Author: David Bennett

Assistant Librarian (Promotions) at the University Library. An enthusiastic advocate of libraries, diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice for all, inside and outside the workplace.

By Posted on Posted in About your Library No Comments Tagged with , , ,

With the Christmas vacation period just around the corner, it is a good time to check that you are all set up for working from home. Even if you plan never to do anything university-related over the holidays, having your personal device set up to access the university computer network from wherever you are will mean that if you should need anything during or after the holidays, everything will be set up to use all the software and library eresources you might want, meaning you have one less thing to worry about when library staff are away.

Read more ›

By Posted on Posted in Thing of the Day No Comments Tagged with , ,

Are we alone in the universe? Why do people regularly fancy they see alien spacecraft sojourning in plain daylight in Earth’s lower atmosphere? If not aliens, what explains all these unidentified phenomena? Celebrating 200 episodes this week, the University’s Life …

Of lights in the sky and little green men Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Thing of the Day No Comments Tagged with , , ,

I have blogged before about productivity tools and tried to sound enthusiastic but this time I have hit gold. Thanks to the rise of our future AI overlords, we have Goblin Tools: an app that offers to turn the chaos …

Introducing Goblin Tools – at last, an app to manage your whole life Read more »

By Posted on Posted in About your Library No Comments Tagged with , , ,

The new prayer room and contemplation space on the first floor of the Library is now open for anyone who wants or needs a space apart to pray, meditate or sit quietly .

Everyone is welcome to use this space, whether you have a confirmed faith, want to sit and meditate without distractions, or simply need a space apart and want somewhere to sit and recover in peace and tranquillity.

Read more ›

By Posted on Posted in Thing of the Day No Comments Tagged with

Libraries are a staple of the university experience. They make conducting research, writing essays, and revising for exams so much easier, but they can also provide benefits outside of academia. Being a student isn’t always easy, and when things get tough, libraries can be incredible sources of support.

In this guest blog post, we explore the various ways libraries can help sustain your mental health.

Read more ›

By Posted on Posted in About your Library No Comments Tagged with , , ,

Earlier this month, a new exhibit opened in the library’s First Floor mezzanine display space. Sounds Beyond Music: Selected Objects from the Museum of Portable Sound will run from 13 November through 31 January.

MOPS is an independent museum based in Portsmouth after first opening in London almost exactly eight years ago as a research project for my PhD in sound studies and museum studies, and I’m its Director and Chief Curator. It’s dedicated to the collection, preservation, and exhibition of (mostly non-musical) sounds as museum objects.

Read more ›

By Posted on Posted in Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, IT No Comments Tagged with , , , ,

There are quite a few extensions for the Google Chrome browser that can transform your web browsing experience. Some strip out visual clutter, some display the page headings structure on one side so you can jump straight to the part of the page you want, while others help you speed read text or read it out to you so you can listen to the printed word. These extensions can make life easier for anyone, whether you struggle to read text, learn better from hearing information instead of reading it, have tired eyes or need to multitask and so prefer to listen, or you learn best by reading and listening to something, separately or at the same time.

Read more ›