The 24/7 Library

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You may be planning some late night revision sessions in preparation for this month’s exams. Here’s a guide to which study spaces are available late:

Study Spaces available 24/7:

The Forum Library: during exam time the Library takes control of the two seminar wings on Level 0 and Level =1 (otherwise part of the Forum) expanding the total available study spaces to 1000+ seats. Library staff are available to help in the Forum Library from 08.00 – 21.00 on weekdays and 10.00 – 18.00. There are a few services that are restricted to staffed hours such as collecting theses or inter-library loans but the building and all the Forum library study spaces are available 24/7 and most stock can be self-issued and returned  at any time.

24/7 Space and PC Cluster at St Luke’s Library: The Library itself is open 08.30 – 21.00 on weekdays, 10.00 – 18.00 Saturdays and 14.00 – 18.00 on Sundays but St Luke’s also has a swipe-access PC Cluster and study room (50+ seats) that are accessible 24 hours a day throughout the whole year.

Available until late:

Amory Study Centre: the opening hours of the Amory Study Centre have been extended for the duration of the exam period and this popular, swipe-accessible space is currently open until midnight 7 days a week!

Quiet Study area in the Amory Study Centre

Look after yourself!

Everyone’s revision schedule is different and, here in the Library, we want to make sure that study spaces are available for you whatever time of day or night you need them. But if you are planning on studying late into the night then make sure you take care of yourself.

5 Simple revision tips:

  1. Look after your diet and remember to drink water regularly
  2. Take some exercise – it helps relieve the stress
  3. Get some sleep!
  4. Take regular breaks – you’ll think better if you have a bit of time away
  5. Check your notes; make sure your revision plan is matched to the course objective
Safety First!

Try to avoid walking home alone;  if you  leave the Library in the middle of the night always try to walk with a friend or perhaps call a taxi.

 

Did you know free blankets are available for you to use in the Library? Just ask at the reception desk.

Good luck in your exams!

Explore St Luke’s Competition… win a £25 Waitrose voucher!

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Would you like to win a £25 Waitrose voucher? Why not take part in our Explore St Luke’s Library photo competition?

Each of these seven mystery views can be spotted in St Luke’s Campus Library. To win you will need to match each photo number to one of the seven book titles listed below. Each book can be found in the Library near by to one of the views.  Send an email to correctly matching the books to the photos (e.g. 1A, 2B etc) and you could win a £25 voucher to spend in Waitrose (conveniently located just across the road from St Luke’s Campus).

Mystery views:

List of books to match:

 

Please email your answers along to . Hint: the Library catalogue should help you find out more about the books but you’ll need to visit the St Luke’s Library to identify the photos.

A.  English Place-Names Explained by Charles Whynne-Hammond (2005).

B.  Motor learning and performance: from principles to practice by Richard A Schmidt (1991)

C.  Children Learning English by Jayne Moon (2000).

D.   The Mouse and his Child by Russell Hoban (1969)

E.   The Essence of Aikido: Spiritual Teachings of Morihei Ueshiba (1999)

F.    Letters and Sounds: Principles and Practice of High Quality Phonics by Department for Education and Skills (Express Collections copy, 2007)

G. Web Wisdom: How to Evaluate and Create Information Quality on the Web by Janet E. Alexander (1999)

Hint: the Library catalogue should help you find out more about the books but you’ll need to visit the St Luke’s Library to identify the photos.

St Luke’s Campus is located on Heavitree Road, just a short walk from the City Centre (directions here), or why not catch a D bus direct from Streatham Campus?

As well as these intriguing views St Luke’s Library offers:

  • 180 study spaces
  • Computer cluster accessible 24/7
  • 24/7 study room
  • Bookable group work spaces
  • Drop-in group pods
  • Silent study room
  • Kitchen style breakout space
  • Beautiful views across the quad and city
  • Wide range of books and journals available to borrow with specialisms in Education and Sports Sciences.
  •  School Based work collection containing many classics of Children’s Literature.

So why not visit and explore St Luke’s Library soon? The photo competition is running until 30th January 2013 and you can also find the photographs and book list over on our Facebook page – good luck and happy exploring!

I want one of these

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Do you know about IWOOT? If you are an undergraduate or taught postgraduate, you can request an item if it is not available in the library.  Just complete an online form and we will forward it to your College/Department as a recommended purchase. For more information, see:    I want one of these  in the section Enhancing Library Collections  on the library webpage.

