New book in stock - 'Creative CV Guide' by Jan Cole

We have a new book in stock at Dynevor Library which I wanted to draw your attention to, especially if you are in your final year of study on one of our creative courses.

'Creative CV Guide' by Jan Cole is an easy to read, practical book containing advice on putting together a CV. It also gives examples of different types of creative CV's and provides other useful information on finding employment.

We have one reference copy in stock which currently can be found on the 'new books' shelves, and another two additional copies are on order which will be loanable once they arrive.

So if you are starting to think about your career after leaving university, hopefully this is the book for you!

Library opening hours this royal weekend!

As Royal Wedding fever grips the country in anticipation of the 'big day', just a reminder that if you wish to use a SMU library for study tomorrow, both the Owen and Townhill libraries will be open from 12midday until 5pm.

On Saturday, all three SMU libraries will be open as usual from 10-4, then the Owen and Townhill libraries will be open again on Sunday, and Bank Holiday Monday from 12midday until 5pm. Normal term-time opening for all three will recommence on Tuesday 3rd May!

So whatever your plans are for tomorrow...whether you will be glued to the tv watching the proceedings, or if you would prefer to escape from it all, a SMU library will be open near you!

Classic literature selection now available at Dynevor Library!

If you fancy reading a classic novel, we now have a selection available for this term at Dynevor Library! Titles including 'Heidi', 'Frankenstein', 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn' and 'Pride and Prejudice' can be located on our fiction trolley, next to the daily newspapers.

These titles normally reside at Townhill Library, which has a wide range of fiction both modern and classic, to suit all tastes.

So if you are looking to temporarily escape from your studies and immerse yourself in classic literature, hopefully we have something to tempt you!

“I do” want to visit a SMU Library on 29th April!

Firstly though, a reminder that all three SMU libraries will be closed Good Friday to Easter Monday, and will then re-open (on term-time hours) on Tuesday 26th April.

Friday 29th April is going to be a big day on the Royal Family's calendar, but if you need to use our library facilities, both the Owen Library at Mount Pleasant and Townhill Library will be open from 12 midday through to 5pm. So if you wish, you can watch the wedding in the morning and still come in to study in the afternoon! Good luck William & Kate...

SMU e-resource of the day - Bridgeman Art Library Digital Image database

For those SMU students looking for good quality images to use within essays/assignments etc look no further! The Bridgeman Art Library Digital Image database contains over 350,000 images from museums, galleries, private collections and contemporary artists, all copyright cleared for educational use.

Searching the database is easy, and the images retrieved can be zoomed to see intricate detail, all in superb quality. Additionally, SMU staff and students can access the resource both on and off campus with your current username and password. Just go to the library website www.smu.ac.uk/library, choose 'Online Resources A-Z' from the top menu bar, then click on the 'Databases' link on the left-hand side. This will bring up a list of all of our databases in alphabetical order, and from here you can click on the link to take you into 'Bridgeman'.

So have a look, and let me know how you get on! I'm hoping you will be impressed with the choice and quality of the images on there. And if you need any help using this resource, just ask one of our SMU Librarians.

Titanic Anniversary

Image: Willy Stöwer / Wikimedia Commons

On this day 99 years ago the RMS Titanic sank off the New Foundland coast with the loss of more than 1,500 lives. Billed as the world's first and only unsinkable ship, she met a tragic end when she struck an iceberg during her maiden voyage on April 15th 1912 and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. As one of the most luxurious and infamous liners in history her final resting place became the subject of much debate, and was finally discovered in 1985 by American oceanographer and underwater archaeologist Dr Robert Ballard. Many subsequent expeditions to the wreck of the Titanic have yielded numerous treasures, some of which can now be viewed at the Titanic Exhibition, touring worldwide and currently located at London's O2 Arena. I was lucky enough to go this exhibition last weekend and it didn't disappoint! Amongst the artefacts on display were; the crow's nest bell, jewellery, crockery, even perfume and champagne bottles with their contents still intact!

If you can't make it to the exhibition in London why not borrow a copy of James Cameron's film version of Titanic from Dynevor Library (791.4372/TIT), or borrow one of the many books we have on the subject, such as, Titanic: End of a dream (Townhill Library 910.91634/TIT) or Titanic Legacy: Disaster as media event and myth (Owen Library 363.34/HEY). You can even view old newsreels relating to the Titanic on our Newsfilm Online database. Why not bring some history to life with the help of your SMU libraries!

Out of this world

Today is the fiftieth anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic first flight into space. Gagarin became the first man in space when he orbited the Earth in Vostok 1 on the 12th April 1961. You can find out more about the Russian cosmonaut and the history of space exploration through Oxford Reference Online, a comprehensive collection of reference material that's accessible from one database.

Gagarin's flight paved the way for human space travel, but how did people feel about it at the time? We've got a database that can help with that question! You can step back in time to see contemporary news footage of Yuri's 1961 visit to the UK on NewsFilm Online. For an up-to-date perspective on the mission, try Newsbank, which lets you search and read hundreds of archived and current newspaper issues from all over the UK.

If you'd like to know more about any of these resources, please ask a librarian.

Databases get a makeover

Spring is in the air: birds are singing, flowers are blooming, and to top it all off, Proquest, one of our largest database providers, has a new look!

Now with an improved interface, it's much easier to access to a broad range of authoritative resources, content and services through the library web pages. Databases which have adopted the new interface are:-

• ABI/Inform: full-text business database


• ANTE: Abstracts in New Technologies and Engineering


• British Periodicals: full-text access to hundreds of periodicals from late 17th Century to early 20th Century


• PILOTS: index to literature on post traumatic stress disorder

You can find more with a single search across multiple resources. With just a few clicks, you can get to relevant content more quickly, work with results more effectively, and share results with friends and colleagues via social networking.

Go to the library web pages, choose any of the above databases and try it out! If you have any questions, please ask a librarian.

Need help with your revision?

Image: Keerati / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It's that time of year again when the dreaded exams are looming! If you are struggling to know where to begin with your revision why not take a look at some past exam papers for a few pointers? The library has several years worth of exam papers covering most subject areas which are all available for you to view online, via our webpage - http://apollo.smu.ac.uk/library/index.asp?page=pastpapers

We also have a selection of books on study techniques and exam skills available to borrow in the library, such as:

Effective Study Skills - Geraldine Price & Pat Maier (Shelfmark 378.170281/EFF)

The Exam Skills Handbook - Stella Cottrell (Shelfmark 371.26/COT)

Also don't forget, if you need extra help finding information for your revision, there are friendly subject librarians available in the library to help you...good luck with your studies!