So, what exactly does a librarian do?

This may be a question you’ve asked yourself. The popular perception is of a cardigan-wearing lady with glasses and a bun who says “Shhhh!” a lot. Yes, it’s true, most of us have a cardigan or two (it can get cold in those stacks!), some of us wear glasses, some of us may even on occasion sport a bun, and we’ll certainly ask you to quiet down if we think you’re disturbing other library users. There is, though, so much more to the job than that. Librarians come in many shapes and sizes, and find themselves fulfilling all sorts of roles in different organisations.

In an attempt to show off the variety to be found in the information and library sector in Wales, the 23 Llyfrgellydd blog profiles a different librarian or information professional each week to find out what their job involves. This week, our very own Philippa Price has been blogging about her role here at UWTSD. Take a look. It’s not all about stamping books, you know!

Dressing up for World Book Day is just one of the things which bring such variety to a librarian's role!

Meet your library elves (aka your subject librarians) - Townhill Library

Time for our final post on this! We hope you’ve enjoyed finding out about our Christmas favourites. Remember, though, our most favourite thing is students who ask for help when the need it, whatever the time of year, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about the library or our resources.

Today we’re turning our attention to Townhill Library, where you’ll find librarians Philippa Price and Erica Fothergill.

Philippa supports the education programmes at Townhill, including Educational Studies, PGCEs, Graduate Diplomas and Masters.

Favourite Christmas movie

Miracle on 34^th Street (the 1947 version, though Sir Richard Attenborough was perfect as Kris Kringle in the 1994 version!)

Favourite Christmas book

Philippa and her new pal in Townhill Library

Hmmm, tricky… Can I choose two? Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol are two of my Christmas stalwarts (and the Muppet movie adaptation of A Christmas Carol was a contender for my favourite Christmas movie!).

Favourite Christmas food

Chocolate!

Best thing about Christmas

Having a snooze in front of the TV on Christmas afternoon.
 

And  last but not least, Erica Fothergill can also be found at Townhill Library and supports students of Performing Arts and Psychology & Counselling.

Favourite Christmas movie
My choice for this year is The Snowman, which is based on the book by Raymond Briggs.  It is not a lengthy epic film (it is approximately of 30 minutes duration) but it is certainly viewing that I recommend if you are looking for a short animation with attractive artwork telling a warm, sensitive and seasonal story. 

Favourite Christmas book
Having chosen The Snowman as my choice of favourite film, it seems appropriate to select the book, The Snowman by Raymond Briggs, to accompany the film.

Favourite Christmas food
For me there is no single winner; a meal of turkey, vegetables and cranberry sauce is highly enjoyable, however, I have found that a nut roast with cranberry sauce is a good alternative.  For dessert, it is usually Christmas pudding but alternatives are welcome as I can’t think of a Christmassy dessert I don’t like. (I’m glad tapioca pudding is not a Christmas dish as I don’t like that!)

Best thing about Christmas
Christmas carols and thinking about the celebration of Christ’s birth helps make Christmas special and a way of helping to avoid overdoing the materialism of the Christmas shopping frenzy!

So there you go! Those are a few of our favourite things about Christmas. We’d love to hear what you love about the festive period, so please do let us know in the comments below, or via Facebook and Twitter. If we’ve inspired you with our choices, many of our favourite books are available to borrow on our shelves, so pop in and take a look!

Meet your library elves (aka your subject librarians) - Griffith Library, Dynevor

Library number three today - Griffith Library at Dynevor! The elf in residence there is Helen Beale, who would love to hear from you if you have any questions about the library or are struggling to find what you need. Helen should be easy to spot - she's likely to be found wearing a Christmas jumper of one sort or another as she's gone a bit mad for them this year! (As have we all - look out for library staff at all four UWTSD Swansea libraries sporting some festive pullovers on the 12th December!)



Helen in her Christmas jumper,
admiring the Griffith Library displays

Helen Beale is based in the Griffith Library and supports the programmes delivered by the Faculty of Art & Design at both Dynevor and Alex.

