Are you editing your writing?

Looking for resources to help you refine your academic writing?  The Online Writing Lab (OWL) has some great tips for topics such as the mechanics of writing, grammar, establishing arguments, writing paragraphs, proofreading etc.

Understand the question asked...

Do you sometimes get confused by how questions are framed?  Are you unsure of what you are being asked to do?  Have a look at this quick guide to directive words such as analyse, discuss, evaluate, summarise, trace....

Looking for a place to study on Saturday?

ITB Library will be open from 9.15am - 3.00pm on Saturday 26th April.

We will also open from 9.15am - 3.00pm on Saturday 10th May and Saturday 17th May.

World Book Night 2014

World Book Night is an annual celebration of reading and books which takes place on 23 April. It sees passionate volunteers give hundreds of thousands of books away in their communities to share their love of reading with people who, for whatever reason, don’t read for pleasure or own books. It is run by The Reading Agency - the charity with a mission to give everyone an equal chance to become a reader. Because everything changes when we read.

Here is what some of the authors think about World Book Night...

"I was never a big reader when I was young. It took a friend giving me a novel and telling me to read it before I really understood what a wonderful and enriching experience reading can be. After that I started reading voraciously and it changed my life to a point I would never have imagined – I started writing books myself! As a novelist I want my work to be read by as wide an audience as possible, so to have one of my titles on the WBN list is a real thrill and a privilege. World Book Night is a great project and I’m honoured that Small Island is one of the books chosen for 2012."  Andrea Levy

Read Andrea Levy's Small Island in ITB Library


"I love this idea. There's something primeval about it: to think of my story being passed on from one person to another makes me feel a connection with the earliest storytellers in their caves, or crouching around a fire on the dark savannah. The relationship between the storyteller, the story, and the audience is an ancient one that long predates things like bestseller lists and royalty statements, or even money itself. It's really a form of enchantment. The gift idea is just as old and just as potent, and to see them combined in this brilliant and simple way is a delight. I'm very privileged to be part of it." Philip Pullman

Read Philip Pullman's Northern Lights in ITB Library


"No writer can ask more than this: that his book should be handed in thousands to people who might otherwise never get to read it, and who will in turn hand it to thousands more. That his book should also pass from one generation to another as a story to challenge and excite each reader in his time – that is beyond his most ambitious dreams."  John le Carré

Read John le Carré's Constant Gardener in ITB Library 

The thief of time...

So, are you a procrastinator?  Studies suggest that 80 - 95% of students engage in some form of procrastination!  But this is a good time of year to consider the effect this might have on your assignments and exam preparation...

(1) Have a plan!  It can be a little overwhelming to think about all you have to do in the lead-up to exams.  This is a particularly busy time of year for most students.  But, it's important to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve.  Organise your time with a detailed schedule.  Try to be realistic about what you can achieve and remember to schedule breaks.

(2) Think about the detail.  When you are scheduling, try to be very specific:

Be detailed about what you will achieve and when you will achieve it!  Leave a column so you can mark off what you have achieved and see your progress.

(3) Breaks are vital!  Most of us can only concentrate properly for a limited time.  It's important to separate study time and breaks.  Ditch the distractions during study time - leave your phone out of view, log out of Facebook, avoid having a television or loud music in the room.  Try to fully concentrate on your work during study time and enjoy the freedom of break-time!

(4) Have a separate work-space.  Try to study in a different space from where you relax.  It reduces the distractions around you while you study and makes your break-time more relaxing.

(5) Don't be afraid to ask for help!  It can be useful to spend some of your time studying with other students, asking someone to test you on the information on your flash cards or to read your assignment for poor spelling or grammar. 

(6) Get started.  The more time you allow yourself for revision, the more manageable it should be!  Make a start on it today...

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to you all from the staff of the library and student information desk!

Making study notes as you revise

Creating study notes, as you revise, can be helpful for a number of reasons:

• to highlight important information
• to focus the mind as you read
• to have something to scan before your exam
• to allow someone else to test you

Here are a couple of approaches to note-taking:

(1) Create flash cards

If you don't have cards, just cut a piece of paper up into six equal pieces (like power point slides).  Use your flash cards to record important definitions, key points and lists.

