Quick start to theLibraryMarch 2011Clare HumphriesInformation specialist

Why are you here?

• So we can say Welcome!

• To meet your InformationSpecialist

• For a brief introduction to theservices we offer you

• Discuss the different types ofinformation available

• and when it is appropriate touse them

• Find out what happens next

Emma Cathy

Clare Heather

Sarah Morag

BlackBoard

• Additional information on your course BlackBoard

• http://bb.cranfield.ac.uk – log in with your networkusername and password

• ‘Library resources’ link

What you can expectfrom us

• Much more than just books!

• An information specialist tohelp you use the Library

• We will always beapproachable and friendly

• Individual support when youask for it

Library Essentials

Your really useful guide togetting started using theLibrary.

http://www.cranfield.ac.uk/library/cranfield/documents/library%20essentials.pdf

Studying in the library

The Library Catalogue:a good place to startlooking

• Check availability of recommended textbooks

• e.g. Raymer’s ‘Aircraft design: a conceptual approach’

• The classmark of a book e.g. 629.7.016 RAY tellsyou where to find it on the shelf

• ‘Catalogue-only’ PCs available next to the Issue Desk

• If you have an iPhone you can search it and manageyour account using the ‘BookMyne’ app

• http://www.sirsidynix.com/iphone/apps/bookmyne/

Reservations and recalls

• You can borrow most library books, theses and reports for6 weeks

• If you need to borrow a book that somebody has alreadyborrowed you can place a reservation for it

• We will ask the borrower to return the book early (recall)so that you don’t have to wait too long

Remember…..

• If you have a book that somebody reserves, we will askyou to return it sooner than you expect!

• We will contact you on your Cranfield email address

The good news…..

• We do not charge fines if you bring your books back late!

IMPORTANT!

What we ask ofyou……

• Help us to provide a consistent service by abiding by ourrules, which are…

• Return recalled items when we ask for them

• Look after books you have borrowed – you areresponsible for them until they are returned

• Use your mobile phone for anything but talking!• Make or receive calls outside

• Put it on silent

• Keep noise levels to a minimum, including Skypecalls!

• Keep food and drink in the foyer

Information – there’s alot of it out there!

• We are your guides

• It is our job to giveyou the skills youneed to• Search for information

• Find it

• Evaluate it

• Access it

• It is up to you how youuse the information!

Finding informationabout electric cars

• Lots of different kinds of information are available:

• Articles from academic journals

• Textbooks

• Articles from trade journals and special interestpublications

• News articles from the Internet, e.g. the BBC web site

• Product adverts

• Web sites of campaign groups

Articles from academicjournals

• Original research

• Specific

• Peer-reviewed

• Very trustworthy

• Refers to the workof others

• Publishedregularly - current

• Volume andissue Van Vliet, O. et al, (2011). Energy use, cost and CO2

emissions of electric cars. Journal of Power Sources 196 (4),pp 2298-2310.

Books

• Quite general

• Bring together andpresent what is knownand accepted in asubject area

• Very good forbackground information

• Is the publishertrustworthy?

• Can take a long time towrite and be published

Westbrook, M. H. (2001). The electric car :development and future of battery, hybridand fuel-cell cars. IEE and SAE, London.

Trade magazine article

• More general, butengineering based

• Not peer reviewed

• May cite limitedreferences

• Good introduction tosubject

• May be biased

Vasilash, G. (2010). Electric cars, streetcars and dead horses.Automotive Design and Production, Nov-Dec 2010.

News report from theWeb

• Can be quitegeneral

• Current (check thedate!)

• Usually written by anon-expert

• Often report onoriginal research

• Is it trustworthy?Check the source

BBC (2011). Electric cars not accessible 'in nextfive years. Available from:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-12124895.Date of access: 8th March 2011.

Product advert

• Written by marketingdepartment

• May provide usefulinformation

• (Probably) Biased!

• UK AdvertisingCodes “legal, decent,honest and truthful”

Nissan (2011). Nissan LEAF advert. Available from:http://www.nissan.co.uk/#vehicles/electricvehicles/leaf/car-of-the-year. Date of access 8th March 2011.

Special interest groups

• Usually written by non-experts

• Could be biased,unreliable or vague

• Present their own pointof view

• How old is theinformation? Can youtell?

• If you trust the site, itcould provide usefulinformation ElectricCarSite (2008). Electric cars in the UK. Available

from: http://www.electriccarsite.co.uk/. Date of access8th March 2011.

What to use when….

• If you need:

• Information on a specific product – company website

• Current trends in a technology – news web sites andtrade magazines

• Debate and opinion – special interest group websites and trade magazines

• General introduction/background information –books

• Academic research – journal articles/conferencepapers

What about Wikipedia?

• You must not refer toWikipedia articles inyour work

• You cannot see whohas contributed to thearticles

• No guarantee ofquality

• BUT Wikipedia articlesmay provide links touseful references

Wikipedia (2011). Nissan Leaf. Available from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Leaf. Date of access8th March 2011.

Did you notice…..?

• Every source we have talked about had a fullbibliographic reference on the slide?

• Van Vliet, O. et al, (2011). Energy use, cost and CO2 emissionsof electric cars. Journal of Power Sources 196 (4), pp 2298-2310.

• You will also have to write a full reference for all thesources that you use information from in your work

• You will have more training on this later

What happens next?

• Discovering quality information• How to use our Library resources to find the academic

information you will need

• Referencing and avoiding plagiarism

• RefWorks

• Individual support throughout your course - when youask for it!

• ‘Like’ our Library Facebook page• http://www.facebook.com/cranfieldlibrary

• Follow us on Twitter: KNL_MIRC

Any questions?