Favourite Christmas movie

Decisions, decisions … which to pick? I do have a soft spot for ‘Elf’ with Will Ferrell as it’s a family favourite and you know what they say, the family that laughs together stands a chance of getting through the festivities unscathed (well one lives in hope!). A few years ago the Taliesin put on a showing of a re-mastered ‘White Christmas’ with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. It was a real treat experiencing an old classic on the big screen, there was such a feel-good factor about it and yes I’m afraid to say we came out singing as well!  

Santa's little helper!

Favourite Christmas book

I’m with Emily on this one, it’s all about the children when it comes to Christmas books. My immediate reaction was to say ‘The Night Before Christmas’ as it brings back happy memories of reading to my three children when they were very young. We also have a beautifully illustrated copy of ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’, although I think I enjoyed this one more than the children.

Favourite Christmas food

Everything – as long as there are no nuts involved!

Best thing about Christmas

Having all my family under one roof for the holidays, eating, drinking and laughing together in front of the fire, with re-runs of Morecambe and Wise Christmas Specials on the TV. Although watching my daughter try and dress up our Jack Russell as Santa’s little helper, complete with a hat with a bell on it was a pretty close second!

Meet your library elves (aka your subject librarians) - Owen Library, Mount Pleasant

Here’s part two of our little series introducing you to your magical, mischievous, ever-so-helpful, elf-like subject librarians! Today we’re turning our attention to Mount Pleasant, where your resident librarian is Suzanne Taylor. Mount Pleasant students, please get in touch with Suzanne if you need any help in finding or accessing library resources.

Suzanne Taylor our librarian at Owen Library and supports the Faculty of Architecture, Computing and Engineering at Mount Pleasant.

Suzanne's dog, looking forward to Christmas!

Favourite Christmas movie

‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ as it shows the positive impact one person can have upon so many lives or ‘The Holiday’ because I would love to spend Christmas in Kate Winslet’s  country cottage.

Favourite Christmas book

It would probably have to be A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

Favourite Christmas food

A roast turkey or chicken dinner with all the trimmings, minus the sprouts.

One of the best things about Christmas

There’s something very special about driving to see family early on a frosty Christmas morning when the roads are empty. Also walking my dog on a beach on Boxing Day and seeing him chase the ball along the tide’s edge.

The fabulous book tree at Owen Library

Meet your library elves (aka your subject librarians) - Swansea Business Library

Ok, so we don’t spend much time skipping round with bells on our clothes, and we don’t have pointy ears, but your subject librarian can be just as useful as Santa’s little helpers at this time of year. Knowledge is the best gift, right? So, if you’re struggling to find journal articles for your dissertation, or looking for a book to help you to get a grip on your exam revision, pop into your home library and have a chat with your subject librarian. You can also reach us by phone or email, and we won’t be checking if you’ve been naughty or nice!

Over the next few days, we’ll be introducing you to the librarians based at each campus so you know who to ask for if you would like some help. Since we’re feeling quite festive, we’ll be sharing some of our favourite things about Christmas. We’re going to start with the librarians at Swansea Business Campus.

Sam, feeling festive

Sam Scoulding is the librarian for Tourism, Hospitality & Sport, Public Services and Health, and is based at Swansea Business Library.

Favourite Christmas movie

It’s a Wonderful Life – I’m a big James Stewart fan and this 1946 American classic film never fails to get me in the Christmas spirit! I love the setting (Bedford Falls) and the brilliant guardian angel (Clarence)…and I always find it particularly amusing that one of the central characters (Mary) would have been doomed to a life as a ‘spinster librarian’ had she never met her husband!

Favourite Christmas book

The Night Before Christmas – ok, so it’s a poem really, but still my favourite read during the festive season! Published anonymously in 1823 (Clement Clarke Moore finally acknowledged authorship in 1837) it was largely responsible for many of the ideas and images still associated with Santa Claus today. I particularly love the illustrations (by Christian Birmingham) in my own copy of this book!

