Author Archives: reg206

The Sanctuary: Availability in April/May 2013

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Please note there will be some restrictions on the availability of The Sanctuary as a quiet study space during the coming months. The Sanctuary  is also sometimes used for external events as well as being a key venue where exams take place, so if you are planning to come and study in this space please take into account the following:

Students working in the Sanctuary

 

  • Friday 12th – Wednesday 17th April (inclusive): the Sanctuary is closed
  • Thursday 18th April: The Sanctuary reopens and is available as a quiet study space
  • Wednesday 1st May: the Sanctuary is closed for study and will be used as an examination space

 

If you’d been hoping to work in the Sanctuary during the exam period, don’t worry because the Library has worked hard to ensure there are lots of other, additional study spaces available for you during the revision period including the Forum Seminar Rooms which become part of the Library and accessible 24/7 from Sunday 28th April.

More information on quiet study spaces during the forthcoming exam period, as well as our revision tips, will be published here on Sunday.

Bookable Spaces 1: Group Study Rooms

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In the coming weeks we will be showcasing the different bookable spaces that are available for you on Streatham Campus and at St Luke’s as well as explaining how you can  book them.

Planning some group revision in the run up to exams?

  • There are 14 student group work rooms available to book online using the Request a Room web page and choosing the Student Group Work Areas option.

Group Study Room in the Amory Study Centre

These comprise:

  • 13 rooms on Streatham Campus
    • Forum SSC Interview Room 01
    • Forum SSC Interview Room 02
    • Forum SSC Interview Room 03
    • Forum SSC Interview Room 04
    • Forum SSC Interview Room 05
    • Forum SSC Interview Room 06
    • Forum SSC Interview Room 07
    • Forum SSC Interview Room 08
    • Amory 003 E
    • Amory 003 A
    • Amory 003 B
    • Amory 003 C
    • Amory 003 D
  • 1 room on St Luke’s Campus
    • St Luke’s (Haighton Building) Library Student Presentation Room (student use only)

This really is the main information that you need and, if you forget the link, simply type, “Request a Room” in the main University Search box.

  • To help you retain this information, we suggest booking a room for yourself (and then cancel if not needed).  If you try this you are way more likely to remember the process.

Now, if you want more detail, the real in and outs of the way the system works, there is additional information online and also FAQs, you can find them online…

Or just read it all right here in our blog …

Student Group Work Areas (additional information)

Student Presentation Room at St Luke’s

Amory Study Centre

  • Accessed via the main Amory building reception and are located within the Amory Study Centre.
  • 4 x rooms that seat up to 8, screens and laptop connectors available.
  • 1 x room that seat up to 6, desktop PC and additional video recording facilities.
  • Open 8AM-9:30 PM 7 days per week, Monday-Sunday.
  • 1 hours allowance per week, per student.
  • Rooms available on a rolling 28-day basis.

Forum Student Services Centre (SSC) Interview Rooms

  • Accessed via the Student Services Centre in the Forum – Ground Floor.
  • 7 x rooms that seat up to 3 people.
  • 1 x room that seats 8 people.
  • Bring your own laptop or use a loan lap (available from the IT Helpdesk).
  • Open 5pm – 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am – 3pm Saturday.
  • 1 hr allowance per week, per student.
  • Rooms available on a rolling 28-day basis.

FAQs 

(taken from the Timetabling Team’s web pages ):

What is the purpose of these rooms?

To help facilitate group working and studying, related to your academic studies. 

 

I can’t book more than a few weeks ahead.

Rooms have been made available on a rolling basis, which allows fair access for all students.

 

 I have tried to book a session but it was declined, why is this?

There is an allowance in place of 1 hour per week, per student. This can be split into two 30 minute sessions if you wish.

 

 I need some quiet space; can I book the room out for myself?

This space had been designed for group work predominantly; please see the library website for quiet study space information.

How do I feedback about these rooms?
Please report equipment faults to the Exeter IT Help Desk ( or telephone 3934).  General feedback can be sent via the Student Information Desk using

 

 

Look how much we raised for Comic Relief!