Remember, flash cards don't need to include ALL of the information in your text book.  Use keywords that will trigger the information that you need to remember.

You can type or handwrite your cards - handwriting has the benefit of allowing you to add illustrations, to highlight points, to write in different colour pens - anything that helps you to remember!

(2) Using the Cornell note-taking method

The Cornell system involves creating a wide margin on the left-hand side of the page, and using it to annotate the notes you are taking on the right-hand side.  It allows you to quickly find definitions, examples etc within your detailed notes.  To learn more, have a look at this short tutorial.

Struggling to make sense of difficult readings?

Most students find some of their college reading difficult to understand.  This isn't too surprising as students deal with new ideas and theories all the time!  However, reading difficult texts is a part of college life so it is important to learn to 'take in' the information that you read.  Here are some steps you can follow...

1. Pre-read
2. Look for a summary
3. Read the entire text once
4. Look up the words you don't understand
5. Try to understand as you read
6. Take notes
7. Persevere!

Read more about these steps here: http://moodle.itb.ie/mod/scorm/view.php?id=54841 

Need to study? We're open!

For the rest of the month, the library and student information desk are open as follows:

	Library	SID
Mon 14 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Tues 15 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Wed 16 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Thurs 17 Apr	9.15 am – 5.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Fri 18 Apr	Closed
Sat 19 Apr	Closed
Sun 20 Apr	Closed
Mon 21 Apr	Closed
Tues 22 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Wed 23 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Thurs 24 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Fri 25 Apr	9.15 am – 5.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Sat 26 Apr	9.15 am – 3.00pm	Closed
Sun 27 Apr	Closed
Mon 28 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Tues 29 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Wed 30 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Thurs 1 May	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Fri 2 May	9.15 am – 5.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm

The library will also be open on Sat 10 May and Sat 17 May, from 9.15am - 3.00pm.

Easter revision checklist

You might not be on-campus as much as usual over the Easter holidays and Reading Week.  Now is the time to get organised.  Have you... ?

Changed your network password: http://itbstudenthub.ie/?p=1870
Renewed your library books: http://itbstudenthub.ie/?p=455
Accessed previous exam papers: http://itbstudenthub.ie/?p=62
Accessed student share: http://itbstudenthub.ie/?p=1791


You might also want to...

Search the library databases: http://moodle.itb.ie/mod/scorm/view.php?id=54626 
Reserve a library book: http://itbstudenthub.ie/?p=449
Reference sources: http://moodle.itb.ie/mod/page/view.php?id=67042
View past student projects (in the library only): http://moodle.itb.ie/mod/scorm/view.php?id=53928

How to make the most of your Easter break

As the Easter holidays and Reading Week approach, it's time to start thinking about exam revision.  With the Spring Exams starting in just over a month, it's worth keeping in mind...

Here are some tips to help you strike a good revision/fun balance over Easter.

(1) Set yourself daily targets: assign yourself a set period of time to focus purely on revision every day.  Ditch the phone and the internet and focus on study during that time.

(2) Make time for relaxation: having a defined distraction-free time for study frees up the rest of your time to relax and socialize.  Starting your revision early gives you time to relax without feeling guilty!

(3) Don’t forget your coursework: chances are you still have CAs, projects or presentations to plan.  Don't forget that completing coursework is a great foundation for your revision.

(4) Prioritize: have a plan! Consider which subjects need more of your time but don't neglect the ones you find harder.  A timetable is a great visual aid to planning your time and it's nice to tick off the work as you do it!

Remember: the earlier you start the more manageable your revision will be!

English is crazy!

Have you submitted assignments over the past few weeks?  If so, pat yourself on the back. English can be a crazy language!

Ever wish someone would read your notes to you?

We all learn in different ways – some of us prefer to read information, some of us prefer to listen to it.  If you learn best by listening, then you should know about a tool called Speech Maker, which is a feature of Read and Write Gold software!

