Check out the topics and dates for our range of webinars planned during June and July 2023

To book a place go to our Webinars page.  Booking closes 24 hours beforehand after which the link to join the webinar will be emailed out to you. 

31 May 2023

This year, Library Services asked our students for title suggestions to add to our Reading for You collection in return for entry into a prize draw to win some book tokens. We would like to thank all our participants for a large number of excellent suggestions which we will be shortly be adding to our library shelves to further expand our Reading for You collection. We're also very pleased to announce that the following two titles were randomly selected as our competition winners:

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro Suggested by Katie Moffat, Brampton Road campus 'The Sun always has ways to reach us.' From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behaviour of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change for ever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans.

Me vs Brain: An Overthinker's Guide to Life by Hayley Morris  Suggested by Opal Goldring, Ambleside campus 'An insightful, intimate account of modern life that is a joy to read, with shades of Dolly Alderton's Everything I Know About Love.' - Scarlett Sangster, iNews In this book, I've overthought absolutely everything so you don't have to. I'll be talking about everything from dating to discharge, and mental health to menstrual cups. I might not be able to banish your anxiety or make you feel 100% comfortable in your skin, but I hope I can at least give you a break from the constant brain chatter and we can rejoice and laugh at how similar we actually all are.

30 May 2023

We know many students are working towards submitting their dissertation or research project at this time of year, or perhaps have just completed a research proposal for future research work. As such we wanted to share with you the different places that you can explore dissertation submissions from both our students and those outside of our university.

OneSearch holds a collection of undergraduate dissertations. You can access it at the top of the OneSearch screen. You can see submissions from across the university and read successful exemplars.

Our institutional repository Insight holds publications from our staff, but also postgraduate dissertations from some courses, especially the Institution of Health.

Proquest Dissertations and Thesis Global is an online collection of dissertations and thesis from around the world. You can read a wide range of successful postgraduate submissions.

Whatever stage in the process you are at, looking at examples of successful work can help inform your work and let you know if you are on the right track.

26 May 2023

At this time of year many of our students are looking towards their future and the culmination of their degree programme. Thoughts turn towards securing the job they have been working hard towards. Our libraries each have a collection of careers books which cover everything from interview technique to writing the perfect CV and covering letter. Drop in to browse our collection, you will find displays at many of our campus libraries at this time of year. We also have a number of titles available online as ebooks if that is a better choice for you.

You can get in touch with the careers team to develop your employability whist you are a student with us. Alumni can also use the service for up to three years after graduating.

24 May 2023. 

This collection is being developed to support refugees and asylum seekers in our local community as part of our commitment to creating a compassionate culture, and a practice, of welcome for people seeking sanctuary.

A reading list containing all the sanctuary collection titles is also available.

The first Living Library event took place at Ambleside on Wed 19^th April.  The event is part of the Charlotte Mason Centenary Programme in which participants come along and borrow a human book to read, which basically means joining a small group conversation with the human book.  For Charlotte Mason, “living books” are those titles that are engaging, conversational, inspiring, and about real experience.

Firstly the group borrowed Marie Wright’s Papermaking from Plants in which hand-made paper samples and the equipment used could be handled.  Participants asked a wide range of questions about plants used, types of paper surfaces and the right and wrong side of paper.

Five fascinating facts to take away:

• Wood pulp makes a low quality paper.
• The best paper is made from cotton or even recycled jeans.
• Paper can be made from any plant even your garden weeds.
• Paper is hung up to dry not dissimilar to a washing line.
• It is a very wet process. Paper pulp is 75% water.

Jane Robinson’s Beekeeping  was borrowed as a human book in which the fascination with the habits and intelligence of bees, the hierarchy within a hive and the production of honey were all explored. Everyone viewed the intricate beeswax cells created for honey and reproduction and participants were enthusiastic and  became fascinated by the bee community.

 Five fascinating facts to take away:

• A Queen bee can live for up to five years.
• In the height of summer there can be around 35,000 bees in a hive
• The Queen bee lays up to 2,000 eggs a day in the spring, to build up the number of bees in the hive.
• Forager bees may fly up to three miles away to gather pollen and nectar but it is more likely to be around one mile
• It takes 12 bees their entire lifetime to produce one teaspoon of honey - so savour it, it's very precious!

Living Library Events are free to attend and further events will take place at the Ambleside Campus through the year.  

