reserving copies of this book which is recommended reading for ELL329 Women’s Autobiography. Extra print copies of this in-demand title have been ordered but unfortunately it’s unavailable as an e-book at this time (but we’ll keep checking)

Let the library know if you’re having difficulties getting hold of any texts you need for your module and we’ll be glad to investigate what can be done to help or suggest alternatives titles.

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Sat, 20 Apr 2013 12:00:34 +0100

The first ‘Spectral Visions’ conference was held...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:12:00 +0100

The first ‘Spectral Visions’ conference was held last year by the University of Sunderland’s English team, focusing on the Gothic genre and including a range of activities including keynote speakers and a broad range of workshops.

The English team are now bringing to you Spectral Visions 2 - click on the image to read further details of what promises to be an innovative and interactive day. If you’d like to see the English team in action check out this video of the taster session given at our recent applicant day!

Find the latest news and information about the conference by following Spectral Visions on Twitter.

Off Campus Library Services: Off Campus Library Newsletter May 2013

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:00:00 +0100

Off Campus Library Services: Off Campus Library Newsletter May 2013:

uosliboffcampus:

In the May 2013 issue of the Off Campus Newsletter you can learn about the changes to the Discover log-in and Sconul Access application process or find out how you can get one-to-one online support and help finding information for your assignments. We’re also shining the spotlight on e-books and…

Latest interactive newsletter from our off-campus services team - particularly useful for MA TESOL students studying overseas. Click on the blue title of this post to go to the newsletter.

Asylum is a newly published collection of short stories written...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:30:00 +0100

Asylum is a newly published collection of short stories written by current University of Sunderland Creative Writing students, with an introduction by Dr Alex Pheby, author and lecturer at the University of Sunderland. Now in stock at Murray Library, click on the image for more information.

University of Sunderland Special Collections: Kate Adie archive - Thatcher, miners, politics and more...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:20:53 +0100

The University Library’s Special Collections are housed in Murray Library (Special Collections room at Murray Library, upper level) and include several distinct archives. The Kate Adie archive is one of these and features material relating to her time as a journalist and correspondent for the BBC the collection, this includes reports, DVD/videos, notebooks, books, correspondence and reports.

Over 600 film clips are freely available online, accessible on or off-campus with no need for a password (you will need to download Real Player which is available free online to view the clips). Just use the Special Collections catalogue to enter keywords on your topic ie for a current topical example ‘Thatcher’, or for looking at specific issues during the time she was Prime Minister ie miners.

David Crystal : Blog, books, e-books, web

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:30:00 +0100

If you’re a student of English you’ve most likely used one of David Crystal’s many texts on language and linguistics. David Crystal is a renowned author and linguist and has published extensively in his field of expertise - lots of his books are recommended reading on your module reading lists.

Works include reference books such as the Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language and Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, examination of the development in internet linguistics and text speak, practical application of grammar, the Language of Shakespeare, English spelling and words in detail.

David also writes on his own website and blog so you can find useful commentary and insight here as well. Don’t forget to use the library Discover search tool to look for online information such as newspaper and journal articles by David. Log in to Discover, choose the Advanced Search option and enter “David Crystal” into one of the search boxes, making sure you select change the field option to author.

This will enable you to find articles directly with David Crystal as the author - but remember there will probably be more than one David Crystal and you will need to evaluate your results.

For more on what the University of Sunderland holds in our library collection by David Crystal check the library catalogue or click here for an example search. You can also narrow by e-books if you prefer to read online or cannot get into the library to borrow a book.

For more on Discover help see our dedicated pages here.

E. P. Thomson: The Making of the English Working Class

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:00:42 +0100

E. P. Thompson’s The Making of the English Working Class is the subject of a Radio 3 podcast aired Monday 8 April 2013. Philip Dodd discusses this pivotal text with Historians Alison Light, Miles Taylor and Emma Griffin during the 45 minute broadcast. History students currently using this text for their studies might like to know the library has several editions in our collection which are available for use now.

Thompson’s text will also be the focus of a one day workshop on 11 May to take place at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge.

Guardian Books Podcasts

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:38:18 +0100

Guardian Books Podcast: Literature on the Couch (from 22 March 2013). Guests include Greg Bellow (therapist and son of author Saul Bellow), Andrew Solomon and Stephen Grosz who discuss how literature explores what it means to be human.

There are many other Guardian books podcasts on a wide range of themes and topics, for example this podcast on political literature which discuss Chinua Achebe whose work is studied across several English modules at the University. Check out what related texts and sources are available from our library resources. If you’re an English student studying Saul Bellow see here what is available via the library catalogue, and don’t forget to use Discover to search for online academic information including journal articles.

Ex-Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher dies, aged 87

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:03:00 +0100

Ex-Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher dies, aged 87:

The BBC reports the death of ex-prime minister Margaret Thatcher. Read the latest reports, live reactions, response from political figures and the obituary at the BBC website.

See up to the minute responses and links to a range of materials and sources from the Thatcher years by searching Twitter using #Thatcher or #Thatcherism - for example videos from Prime Ministers Question Time and speeches from the Thatcher archive.