March 15, 2008 – 10:56 am
The Library Research Assignment is designed to get you actually using some of the tools you need to conduct research. Download the assignment worksheet (MS Word) (Right click and Save) / worksheet (PDF).
In the assignment you will be using ScienceDirect, an online journals database which the university has a subscription to. It contains thousands of articles from hundreds of sources, mostly documenting first hand the results of research. Known as Primary Literature. Searching ScienceDirect is not entirely straightforward, so you’ll find this step-by-step tutorial helpful.
Computers! - they’re all over the uni, but how do you get to use one? There are so many different computers in labs and libraries that it requires a bit of explanation.
- Public Computers
- Public computers do not require any login. They give access to the library catalogue, library resources and University websites like student email and the Learning Management System for students and all members of the wider community.
- Student Computers
- These computers require login with your student email username and password. They provide access to all internet resources and have a load of software available including Microsoft Office applications. You can also print from Public or Students Computers - you just pay for printing with your photocopy card.
- Percy Baxter
- Upstairs, on the first floor of the Baillieu you’ll find the PBCLC - ‘Percy Baxter Collaborative Learning Centre’. The computers here have extra features like scanners and Zip drives as well as a full range of software for imaging, graphics and multimedia.
Booking is easy, see the staff member with your student card or there’s a self serve terminal. Find out more about the PBCLC on their web page.
- Student union
- The Student Union run a big lab in the student union building with lots of well equipped PC’s and Macs.
- Student IT
- Student IT run big labs with both Macs and PC’s. These labs are open almost anytime. They also run lots of free skills classes.
The Unicard Copy Centre
There are photocopiers in all the Library branches, which makes them easy to access. Worth noting that they don’t take coins - you can put your student card in but you will first need to get some credit added at the Unicard Copy Centre or at coin-in-the-slot machines in most of the university libraries. You can also get yourself a photocopy card if you are worried about leaving your student card behind.
The Unicard Copy Centre is just downstairs in the basement of the Baillieu Library, but you can get the cards from machines in lots of locations.
All the details are on the copy centre web page.
CAVAL is a reciprocal borrowing scheme among a range of academic libraries across Victoria. It can be particularly helpful if you are going to be away from campus for some time or if a book you need is unavailable at a unimelb library.
You need to register at your ‘home’ library (eg: the Baillieu) to get a CAVAL Card, but then you can present your CAVAL Card and your Student Card to borrow at any participating library. The unimelb library has an information page and more general information can be found at the Caval site.
The Library Catalogue is a search engine which contains records for all the books, journals, magazines, newspapers, microfilms, videos and cds held by any branch of the Unimelb Library, including subscriptions to online journals and electronic databases.
Knox, RB, Ladiges, PY, Evans, B and Saint, R 2005, Biology, an Australian focus, 3rd edn, McGraw Hill, Sydney.
That’s a lot of items! - to search it effectively you should become familiar with the different search types. Most of the time, a keyword search will be fine, but when that fails, try the more specific searches such as Title, Author etc.
You can also use advanced techniques to narrow or expand your searches further. For example, searching for ‘knox biology’ is quite different to searching for ‘knox and biology’ or ‘knox or biology’. There’s lots more information on searching the catalogue and databases here.
“Patron Record” is a very formal term, but this is a useful tool. You can renew books online*, or simply view what books you have on loan. You need to enter the information as it appears on your student card to gain access. *subject to some constraints
This service is found in the Library Catalogue. Just click on the link to “Log in to your Patron Record”.
If you haven’t set up your unimelb email account yet - get onto it! Your lecturers and student admin will use it to contact you with news and information.
You’ll need to visit the Accounts page to set it up. If you’d still rather use your own email account, just set your unimelb account to redirect mail to it. Be careful though, some popular email accounts treat messages sent to large lists (such as those from your lecturers) as spam.
Your Student Card is a powerful little thing. look after it!
The barcode is scanned when you borrow from the library and is also used to check your patron record.
February 23, 2008 – 11:08 am
When you view a record in the library catalogue, you’ll sometimes find that it is already out on loan…
STATUS - DUE 12-04-05
If it’s a popular item, your best chance of borrowing it is to place a hold on it. Click the button to ‘REQUEST’ the item.
Fill out the form with your Student Card Barcode and when the item becomes available, the catalogue will generate an email notification.
February 22, 2008 – 2:48 pm
down behind the loans desk… RESERVE!
Sometimes, texts vital to a subject are hard to get. To avoid this problem, lecturers can get books or lecture notes put on Reserve, where borrowing restrictions apply.
Some things you can only use within the reserve section (like lecture notes), others you can borrow for a couple of hours and others you can borrow overnight… so everyone gets a chance.
You can find these items in the normal library catalogue but it is easier if you use the special Reserve Lists search at the bottom of the catalogue screen. Simply find stuff by searching for your course code or your lecturer’s name.
For items you can’t borrow, such as lecture notes, there are photocopiers.