Category Archives: Geography

Free Screening of ‘Thin Ice’ Climate Change Film

Posted on by

thin iceThe Geography Department have arranged for a FREE screening of the climate change information film Thin Ice this coming Tuesday evening.

Thin Ice: The Inside Story of Climate Science – is a unique project: a film about climate science made by a scientist – geologist Simon Lamb. For over three years he followed scientists from a wide range of disciplines at work in the Arctic, Antarctic, Southern Ocean, New Zealand, Europe and the USA. They talk about their work, their hopes and fears with a rare candour and directness. This creates an intimate portrait of the global community of researchers racing to understand our planet’s changing climate, and provides a compelling case for rising CO2 as the main cause.

400 free tickets are up for grabs for this screening, which is being held in Room J104 in the Edward Herbert Building between 5.30-7PM. To register visit this link:

http://thinicelboro-estw.eventbrite.co.uk/

World Space Week

Posted on by

Today marks the beginning of World Space Week, an annual international celebration of the many benefits of the exploration of outer space.

This year’s theme for the event is “Space for Human Safety and Security”, which seeks to extol the virtues of how much Earth observation, navigation and telecommunication satellites are used everyday to protect humans and safeguard our environment.

Chosen specifically for this date by the UN General Assembly to mark the succesful launch of Sputnik 1, the first man-made satellite, on October 4th 1957, and the signining of the ‘Treaty on Principles Governing the Activites of States in the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies’ on October 10 1967, World Space Week has been held every year since 1999, and seeks primarily to educate people about the positives of space exploration and encourage better public understanding and support for space programmes.

We’re very keen on space in the Library, and not just the kind students look for for studying in! We possess a large range of material about space flight and the history of astronautics, including access to NASA’s Scientific & Technical Information (STI) web site among our extensive array of Aeronautical databases.

For more information about World Space Week, including an opportunity to participate in a ‘Tweet-up’ with legendary Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin, visit their website here:

http://www.worldspaceweek.org/wsw/

Black History Month

Posted on by

This month is Black History Month, an annual observance of the importance of the African diaspora on modern British civilisation, culture and history, marked by a series of special events across the country and a website hosting a wide range of specially written articles and essays on the subject, as well as video clips and music.

These include a potted history of the arrival of the SS Empire Windrush in 1948, which marked the beginning of the post-war mass immigration, a biography of Joe Clough, London’s first black bus driver in 1910, and a rarely-seen war-time documentary film shot in 1944 called West Indies Calling, which highlights the important role played by the people of the Carribbean in the British war effort.

The Library has a considerable range of material about black history and culture and the African diaspora across the globe, available in book form and electronic format via our vast range of electronic resources available through Library Catalogue Plus.

To look at the Black History Month site, follow this link:

http://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/

Drip Drip Drop Little July Showers…

Posted on by

Jokes about wet English summers have been a staple for self-depreciating British residents since the age of the Caesars, but it was no laughing matter for those caught in the shock deluge that water-logged Loughborough (and the rest of the country) during Open Day a week or so ago.

Indeed, so severe was the rain that the Library even had its own moat (pictured above) and flooded the fire escape exit down on Level 1 (fortunately for users and our stock, only up to the level of the first step!!). Other buildings across campus were similarly effected, too.

While there doesn’t appear to be very much one can individually do in the face of such a watery onslaught (apart from investing in a bigger umbrella!) research is on-going into how society can better cope with climate change and the unpreditable weather it brings down upon us. The University’s own Centre for Hydrological and Ecosystem Science (CHES) in the Geography Department is one such facility, plus we ourselves have access to a wide variety of up-to-date information on the topic via databases such as RealClimate and Water Resource Abstracts. Something to look at while you’re waiting for the skies to clear, anyway!

For further pictures of the Great Library Flood of 2012, check out our Flickr photostream here.

Travel the World… By Phone!

Posted on by

Google Maps upgraded itself with some new features this week, allowing users of mobile technology for the first time to be able to journey all over the planet from the comfort of… where ever!

New image rendering techniques have also been applied to the software, enabling browsers to see and visit whole towns and cities in vivid 3-D.

They’ve also introduced Street View Trekker, a wilderness version of their highly popular street-level system, that enables users to visit newly digitally mapped areas that were previously far off the beaten track, such as the Grand Canyon.

If cartography and geography is your thing, Google Maps isn’t the only resource available. The Library has access to Digimap, a collection of EDINA services providing maps and map data, including Ordnance Survey maps, which can viewed either online or via appropriate software such as CAD. Why not take the trip…?