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Thank you to everyone who chose to donate their Library fines to RAG’s Comic Relief appeal on Red Nose Day (Friday March 15th) rather than paying them to us. Thanks to the generosity of our Library users we managed to raise a whopping…

£687.74!  

Roxanne Crabb, Forum Library Supervisor, was pleased to handover the money raised to members of the RAG committee who were thrilled with the amount we raised. This money will be added to the amount raised by RAG from other fundraising efforts and we should be able to publicise the the grand total raised very soon. The money will go to support a variety of charitable initiatives in the UK and abroad, do check out the Comic Relief website for more information.

 

Thanks again to all who gave so generously and got into the fun and giving spirit of Red Nose Day!

Think Recall

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If you’re going away over Easter we hope you enjoy a lovely break, but don’t forget the Library will be open daily throughout and that our loan rules continue as normal throughout the vacation period.

This means for the many students and staff who choose to stay in Exeter during holiday periods we are here and open to provide help, support, study space and the resources you need. But if you are planning to take our books away with you over the break please keep in mind the following:

How do recalls work? 

Books on loan to you can be requested by other Library users, when this happens they are “recalled.” You will get an email about this and a new date by which to return it, so it is important you check your email regularly if you are borrowing stock during the holidays. Recalled books cannot be renewed and may be due earlier than the original due date. With normal loan books, you should get a week within which to return the item. This should be sufficient time to return the items by post if necessary.  Library books should not be taken overseas.

Our recall policy exists to ensure fair access to our stock for all library users, so don’t forget if the books you need are on loan you can recall them at any time of year. Learn more about how to place reservations here.

As always if you need help, or have any questions about managing your library record do please get in touch:

Postal Loans Service

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Not in Exeter but still want to use Library resources? You may find what you need among our constantly growing collection of e-resources, but if we only have it in hard copy don’t despair, we can also supply items to you by post.

Here’s the lowdown on Postal Loans:

Which items can I order?

Did you know you can request and return Library items by post?

If you are within the UK, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Eire, Channel Islands or  British Forces Post Office then we can post out Normal Loan (28 day loan) books to you. You will be responsible for renewing and/or returning these items to us. You are welcome to return them by post if necessary. We  can also send out photocopies of journal articles or chapters from books, these will be copies for you to keep and will not need to be returned.

If you are overseas we regret it is not possible to post books but we can still send you photocopies of articles or chapters from books.

What does it cost?

The service costs £2.50 per book request or for every 20 pages of a photocopy, which includes postage and packing.

Return postage for books will need to be paid by the requester.

If you request books by post then you are welcome to send a cheque to cover the total cost of your request. Or you may prefer us to can add the £2.50 charge(s) to your  library account, to be paid over the phone  or using our online payment system via a credit or debit card. Please note if the total charges on your Library account exceed £10.00, you will need to reduce these to under £10 before you can borrow or renew any further items.

How do I make a request?

First check the Library catalogue to make sure we have the item you are looking for and that it isn’t available electronically (we don’t send out items that you can readily access as e-books or e-journals).

To make the request complete a Postal Loans Book Request or Photocopy Request  form.  Please use a separate form for each request and indicate on the form whether you have enclosed a cheque for payment, or whether you would like the charge added to your Library record as detailed above. You can then either post your forms to the Library at the address shown on the form or you can email your request form to .  Please give as much bibliographic information about the items you require as possible and include page numbers if you are requesting journal articles or chapters from books.

How long does it take?

We try to dispatch items as quickly as we can but please allow 10 working days turnaround time, including posting time. 

Can I renew postal loans?

Yes! Postal loan items will be issued to your library record and our normal rules apply. You can renew using the online renewal system up to and including the date it is due so long as the book has not been requested by another user and so long as your total fines do not exceed £10.

For more information on postal loans please see our webpages or ask Library staff.

Donate your Library fines to Comic Relief on 15th March

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Here in the Library we’re always keen to support good causes, and to work with our students, which is why we’re  happy to be teaming up with RAG to help raise money for Comic Relief.

