Access to Research – free access to scholarly journals via Swansea Public Library Service

This one is mainly for our final year students! During your years as a UWTSD student, you have access to a huge range of academic books and journals, both online and in the library, which can help you with your assignments and keep you up to date in your field. Unfortunately, though, once you’ve graduated and are no longer members of the university, we are quite limited in what we can offer you. This is quite frustrating for those of you who are keen to keep up that good practice you developed at university and maintain your awareness of current research. Luckily, publishers and librarians have come together to offer a solution via the public library service – Access to Research!

Access to Research offers free, walk-in access to over a million scholarly journal articles across a range of subjects. Public libraries in Swansea are part of the scheme, so you will be able to take advantage of this material at your local library in the area. There is more information on the Swansea Council website and a specially produced Frequently Asked Questions leaflet (there are a few good search tips which can be used with our Digital Library on here too – worth a look even if you’re not interested in the scheme!). If you’re not local to Swansea, you can check the list of participating libraries on the Access to Research website to see if your home library service is a part of the scheme.

This, of course, is in addition to all the great stuff already available to you at Swansea public libraries! It’s well worth joining if you haven’t already. And finally, if you are graduating this year, but would still like to borrow from UWTSD libraries, public library members in South West and Mid Wales can join us through the Libraries Together scheme, which will let you borrow up to five ordinary loans from us at any one time. Just get in touch if you’d like more information.

Desert Island Books...

Image Courtesy of: BrandonSigma / Free Digital Photos

 

More from our Desert Island Books series...this week we have some great contributions from Elaine Sharpling who is a member of the University's Education staff. Great choice of luxury item Elaine...!

If you were stranded on a desert island which 4 books would you like to have with you and why?

My first choice would be Songs of Innocence and Experience by William Blake. Each pair of poems speaks of the journey from innocence to experience and debates whether it is better to remain ignorant of all life’s trials and tribulations or to live life to the full.

Following a bit of a theme here, my second choice would be a children’s book: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate Di Camillo. This is the tale of a china rabbit who spends his days looking at a pristine white tablecloth. One day, his life suddenly changes when he embarks on an adventurous journey. Again, the story asks the question of whether taking a risk in life is more fulfilling than staying behind the front door! Perhaps it will help to explain why I have arrived on the island in the first place.

Third choice…mmmm… I am rather fond of the shipping forecast on Radio 4 and have a romantic picture of a rugged ship’s captain glued to the radio listening for the weather in Dogger Bank. I have a lovely book called Rain Later, Good by Peter Collyer and I would add this to my list.  He takes each shipping forecast area and conjures up these mythical locations using detailed drawings and poetry. I could pretend I was a radio presenter and invent a shipping forecast each morning.

Lastly, I will not be very patient on this island and may be prone to the odd complaint. To help me put this into perspective, I should like a very big book on the Lives of the Saints. Perhaps then, I will be a better person when I am rescued!

If you could bring one of the characters to life, for company, who would you choose and why?

I don’t think I would like William Blake as company for a lengthy period as poets tend to be a bit solitary and a china rabbit might be a bit limiting and somewhat delicate. There are no actual characters in the Rain Later Good book so I think I will go for a good selection of saints; Thomas Aquinas, John Fisher and Thomas More.  They would offer a nice mix of being interesting and scholarly and then they will wander off for more contemplative moments and leave me to practise my shipping forecast.

You can have one luxury item on the island with you…what would it be?

A big bottle of Chanel 5 perfume please.

You are rescued and can only take one book back with you…which one would you pick?

Do you know, I think I will leave them all behind for the next shipwrecked person. Would that not be the start of an island library?

International Arts Education Week

You'll find loads of art books and journals downstairs
 in Griffith Library!

The third annual UNESCO International Arts Education Week runs from the 19^th to the 23^rd May this year, so it’s nearly upon us. UWTSD Swansea has a rich heritage of arts education, so we’re sure it’s a topic close to your hearts! This year, the theme is Arts for Peace, which builds on the vision laid out in the UNESCO document Seoul Agenda: Goals forthe Development of Arts Education.

Griffith Library at Dynevor is, as you’d expect, the place to go for art books, journals and dvds, but Townhill Library has recently had some new books in about education and the arts too. So, if you’re looking for a book to help you Understand Art History or one on Inspiring Writing in Art and Design, you know where to come!

We’ve also got tons of resources online, so if you want e-books or e-journals, take a look at our catalogue. We’ve also got a whole host of databases to help you find images, journal articles and other information.

Phew! With all that, it looks as though we are definitely ready for International Arts in Education Week!

Some of the art books on offer in Townhill Library

Desert Island Books...

Image Courtesy of: Arvind Balaraman / Free Digital Photos

Another fantastic desert island book selection for you, courtesy of Assistant Librarian Alison Evans who works at our Swansea Business School library.

The 4 books I’d take with me.  I may have cheated a bit here, by listing book series rather than books - but come on, just FOUR books …??! 

.   Wolf Hall / Bring up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel.  Un-put-downable books by one of my favourite authors - will also remind me of some of the best productions I have seen on stage.

.   The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson.  Not that I probably need it, as I am just about word perfect - with voices!  I have read this book aloud at bedtime many, many times.  It will bring back happy memories.

.   The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams.  To remind me of the absolute madness of the world I have left behind.

.   Hmmmm  …  the last one will have to be something that will keep me occupied for a long stretch of time.  So, it’s probably got to be The Hobbit / The Lord of the Rings / The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien.  It would probably take me something equivalent to a Middlearth Age to work out all the complicated mythology …!

The character I would bring to life:

No question - the clever mouse from The Gruffalo.  He would be excellent company and so wily that he would know lots of ways to keep us well fed, safe and happy …

My luxury item:

Ice cream to keep us cool – vanilla flavour, not owl …

The book I would bring back:

The Gruffalo, of course.