A work in progress!

For those of you wondering how we are getting on with preparations for the big library move this summer, here are some photos taken at the new site yesterday! As you can see the builders have been very busy, the old carpet has gone, the lights and ceiling tiles are being replaced and new electric wiring and computer data points are being installed. Most of the painting is done, offices have been constructed and nearly all the new partition walls have been built, so it should be possible to lay the new carpet any day now. 

We have also been busy planning the layout of the new library, the colour scheme, deciding exactly what needs to be moved and where all the shelving and furniture will go. Once the planning stage is complete the hard work will start in earnest! We've got a VERY busy summer ahead! Watch this space for more updates soon...  

Quick & easy access to library content!

We’ve recently provided a trial link to the resource discovery tool 'Summon' on our library website www.smu.ac.uk/library , which we’re calling our new digital library. It allows users to carry out a Google-style search of all of our resources and even links to articles in e-journals. It will be launched fully together with Prism 3 (the new version of the library catalogue) next academic year! In the meantime, have a go at using the digital library and let us know what you think - there is a feedback link available on every page.

Top of the ebooks

Have you discovered our ebooks yet? We’ve got hundreds of books available online. Where possible we always try to buy ebook versions of the books on your reading lists to go with the copies on our shelves. And we’ve got ebooks of titles we don’t have on the shelves too! If you have trouble finding a book for your assignment, it’s always worth checking to see if we have it available online, or if we’ve got any other ebooks that fit the bill.

You can look for ebooks in exactly the same way as you’d search for a “real” book using the library catalogue, which you can find on the library homepage. If you need any help, just ask!

In case you were wondering, our six most popular ebooks since September 2011 are:-

• Management and organisational behaviour (8^th ed.) by Laurie J. Mullins
• Essential teaching skills (3^rd ed.) by Chris Kyriacou
• Beginning teaching (3^rd ed.) by Janet Moyles
• Becoming a teacher: issues in secondary teaching (3^rd ed.) by Justin Dillon and Meg Maguire (we also have the 4^th edition, Becoming a teacher: issues in secondary education, available as an ebook)
• Personality, individual differences, and intelligence by John Maltby, Liz Day and Ann Macaskill
• Research methods for business students (5^th ed.) by Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill

(We were going to give you our top five, but there was a tie for fifth place!)

RIP Maurice Sendak

We were really sorry to hear of the death of Maurice Sendak, the pioneering illustrator who passed away today at the age of 83. Sendak is probably best known for his picture book Where the Wild Things Are, which uses beautiful language and striking illustrations to tell the tale of Max on his “wild rumpus” through a magical land. The book was groundbreaking in the way it introduced rather sinister imagery into a children’s book. Despite an initially wary reception from the public, it has remained a firm favourite with children and grown-ups alike over the decades since its publication in 1963.

If you’d like to remember or discover Maurice Sendak through his work, you’ll find plenty of copies of Where the Wild Things Are and some of his other picture books at Griffith Library in Dynevor and at Townhill Library. If you’d like to hear what a wild rumpus sounds like in Welsh, try the translation, Yng Ngwlad Y Pethau Gwyllt.

May Day bank holiday library opening times

If you are thinking about using our libraries over the May Day bank holiday weekend, tomorrow (Saturday 5th May) all three will be open as normal, from 10.00am - 4.00pm.

On Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday, both the Owen and Townhill Libraries will be open from 12.00pm - 5.00pm.

So you are most welcome to come in and use our resources and facilities! All we need now for the long weekend is some better weather...

Calling all environmentalists!

Anyone with a passion for the environment and sustainability may be interested to know that the fifth joint open lecture to be held by the Old Dy'vorians' Association and Swansea Metropolitan University will be focusing on this very topic!

The lecture, entitled "A Sustainable Wales" will be given by special guest speaker Jane Davidson (former Minister for Environment and Sustainability in Wales) and will take place at 4pm on Thursday 24th May at our Dynevor Campus. Ms Davidson has recieved many accolades for her work in this field and is one of the most influential environmentalists in the UK. She has most recently taken on a new role as Director of INSPIRE (Institute for Sustainability Practice, Innovation and Resource Effectiveness) at University of Wales Trinity Saint David. 

Admission is free and the event is open to anyone who would like to attend (staff, students and members of the public), refreshments will also be provided. Those who would like to come are asked to contact Joyce Wills on 01792 481100 or email joyce.wills@smu.ac.uk  

So if you are interested in achieving a greener future for Wales why not take this opportunity to come along and show your support. We look forward to seeing you there!

National Pet Month

Hank the rescue cat in his new home

The special occasions seem to be flooding in thick and fast at the moment! We are currently in the middle of National Pet Month, which this year runs from 7^th April to 7^th May. You can find out more from the official website which has lots of resources and a “National Pet Month in a Nutshell” link to explain a bit more about the cause.

Since next Monday (30^th April) also sees the start of RSPCA week, we at SMU Libraries thought this was a perfect excuse to indulge our love of animals and point you in the direction of Swansea’s RSPCA centre, Llys Nini. The centre takes in unwanted or abandoned cats, dogs and smaller pets such as rabbits and ferrets, looking after them until a new home can be found. The Llys Nini website has details of the work they do and how you can help through donations, volunteering and visits. You could have a look at the RSPCA’s main website too, where you’ll find information about national campaigns and links to educational resources for use in schools.

If you’re looking for a pet to bring some furry companionship into your life, why not consider adopting one from Llys Nini? You can visit in person (details on their website) or have a look to see who catches your eye on their dog blog, cat blog, or small animals blog. Each blog has pictures of the pets in need of a good home, as well as some background details. So it doesn’t get too sad, there are also links to success stories where you can read about pets in their new homes!

Lest we forget, there is also plenty of information about pets available from your SMU library service. A search for pets on our library catalogue will show you just how much we have to offer! We have resources ranging from junior fiction books about animals (I can recommend The world according to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney) to photography books with a pet theme (try Pets by Sue Packer). Come in and take a look!