Friday 15th March is Red Nose Day, a national fundraising appeal fronted by various celebrities including Lenny Henry, Jason Donovan and even Miss Piggy! The money raised will help a variety of good causes at home and abroad, for example: supporting victims of domestic abuse and young people living on the streets in the UK, or providing communities with fresh water and life-saving vaccines in Africa. Check out the Comic Relief website for more information.

RAG are running various events during Comic Relief week to raise money for Comic Relief – see their Facebook for more details – and as part of their campaign we’re offering you the opportunity to donate your Library fines to the cause.

On Friday 15th March, rather than paying your fines money to us we will be inviting you to donate the equivalent amount to RAG’s Comic Relief appeal.  Donations must be cash only and made in person at one of our Library desks – we regret that we cannot accept charity donations via credit card or using our online payment system.  We will also be collecting, so if you don’t have a fine to pay but would still like to donate you will be welcome to do so – please see Library staff.

We hope you’ll take this opportunity to give generously, support worthy causes, and clear any outstanding fines on your Library record!

Library Lounge Collection: Library Staff Top Picks 3

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The third and final part of our series of Library staff recommendations from the Forum Library Lounge.

The Cosmic Verses: A Rhyming History of the Universe by James Muirden

Chosen by Janet Sandy, Information Assistant

Its dust cover says “This is the story of five millennia of  ‘head-scratching’ – of how humans have tried to make sense of the cosmos.  …. James Muirden’s wonderful new poem cleverly and humorously examines the quest for understanding of our universe. … The Cosmic Verses encapsulates and illuminates five thousand years of the greatest thoughts and thinkers…in brilliantly constructed couplets, cheerfully and copiously illustrated with David Eccles’s delightful line drawings.  … Wonderfully funny and extremely clever, The Cosmic Verses: A Rhyming History of the Universe instructs and clarifies even as it amuses.”

This book is great fun and extremely informative, being written in an historical time line from before 700 BC to after 1900.  I have giggled out loud while reading it, am enjoying it tremendously and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys poetry and enjoys learning.

Find it in the Library Lounge at 821.089 MUI

 

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Chosen by Viki Jones, Shelving Assistant

A young boy called Daniel is taken to a secret library called the ‘Cemetery of Forgotten Books’ by his father and is allowed to take one book which he must protect. Daniel picks a book called The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax. He enjoys the book so much he looks for further books by the same author only to discover that a strange man calling himself Laín Coubert (after a character in The Shadow of the Wind who happens to be the devil) has been seeking out Carax’s books for years, buying them all and burning them. Intrigued, Daniel must find out why….

Full of mystery, intrigue and with a doomed love story this is a great book by a Spanish writer (translated into English by Lucia Graves). The plot has a story within a story and I was drawn not only into Daniel’s life but Julián Carax’s. I also love the idea of a secret location hiding and safe guarding forgotten books. Do we have one hidden in the basement of the Forum Library?

Find it in the Library Lounge at  868.6/RUI-10 

 

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Chosen by Kerry Pankhurst, Collections Manager

This is a gripping debut novel about obsession, domestic abuse and the psychological impact of both. It is not a comfortable read and I found it really quite chilling, but unputdownable. The narrative jumps between two timelines which is incredibly effective at building the tension. It definitely made me double check if my front door was locked at night!

Find it in the Library Lounge at 823.92 HAY

 

 

Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl

Chosen by Imogen Ward-Smith, Information Assistant

These stories are macabre, dark, twisted and wonderful; Roald Dahl’s unique imagination in an adult outlet. The book contains eleven varied tales with a common thread of the sly and slightly sinister side of human nature. Think horror, revenge, lies, cheating, murder, and theft. If any of the above appeal to you, then give this book a go! Not necessarily recommended for bedtime reading, at least I couldn’t (I don’t like scary movies or roller coasters and these tales definitely count as nightmare-fodder) but they gave me a delightful satisfying shiver that wasn’t at all unpleasant.

The bit that most stuck with me….

[SPOILER!]

…. There is a brain kept alive in a bowl!!

