Finding the right sources of information for any subject can be tricky, given the vast amount of resources there are available to you via our vast range on online resources. This is especially true of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Medicine (or STEM) disciplines. With that in mind, our Academic Librarians have created a set of online guides tailored to these subject areas.
You can find the complete A-Z list of all the guides by following this link:
Each link gives you a concise run-down of everything you need to know about finding information for your subject, including the contact details for the Academic Librarian responsible for the School/Department concerned.
Be sure to visit and bookmark the links for future reference – you’ll certainly find them useful!
Would you know what to say to a friend or colleague if you suspected they were struggling with their mental health, and possibly having thoughts about suicide?
Today (Thursday 7th March) is University Mental Health Day, and Loughborough University is using its voice to ‘start a conversation’.
During transitions and periods of emotional distress, such as leaving home for the first time and arriving at university, some students can feel alone, isolated and at times have thoughts about death.
There are many support services available at Loughborough University and sometimes a friend, academic or warden will see signs that a student is having difficulties.
However, there are also things which staff and students can do to make people feel less alone and more confident to share difficult feelings.
This year the University is asking the Loughborough Family to pledge to start a conversation.
Specifically, we are asking you to pledge to:
Start a conversation if you feel overburdened or worried
Start a conversation with a friend, family member or colleague if you are worried about them
Start a conversation and ask for help if you need it
Keep an eye out for warning signs in others
The University’s Mental Health Team will be out and about on campus today with plaques featuring each of the messages above.
They are asking students to consider making one of these pledges, and if they feel confident enough, to share photos of themselves with the plaques on social media, using the hashtags #startaconversation and #lborofamily.
Below are some tips of what to do if you are concerned about someone:
Things to look out for – whether it is a friend, supervisee or colleague, know the signs to look out for. These include changes in behaviour, a loss of interest in activities or talking about hopelessness or feeling alone.
Offer help – There’s no better way to show that you’re a kind, approachable person than to be helpful. If you find yourself in a situation where you can lend a hand, do it. For example: “It looks like you are having a difficult time, do you need any support?”
Show empathy – Empathy is the skill of being with someone and showing that you understand their perspective. For example, as an academic you may have experienced the pressure or anxiety linked to research, so by talking to and showing your understanding to a colleague or student it can really help them.
Be authentic – Showing that you genuinely care and are worried about an individual’s wellbeing is the first step in an interaction. E.g. “I’ve noticed you’ve not been around a lot lately and I’m worried about you, is there anything I can do to help?”
Know where to go next – Having an understanding of both the University and wider community support services that can help students who are experiencing mental ill health or emotional distress is a good place to start.
The Library also has its own range of Mood-Boosting and ‘Books on Prescription’ self-help works among our Leisure Reading collection upstairs on Level 4.
The local community can offer support through the NHS’s Let’s Talk Wellbeing service, as well as Harmless – which supports people bereaved by suicide – and Turning Point, which offers a 24-hour crisis helpline.
Important information for people using the CiteULike reference software – their website is closing! If you are a user of the site, you have until 30th March 2019 to download your saved citations. After that date CiteULike will no longer be accessible.
Loughborough University has an Institutional subscription to Mendeley, which is our recommended reference management software. Check out the videos on Learn (https://learn.lboro.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3539) to discover how Mendeley can help you in your studies.
In order to complete some planned system maintenance, Dawson Books have advised us that their Dawsonera Ebook platform will be unavailable for a brief time this Saturday (9th February) between 8pm to 11pm.
Dawson Books apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. If you have any queries about any of these planned sessions, please contact Dawson Books by email at help@dawsonenter.com
All set for Semester 2? If your answer is the wrong side of “maybe”, let us help you give your academic skills a timely boost through one of our range of ever-popular Get the Know How sessions at the Library.
Ranging from handy tips on essay & report writing to developing your critical thinking and introductions to referencing & bibliographic software, there’s something for every academic occasion that will stand you in good stead for the duration of your course.
Each session runs for between 50 – 90 minutes, depending on the subject matter, and they’re hosted in Library Seminar Room 1. However, as these courses have always proved extremely popular in the past, we are asking that people register for them first via Learn Module LBA001. To do that – and to look at exactly what courses are on offer and when – visit this link:
As your New Year resolutions fade, how are you planning to start the new semester? What was your feedback like for your exams or coursework? Have you got plans for improving your grades next time? Come along to our Spotlight stand this week to share your thoughts and get support for any library-related issues such as:
Better time management
Better academic practice and referencing
More criticality
More academic information resources
We look forward to seeing you at our stand in the Library foyer on Tuesday 5th February between 12-2pm, and Thursday 7th February between 2-4pm
If you can’t make these times and have a query, don’t worry, you can always contact your academic librarian directly:
British Standards Online has launched a new tracked changes feature to some of its key standards.
You’ll now find it easy to identify what’s changed between different versions of standards at a glance, using a clear colour-coded system: green equals an addition, red equals a removal.
Need to buy some printer credits for your coursework in a hurry? Of course you can buy them from us at our Level 3 Enquiry Desk, but what if it’s after midnight and the desk is closed?
You can still buy printer credits on the go and at any time of the day or night via IT Services ePayments SafeCom system online, using a debit or credit card (minimum £5), which are instantly allocated to your user account. If you are off campus you will need to use the VPN service before you can use the ePayments systems (and if you haven’t already downloaded the VPN, we recommend you so, because you can also use it for all sorts of off-campus access).
Looking for some more exam tips? Why not try Lynda, our online learning platform, which has two video playlists specifically aimed at giving examination advice, as well a plethora of academic and learning advice and support.
Lynda.com is a learning platform which has over 5000 video tutorials used to develop creative, software, technology and business skills for learning and teaching. Available to all students and staff, Loughborough University has purchased a subscription from Lynda.com to enhance your digital skills and personal development.
To access Lynda, sign In at the top right of the page, click Sign in with your organization portal and simply enter ‘lboro.ac.uk’ in the box asking for your organisation URL. This will direct you to the Loughborough University sign-in page where you enter your University credentials.