Go West(law)…
Why use substandard free legal sites when we have access to the legal information databases that most law firms can only dream about?
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.
Making your money go further
It’s National Student Money Week all week, and this year the focus is on helping you cope with the cost of living crisis. Look out for Student Finance around campus, running competitions, asking you for your best money-saving tips, and lots more.
Down memory lane… getting back to BASIC
BASIC (Beginners’ All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) remains the simplest programming language, first used at Dartmoor College, New England in 1963, to teach Humanities students and other non-mathematicians to code, and specifically to build a time-sharing programme for mainframe time-sharing. This was back in the day when powerful computers filled a room, and people queued up for time to use it for advanced computational calculations – much as they continue to do today for modern supercomputers, telescopes, and other expensive and rare pieces of shared technology. This interview with one of the lecturers explains where BASIC came from and how the first coding class came about.
It’s never too early (or late) to ask for advice
People hate to ask for advice. We stopped calling it asking for ‘help’ years ago when we realised no one was prepared to admit they needed any. It’s curious. “No man is an island, entire of himself,” preached John Donne …
It’s never too early (or late) to ask for advice Read more »
Opening Standards and Interlibrary Loans
By default, university computers install FileOpen to Adobe Reader but then attempt to open secure pdf documents using Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Opening secured pdf documents downloaded from the British Standards Online database or received from the British Library through our Interlibrary Loans Service should be simple but it is often not because of the mess of digital rights management software embedded …
Learn about the lives you have never lived this LGBTQ+ History Month
Most people quite naturally find themselves surrounded by people who are very much like themselves. We are attracted to people who we feel are similar to us, people who make us feel comfortable and safe. The only trouble with this is that much of life lies beyond our direct experience, which makes it difficult to empathise.
Happily, there are films, documentaries, novels, and more fun media that let us vicariously experience what might be like to be someone other than ourselves. We have put together reading lists that comprise materials that make it quick and easy to find novels, films and more by and about socially disadvantaged groups, from people of the global ethnic majority, LGBTQ+ people, members of the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller community so it is that much easier for you to expand your horizons from the safety and comfort of your armchair.
All the latest news and magazines free on demand
There’s nothing quite like feeling you know what’s going on in the world, and there’s nothing better than getting access to all the latest news, reviews, and magazines for every interest for free. That’s what you get from PressReader – all the major national newspapers and magazines from The Times to Gay Times and everything beyond and in between. available anywhere through the app or over the web.
Streaming to be heard
Seeking to influence the world on social media? Interested in the development of film, cinema, television, and cinematography? I recently promoted the exciting independent film and documentary streaming platform Kanopy, which is amazing for anyone seeking to understand the modern world. But what if you want to study the practice of journalism itself? Here are a few choice collections of primary historical video sources exploring the past and present of mass media.
Every mistake is (potentially) progress
We learn by making mistakes. As one of my yoga teachers repeatedly reminds her classes – when do we ever get anything right the first time? We are in good company. Even Albert Einstein, responsible for some of the most …
New oldness! Historical archives unbound
The past is a largely undiscovered country. Explore what came before around the world in our new Archives Unbound collections: Not only but also… The Daily Mirror Archive is now also live through Gale Primary Resources (1903-2000). Search the UK’s …