Find it in the Library Lounge at 828.9/DAH-4 

 

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Chosen by Roxanne Crabb, Forum Library Supervisor

This is a challenging book both in terms of its pacing (after a slow start it gets more and more gripping as it goes on) and the mighty ethical questions with which it grapples, but it’s well worth a read. Dr Annick Swenson is a field researcher working in the Brazilian rainforest, studying a tribe whose women continue to bear  children long into old age. She is being funded by a pharmaceutical company to produce a miracle fertility drug, but progress is slow and Dr Swenson is becoming increasingly elusive. When her colleague, Anders – sent to the jungle to report on the project’s progress – is reported dead in rather ambiguous circumstances, the scene is set for Patchett’s heroine, Dr Marina Singh, to make the trip herself.

This is a great pick for the armchair explorer: Patchett evokes the beauty, danger, and above all the strangeness of the Amazon in a way that is truly mesmerising. Twists abound too, some of which I had anticipated and a few of which left me breathless. State of Wonder is a walk on the wild side, both in the way it takes you into the steamy heart of the rainforest and in the way that it is not afraid to needle, albeit gently, at some of the big moral problems in Western society.

Find it in the Library Lounge at 813.6 PAT

 

If you missed the earlier posts in this series check out Part 1 and Part 2.

As you’ll see, the Library Lounge offers a wide variety of recreational reading material. We hope something from our selections will appeal to you. If you’ve read any of the books Library staff have chosen this week why not let us know if you agreed or disagreed with our verdicts? You can Tweet us or leave us a comment on Facebook.

 

Library Lounge Collection: Library Staff Top Picks 2

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Have we inspired you to borrow a book from the Forum Library Lounge yet? Here’s the second part of our series of staff recommendations for books we enjoyed from this diverse and growing recreational reading collection. Perhaps one of these titles will tickle your fancy…

 

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

Chosen by Rachel Dawson, Shelving Supervisor

This book was so well written that I ‘had’ to locate the sequel (Tandia) from the public library, and work out if this book was in any way autobiographical, as it was written with such warmth and depth that I was sure it couldn’t be ‘just another novel’. It turns out that the author was born in South Africa, so this is why he is able to write with such understanding of the culture and superstitions of the people there.  A bit like The Kite Runner this book has some disturbing scenes, but they are appropriate and character driven.  Whilst the Kite Runner was made into a film of the same name, The Power of One was made into a film in 2009 and was also used as a basis for ‘Rocky’ – the main character ‘Peekay’ becomes a boxer.  There are plenty of messages the reader can pull out of this book – things like adversity making you stronger, but readers can also pick up some knowledge of South Africa as a country and its history.

Find it in the Library Lounge at 828.9 /COU

 

Sister by Rosamund Lupton

Chosen by Viki Jones, Shelving Assistant

This is the debut novel from Rosamund Lupton. The story revolves around Bee an English woman living and working in New York, whose sister Tess is missing in London. Bee gets the first flight back to the UK to help in the search.

I found this a compelling read as Bee tries to find out what has happened to her sister. There is an amazing twist that I didn’t see coming! You will have to read the book to find out what it is!

Find it in the Library Lounge at 823.92 LUP

 

 

Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

Chosen by Anne Dinan, Subject Librarian for Education, Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology

‘Good King Richard’ or an evil usurper? Maligned king or tyrannical monster of Shakespeare’s play?  “Truth is the daughter of time, not of authority” ( Francis Bacon).  An interesting view is provided in this book, written more than 50 years ago, but published here as a reprint. This novel sheds new light on the mystery of the Princes in the tower and on the role of Richard III – particularly topical given the recent discovery of the skeleton in the Leicester car park having been identified beyond reasonable doubt as that of the last of the Plantagenet kings. The novel is written as a detective story, where the clues are discovered and debated, and a conclusion finally reached.  It is written with humour, and is very thought provoking.  I read it years ago and have just re-read it after the recent news story.  I recommend it; it will certainly ask you to re-think your view of history – not just about Richard III.