Favourite Christmas food

Well, I hate Christmas pudding…and I’m not a massive fan of mince pies or Christmas cake either (!!) but I do love Stollen which is a traditional German Christmas cake. I love anything containing marzipan and there’s lots of it in this cake!

Best thing about Christmas

Once all the madness of the Christmas shopping is over, just closing the door on Christmas Eve and enjoying the peace and quiet, usually with a little drinky in one hand and some chocs in the other!

 

Emily Hywel shares responsibility with Alison Evans for supporting the Business programmes here at Swansea, and is also based at Swansea Business Library.

Favourite Christmas movie 



Library elf Emily

A child’s Christmases in Wales, comedy set across the 80’s with Ruth Jones and Paul Kaye, and narrated by Michael Sheen. This is adapted from the Dylan Thomas “A child’s Christmas in Wales” (which I haven’t read) and is a really brilliant film, it also reminds me of growing up in the 70s and 80s. 

Also can I have The Snowman and the Snowdog, this is the sequel to The Snowman and I must have watched it a million times over the last couple of years cause the kids love it.  Lovely music too.

Favourite Christmas book 

I have to say I can’t really think of any grown up xmas books, except the Christmas Carol, so my favourite xmas book has to be Stickman by Julia Donaldson again read a million times over the last few years!

Favourite Christmas food 

Roast potatoes, roast parsnips, roast carrots and any other roast veg and peas, and some gravy or sauce that goes with fish or nut roast.

Best thing about Christmas 
Opening presents with the kids in the morning and walking down to the beach later (with torches last year cause we left it so late) – still a novelty to go to the beach xmas day coming from Sheffield!

If we have xmas songs too they would have to be Slade - Merry Xmas everyone, Wizzard – I wish it could be Xmas everyday, and Maria Carey – All I want for Xmas is you.

Alison Evans is based at Swansea Business Library and supports the Business programmes at UWTSD Swansea together with Emily Hywel.

Favourite Christmas movie

Miracle on 34^th Street – the original 1947 one.  I love this so much, I’ve never managed to get around to seeing the Richard Attenborough version …

Favourite Christmas book

A Visit from St Nicholas (‘Twas the Night Before Christmas) written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822.  When I was little, I loved reciting the reindeers’ names. When I read it to my own boys, I still do – although we have to sneak in Rudolph!

Image Courtesy of: Feelart / Free Digital Photos

Favourite Christmas food

White chocolate and Baileys cheesecake – yum.

Best thing about Christmas

Feeling cosy with family – watching our favourite programmes together, wearing silly hats or just chatting.

Congratulations Suzanne, MSc(Econ)!

We’re sending huge congratulations out to our colleague Suzanne Taylor, who this year achieved her Masters in Information and Library Studies. Well done Sue! We’re all really proud of you.

Suzanne found out that she’d passed this summer, but we thought we’d wait until the start of term to share the news as we’re sure a lot of you out there will want to offer some congratulations too. Suzanne will be familiar to those of you at Townhill Campus as the librarian for Psychology and Counselling, Performing Arts and Educational Studies, and regular visitors to Townhill Library will recognise her smiling face! This year, Suzanne has moved to Mount Pleasant Campus to support the staff and students of FACE (Faculty of Architecture Computing and Engineering). Her smiling face remains, so do pop to say hello and ask any questions you may have. She didn’t get that MSc for nothing, you know!

Those of you who’ve been following Suzanne’s story will know that she’s been working hard to complete this Masters as a distance learner with Aberystwyth University whilst working full-time here at UWTSD. As many of you will know first-hand, time-management can be a real challenge when you’re juggling studies with work and other commitments, so last year we ran a series of helpful hints and advice from library staff members who have managed it successfully. We naturally asked Suzanne for her advice, and got some really good tips from other members of staff too!

