Banned Books Week 23 - 29 September 2018

Banned Books Week was first initiated by the American Library Association in 1982 in response to an increasing number of challenges in the US to books in schools, bookstores and libraries.  In the United States books are regularly banned and challenged within school districts. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling is regularly challenged and banned, with reasons cited including anti-family, occult/Satanism, religious viewpoint and violence. The Harry Potter series was also banned in St. Mary's Island Church of England school in Chatham, Kent. 

In the United States banning is usually limited to libraries and schools, Irish censorship laws prevent the import, sale or distribution of prohibited publications. The Censorship of Publications Act, 1929, was enacted to prohibit the sale and distribution of “unwholesome literature”. Violations to the terms of this act could result in a fine of £50 or a prison sentence of up to 6 months.

Source: American Library Association

In 1946 the Minister for Justice introduced an appeals board, this allowed for some banned books to become available. As a result over 130 books were appealed however this was a largely symbolic victory as most of the books were out of print when the ban was lifted. Despite the introduction of the appeals process the 1950s saw a resurgence of books being banned, with a staggering 1,034 books banned in 1954 alone.

Some of the books that were banned in Ireland include:

I am alone by Walter Macken 

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Borstal Boy by Brendan Behan

Most of these books were banned as soon as they were published. The Censorship Board was not required to explain why a book had been banned. However most were probably banned due to one or a combination of the following reasons; critique of Irish republicanism, critique of the Catholic Church, offensive language, or depiction of sexuality. 

Luckily these books are no longer banned in Ireland and are available in your library! Check out a banned book today ...

Bibliography and further reading:

American Library Association Banned Books page http://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks

Censorhip, Notre Dame University Available at: https://sites.nd.edu/irish-hesburgh/censorship/

Censorship of Publications Act, 1929 http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1929/act/21/enacted/en/html?q=censorship

Censorship of Publications Act, 1946 http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1946/act/1/enacted/en/html?q=censorship

Diaz, Eleanor and James LaRue 2017, "50 Years of Intellectual Freedom
The ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom celebrates its history" available at https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2017/11/01/50-years-office-intellectual-freedom/

Donal Ó, D 2005, ''The best banned in the land': Censorship and Irish Writing since 1950', The Yearbook Of English Studies, p. 146, JSTOR Journals, EBSCOhost, viewed 13 September 2018. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.3509330&site=eds-live&custid=ns122646

Ross, Samuel, Harry Potter Banned? Why do some parents want to ban the world's favorite wizard?available at: https://www.infoplease.com/harry-potter-banned

Opening hours in September

Welcome back to all our returning students.  It has been very quiet without you!

This week, the library and student information desk (SID) will open from 9.15am - 5.00pm each weekday.
The library's late opening resumes from Monday 24th September.

IT induction labs for first years

Congrats to all the first years who attended IT induction sessions today.  This is a quick reminder of some the online resources you need to know how to acces:

Register for password recovery: it is important to register for password recovery while your password is active, i.e. now! 

• Register here: http://www.itb.ie/CurrentStudents/passwordrecovery.html 
• Your student number is your user name, e.g. B01000000
• Your user name is entered in this format: campus\B01000000
• Your password is the network password you set the first time you logged in

Student email: your lecturers, administrators and peers will use this email account to contact you.  Check it regularly!

• Login here: https://www.outlook.com/student.itb.ie
• Your student email address is your user name, eg. B01000000@student.itb.ie
• Your password is the network password you set the first time you logged in

Timetable: your timetable may change in the first few weeks of term.  Login to check for changes regularly.

• Login here: http://www.itb.ie/CurrentStudents/timetable.html 
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Logon
• Your student number is your user name, e.g. B01000000
• Leave the password blank and click Login

ITB Student Hub

Are you starting college this week?  Did you know that your library contains a hub of information and services centred on student needs?  The library desk, the student information desk (SID) and the computer services helpdesk are all located in the library building.

In addition, you have 24/7 access to the ITB Student Hub: a website dedicated to sharing all sorts of information that is relevant to you! 

from passwords to parking to printing ...

from email to exemptions to electives ...

from letters to lockers to library databases ...

If you have any suggestions for content, let us know!  LibraryInfo@itb.ie 

Library tours

We have lots of library tours today!  Welcome to first year students in Community and Youth Development, Early Childcare Care and Education  and Applied Social Studies.  We are enjoying showing you around the library as part of your Induction...

Did you know that your student card is also your library card?  Don't forget to carry it with you at all times.

Welcome!

A big welcome back to all our new and returning students.  We hope you had a great summer!  We look forward to meeting all incoming first years during library tours this week, especially the International students who start today.

Fáilte, Valkommen, Vitejte....  Let us know how to say "Welcome" to you...