Planet Earth image courtest of woodleywonderworks, reproduced under CC License from Flickr.

Holocaust Memorial Day

Posted on by

Treblinka Memorial Site, image copyright Radio Nederland Wereldomroep, reproduced under CC Licence from Flickr

Today (January 27th) is Holocaust Memorial Day, and coincides with a recent BBC radio programme which recounts a geophysical examination of the Treblinka death camp site by a team of British forensic archaeologists.

Over 800,000 Jews were murdered on the site between 1942 to 1943 before the Nazis destroyed the camp in a vain attempt to erase all evidence of their crimes. But unlike Auschwitz, where its gas chambers and crematoria have survived, the memorial at Treblinka simply consists of 17,000 stones with the names of places where Jews were transported from all around Europe. A team  from the University of Birmingham have used the latest imaging techniques to help locate the remains of victims at the site of the camp and to throughly map its location.

The Hidden Graves of the Holocaust is currently available to listen to again via the BBCi Player here. For further reading on the topic, the Library has a large stock of material devoted to the history, study and discussion of the Holocaust, searchable through Library Catalogue Plus. 

The stated objective of Holocaust Memorial Day is to “provide an opportunity for everyone to learn lessons from the Holocaust, Nazi persecution and subsequent genocides and apply them to the present day to create a safer, better future”. To find out more about it, visit the HMD Trust home page here.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Posted on by

Image copyright L2F1, reproduced under CC licence from Flickr

Today marks the start of the Chinese New Year, a 15-day celebration of the end of winter and the beginning of a new Lunar year.

It also marks the beginning of a new cycle of the Chinese zodiac, as repesented by 12 different animals of Chinese legend and mythology. 2012 represents the year of the Dragon, a potent symbol of power, strength and good fortune.

To help celebrate the occasion there are a variety of events going on this week  in the Student Union, including 10% off all Oriental produce in the Union Building shop. To find out more, visit the SU home page here.

If you’re interested in finding out more about China, its history and traditions, don’t forget that the Library has quite a range of books on the subject in our geography, history and sociology sections, searchable through Library Catalogue Plus.

Locating London’s Past

Posted on by

London's Houses of Parliament by Moyan Brenn, reproduced under CC Licence from Flickr

A new JISC funded website, Locating London’s Past, has just been launched, allowing users to take a trip through the city’s history using the latest mapping technology.

Using the website, users are able to explore a fully GIS compliant version of John Rocque’s 1746 map of London using Google maps technology to reveal the distribution of crimes, wealth and poverty, mortality, archaeological finds, voting records and much more.

Locating London’s Past is the result of a collaborative project between the University of Sheffield, the University of Hertfordshire, and the University of London, and has been funded by JISC as part of their commitment to funding open source projects.

Through our own Library Catalogue Plus we have access to a wide variety of historical and geographical resources, including the British Humanities Index, British History Online, Digimap and GEOBASE.

Changes to Ordnance Survey Map Licences

Posted on by

Ordnance Survey has changed the way it licenses its maps. It has decided not to offer a licence to cover copying from its maps, so you can no longer scan from your unwieldy Landrangers.

But all is not lost! The University subscribes to Digimap (you will need to register the first time you access the Digimap services), which holds an enormous number of maps, both current and historical.

The terms and conditions are generous for educational uses, so from now on, if you want to use a map in your teaching or research, you should use the Digimap service.

Domesday Reloaded

Posted on by

Domesday Books (image copyright Electropod, reproduced under CC License)

The BBC often revisits the past – too often for those who aren’t keen on TV repeats! - but at the moment they’re turning the clock back to a very worthwhile project they embarked on 25 years ago, itself inspired by a historic chronicle of England begun under the reign of William the Conqueror some 900 years ago.

The Domesday Project, begun in 1986, was an ambitious attempt to capture the essence of life in the United Kingdom, as the original Domesday Books had attempted to do nearly a millenium ago. Over a million people contributed to the project, and now the BBC is looking to refresh the venture for the digital age. 

From now until October 31st the BBC are asking people to help bring the project back up to date, by re-examining and updating the data provided by local communities and scholars in 1986. All you have to do is browse an interactive online map on the BBC website, search for a location you know, or try finding articles about something you remember, and then send in your updates, new stories or photos using the links provided. 

To find out more information and download information packs visit the BBC Domesday Reloaded site here.

Don’t forget that the Library has a large and extensive history section itself, including works on local, national and global events, all searchable through Library Catalogue Plus.