 Find it in the Library Lounge at 828.9/TEY

 

I’m not scared by Niccolo Ammaniti

Chosen by Hilary Norris, Information Assistant

An Italian thriller (translated into English by Jonathan Hunt) told through the eyes of a young boy. During a hot summer nine year old Michele stumbles across a secret hidden in a dilapidated farmhouse. What he finds will threaten to destroy his community, his family and his life. I recommend this novel because it is a story that kept me gripped all the way through.

Find it in the Library Lounge at 858.9 /AMM-2

 

 

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

Chosen by Imogen Ward-Smith, Information Assistant

Lee Fiora is a girl from small town Indiana who takes up a place at an exclusive finishing school in New England; this story recounts her experience. Curtis Sittenfeld, writing as Lee, describes so accurately how it really feels to be a young adult navigating the social quagmire that is college/university life.

There are elements of how I felt about life and relationships during my years at school and university that I hadn’t even recognised until seeing them mirrored in the main character. Anybody who has ever been socially awkward, felt like an outsider, or simply been through the experience of trying to fit in needs to read this book, whether you are in that place now or if you left it behind many years ago, in which case it will take you back! Prep had me at different times chuckling, cringing and exclaiming “ that’s me! I felt like that!” I’ve read this book twice and I’d read it again. It’s an ‘easy’ read in that it doesn’t require a huge amount of concentration or effort, it’s the perfect distraction and escape.

Find it in the Library Lounge at 818.6 /SITT

 

Part 1 of our Library Lounge Recommendations can be found here.

The final part in this series will be published on Friday!

Library Lounge Collection: Library Staff Top Picks 1

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Did you know that as well as supporting research we also have a lending collection geared towards leisure and recreational reading? This is located in the Forum Library Lounge area, just at the entrance to the Library on level 0. The Library Lounge provides a more relaxed learning space with comfortable sofas and vending machines, so it’s a great place to take a break or to meet your course mates for informal study.

Students in the Library Lounge

The Library Lounge Lending Collection contains a growing array of books you can borrow. Content is selected by the Library team with the aim of covering a broad selection of interests and abilities including graded readers to help international students improve their language skills, genre-fiction bestsellers, and some of the novels shortlisted for literary awards like the Booker or Orange prizes.

So please feel free to borrow books from this collection – they can be issued in the normal way using self-issue machines. Not sure where to start? Don’t worry! Over the coming week Library staff will be sharing our top picks and recommendations from the Library Lounge collection on this blog – perhaps we will inspire you!

Shogun by James Clavell   

Chosen by Jim Green, Digital Library & Marketing Assistant

Set around the clash of civilisations as Europeans with their guns encounter Feudal Japan at its Bushido-wielding might. Clavell’s impeccable research and descriptive reading make this classic historical novel come to life. Revealed a lot about life, love and death in Japan at the time in the context of rival warlords determined to seek out any advantage they can in their quests to become Shogun. A great adventure with strong central characters and scene-setting on an epic scale.

Find it in the Library Lounge at classmark:  828.9/CLAV

 

 Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

Chosen by Hilary Norris, Information Assistant

A comic fantasy novel about Armageddon as predicted by the “Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes   Nutter. Witch”.   A funny and philosophical novel with a wide range of characters including angels, demons, Witchfinders, a scatterbrained satanic nun, the four horsemen of the apocalypse and Adam (the antichrist). I would recommend this novel because it makes me laugh every time I read it. If you enjoy this book you may like to try Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman or the Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett. These books are also in the Library lounge collection.

Find it in the Library Lounge at classmark: 828.9 /PRA

 

 

Manja: a novel about five children by Anna Gmeyner

Chosen by Caroline Gale, Library Liaison Manager

Set between the world wars in Germany, this tells the story of 5 children, from conception to early teens, focusing on their friendship and how this is ultimately changed forever by the differing political beliefs of their parents.

Anna Gmeyner was an Austrian exile, writing in London in 1938, so this story feels very authentic in its coverage of the rise of Nazism in Germany. The innocent friendships of the children make wonderful reading: it’s a satisfying book with a powerful message.