We’ve also got lots of books in the library that can help you with your study skills such as note-taking, assignment writing, referencing, time-management etc. We’re sure Suzanne would agree that it’s hard work, but definitely worth it in the end! She’s certainly still up for a challenge – Sue is currently working towards Associate Fellow status with the HEA (Higher Education Association) and Chartered status with CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals). What a clever clogs! Go for it Sue!



Assistant Librarian Suzanne Taylor proudly showing off
her certificate in MSc(Econ) in Inforamtion and Library Studies

Roy Cropper, Corrie's own library campaigner

Image courtesy of graur razvan ionut / Free Digital Photos

Have you been watching Coronation Street lately? If so, you’ll know why Roy Cropper’s latest crusade has sparked our interest! He’s teamed up with feisty librarian, Yasmeen Nazir, to try to save his local public library from closure. If you haven’t caught the storyline, take a look at Alyson’s Welsh Libraries Blog where there’s a guest post from Dr Anoush Simon, lecturer in the Department of Information Studies at Aberystwyth University. Dr Simon, a Corrie fan herself, summarises the story so far and talks about the importance of issues like this appearing on mainstream television.

We always get a bit excited to see librarians on screen or in books, especially if they’re not the stereotypical cardigan-wearing shusher. Yasmeen Nazir will be one to watch, and not someone to be messed with! From Casanova to Batgirl, check out our post from a few years ago on other famous librarians from fiction and history – I’m a Celebrity Librarian…Get Me Out of Here!

A reminder - why use your university library?

Again, this is a re-post of a recent post, but what with returning students now back at university, we think it's a good opportunity to remind everyone of what your university library has to offer!

Take a look at this video that was produced by CyMAL to promote university libraries in Wales - you may even recognise one of the locations, as it was filmed here in Swansea!

It gives lots of reasons why you should use your university library - including saving you time and money, providing you with expert help from library staff, as well as access to a vast range of print, and e-resources! So take a look and hopefully you'll be inspired to use your university library this academic year - we look forward to seeing you soon :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol_Nn8Jjhe8

Why Use Your Library?

Take a look at this video that was produced by CyMAL to promote university libraries in Wales - you may even recognise one of the locations, as it was filmed here in Swansea!

It gives lots of reasons why you should use your university library - including saving you time and money, providing you with expert help from library staff, as well as access to a vast range of print, and e-resources! So take a look and hopefully you'll be inspired to use your university library this academic year - we look forward to seeing you soon :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol_Nn8Jjhe8

New students - come and see us at Freshers Fayre on Friday!

Colleagues Emily, Philippa and Suzanne will be representing our Library service at Freshers Fayre this Friday, so do go and say hello, and learn more about the library service and resources we have to offer you!

It's taking place in the main hall up at the Townhill Campus from 11am until 3pm, and there will be lots of stands to browse and freebies to gather! The library will also be giving away some goodies such as pens, notepads, sporks (see pic below!) and chocolates... so make your way to the library stand early to ensure you don't miss out!

A big welcome to all our new international students!

Myself and my colleague Sam are looking forward to meeting the new intake of international students tomorrow, at the UWTSD Swansea International Student Welcome Event. This is taking place this year at our Swansea Business School campus, in the morning. So do come over to our library stand and say hello, and ask any questions you might have about the library service and our resources. We've also got some freebies to give away - see you there!

25 Vintage Photos of Librarians Being Awesome!

Right, this one's for all you admirers of librarians out there! Times, fashion and technology may have changed, but this is a great selection of images of library staff going about their daily business way back when.

Which one is your favourite? (We're tickled by number 21 'A librarian helps a young hooligan'!!)

http://flavorwire.com/387224/25-vintage-photos-of-librarians-being-awesome

Enjoy :-)

Introducing your Swansea Met library - Townhill Library

You may remember our series of blog posts last academic year in which we introduced your Swansea Met subject librarians. This year, we thought we'd tell you a bit more about our four Swansea Met libraries. Here we go!