 

Temporary Additional Seating

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We know it’s very busy in the Forum Library at the moment, that’s why we’ve added some temporary additional seating in the Balcony space on Level +1.

So please keep this area in mind if you’re looking for study space over the next few days.

If you’re still struggling to find a seat please ask Library staff for help, or why not try one of our other Library Study Spaces such as Research Commons, The Sanctuary, The Amory Study Centre or St Luke’s Library?

Win £20!

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It’s win win win with the Forum Library!

£20 MUST be won in the Library’s December Face Off fest!

Yes, you see it right: a £20 book token is being given away – only if you can answer the following ridiculously easy question by Friday 14th December:
…

Using the resource ISI Web of Science (available via the library catalogue and the Electronic Library) find a reference to a famous cartoon’s duck’s death notice!

For £20 What’s the TITLE, AUTHOR, and NAME of the publisher’s SQUARE in the reference?

Send us an email with your answer to libraryhelp@exeter.ac.uk along with your full name, by Friday 14th December. Please use your University of Exeter email address. All those who correctly answer the question will be entered into a draw for a £20 book token. The winner will be announced the following week. Quack, before it’s too late! Good luck!

Library Study Spaces: where to go and how to make the most of them

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As the end of term approaches many people are thinking not only about Christmas but also about  assignment deadlines and revision topics. We anticipate a busy few weeks in the Library, and our staff are available seven days a week to help you make the most of the resources and the study spaces we have to offer. But are you aware of the full range of study spaces we have available? Here’s a brief guide to help you find the best spaces for your learning needs, and how to make the most of them…

Group Spaces

Sometimes you do need to discuss your work. That’s why we offer designated group spaces so that you can share ideas and practice presentations without disturbing those who need a quieter study environment. Drop-in group areas (available on a first-come, first served basis) can be found in the following places:

But if you want to guarantee a space for your group, why not book in advance a slot in one of these locations:

  • Amory Study Centre: Group Work Rooms 003 A – E can be booked online via the central room bookings pages (select ‘Student Group Work Areas’ option)
  • St Luke’s Campus Library: the Student Presentation Room features projection equipment and is a great place to practice presentations. It can also be booked online via online via the central room bookings pages (select ‘Student Group Work Areas’ option)
  • Forum Library Vale Room Tables. The group work room on Level 0 contains two tables with a large screen monitor attached. Another good option for practising presentations, these can be booked in advance for up to 3 hours at a time by emailing
  • St Luke’s Library Consultation Rooms 1 & 2. Suitable for smaller groups. Room 1 contains a PC, while Room 2 is a good venue for round table discussions. A week or more in advance you can book these by emailing . Less than a week ahead, just sign up on the door!

 

 Quiet Study

If you’d rather find some silent space to concentrate on your own work, we have a number of options available:

  • A large quiet reading on the entrance floor of  Research Commons – just a few minutes walk from the Forum this a space much beloved by those seeking silent study, why not visit and try it for yourself?
  • The Sanctuary: located just beneath the Great Hall this 180 seat space boasts a colourful decor but a quiet, focused study atmosphere.
  • The far end room in the Amory Study Centre contains PCs and individual desks and is designated purely for quiet study

All of the above destinations use ‘listening ear’ technology to monitor noise and ensure that disturbance is kept to a minimum.

The entrance to The Sanctuary, open 8-8, 7 days a week!

Quiet study spaces are also available at:

  • Forum Library: designated quiet rooms on each floor and in the Learning Hub on level -1.
  • St Luke’s Campus Library: silent space available in the top floor reading room.

Roving Library staff across all locations do our best to make sure noise is kept to a minimum in quiet spaces, but if you are being disturbed by other individuals please don’t suffer in silence – let us know, we’re here to help!

 

Something more relaxed?

If you need a break or you’re looking for a slightly less formal learning environment – perhaps to swap lecture notes over a coffee – you might like to grab a comfy seat in one of the following locations:

  • Forum Library Lounge or Level +1 Balcony
  • Research Commons ‘cafe style’ breakout space
  • St Luke’s Library ‘kitchen style’ breakout space

Forum Library Balcony

3 rules for making the most of our spaces:

  1. If you need help finding the right sort of study space or booking a group room  just ask; Library staff are here to help!
  2. Please respect other Library users by choosing the right environment for your needs: if you need to talk at length please make sure you are in a designated group work space.
  3. Remember the Library is a public space, so do not leave your belongings unattended. Sadly thieves have targeted our libraries in the past so always stay vigilant. Lockers are available to store your laptop and other valuables safely.

