WHO YOU GONNA CALL?

              WHO YOU GONNA CALL?

ITB student Paul Kelly

Many thanks to ITB student Paul Kelly who searched the Library for our monk and zapped him back to the monastery.

HE AIN'T AFRAID OF NO GHOST

Meet the Librarys Oldest Staff Member

The Librarys Oldest Staff Member

A lone figure is rumoured to walk the Library at night.

Throughout the years, he has been seen by people standing at the Library window at night dressed in a Monks robe.

Perhaps he is waiting for the SID desk to open or to borrow some headphones.

We need a name for our Library friend, can you help?

Leave a comment and make your way to the Library desk to claim a FREE TREAT

From all the SID and Library Staff

What's lurking in the library?

Have you been busy flying about?  Need to catch up on the news? 
Newspapers are available every day in the library!

Each day we get:

• The Irish Times
• The Irish Independent
• The Financial Times
• The Guardian
• The Independent {UK}

And the weekend newspapers are:

• The Sunday Business Post
• The Sunday Independent
• The Irish Times {Saturday/Sunday}

Have you signed up for password recovery yet?

Forgotten and expired passwords can be very frustrating!  This week you can ensure that you don't lose access to your account and be in with a chance to win print credit at the same time.

From Monday to Friday (Oct 24-28th) a daily draw will take place of all students registered on the password recovery system.  The daily prize is €20 credit on the student Equitrac print and photocopying system. 

Why sign up for password recovery?
Passwords expire after 100 days and must be changed before they expire to maintain access to your network and moodle account.

For example if you reset your password at the start of term on the 15-09-2011 and do not reset it onsite before the end of the semester your password will expire on 24-12-2011.  Since the college will be closed at this time you will be unable to get your password reset until the college re-opens in January, this potentially losing access to moodle during the Christmas break when you may want to study for exams.

Once registered for password recovery, in the event that your password expires or you forget your password, you can remotely access the web portal and reset your password.  Passwords cannot be changed without proof of identification and therefore cannot be changed by telephoning the Student Information Desk.

You can register here and recover your password here.

Worried about plagiarism?

Have a look at ITT Dublin Library's tutorial.  Learn to:

• describe what plagiarism is
• explain how to avoid plagiarism
• outline the purpose of plagiariam detection software (such as TurnItIn)

Are you doing group work projects this term?

Working in groups can be a challenge!  But you will probably be involved with group projects throughout your working life.  So now is the perfect time to get some tips...

ITB Library study guide: group work on Prezi

Happy World Statistics Day!

200 countries, 200 years, 4 minutes - check out Hans Rosling showing how statistics can illustrate our world

Why can't I just Google it?

RMIT University has some good advice!

When you start to look for information on a topic, where do you start? Google? Many students do.

Google is a great place to start and you will find a lot of useful information there. But finding information using Google has some limitations

The pros of using Google are:

·         Finding information is quick and easy.

·         Easy access to non-text sources such as measurement data, images and video.

·         Information about people, places and history is readily available.

·         Iinformation can be updated almost immediately.

The cons of using Google are:

·         It may be difficult to know if the information is out of date or biased.

·         Virtually anyone can put material on the Web so information may be inaccurate or biased.

·         Because there is often so much information; it can be hard to identify the most relevant sources.

·         Information needs to be carefully analyzed to make sure it comes from a reliable source

What else should I use?
It is OK to use Google to find background or general information. But for scholarly research you need to find accurate information on your topic from a variety of sources.

What is scholarly information?

Scholarly information is in-depth, accurate, well researched and written by academics and researchers. Scholarly information is found in sources such as books and journals. Some scholarly information, such as journal articles, may have gone through a peer-review process.  

What is ‘peer-reviewed’?

Articles published in peer-reviewed (or refereed) journals have been through a formal approval process. This means that an editor and subject specialists have reviewed the article before it has been accepted for publication. This guarantees the quality of the research.

Key points to remember are:

Google and other web search engines have their good points and its limitations for academic research.
You can use Google, but you should also search the library catalogue and databases for scholarly and non-scholarly information written by subject experts.
Different information sources may be appropriate. Check your topic and assignment requirements and consult your lecturer.

Have a look at this really good explanation of why you should go further than Google in your research...(created by La Trobe University Library)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=N39mnu1Pkgw#!

Here is a guide, from Sydney University, about Scholarly vs. Non-Scholarly resources

http://www.library.usyd.edu.au/elearning/learn/schvsnonsch/index.php

Library clinic for mature students

Change is good …but sometimes it is daunting

If you need help finding information for your assignments drop in to the

library clinic for mature students

Reference Desk (level 2 of the library)

Thurs  20^th Oct 2.30 – 3.30pm

Can't get hold of the books you need?

You can reserve a copy of a library book ...
                                                                  ... if there are no copies available

Go to the library catalogue: http://blanchlib.itb.ie

Search for the book you wish to reserve

Click on the Request icon

Enter your Name, Student number and Library PIN

Click Submit; you should get a confirmation notice on screen


When the book is returned to the library we will:

• send an email to your student email account
• keep it for you for three college days

A virtual library at your fingertips…..

LibrarySpot.com  is a virtual library resource centre for educators and students, librarians and their patrons, families, businesses and just about anyone exploring the Web for valuable research information. 

Sites featured on LibrarySpot.com are hand-selected and reviewed by an editorial team for quality, content and utility. It contains links to other libraries, official publications, podcasts, journals and newspapers. The site also contains ready reference resources such as calculators, dictionaries, maps, encyclopaedias and directories.

Best of all, ITS FREE!

Have you tried mind-mapping?

There are lots of free mind-mapping sites online.

Let your creative side loose on your studies!