Townhill Library

Welcome to Townhill Library! You’ll find us on the beautiful Townhill Campus where you can enjoy stunning views of Mumbles and Swansea Bay. It’s not all about the location, though; you’ll find plenty of books, journals and other resources here to help you with your studies.

You’ll find all sorts on our shelves, but we mainly support the subject areas of Education, Performing Arts and Psychology & Counselling. If you’re looking for something less academic, we have an excellent collection of novels and poetry books for you to browse and borrow. We like our classics, of course, but we have lots of books published during this century too! Take a look at our themed book display for inspiration. You’ll find it on the ground floor at the bottom of the stairs and the theme changes regularly.

We also have a Teaching Practice collection on the first floor. There you’ll find picture books, junior fiction (including teenage and young adult fiction) and non-fiction books in Welsh and English. This collection is primarily for our trainee teachers to use on school placement, but any Swansea Met student or member of staff is welcome to borrow Teaching Practice books.

If you’re looking for somewhere to read the latest copy of The Stage, or just kick back with a book, we have a comfy seating area on the ground floor. We have study spaces on each of the three floors in the library, but the best spot must be on the first floor by the window where you can take in that beautiful view of the bay!

You’ll find an open access computer suite on the top floor and some PCs on the ground floor. You can of course print and photocopy in the library (for a small charge!). You’ll find our photocopier on the ground floor with our journal back issues.

Our term time opening hours are:-

Monday – Thursday                        8.30am-9.00pm

Friday                                                8.30am-7pm

Saturday                                10am-4pm

Sunday                                   12pm-5pm

And as if all that wasn’t enough, we’ve also got some lovely members of staff to help you find your way around! Just ask at the counter if you’ve got any questions about the library or need help finding a book. You can borrow and return books and DVDs at counter too, or use our self-service machine if you’d prefer. If you’re struggling with our online resources or just don’t know where to start, Assistant Librarians Suzanne Taylor and Philippa Price will be happy to help. You can contact Townhill Library on 01792 482113, or just call in and see us during opening hours!

Education on the Web – NFER’s guide to help you search effectively for online information about Education

We hope that all you Education students out there are already aware of the fantastic resources that the library has to offer you. You’re probably pretty familiar with our e-books and our online databases which let you find and access thousands of journal articles on and off campus. What about the rest of the web, though? There’s lots of information out there, but finding relevant and accurate sources can be tricky. Luckily, the NFER (National Foundation for Educational Research)  has produced a document to help!

Education on the Web: a Tool-kit to Help You Search Effectively for Information on Education does exactly what it says on the tin! It’s a free guide which systematically guides you through the process of finding literature through databases, websites and search engines. As well as helping you search for information, the guide also recommends good websites for different purposes, looks at using Web 2.0 tools for research and offers advice for sifting through the results of your literature search. If you’re embarking on a dissertation, research project or assignment, it’s well worth a look!

Remember that there’s plenty on offer in the library too, be it on the shelves or online. If you need any help finding or accessing resources for Education, just get in touch with Philippa Price or Suzanne Taylor at Townhill Library. Check Moodle for Philippa and Suzanne’s contact details, or give them a ring at Townhill Library on 01792 482113. We’re happy to help!

National Stress Awareness Day

Today is National Stress Awareness Day! We thought we would bring this to your attention, as we understand that being a student (or member of academic staff) can bring along its own set of stresses.

For more information about the day and the organisation behind it see the following link:

http://www.isma.org.uk/national-stress-awareness-day/

Also don't forget the library is here to help you, with its resources and services to make your student/staff life that bit easier. We have four libraries at Swansea Met, and amongst many things can offer you physical space/peace to work, knowledgable subject librarians to guide you through our resources both print and electronic, and also convenient access to the latter off-campus 24/7.

So do pop in to your nearest Swansea Met library and see what we have to help you :-)

Librarian wins folk music awards!

Singer June Tabor, who once worked as a librarian in London, last evening won four prizes at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards at The Lowry theatre in Salford - congratulations June!

