Library e-resources

You can continue to use e-resources throughout the vacation period using your University username and password

• E-books are available via Library SmartSearch - do a keyword search and then Limit by Material Type and select E-books
• Please check the LibGuide for your subject if you need guidance on finding resources

If you have any questions in the meantime, please email library@aston.ac.uk

Thank you
Library Public Services Team

Library book loans during the vacation period

The Library closes at 17:00 on Wednesday 24 December for the vacation period and re-opens at 08:00 on Monday 5 January   

• Please can you return any Library books that you don't need during the vacation period by their due date or by 13:00 on Wednesday 24 December at the latest. 
  
• From Wednesday 17 December, 7 day loan books will be issued until Monday 5 January.
  
• Please remember to renew your books via your Library Record when your books are due, and / or from the 5 January.
  
• However, if your book gets recalled from Wednesday 17 December onwards, then it will be due back on Monday 5 January and you will not be able to renew it.
  
• Please be prepared to return your book on the due date, either in person or by post.
  We do not recommend:
• leaving Library books locked away in residences or your accommodation  
• taking Library books abroad 
• Library fines will still apply and you might not be able to renew if someone has reserved the book.

You can return books by post if you are away from the University to:

Public Services Co-ordinator

Library Services

Aston University

Aston Triangle

Birmingham

B4 7ET

Please note: fines of £3.50 per day are charged for overdue books which have been reserved by someone else. However, charges do not apply on the days that the Library is closed from Thursday 25 December - Sunday 4 January inclusive.

E-resources

You can continue to use e-resources throughout the vacation period via your University username and password

• E-books are available via Library SmartSearch - do a keyword search and then Limit by Material Type and select E-books
• Please check the LibGuide for your subject if you need guidance on finding resources

If you have any questions in the meantime, please email library@aston.ac.uk

Thank you
Library Public Services Team

Behind the scenes.....

We provide access to thousands of e-journals and e-books purchased by the University on your behalf.
If you've ever wondered how this happens, take a look at this recent article describing some of the work which goes on behind the scenes.
http://www.eduserv.org.uk/case-studies/Aston-University?utm_source=Eduserv+Updates&utm_campaign=997ebea1e5-IAM_Newsletter_Sept2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b262030c0b-997ebea1e5-370394693

Changes to the Web of Knowledge

Over this weekend (Sunday 12 Jan 1400 GMT until Monday 13 Jan 0200 GMT), the Web of Knowledge will be changing its look and feel.

• The Web of Knowledge will, in future, be known as the Web of Science
• The group of databases that used to form the Web of Science will now be known as "Web of Science Core Collection"
• Access to databases via the new Web of Science will remain unchanged to our subscriptions in the Web of Knowledge (i.e. Web of Science Core Collection, BIOSYS Citation Index up to 2008, MEDLINE)
• All search functionality will remain the same, so you can continue to search the new Web of Science in the same way you previously searched the Web of Knowledge

For a brief introduction to the new Web of Science interface, watch this video.

If you have any further questions about the changes to the Web of Knowledge, please contact your Information Specialist.

Making library resources mobile!

Did you know that many of the resources available to you via Aston University Library & Information Services are available from your mobile device as well?

This summer, we launched a mobile version of the Library Catalogue, making it easier than ever to find books as you navigate the Library shelves. This is accessible through the usual web browser on your mobile device.

Many of our resource providers have developed mobile versions of their interfaces as well.  For example, you can access the Web of Knowledge, EBSCOhost, IEEE Xplore and JSTOR when you're out and about using the mobile interfaces provided.  Sometimes, free registration is required for access to the mobile version.  Comment on this post or ask at the Help Desk if you have any questions about this.

Some of our providers have created apps for you to download.  Elsevier provide apps for ScienceDirect and Scopus Alerts.  To download an EBSCOhost app for iPhone or Android, access EBSCOhost as normal and click the link at the bottom of any EBSCOhost page to email yourself the download instructions, access key and a link to the app store.  The RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry) have an iOS app for their journals and for ChemSpider.

Booking research time on Datastream

Datastream Booking Information
The Library provides access to Datastream via a single computer on the 1st floor of the Library. In order to try and balance student’s requests to access the Datastream database, the Library has provided a booking diary which students can find next to the computer. The information provided by the computer requests that students only book ONE HOUR slots with the potential to remain on the database if there are no bookings made after that hour.