Including information from the Web in your assignments?

Are you confident about the quality of that information?  High standards are expected of college students!  Here are some hints that might help you decide which sources to use.

ITB Library study guide: evaluating information sources on Prezi

Penny for your thoughts

Oct 10^th is World Mental Health Day. Here is some information everybody should be aware of….

According to Mental Health Ireland, mental ill health refers to the kind of general mental health problems we can all experience in certain stressful circumstances; for example, work pressures can cause us to experience poor concentration, mood swings and sleep disturbance.

Such problems are usually of temporary nature, are relative to the demands a particular situation makes on us and generally respond to support and reassurance.

Mental illness can be defined as the experiencing of severe and distressing psychological symptoms to the extent that normal functioning is seriously impaired.

Examples of such symptoms include:

·         anxiety

·         depressed mood

·         obsessional thinking

·         delusions and hallucinations

Some form of professional medical help is usually needed for recovery / management. This help may take the form of counselling or psychotherapy, drug treatment and/or lifestyle change. 

If you are worried that you or someone you know is at risk of suicide or self-harm, you should immediately contact your local doctor or go to the Accident and Emergency department of the nearest hospital.

Do you need to Talk to Someone ?
If you need to talk to someone right now, Mental Health Ireland recommend a number of helplines you can contact for confidential non-judgemental support.

Most helplines will provide a listening service, give information and advice, provide emotional support and point you in the direction of other services. They are often free phone services which are staffed by trained volunteers or employees. Some helplines, such as Bodywhys or Aware, specialise in dealing with particular issues, whilst others, such as the Samaritans are more general, dealing with a whole range of issues that may concern young people.

Here is a list of places where you can ask for help: Click Here

Sign your name

 

WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SIGN LANGUAGE?

See some of our books, student projects and DVDs here

Risks of relying on Wikipedia as your main source of information

Being a student involves doing lots of research and essay writing.  You will undoubtedly encounter Wikipedia many times when you search for information online.  Whilst Wikipedia is a good idea in theory, in reality it is never a good idea to use it as your chief source of information.  The main reason for this is that information uploaded to Wikipedia can be edited by anybody, regardless of whether they have knowledge of the subject or not. Whilst some of the content is very good, it is generally frowned upon in academic writing to use it as a source in your assignments.

Peter Denning et al outline some of the reasons you should approach Wikipedia with caution:

Accuracy: You cannot be sure which information is accurate and which is not. Misinformation has a negative value; even if you get it for free, you've paid too much. 

Motives: You cannot know the motives of the contributors to an article. They may be altruists, political or commercial opportunists, practical jokers, or even vandals

Uncertain Expertise: Some contributors exceed their expertise and supply speculations, rumours, hearsay, or incorrect information. It is difficult to determine how qualified an article's contributors are; the revision histories often identify them by pseudonyms, making it hard to check credentials and sources.

Volatility: Contributions and corrections may be negated by future contributors. One of the co-authors of this column found it disconcerting that he had the power to independently alter the Wikipedia article about himself and negate the others' opinions. Volatility creates a conundrum for citations: Should you cite the version of the article that you read (meaning that those who follow your link may miss corrections and other improvements), or the latest version (which may differ significantly from the article you saw)?

Coverage: Voluntary contributions largely represent the interests and knowledge of a self-selected set of contributors. They are not part of a careful plan to organise human knowledge. Topics that interest the young and Internet-savvy are well-covered, while events that happened ``before the Web'' may be covered inadequately or inaccurately, if at all. More is written about current news than about historical knowledge.

Sources: Many articles do not cite independent sources. Few articles contain citations to works not digitised and stored in the open Internet.

Here some good sources that explains this further:

http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/education/2010/march/The-Top-10-Reasons-Students-Cannot-Cite-or-Rely-on-Wikipedia.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPC-bNX9O_E&feature=related

Some good alternatives to Wikipedia are listed here:

http://websearch.about.com/od/referencesearch/tp/wikipedia-alternatives.htm

It is not fair to say that all the content on Wikipedia is not of an academic standard. Rather you should approach it with caution and, like with every source of information, critically evaluate what it says before accepting what it tells you. Check the bibliographic references at the bottom of the page to see where the article is sourcing its information. Verify what you found out on Wikipedia by consulting other sources – books, journals, newspapers etc.

Want to avoid library fines?

Renew your books online!

Login here using your name, student number and library PIN.  When you log in you will see your own library record including:

• books on loan to you
• your reservations and bookings
• your reading history
• an option to change your PIN

To renew a book, choose "items currently checked out"; select the item you wish to renew and click on "renew selected items".  Observe the (new) due date before you finish.

You can renew a book up to two times so long as it is not late and no one else has reserved it.

Not sure what your library PIN is?  Contact us at LibraryInfo@itb.ie

Celebrate German Unity Day

Want to learn German from the comfort of home?

Start a 12-week interactive course online

Receive a BBC certificate on completion

And best of all, it's free!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/german/lj 

Need help reading difficult material?

All college students encounter new subjects and ideas.  Sometimes it is a challenge to read book chapters, journal articles or online information on new topics.  Check out the library presentation below...

ITB Library study guide: reading difficult material on Prezi

 
October is literacy awareness month!

Citizens' Information

As you know, this is ITB Welfare Week!  This year, the Citizens' Information Centre in Blanchardstown will have a stand in the foyer of C Block each day, from 11am - 2pm.

The Citizens' Information Centre is a free, confidential service.  It provides impartial advice to members of the public about their rights and entitlements, in areas such as student finance, social welfare, housing etc.  Have a look at the national website for more information on the topics they cover.

This is a great opportunity to avail of this service on campus!