Want to view the Library Refurbishment?

Library staff are taking photographs of the Library refurbishment as it happens. View the latest photos on FlickR at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lis_refurb/

SPIE Digital Library extended

The library has recently extended its subscription to the SPIE Digital Library so that all journal and proceedings content is included. Previously Aston University staff and students had access only to the Micro - and Nano-Technologies segment of this resource.

SPIE is an international society advancing an interdisciplinary approach to the science and application of light and publishes more than 17,000 new articles and conference proceedings each year. They operate an ‘e-first’ policy so that the latest papers are available online within just a few weeks of being presented.

Aston University staff and students now have 24/7 online access to this comprehensive resource which can be accessed via Aston e-Library. There is no login required on-campus; please use the proxy server to access this resource from off-campus.

A quick start guide and online tutorials are available from the SPIE website and these give an overview of the key benefits, including advanced searching, email alerts, and navigation through citations and related articles.

If you have any feedback or comments to make about this resource, please add a comment to this post.

Changes to service during Library Refurbishment

Take a look at our new Changes to Service webpage to find out how Library services will be affected during the building refurbishment this summer.

Access to printed journals during summer vacation

As part of the Library refurbishment project over the summer, it will be necessary to remove all printed journals from the 1st floor of the Library and place them in storage. Therefore, there will be no access to 1st floor printed journals from June 10th to October 6th. Please make use of our Inter-Library Loans service during this time.

Graduation 2010

If you are graduating in July 2010, you must clear all outstanding Library charges by 12th June. Failure to do so will mean that you are unable to graduate. If you have any queries about this, please contact library@aston.ac.uk or call 0121 204 4525.

Stepping Stones to Information Literacy

Information Specialists Georgina Hardy and Caroline Long have recently completed a CLIPP-funded project to create an Information Literacy Profile within PebblePad, Aston University's e-Portfolio system.

Information Literacy can be defined as “knowing when and why you need information, where to find it, and how to evaluate, use and communicate it in an ethical manner”. For this project a profile consisting of a set of 14 skills was created, enabling you to rate yourself against each aspect of Information Literacy, provide evidence of a skill where appropriate and build an action plan to improve if necessary. The profile can be revisited throughout your career at Aston University, as you develop your Information Literacy Skills through attending a seminar with your Information Specialist in the library or carrying out research.

You can access PebblePad via MAP - follow the link to "Aston ePortfolio" from your E-Learning Links container. The Information Literacy Profile is available to everyone across the University.

Georgina and Caroline presented their work at the Librarians' Information Literacy Annual Conference (LILAC) 2010, and details of their presentation can be found on Aston University Research Archive.

Preparatory work is due to start in the Library Building

During the last week of exam period (week beginning 7th June), some preparatory work needs to be carried out in the Library before the arrival of the building contractors on 21st June. This will involve stock removal on the 1st and 2nd floors of the Library. We hope to keep noise and disruption to a minimum, but people wishing to study in silence may wish to use the 3rd floor during this time.