Holidays are coming, holidays are coming

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Christmas opening times

There’s not long to go until the festive season is upon us, so our opening times for the holidays are now available on the Library website.

Our service hours for the Christmas Vacation change from Saturday 14th December but don’t worry, Library staff will still be on hand to assist you and answer enquiries through until Friday 20th December.

Please note: 24/7 opening will end on Friday 13th December when the Library will close at midnight and resume after the holidays at 8am on Monday 6th January 2020.

Reservations and recalled loans

Recalls will be suspended from Friday 6th December 2019 and will resume on Friday 3rd January 2020. This means we will not ask you to return items during this period.  If you’re still away from the University after Friday 3rd January and your book is recalled, you can post it to us at: The University Library, Cambridge Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK PO1 2ST.  We recommend using a secure postal service to ensure the books are safely received.

Books that are already reserved by others when you borrow them will only be issued for seven days, rather than for the whole vacation.  Please check the due date on your receipt if you are going away.  If you have any queries or concerns, please speak to a member of library staff or chat to us online.

Enjoy the holidays!

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Divine Images from our Rare Books Collection

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Over the past couple of months, our new Rare Books display case has been put to great use to show to you some of our collection that are not usually on display.

In October we had the powerful artwork of Paul Peter Piech which complimented our display of books for Black History Month. Piech used his graphic, bold images and words to provoke a response from the viewer. This month we have found books from our collection focusing on the work of William Blake. Like Piech, Blake also made political statements with his work; and on display we have books with examples of how he combined his beautiful painting, engraving and his poetry to produce delicate and intricate artwork, which are visually amazing and at times disturbing.

Tate Britain describes Blake as ‘radical and rebellious, he is an inspiration to visual artists, musicians, poets and performers worldwide. His personal struggles in a period of political terror and oppression, his technical innovation, his vision and political commitment, have perhaps never been more pertinent. ‘

Our collection will be on display until the first week in December in our first floor exhibition space and you can see more of Blake’s original artwork at Tate Britain until 2nd February 2020.

 

Find more information at https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/william-blake-artist

 

Posted in About your Library, Subjects: Creative Arts, Uncategorised Tagged with: , , , ,

Love your valuables – keep them with you where you know they are safe

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Secure your belonging - book, mobile phone and laptop chained together.Keep your valuables safe

It is easy to get distracted but whenever you are away from home, please keep your belongings with you at all times so you can keep them safe. Even in the Library.

And your neighbour’s study space clear

At the same time thas a few unlucky people have their property stolen, others complain that personal property is being left blocking study spaces.  This becomes a problem at busy times of year.  Please leave your bags on the ground next to you so that all the study spaces are available for everyone.  If you need to spread out, consider working in 3rd Space, which is less busy.

For both these reasons, please:

Keep your belongings with you at all times to keep them safe.

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Referencing pop-ups return (18-29 Nov)

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Referencing pop-upsThe well-loved referencing pop-ups are returning to the Library Atrium for the next two weeks, starting Monday to save yourself from citation struggles and referencing rage! Bring your referencing quandaries, citation uncertainties and things you have read but don’t know quite what they are and let us soothe your referencing challenges.

Don’t forget we still answer all the same referencing questions at the Library Help Desk whenever it is staffed!  The pop-ups are just an extension to our usual service at these busiest times of the year!

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Enter the Hult Prize Program today!

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Hult prize programThe world’s biggest student entrepreneurship competition has come to Portsmouth this year.

If you are a student at the University of Portsmouth, whatever course you’re doing, and would like to compete in the biggest student entrepreneurship competition to win $1,000,000 then this opportunity is for you.  A team of 3-4 students have to come up with a business idea that is profitable and helps in solving the climate change issue.

Register now to get trained by Google and great mentors this November and compete with other Portsmouth students by pitching your idea this December to have the chance to end up going to the United Nations HQ in New York City next year, meet former President Bill Clinton and have the opportunity to win $1,000,000 to fund your idea.  If you have an idea, you still have time – enter by the end of the weekend (17th November)!

The prize competition runs regularly and 2020 entry is opening very soon, with early entries heartily encouraged, so if you cannot enter immediately, grab a few friends and get planning for the next entry date!

