Brain pickings feature 'Legendary Physicist David Bohm'

Brain Pickings features the work of Physicist David Bohm looking at the paradox of communication, the crucial difference between discussion and dialogue, and what is keeping us from listening to one another. 

Birkbeck Library holds The David Bohm Papers, an archive which contains; biographical material, drafts, publications and lectures, correspondence and audiovisual material. David Bohm was a philosopher as well as a physicist and this is reflected in the material in the archive.

British Library Science Blog - 9 famous scientists and their PhD theses

An interesting post from the British Library Science Blog for any aspiring PhD-ers. As well as achieving your PhD, maybe some time in the future you'll be a famous scientist featuring in the British Library Science Blog. In the mean time here's some inspiration to keep you going...

9 famous scientists and their PhD theses. 

Students have trouble judging the credibility of information online, researchers find

As a librarian, part of my job is to try and help students understand and navigate the vast amounts of information out there, relating to their studies. These skills for finding, understanding, evaluating and using information though are applicable to many other aspects of our lives. This short article, Students have trouble judging the credibility of information online, researchers find from ScienceDaily summarises the findings of a Stanford History Education Group report Evaluating information: the cornerstone of civic online reasoning.  While the students, in this instance, are studying history, a lot of the challenges they face while searching for information online can be applied to students studying other subjects, as well as the population more widely.

In the year when Oxford Dictionaries has named the Word of the Year as Post-Truth and fake news is on the rise, it's more important than ever that we can find, understand and evaluate information whether we are using it in an academic assignment, deciding where to go on holiday or who to vote for.

If you have any questions about finding, evaluating and using information then remember that you can contact me or make an appointment to discuss what you need.

There is also the Library and Information Skills Moodle Module which offers help and guidance around finding, evaluating, managing and using information.

What's hiding in the Halloween sweet treats?

This short news article from the NYC Food Policy Center at HUNTER College gives an insight into what ingredients go into making Halloween sweet treats in the USA. As well as the nutritional information they comment on each ingredient which might make you shudder somewhat!  

Read the news article: 

Halloween candy deconstructed: Ingredients of a few popular Halloween candies

How to read a book without opening it

Imagine, reading a book without opening it!

A team at MIT have developed a new method which used terahertz radiation — light with wavelengths that are between microwave and infrared waves — to view the text of a closed book.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/how-read-book-without-opening-it 

Library news: Browzine trial

Browzine trial

BrowZine is an interface which allows you to browse eJournals available in the Library's collection and open sources using an app for your tablet, iPhone, Android, or via a web version on your computer. 

BrowZine sorts these eJournals into broad subjects and then narrower disciplines. When you create your own user account, you activate features to save and organise your favourite eJournals on virtual book shelves for easy browsing and monitoring current content. 

You can also access it via a desktop website at http://browzine.com/libraries/1200 .

Please see the eLibrary News announcement for more detail on how to set up BrowZine and begin to use it
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/elib/elibrary-news/browzine-30-day-trial-17th-october-16th-november

Saturday workshops - autumn term

The Library is running the following workshops during the autumn term on Saturday 15th October and Saturday 19th November. The workshops will be held in the Library Seminar Room on Level 1 of the Library. All staff and students are welcome.

There are a maximum of 30 places on each workshop. They may not run if less than 5 people book - we will contact you if a workshop is cancelled.

If you have any queries please contact the Library

Date and Time	Workshop
15th October and 19th November 11.30am - 12.30pm	Getting Ready to Study Learn how to organise your work, and make yourself aware of academic learning support materials and what the Library has to offer.  Book Now

15th October and 19th November 12.45 - 1.30pm	Getting to Grips with your Reading List  Understand what you are being asked to read and how to follow up references, etc.  Book Now
15th October and 19th November 2.30 - 3.45pm	Finding Information for Essays or Assignments Find books, articles, etc on a particular topic. Learn to search the Library Catalogue and Discover service.  Book Now
15th October and 19th November 4.00 - 5.00pm	Google Scholar vs Birkbeck Discover Pick up tips on using Google Scholar and Birkbeck Discover. Essential functionality and features of both services. Book Now

Women in Science - Picks from Brain Pickings

Maria Popova curates Brain Pickings, which is where we found this: Your Body is a Space That Sees: Artist Lia Halloran's Stunning Cyanotype Tribute to Women in Astronomy. 

You may also like: Pioneering Astronomer Vera Rubin on Women in Science, Dark Matter, and Out Never-Ending Quest to Know the Universe.

Enjoy. 

Saturday workshops - summer term

The Library is running the following workshops during the Summer Term on Saturdays. The workshops will be held in the Library Seminar Room on Level 1 of the Library. All staff and students are welcome.

There are a maximum of 30 places on each workshop. They may not run if less than 5 people book - we will contact you if a workshop is cancelled.

If you have any queries please contact the Library

Date and Time	Workshop
28th May and 25th June 11.30am - 12.30pm	Finding and accessing theses How to identify and find copies of PhD theses.  Book Now
28th May and 25th June 1.30 - 3.00pm	Improving your search skills How to carry out a literature search and tips for better searching.  Book Now
28th May 3.30 - 5.00pm	Managing your references using Zotero An introduction to managing your references using the Zotero package.  Book Now
25th June 3.30 - 5.00pm	Managing your references using EndNote An introduction to EndNote, reference management software that helps you collect, store and manage your references and cite them correctly.  Book Now

Library workshops in February

Did you miss our Library workshops at the end of Jan? 

 

Don't worry, there's another chance to improve your Library skills on Feb 27th - see the programme and book your place on one or more of our workshops at the link below. 

 

Learn to make effective use of the Library catalogue and our Discover search service, improve your search techniques and get to grips with Mendeley, a reference managment tool.

 

We look forward to seeing you!

 

http://www.bbk.ac.uk/mybirkbeck/global/workshop_timetable?orgunit=LIB

Library Spring term workshops

Come along to a Saturday workshop and learn to make the most of the Library's resources and services. Here's our Spring Term programme:


30th January and repeated 27th February 11.30am - 1.00pm
Finding information for your essays and assignments.
Find books, articles, etc. on a particular topic. Learn to search the Library catalogue and our new Discover article search service by subject. Book Now

30th January and repeated 27th February 2.00 - 3.30pm
Improving your search skills.
How to carry out a literature search and tips for better searching.
Book Now

30th January 3.30 - 5.00pm
Managing your references using EndNote.
An introduction to using EndNote to manage your references and insert them into your documents correctly. Book Now

27th February. 3.30 - 5.00pm
Managing your references using Mendeley.
An introduction to using Mendeley to manage your references and insert them into your documents correctly. Please bring a USB memory stick to the session with at least 1GB of memory free.
Book Now