Find it in the Library Lounge at 828.9 /GME

 

 The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier

Chosen by Roxanne Crabb, Forum Library Supervisor

In this magical adventure novel people fall into three categories: the living, the long dead, and the people who are dead but still have living friends, families and former colleagues to keep their memory alive.  The City of the Dead is neither Heaven nor Hell, but it’s a place where souls can ‘live on’ at least until the last person to have known them passes over. The novel’s chapters alternate between the story of Laura Byrd struggling to survive in Antarctica and character-studies of those City inhabitants who once knew her. This book isn’t perfect but I could overlook the plot-holes because the polar survival parts (which riff on Apsley Cherry-Garrard’s real life classic, The Worst Journey in the World) are quite exciting and, above all, because the City of the Dead chapters are always tender, sometimes funny, and raise so many interesting questions about memory and the connections and experiences that make us who we are. Worth a read.

Find it in the Library Lounge at 818.6 BROC

 

Pure by Andrew Miller

Chosen by Imogen Ward-Smith, Information Assistant

Set in 18th Century Paris, the story describes a young engineer’s task of destroying a crumbling church and relocating its thousand years worth of buried human remains. The cemetery is full to overflowing and the decaying of corpses buried there taints the Paris air for streets around. The bones are buried in pits in the graveyard, layers upon layers deep and the excavation work must be done by a team of men, by hand.

It’s possibly a slightly distasteful subject – the description was so vivid I could taste the decay in the air – but told in such a beautiful and real way that I was gripped and could not put it down. This was a book that I kept sloping off to my armchair to “just read a bit more” then coming round three hours later having done nothing but read, but not minding one bit because it was worth it.

Find it in the Library Lounge at 823.92 MIL

 

Watch out for Parts 2 and 3 of our Library Lounge Top Picks coming later in the week…..

 

Open Access Reservations

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Is the book you need already on loan?  Normal and short loan items can always be requested and should then be available for you to collect within one week. Here’s a quick guide on how to do this…

How do I request a book?

  • Search for the item you want using the Library Catalogue. If the item is already on loan to someone else you will see a  ‘Request’ button appears on the search result:
  • Click the request button. You will first be asked to log in with your university username and password (or if you are an external borrower, Exeter alumni, fee payer or SCONUL access member you will need to tick the  ‘Login using UoE Library identification UniCard or Library Card instead’  box and log-in using your barcode number and Library PIN).
  • You will now be asked to enter a cancellation date for your reservation. If you know that you won’t need it the past a certain date (perhaps you have an essay deadline) you can enter this date, so if the book hasn’t come back by then your booking will be cancelled automatically. If you have no deadline, or want the book no matter how long it takes, then enter a date here that is far in the future:

  • Select an appropriate date then choose ‘submit’
  • You can now request the item. If multiple copies of the same item are available then it usually makes sense to select that book that is due back soonest. Due dates and any pre-existing holds will show on the right:

  • Click on ‘Request Selected item.’ You should then be taken to screen that will confirm your hold has been successfully placed. Don’t forget to log out of  your Library record!

What happens next?

  • If the item you requested was due back more than a week ahead the loan period will be automatically shortened and the current borrower will receive an email asking them to return it by the new date.
  • When the item comes back you will receive an email from us and you can come in and collect it from the home library of the book, e.g. if it is a book from a collection in St Luke’s you will need to collect it from there. Forum Library books should be collected from the reservations shelf in Express Collections.

  • Find your item on this shelf: it will be filed under the first four letters of your surname and your library card number.
  • Issue the item as normal on one of the machines in this section.
  • We hold the item here for up to one week (or until your not ‘cancel by’ date is reached, whichever is sooner) after this time it will pass to the next person in the queue, or back into circulation if nobody else is waiting.

You can place up to 10 holds at a time and don’t forget you can always cancel holds you no longer require, or check which items you are waiting for, by logging in to your patron record.

Please note you will not be able to request books that are freely available on the shelves, just come in and get them.

If you have any questions or would like help with this topic please contact Library Staff.