For more information why not pick up one of our leaflets or check out the Library Study Spaces website?

The Library Survey has Closed

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Sorry to say that the Library Quality Survey has now closed. Thank you very much to everyone who took part. We’ll announce the winner of the prize draw for the iPad shortly – watch this space! The Library will look closely at the results of the survey and act on any recommendations you have put forward. Look out for our ‘You Said / We Did’ campaign during the next few weeks.

Don’t forget, that we always appreciate your comments – positive or negative! – at any time. There are the Comments Cards you can complete or you can email us at or just let a member of library staff know. We are always happy to hear from you.

Comments cards like these can be found in all our Libraries; please take the time to let us know your views.

Again, thanks so much to everyone who completed the survey. Your views and opinions do matter!

Last Chance to complete the Library Survey!

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Regular followers of this blog will have heard lots about the Library Quality Survey over the past month. The reason we’ve been pushing this so much is because the feedback we gain from this survey really matters to us! We want our Libraries and study spaces to offer the best support and best learning environment possible but we can only improve with your help. Please take this opportunity to tell us what you want.

Library Quality Survey results – both incoming and from previous years – have already helped us to identify and implement the following improvements:

  • You told us ‘We need the Amory Study Centre open longer!’
    • We’ve extended the daily opening hours until 9:30pm, and until midnight during the exam periods (more details on exam time opening coming soon…)
  • You told us ‘We need better Wi-Fi coverage in Research Commons!’’
    •  We’ve arranged for improved Wi-Fi coverage to be implemented as soon as possible
  • You said ‘We like your personalised Library services’ 
    •  We’ve brought together our subject team in Information Central (the office on level -1 of the Forum Library) so we’re easy to find!

What else would YOU like to see done to improve your Library experience?

Forum Library Level 0 computer cluster

There are only two days left to complete the Library Quality Survey, which must close on November 30th. Please make your views count and take a few minutes to fill in the survey and leave feedback.

Click here to start the survey

By doing so you can help us improve the Library, both in the short term and for future students. Respondents will also be entered into our free prize draw to win an Apple iPad, so what are you waiting for?

Library Survey – Last Few Days!

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The Library Quality Survey is still live until November 30th; but we’ve already started to make changes in response to comments left by this year’s respondents – for instance:

  • You told us ‘We need to use the Forum Seminar Rooms at weekends!’
    • We’ve arranged for the Seminar Rooms on Level 0 to be open until 9pm on Saturdays and Sunday.
  • You told us ‘We need maps of St Lukes library to show the Dewey system!’
    •  We now display maps that show the Dewey System, so that classmarks can be more speedily located in St Luke’s library.
Longer term, we’ve also implemented many of the suggestions made on the previous year’s survey forms, such as:
  • You told us ‘We like the Library Champions scheme’ 
    • This year we’ve doubled the budget so Champions can buy more books than ever before!
  • You said ‘We want more Library resources’ 
    • We spent 250k last year and are spending the same again this year on new print and online resources.

Would you like to influence how the Library changes?  Complete our survey now, and tell us what you need! But time is running out! The survey must close on November 30th so don’t delay to share your views. Click here to start the survey…

….You might even win an iPad!

iPad winner will be chosen through a prize draw after the survey closes – will it be you?

 

Extended Opening Hours for the Amory Study Centre

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One message that is emerging clearly from recent feedback via Library Comments cards and, of course, from the Library Quality Survey  is that current students would like more study space available during evenings and weekends. As a result of student feedback we have already been able to open the seminar rooms on Forum Level 0 on Saturdays and Sundays. Additionally, we can now report that the Library has also arranged extended opening hours for the increasingly popular Amory Study Centre.

Located in the Amory Building on Rennes Drive, the Amory Study Centre offers 240 seats and supports a range of learning needs, including group work rooms and quiet study areas.

Amory Group study area

Amory is open to all students from 8.00 7 days a week. From Monday 26th November the space will be available for an additional hour and a half every day, now closing time at the later time of 21.30.

So if you haven’t visited the Amory Study Centre yet why not give it a try in the coming week: now open later, until 21.30 every day! Please ask Library staff for directions or if you need help finding or using any of our study spaces.

Changes like this one are the direct result of your feedback. Library staff are keen to hear your views and you can send us an email or fill in a comments card all year round, but the Library Quality Survey is still running until November 30th so if you haven’t done so already please take the time to click here and share your views. We hope the next improvement to our service will be the one YOU suggest!