10 December 2015

Want to read the Financial Times?



The Library is now receiving print copies of the Financial Times. We receive an issue every day except Sunday and we are maintaining a print backfile for one month.

The latest issue can be found on the Ground Floor and will be placed on the window shelf near to the cafe.

Once the Ground Floor issue has been replaced it will be taken to the 1st floor and shelved with the Journal Collection.

Please visit the Library Building, grab a coffee from Cafe Libro and relax with the Financial Times.

You can also get online access to the Financial Times articles via the newspaper database Nexis UK and the business journal database called PROQUEST.  Full details are available via the Business and Management LibGuide


3 December 2015

Trying to log in to FAME or ORBIS?

The Library is aware that there are technical problems with logging in to the financial databases FAME and ORBIS.  We have contacted the provider and we are working together to fix this. We will keep you updated.

This is now sorted (09/12/2015)

2 December 2015

Going away for the Christmas break? Advice on what to do about your Library books



If you're going away for the Christmas break then please:

  • Don't leave books that you don't need in your accommodation (or anywhere you can't get hold of them)
  • Please return them to the Library before you go away
  • Don't take books abroad in case someone reserves the books and you need to return them
If a 7 day loan book is taken out on: 
  • Monday 14th December it will be due back on Monday 21st December
  • Tuesday 15th December it will be due back Tuesday 22nd December
  • Wednesday 16th December it will be due back on Wednesday 23 December
  • Thursday 17th December it will be due back on Monday 4th January
  • Friday 18th December - Wednesday 23 December it will be due back on Monday 4th January
No books will be due back when the Library building is closed from 24th December 2015 to 3rd January 2016 inclusive and no fines will apply on closed dates.  You won't be able to return books during this period.
 

Are your books due back 4th - 11th January?

  • Check your Library Record to see when your book is due back
  • Renew the book if it hasn't been reserved in the meantime
  • If the book has been reserved and you can't renew it, then you will need to return the book to the Library in person or by postPlease be aware that fines of £3.50 apply per day if the book is returned after the due date. 
  • Please check your Aston email frequently over the vacation period in case a book that you've borrowed gets recalled and is subject to a fine.  



Enjoy the break!

Lydia Matheson

on behalf of the Library Team

1 December 2015

COP21, the 2015 Paris Climate Conference: recommended academic resources

The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21, or CMP 11, is being held in Paris from November 30 to December 11. It will be the 21st yearly session of the Conference of the Parties to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 11th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

Official websites
The official website has agendas, documents, decisions and webcasts.
On the left of the home page there are some very useful links to basic treaties, documents and process information.
The Paris organisers have an official twitter account with the latest news, and an English official account.

National governments and international bodies
UK government website with information for citizens
the House of Commons Library have also prepared an excellent briefing
European Commission work on climate change OECD documents and policy on climate change
UNDP video   and UNDP policy and documents
 IEA document on energy and climate change 2015
UNESCO 
NATO Parliamentary assembly 
World Meterological organization statement on temperatures and climate

News coverage
Find out why the conference matters in this BBC short video
More updates and detailed analysis can also be obtained from the News websites:
Guardian
Nature magazine
Economist
FT
Telegraph
New York Times EurActiv

Declarations from interest groups and campaigners
Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact
The Women's Earth & Climate Action Network
Shift Project 

Green Alliance ( Christian Aid, Green Alliance, Greenpeace, RSPB, and WWF) 

Academic research and analysis
Brookings Institution
World Resources Institute, which also has some papers with suggestions on the legal text
The Conversation blog
Chatham House calls for lowering meat consumption
Grantham Institute LSE

Articles and reports
eldis has lots of links to free reports and documents
Aston University has subscriptions to a number of relevant databases containing articles on this topic, including: GreenFILE, Scopus and Web of Science









With many thanks to Heather Dawson, ALISS secretary and LSE Academic Support Librarian
View original article

30 November 2015

Launch of new updates to LexisLibrary - Law Database





A number of improvements are being made to Lexis®Library - it is easier to use, more intuitive, allowing students to better understand the law in practice. To avoid unnecessary disruption, LexisNexis are launching a number of updates simultaneously.

These changes take effect on Saturday 5th December 2015.