Registration website and more details are available from the competition website.

 

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Two minutes silence at 11 am

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There will be a two minute silence from 11 am today in remembrance of those lost to war.  Staff will be unavailable to answer questions during this time.  Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Posted in Services

Drop-in on the law information experts

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Justicia - golden statue of 'lady justice'The law is structured differently from many subjects and finding legislation can be a challenge.  Thankfully there is extra help on hand from start to finish on Mondays and Tuesday every week until the end of term:

 

Drop-in database help

Friendly student database reps for Lexis and Westlaw can teach you everything from basics to advanced certification for law databases Westlaw and Lexis, every Monday from 1-2 pm and Tuesday from 2-3 pm in Library Meeting Room UL 0.12.  You don’t even have to be studying Law!

 

Weekly Oscola referencing drop-ins

Until 17 December, you can also drop-in on the Law subject team, Mystery and Sharon, in UL 0.26 (Library Seminar Room 2), bring your Oscola referencing woes and ask them how they can make make your law referencing problems vanish.

Posted in Services, Subjects: Law & Criminology

Desperately seeking silence?

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Peace and quiet in the library - one man studying aloneFor some people, crowds and noisy spaces are the stuff of nightmares.  If this sounds like you, there are some simple ways to get the books you need, use the library, ask questions when you need to and void all the noise and bustle and find a place to work quietly without distractions.  Simply follow these simple tips:

Quiet times to come and go

Arrive before 10.30 am.  Most students start drifting into the library from 11 am onwards.  If you arrive before 10.30 am, you will find it quiet and almost empty.  The Library usually quietens down again in the early evening, from around 6.00 pm onwards.

Quiet spaces to study

There is an Individual Silent Study Zone on the second floor (the top floor), which is marked out by purple pull-up banners near the entrances.  If you need to use a laptop, you can borrow one with a charging cable from any of the lockers on the ground floor using your student card, and take this with you to study anywhere in the library.

If the noise level in the Individual Silent Study zone is still distracting you, earplugs are usually available from the Library Help Desk.  It helps us minimise our carbon footprint if you retain and re-use these again as much as possible.

Getting help

Online chat

You can chat to a librarian by exchanging online chat messages through the Library website.  This means you can get help without speaking to anyone face to face or talking to anyone.  You might be better off sending an email if your question is particularly involved and complicated, but for the vast majority of enquiries, online chat gets you instant answers.

One-to-one consultations

Just how quiet it is depends on the time of year, but if you have difficulty bringing yourself to cross the threshold, you can always make an appointment to speak to a librarian for a one-to-one consultation.  Please tell us when you book your appointment if you would like to be met somewhere quiet when you make the appointment or you need us to meet you outside and accompany you into the library building.

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Open for you 24/7

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The Library at night, viewed from outside the main entranceThe University Library is open 24/7 except during the summer vacation and over Christmas.  We open 24/7 because our previous students asked us to.  This does not mean that you should study at all hours!  We do not believe that studying into the small hours is a healthy option for most people, and you will still have to turn up to morning lectures and practicals.  No-one wants you to work yourself into a stupor and then miss a vital exam because you have been studying and revising for so long!  And yes, sadly that has happened before.  Life likes to remind those who struggle, however slightly, that it is generally very unfair.

However you choose to study, please make sure you get enough, regular sleep and that you stay well and rested.  University is supposed to be an enjoyable, three-year experience.  It is a long-distance event, not a sprint.  Start studying now and pace yourself to survive and thrive!

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Share and share alike

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Students studying around a tableThe library space, like the library collections, have to be shared between all our students.  We added 90 more study spaces this year alone and there really is is room for everyone, if everyone just takes their belongings with them when they take a break.  Please share and share alike!

Sharing study space fairly is just one of the things you, and all your fellow students, agreed to in the Library Charter.  

Not sure what’s allowed?  Ask us 🙂

Staff will be happy to clarify the library regulations and what constitutes reasonable behaviour.  If you are unsure how long you can reasonably leave your things unattended, what you can eat and where, how much noise is too much, and so on, there is no shame in asking.  It will help us help you and save other students getting annoyed at you!

Posted in Uncategorised