The British Education Index has moved to a new platform

The British Education Index (BEI), Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) & Australian Education Index (AUEI) have changed supplier. The databases are now provided ProQuest. The previous supplier Dialog DataStar will shut down on 30th November 2011.

To access the databases click here.

The links from the catalogue and the digital library have been updated.

The content is the same but the interface and functionality may take a little time to get used to.



For help searching this database or any education related subject query please contact either Adele or Hilary. Contact details can be found here

Webprint: new service for printing wirelessly

All students can now submit print jobs to campus printers from any PC, Mac, laptop or mobile device via a website or email attachment without the need to install printer drivers.

• Print your work from on or off campus
• Log on to webprint.beds.ac.uk to upload your file
• or email your file to webprint@beds.ac.uk
• Collect your work next time you are on campus

A quick and easy way to print your work from anywhere and collect it anytime you're ready.

Full instruction son how to print are available once you login.  Just choose the type of campus printer you want to collect your work from and collect it at your leisure.

Waterstone's discount

Waterstone's are back in Polhill Library for induction season.  They are offering 12.5% discount on all the books and are able to order in items if they do not have them on display already.

New floor at Polhill Library

The plan had been to have a beautiful new floor installed over the Bank Holiday weekend.  Unfortunately, the contractors have found it has taken longer than expected to lift the old flooring.  So the ground floor is currently a vision in muddy green.  On the upside it's not sticky!



View from the entrance

They are making better progress now and assure us that the new floor will be ready for the new term.

Teachers & librarians of the world unite!

Jessica Hagy's blog is my favourite coffee break treat (especially when Costa runs out of everything - most distressingly chocolate goodness).  Polhill Campus has a large group of Spanish teenagers in this week...

Using Prezi: the 'Big' picture

These are some notes I will be using for the LivTeachMeeting at the University of Liverpool on 26 May 2011.  I am posting them here in case they are useful for anyone else.

Website
http://prezi.com.  The public license version is free.  The minor downside is that you cannot 'lock' your prezis so they are private.  However, you can stop people copying them.

How to create a great Prezi by Adam Somlai-Fischer (one of the original developers)
Excellent prezi which summarises the main features and how to use it successfully
http://prezi.com/vbl7rvw_t7rc/copy-of-how-to-create-a-great-prezi/

Good points

Overviews & connections

Speed to put together

The 'wow' factor

Non-linear
Easy to include images, videos etc
Good on big screens
Cloud storage (no memory stick!)
Sharing with colleagues & clients (Twitter, embedding etc)

Bad points
Motion sickness (if overdone or small screen)
Can look a bit slapdash (eg pixellated images when you)
Site has basic search & no tagging
Needs good browser (updated & Flash)
Not suitable for step-by-step, detailed instruction
Might lose novelty value in future
No automatic handout 

How we use it
All in all it is excellent for 'Welcome' talks during Induction week, outside of the library.  (Vast lecture room; hours of powerpoint presentations; team teaching; quick overview).  Courses include Education, Social Work, PE and Sport. 

I plan to create quick teaser adverts for a resource (like RefWorks or ejournals bundle) to run on auto before and after lectures.
Notetaking - I saw an audience member use this at a Business Link course recently.  They said (1) they were going to cascade to colleagues later and (2) it is really popular with people who don't like text.

 
Some resources
The Learn section of the Prezi website is excellent.  There are cheatsheets and videos.  When they say you can learn it in 10 minutes, they're not kidding!  But these are some of the other resources my team looked at too:-

• Zuilab's Channel on YouTube is also a good source::  http://www.youtube.com/user/zuilabs.
• Prezi for Dummies Cheat Sheet by Stephanie Diamond: dummies.com/how-to/content/prezi-for-dummies-cheat-sheet
• Two page overview.  A Quickstart Guide by RJ Tarr: activehistory.co.uk/Miscellaneous/free_stuff/worksheets/Prezi.pdf

RFID is coming soon

Did you know that if you have requested a Putteridge Bury book in the last year, it came with an RFID tag?  Putteridge was the first library in the University to be converted and this Spring all the other libraries are also making the switch.  The dates and details are set out on this LRWeb's "RFID is coming soon" page.

RFID is used a lot in retail; shops can quickly track what stock is where (M&S use it a lot, apparently).  Your student ID badge is RFID-ed already. In the library sector, RFID is really being introduced to benefit customers.  Basically, instead of having to scan barcodes (either at the self-service machines or at the desk) for each book, RFID machines can read an unopened pile and automatically and issue each item to your card.  Very quick and simple.

It is very popular in other university libraries like UEA, Nottingham and Swansea.  I was going to add a video of a system in operation here but a quick search of YouTube has revealed lots of different machines and kit so I don't want to confuse you with a demonstration of the wrong one!  There will be lots of publicity and help available in the library when the system goes live.

The returns machine outside the library entrance will still be available.