For more on this story, see the link to the BBC news website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16954049

Congratulations Suzanne!

Hello again! My name is Suzanne Taylor and I’m the subject librarian for Performance & Literature, Counselling & Psychology and Educational Studies. I’m also studying for a MSc (Econ) in Information & Library Studies, via a distance learning course with Aberystwyth University.

After a nail biting couple of months, I’ve received confirmation that I’ve passed my final assignments, equivalent to a Postgraduate Diploma, and am now a qualified Assistant Librarian. It has been lovely to delete ‘trainee’ from my email signature and to have a new sign for the office door!

The coursework has been challenging at times, especially as when I started, I hadn’t written an assignment for more than fifteen years! It’s also made me appreciate just how difficult it can be to balance studying with working full-time and having a life outside work.

Although I could stop now, I’m going to carry on and complete my degree. So, in future, if you see me laden down with books or typing furiously I’ll probably be tackling my dissertation. Wish me luck....only 15,000 words to go.....

Introducing your subject librarian...

Image: Idea go / freedigitalphotos.com

Hello, my name is Erica Fothergill. I am the Assistant Librarian who specialises in looking after the academic information needs of the students and staff within the Faculty of Applied Design and Engineering here at Swansea Metropolitan University. My qualifications include a BA (Hons) in Information and Library Studies. I am based at the Owen Library on the Mount Pleasant Campus and my contact details are shown on the subject areas for Applied Design and Engineering, Built and Natural Environment, and Computing which are shown on the Library web pages. You are welcome to contact me to find out what resources and services are available to help you with your coursework and research.

Introducing your subject librarian...

Hello, my name is Emily Hywel and I look after the Business Studies resources with Alison Evans. I have a degree in English Literature from Bangor University, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Library and Information Studies from Manchester Metropolitan University.

I was a bit of a late starter academically, so after leaving school at 16 I did a secretarial course, then worked as a temp and waitressed over the next few years. It wasn’t till my mid twenties that I decided to do an Access to HE course at my local FE College in Sheffield.

I found studying again after working full-time a real shock to the system. I was also a terrible library user, I didn’t use the catalogue, I wasn’t sure what a journal was for ages, and I never asked for help! Through my own experiences I understand how confusing libraries can be, but it was partly because of these experiences that I decided to train as a librarian after I graduated. My advice to any students who are getting frustrated with their research is please come in and ask us for help. That’s what we’re here for!

As for outside of work, I spend most of my time running around after my 18 month old daughter, who has just learnt how to run, and my three and a half year old son. I also passed my driving test last month - first time! So we’re making the most of the beautiful Gower beaches on any dry days we have!

Introducing your subject librarian...

Hello, my name is Alison Evans. I am a part-time Assistant Librarian based in the Owen Library, and I look after the business subject area with Emily Hywel. I have a degree in history, and qualified as a librarian by completing an MA in Library and Information Studies at Loughborough University. I have worked in academic libraries at the universities of Kent and Reading. I have also spent some time working as a childrens' librarian - a very different experience, at the other end of the education environment and great fun. I'm still trying to figure out how I can sneak a few stories, glue pots and glitter into our user education sessions here at SMU!! I first came to SMU when it was still Swansea Institute of HE. I was then based in Townhill library and helped look after the education and art subject areas. I took a break from (paid!) work when my children were small and came back to SMU in 2009.

I love reading and riffling through books! I get through a huge range of material - anything that takes my fancy, from the big prize winners through to the potboilers I read on the bus. I'm a sucker for history and historical fiction tomes. I'm currently working my way through C J Sansom's Shardlake series - fab writing, with lots of historical mystery, and high (generally grisly) body count. What's not to like?? I've also been known to sneak a peek at my childrens' reads. Having spent two weeks travelling round Scotland in the summer, enclosed in the car with the whole family and a cache of Horrible History CDs, my current party trick is to be virtually word perfect in the wonderful spoof songs from the BBC series. If you've not yet encountered The Viking Song, have a look on YouTube...