11th May 2023

Check opening times for the forthcoming bank holidays in May for the individual library you wish to visit. 

Full details of opening hours can be found on our contacts page.

See also other information about bank holiday closures in May

26 April 2023

Did you know we have a range of study spaces for you to use in our libraries. These include group areas, quiet and silent areas and also places you can book in advance. 

Visit our webpage to find out more or ask your campus library desk staff.

20th April 2023

There have been some changes to OneList and OneSearch links put in place by our supplier. We are working to update these throughout our systems.

You can find a direct link to OneList here.

You can find a direct link to OneSearch here. 

If you have any bookmarks to either OneSearch or OneList please update them.

If you have any queries email skills@cumbria.ac.uk

04 April 2023.

We’re pleased to announce the opening of a new accessible study room in the Harold Bridges Library at our Lancaster campus.

The library team have worked with UCSU Welfare Officer Annabelle Robinson to transform one of our library study rooms into an accessible and sensory space with a range of flexible features to support students with different study needs.

In the newly configured room you will find:

• an adjustable height desk with ergonomic chair
• a double-screen PC with accessible software and adjustable desk lighting
• variable LED lighting and a sensory projector, both with remote controls to change colours, brightness and lighting effects
• a desktop book stand and perspex writing slope 
• a yoga mat, balance cushion and fidget toys
• a soft seat for breakout and relaxation
• adjustable blinds to filter natural light

You can book the room on our website here.

The accessible study room is a pilot scheme and we will be collecting feedback on how the room is used and taking suggestions for additional flexible features and enhancements with a view to creating further accessible sensory spaces in future.

2nd March 2023

A new post on our Live Well, Learn Well at Cumbria Blog is called 'Walk and Talk'.  Here is a flavour.....

"How often do you go for a walk during your uni day? Walking is known to be a very effective way to raise your energy levels, improve your mood and help you think more clearly about a topic you’re grappling with. I often encourage my students on the integrated foundation year to go for a walk during lunch break. They say it energises them and helps to reset their mood. They never regret going!"

Photo by Keira Burton on Pexels.com

This and more about thriving at university can be found on our Live Well, Learn Well webpages. 

2nd March 2023

Spot the library in this new video.

1st March 2023

We're very pleased to announce a new and exciting collaboration between University of Cumbria Library Services and Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, taking place at our Brampton Road, Fusehill Street and Ambleside campuses. Keep your eyes peeled for interesting objects coming soon to our libraries as well as fun, inspiring interactive events taking place in April. Find out more about our collaboration by visiting our Tullie House and Library Services pages.

In the meantime, to support Project Tullie's plans for an exciting future redevelopment of North Cumbria's leading cultural institution, we want to hear your views about what our students would like to see take place at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery.

• Are there particular types of exhibitions you'd like to see?
• Do you have any suggestions for events you would be interested in attending?
• What would encourage you to pay a visit and explore their collections

Leave a post-it with your ideas on the message boards at participating libraries or post your responses to our padlet.

28 February 2023

Thanks to QR Research funding, and with good timing for LGBTQ+ History Month, we are very pleased to share the good news that UoC students and staff now have access a new archive of influential magazine titles covering LGBT interests.

Follow this link to access the library page for the LGBT Magazine Archive.

The archives of 26 leading but previously hard-to-find magazines are included in LGBT Magazine Archive, including many of the longest-running, most influential publications of this type. Crucially, the complete backfile of The Advocate is made available digitally for the first time. The oldest surviving continuously published US title of its type (having launched in 1967), it is the periodical of record for information about the LGBT community; it has charted the key developments in LGBT history and culture for over 50 years. As one of the very few LGBT titles to pre-date the 1969 Stonewall riots, it spans the history of the gay rights movement. LGBT Magazine Archive also includes the principal UK titles, notably Gay News and its successor publication Gay Times.

17 February 2023

We are very pleased to share the good news that UoC students and staff now have access a new archive of historical newspaper content thanks to QR Research funding.

Follow this link to access the library page for The Guardian and Observer Newspaper Archive.

This historical newspaper archive provides students, researchers and staff with online, easily searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society and events of the time.

Titles include:

• The Guardian (1959-2003)

• The Manchester Guardian (1821-1825)

• The Manchester Guardian (1828-1900)

• The Manchester Guardian (1901-1959)

• The Manchester Guardian and British Volunteer (1825-1828)

• The Observer (1791-2003)

17 February 2023