Available on all the PCs in the library, Read and Write Gold software is an easy-to-use toolbar that supports all students in their reading, writing and research.  When you double-click on the Read and Write Gold icon on the desktop, it launches the toolbar that sits at top of your screen until you need it!

One of the more nifty tools is called Speech Maker.  This allows you to highlight text (from a Word document, a PDF, a webpage etc) and convert it into an audio file (like a music track, only with spoken words).  This file can easily be transferred to your MP3 player or listened to via your laptop or PC.  Have a look at this video to see just how easy it is!

Opening hours

Reading Week and the Easter Holidays are coming up over the next few weeks, so here are the Library and SID opening hours for the rest of April...

	Library	SID
Mon 7 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Tues 8 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Wed 9 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Thurs 10 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Fri 11 Apr	9.15 am – 5.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Sat 12 Apr	Closed
Sun 13 Apr	Closed
Mon 14 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Tues 15 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Wed 16 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Thurs 17 Apr	9.15 am – 5.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Fri 18 Apr	Closed
Sat 19 Apr	Closed
Sun 20 Apr	Closed
Mon 21 Apr	Closed
Tues 22 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Wed 23 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Thurs 24 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Fri 25 Apr	9.15 am – 5.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Sat 26 Apr	9.15 am – 3.00pm	Closed
Sun 27 Apr	Closed
Mon 28 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Tues 29 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Wed 30 Apr	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Thurs 1 May	9.15 am – 8.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm
Fri 2 May	9.15 am – 5.00pm	9.15 am – 5.00pm

The library will also be open on Sat 10 May and Sat 17 May, from 9.15am - 3.00pm.

Do you judge a book by... the first line?

Does a book need a snappy first line to capture your attention?  If so, stylist.co.uk brings us The Best 100 Opening Lines from Books.  When you click on the link, just hover over the book covers for details...

And here are examples from some of titles we have in ITB Library!  

Want to read more?

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth."
The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger

"Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun."
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams

It was 7 minutes after midnight. The dog was lying on the grass in the middle of the lawn in front of Mrs Shears' house. Its eyes were closed.”
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Mark Haddon

"'What’s it going to be then, eh?'"
A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess

"Ten days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge."
The Blind Assassin, Margaret Atwood

“It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him of the fate of unrequited love.”
Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez

Stuck for a word?

Are you writing assignments this weekend?  Oxford Dictionaries have a great Online Dictionary and The University of Manchester suggest some useful scholarly language in the Academic Phrasebook.  For instance, it includes phrases that introduce work, discuss findings, describe trends etc...

Has your lecturer asked you to use academic journals?

If so, it can be confusing to know exactly what they are looking for.  This short video from Touro College Libraries can help you understand what journals (or periodicals) are and how they differ from books...

So now that you know what journals are: let's look at how to access ITB Library's online journals via One Search.

• Go to the ITB homepage and click on Library
• One Search is the second search box on the page
• Type in your search terms, e.g. "community development" and "affordable housing"
• remember to put phrases in inverted commas to increase the relevance of your results
• One Search will retrieve journal articles (from the online journals) that include your search terms
• Use the limiters in the left-hand margin to focus your search, e.g. limit your results to full-text articles, peer-reviewed articles, focus in on one subject term...
• When you find an article you wish to read, click on the title.  You will be asked to log in using your name, student number and library PIN.  If you don't know your library PIN, email us at LibraryInfo@itb.ie!

You can learn more about One Search with this short tutorial.

Happy International Children's Book Day!

Do you have little readers at home?  If so, this year's International Children's Book Day message comes from former Laureate na nÓg (Children's Laureate of Ireland), Siobhán Parker!

Need to use a library PC?

Have you seen the new PC booking system yet?  To book a PC:

(1) Go to the library catalogue and click on Book A PC - From Your PC

(2) Sign in using your name and network password

 

(3) This is the booking screen.  PCs in use show up in blue.  Future bookings show up in red.  To book a PC, double-click in the time slot you need.

 

(4) Select the time for which you want to book the PC.

 

(5) Your booking will show up in yellow.

 If you have any questions, contact us at the library desk or email LibraryInfo@itb.ie