Study Tips

Study Tips

With the summer exams drawing near here are a few study tips that are found useful when preparing for your exams!

Choosing your study space

Study in an area with no distractions and less likely to have traffic passing through. For example studying in your bedroom or a room that isn’t regularly used would be better that using a kitchen or sitting room for your study space.

Organize your study area

Make sure the area you have chosen has enough space for you to spread out your notes, past exam papers and textbooks. Ensure that there is sufficient lighting but not over powering and that you have a comfortable chair as you could be sitting in it for long periods of time!

From experience it is best to have your notes written out or printed and turn your computer or laptop off. Some people find it easier to study with a neat and tidy study space or some are more comfortable in a cluttered space, figure out what suits you best to help you achieve the most from your time studying.

Create a schedule

When studying it is recommended to create a schedule and try your best to stick to it. To start look at what dates your exams on and then figure out what order you would like to study your exam subjects in and how much time you would like to allocate to each subject. You could also allocate time to study for each subject based on your confidence of current knowledge of the subject or if an exam is worth a higher grade than another.

Creating notes/flow-charts/diagrams/mind maps

Looking over full subject notes can be overwhelming! Write out what you know and then see where you have gaps in your information and begin gathering and structuring that information. Take your subject notes, identified gaps of information and break then write them down in whatever way you think is best suited to your information retention – you could use:

• Notes – points and information written in short hand as a memory aid.
• Flow-charts – a diagram that shows a sequence of information involved in a topic.
• Diagrams – a simple drawing showing information in a schematic representation.
• Mind maps – is a diagram which is used to present information visually, around a topic.

Analyze past exam papers

An effective way of preparing for your exams is using past exam papers. Analyze what questions or topics repeatedly come up and how the questions are asked, as well as breaking down the marking scheme for each question so you can allocate the appropriate amount of time for the marks awarded. 

Analyzing past exam papers allows you to see the wording that lecturers use for their questions so you don’t waste time analyzing them in your exams.

*Ensure that you check with your lecturer if the same structure is being used for your exams as previous years and that it isn’t a different lecturer writing the paper.

T/Preach others

Use family members, friends or other halves as study aids! Give them sample questions to ask you and your notes to ensure you are giving them the right information back! By explain an answer to them it allows you to produce the information in the right order and in a way that makes sense to others. This method also shows areas that may need more attention and focus during your study time.

Saying information out loud means you’re absorbing it in two ways – by seeing it and hearing it!

Take breaks

Taking breaks during study sessions aids your brain in retaining information more effectively and can also help improve your concentration and motivation during study. Follow these simple steps during your study sessions to make them more effective:

• Take a break every 35-40 minutes
• Allocate the amount of time for your break (10 minutes is ideal)
• Change your scenery when on your break
• Use physical activity in your break – stretch, walk etc.
• Know your procrastination habits – for example avoid social media till you are finished studying as you could let time slip by.

Nourish & hydrate your brain and body

Though it is best to nourish your brain and body with food this doesn’t mean any food. Avoid foods that have a high sugar content as your body and brain will crash an hour later! In take foods that have been proven to aid concentration and memory when studying, foods that are high in omegas such as oily fish, nuts and seeds. Eggs, vegetables and fruit are also good foods to intake during study and exam time.

On exam day make sure to have a good meal before your exam of foods that slowly release energy, in the morning you could have porridge or the afternoon you could have pasta or rice, once again make sure to avoid sugar!

It is vital during your study time and that during your exams that you stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of water so that the brain functions to the best of its ability. Some people drink coffee as a way of hydration and to keep more alert, however this affect varies between individuals and the amount of caffeine they intake.

Exam day

Ensure you are prepared for your exam by of course studying, but also ensuring you have the day planned out, by:

• Planning your route and travel time
• Checking all the rules and requirements of the exam
• Location of your exam
• Having all your pens and stationery prepared for the exam

Relax

You’ve done all that you can so during your exam there is no need to stress yourself out, so to stay calm and relaxed you could:

• Practice positive self-talk - tell yourself you are prepared and you can do this, banish negative thoughts.
• Don’t worry about others - don’t look around and worry what other people are doing, if needed close your eyes for a few seconds and take some deep breaths.
• Comfortable clothes - remember your exam isn’t a fashion show, make sure you wear comfortable clothes on the day.
• Posture - keep your feet grounded to avoid fidgeting, and ensure your arms and hands are relaxed and don’t clench your pen. Sit back in your chair and have your shoulders open to avoid a tense back from hunching over.

Good luck in all your exams and remember the library is open during exam time 

Mon to Thurs 8:30AM to 8:00PM and Fri 8:30AM to 5:00PM.