New Aston e-Library interface now live!

The new-look Aston e-Library is now available with the following new features and improvements:

• Search response time: instantaneous search results
  


• Coverage: the new index includes the great majority of relevant electronic resources
  
  
• Ranking quality: using the new service's proven algorithms and deploying the same evaluation method on all relevant results

See this webpage for a basic guide to the new interface.

Please contact library@aston.ac.uk if you have any queries about the new interface.

Teaching Bites 2011

Attention All Teaching Staff

This September, Library & Information Services will present a number of short, informal seminars on topics relevant to supporting Learning and Teaching across all disciplines. Whether you want to find out how information literacy can be embedded into your modules, or you would like to know how you can jazz up your learning and teaching materials by using some of our Open Educational Resources databases , you will find something for you.

• Lunch will be provided from 12.30pm
• All seminars will start at 1.00pm.
• They will be held in the Library Seminar Room, on the 2nd floor of the Library.
• Presentations will last 20-30 minutes to be followed by discussion/questions.


A full programme is available from the following library web page: http://www1.aston.ac.uk/lis/additional-information-for/staffinfo/teaching-bites-2011/

Please feel free to book online via the web page or email library@aston.ac.uk stating the full list of sessions you wish to attend.

Introducing the Library Catalogue direct to your mobile device

LIS is pleased to announce that from the beginning of this academic year the Library Catalogue will be available in mobile format.

You will be able to access your library record, search for and reserve items in the same way as the standard Catalogue but the format will make it easier to use on your mobile device.

Want to give it a try? Then go to http://m.library.aston.ac.uk/ and let us know what you think.

Research Bites 2011: update

This summer, Library & Information Services presented a series of Research Bites: short, informal seminars on topics relevant to researchers at all levels. Topics included Advanced Literature Searching, Journal Quality Measures, Keeping Up-to-Date, and Company and Industry Research.

If you have been unable to attend one or more of the Research Bites 2011 seminars, don’t worry – you can review all the content, including a Lecture Capture (Aston Replay) version and the PowerPoint slides for each seminar, via the Research Bites 2011 website.

We’d also be very grateful if you could take 5 minutes to complete our survey. The survey centres on the Research Bites 2011 seminars but we’d like to hear from you, whether or not you attended any of these seminars, and even if you haven’t heard of them before! Click here to take the survey.

The Library has closed at 16:00 hours today

Wednesday 10th August the Library has closed at 16:00 hours. The Library will re-open tomorrow morning as normal at 09:00.

Library has closed at 16:00 hours today

Tuesday 9 August the Library has closed at 16:00 hours. The Library will re-open tomorrow morning as normal at 09:00.

New Database: JISC e-Collections

The Library now has access to new database JISC e-Collections. This online resource gives you access to 3 different sets of data:

• JISC MediaHub is a new multimedia platform offering a wealth of digital image, film and sound collections accessible from a single interface. The new platform offers access to free-at-the-point-of-use images, film and sound content licensed for educational and research use, via an easy-to-use interface.
  


• JISC HistoricBooks contains the full text or page images of over 350,000 books published in England from 1475 to 1900. The service draws together content from two of the best-known and longest-established early book collections (EEBO and ECCO) and well as additional unique titles from the BL 19th Century Collection.
  


• JISC JournalArchives consolidates journal archives from many different publishers to provide a single platform for simple and fast cross-searching and full text access across more than 450 journals. More titles will be added this year to bring the collection to over 600 titles.

To log in to these resources, search for Aston University and enter your network username and password. Please comment on this post or email library@aston.ac.uk if you have any further queries about this service.