Unfortunately, students are block booking up to FOUR hours at a time which is preventing other students having access to the software. Please be aware that over the next few weeks there will be increasing pressure from students wanting to use the software and you may find that the Library has reduced your booking to the requested ONE HOUR.

If you are a student struggling to gain any research time on the Datastream software please contact Nicola Dennis n.dennis@aston.ac.uk who is the Information Specialist responsible for the database and she will look in to the booking slots and try and help you gain some time on the computer.

Kind Regards
Nicola Dennis
Business Information Specialist
Aston University Library

Need to use Datastream?

Dear Students,

Do you use the financial numerical database Datastream? Would you like further help extracting data? Thomson Reuters are offering Question and Answer sessions for students using the Datastream database. If you are having problems extracting data and would like advice please feel free to sign up for one of the Q&A sessions:


•Client trainers from Thomson Reuters will be holding online Q&A sessions to answer your questions regarding data on DataStream

•No need to have the product in front of you, just the question that you want answering · No need to join a conference call, they will use Adobe chat… however, if you really want to talk to a trainer they will provide a number to call

•To sign up email training.uki@thomsonreuters.com stating the date, time and product session that you would like to attend

Dates and Times are: 7th June 2:00pm and 21st June 2:00pm

Kind Regards
Nicola Dennis
Business Information Specialist

Perfect Information - free trial is ending 1st June

Dear Library users,

The free trial to Perfect Information is ending 1st June 2011. If you have any comments about this service please email feedback to: library@aston.ac.uk

PI Navigator is a financial and capital markets database providing access to over 15 million global company filings including annual reports, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), equity transactional documents (including Initial Public Offerings) and bond prospectuses. PI Navigator surfaces the value of the data buried within financial documents, providing the ability to significantly reduce the time taken when modelling company financials.

NEW DATABASE: IBISWorld Update

IBISWorld is one of the UK's richest source of business and industry information. IBISWorld Industry Reports are a useful tool to help write business plans, marketing plans, understand business strategy and to understand supply chain. This database provides independent, accurate, comprehensive, and current research on 100s of Industries in the UK, USA, Australia, China and Global Industry, including statistics, analysis and forecasts.

You can access IBISWorld through the Aston e-Library > Log in > Find Resource > Locate and type in IBISWorld.

Aston University Library has now extended trial access until the end of August 2011. If you use IBISWorld we would welcome your feedback on the product. Please send feedback to library@aston.ac.uk

Struggling to use Datastream?

Try the Thomson Reuters Knowledge Network which provides training materials for all Thomson Reuters products. Aston University subscribes to Datastream and those training materials are available at https://customers.reuters.com/trainingknowledgenetwork/Datastream/Index.html

The on-demand e-tutorials require you to sign up for a free account with Thomson Reuters Customer Zone, but the video tutorials can be viewed online by anyone.

For Datastream beginners I would recommend viewing:

Retrieving and Analyzing Data in Excel
Finding Codes with Navigator

Nicola Dennis
Business Information Specialist

Access problems with ScienceDirect

We are currently experiencing technical problems with access to ScienceDirect. Elsevier, the suppliers of ScienceDirect are aware of the problems and are working to resolve them. This is an issue that is affecting all ScienceDirect users, not just Aston.

If you are looking for a certain journal title you can search for it via the catalogue or the Aston eLibrary and use the find it @ Aston option to see if it is available on any other databases as well as ScienceDirect.

It is hoped that the problem will be resolved within 3 hours and apologise for the inconvenience.

Enhancements to IEEE Xplore

The library has recently extended its subscription to IEEE Xplore to include the IEEE-Wiley eBooks Library. Previously Aston University staff and students had access to the journal, conferences and standards within this resource. This now represents a full subscription to all the content within IEEE Xplore – if you get an item in your IEEE Xplore search results, you should be able to access the full text.

Note that the IEEE-Wiley eBooks are also listed on the library catalogue, so a keyword search for your topic of interest on the library catalogue or via MARs will also find relevant IEEE-Wiley eBooks.

Aston University staff and students have online access to this comprehensive resource which can be accessed via Aston e-Library. There is no login required on-campus. However, alongside the extra content for IEEE Xplore, the login procedure for off-campus users has been improved – a separate username/password is not required and you can now login using your Aston University username and password.

User guides and online tutorials are available from the IEEE website and these give an overview of the key tasks, including advanced searching, refining your results, and saving your search. These cover the new interface and are worth looking at if you haven’t used IEEE Xplore since the switch-over.

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

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.