The update will bring a number of cosmetic changes enabling easier searching and presenting results in a clearer format. There are also significant improvements to the search results and better integration between LexisLibrary and LexisPSL. Please see the attached document LexisLibrary – Academic User Guide for updated product guidance. Please do feel free to use this document to update your own training materials.

Highlights:

A more intuitive search experience.
The Explore search box moves to the heart of the homepage and includes content filters.

A tidier, bigger, better display of results.
Single results list opens up the page, with filtering in one place and the option to deliver multiple documents.

The option to search across ALL subscribed UK legal content.
In one place for the first time, including both LexisLibrary and LexisPSL content included in the search results.

Glossary searches move to the home page
Get quick access to over 3,300 legal terms.

27 November 2015

Library Opening Hours - 24/6 Commences on Monday 30 November 2015

The Library will be open 24/6 from Monday 30th November for the revision and examination period.    Throughout 24/6 the Library only closes at 18:00 on Saturday evenings and re-opens at 11:00 the following Sunday morning.

The Library is a controlled access building, so please remember to bring your uniCARD on each visit.
  • Ground floor  - Group Study (Can eat cold snacks - hot food must not be brought into Library, can use phones)
  • First floor  - Quiet Study (No eating, no use of phones)
  • Second floor - Group Study (Can eat cold snacks, can use phones but switch ringer to silent mode)
  • Third floor - Single Silent Study at all times (No eating, no use of phones)
Please speak to Library staff or email library@aston.ac.uk if you have any questions.

Ask the Library - two hundred and fifty seven of your questions are answered!

There is a bank of two hundred and fifty seven answers to questions about Library facilities and services online at: Ask the Library.  Just browse or search for your question.  If the answer isn't there, then just ask the question yourself.

26 November 2015

Just started using EndNote?

AdeptScience have expanded the Little EndNote How-To Book. Download your copy here and take a look at how to accomplish specific tasks in EndNote, such as importing references from a specific online database or converting references kept in another program to references in an EndNote library.
http://www.adeptscience.co.uk/download/dlddsp/13652/0/All/EndNote+X7+-+The+Little+EndNote+How-To+Book.html


Thomson Reuters have also created a series of short screencasts on how to use the reference management software.  Why not try taking a look at the one below "How to Use EndNote in 7 minutes"
 

19 November 2015

Springer's Gold Open Access agreement for UK authors



We've some great news regarding Gold Open Access publishing.  Springer, together with JISC, have introduced a new publishing model which allows corresponding authors at Aston to publish in Springer Open Choice journal titles without the need to pay a Gold OA fee (APC), the costs now being covered as part of our subscription instead.  This means Aston researchers can make use of the benefits of free and immediate Gold Open Access (via selection of the CC BY licence) in over 1,600 Springer journal titles - benefitting yourselves, the institution and everyone world-wide.

The publishing process has been streamlined too as the scheme is based on a straightforward verification process and does not involve local case-by-case applications for APCs.  Lots more details are provided in this link: http://www.springer.com/gp/open-access/springer-open-choice/springer-compact/for-uk-authors-intro/731990.

We look forward to you using the scheme!

Please contact us at openaccess@aston.ac.uk with your questions.  For general guidance on OA publishing, both Gold and Green, please visit: libguides.aston.ac.uk/openaccess.

17 November 2015

5 November 2015

Working on your Carbon Project?



To support Carbon Week, we have invited Greenleaf Publishing to visit and talk to students about the "Sustainable Organisation Library" database.  Danielle is waiting to meet you in the Library Foyer with a selection of materials that you can search in the database which include book chapters and journal articles.  Danielle has access to the internet and will show you how you can find information for your Carbon Project.  Please go along a say hello.  You never know there might be a few freebies on offer too!!!

You can access the Sustainable Organisation Library via the Carbon Week LibGuide which can be found via the Library web site and then choosing Students.

3 November 2015

Aston Aspires - Library workshops


The Library is beginning it's support for Aston Aspires week with a programme of workshops. Tuesday's workshops are based on using EndNote to find, import and organise references in to a reference library.

There are still a few places available

Tuesday 3rd November,        11:00-12:00                             Library Workshop A (L215)
Tuesday 3rd November,        12:00-13:00                             Library Workshop A (L215)

There are more EndNote workshops running over Wednesday and Thursday and the full programme can be found here.

There is also a Business Intelligence workshop on Thursday which will look at how you can use Business databases to research for your job applications and interview preparation.