Author Archives: bjenkins

Information Skills Sessions in Trinity Term

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Carl Spitzweg, the BookwormOxford Libraries have an extraordinary range of resources available to help with your research – but it can feel impossible to know where to begin! To help you out, we run User Education sessions to try to give you a head start with our collections. Here are a few which might be of use to Historians:

Bodleian iSkills: Open Access Oxford – what’s happening? (Held monthly – click here for upcoming dates)

Bodleian iSkills: Your thesis, copyright and ORA (Mon 30 April 14.00-15.00)

Bodleian iSkills: Online resources for Historians (Tue 1 May 14.00-15.15)

Bodleian iSkills: Sources for US History (Tue 1 May 15.30-17.00)

Bodleian iSkills: Information sources for African Studies (Wed 2 May 10.00-11.30)

Bodleian iSkills: Archives and modern papers for Social Sciences and History (Wednesday 9 May 14.00-16.00)

Bodleian iSkills: UK parliamentary and government materials – an introduction (Wed 16 May 10.00-11.30)

Bodleian iSkills: Sources for Medievalists (Wed 6 June 09.30-11.45)

The full list of iSkills classes can be found on the iSkills LibGuide.

Bodleian iSkills logo

Graduate Research Fair 2017 Thursday 2nd November

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History Research Fair for Graduates

Thurs 2 Nov. 2-4pm, North School, Examination Schools

All new graduates are strongly advised to attend; current graduates are also invited.

All periods will be represented, including the archives from the John Johnson Collection of Printed Ephemera and the Conservative Party Archive. The stalls cover British & European history, US history, Latin American history, African and Commonwealth history and East Asia, South Asia and Middle East history. The librarian from the Map Department can introduce you to the historical map collections held in the Bodleian Library but also explain how you can create your own maps. We will also have experts for Legal History, Official Papers, History of Science & Medicine as well as Visual Sources and Printed Ephemera. Talk to college librarians and archivists to discover their rich collections of rare books and archives which might be on your doorstep.

We have guest appearances from the History Research Librarian, the Information Skills Librarian, Senate House Library and the librarian from the Institute of Historical Research Library. Representatives of the Bibliography of British and Irish History and Gale Cengage will be present to give you advice about online repositories. If you are interested in Oxfordshire local history, then Oxfordshire History Centre stall will be an important stop. Brookes University Archivists will be visiting, and staff from the Dictionary of National Biography and Houses of Parliament Online. ORA (Oxford Research Archive) staff can advise you on depositing your thesis in Oxford’s online institutional repository. The Top 10 Tips stall will give you an opportunity to meet a current graduate who can share with you their advice.

A wide variety of subject areas which students can explore at their leisure throughout the afternoon!

Students at the History Research Fair

Refworks: problems with footnoting styles

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Over the summer we have become aware of problems with footnoting styles – styles most commonly used in the History Faculty – in New RefWorks Write’n’Cite (Windows) and Citation Manager (Mac). Legacy RefWorks users should not be affected.

RefWorks Write N Cite plug in for all versions of Word for Windows (plus versions of Word for Mac prior to 2016)
There was a bug which caused Word to crash when you used RefWorks to insert a footnote containing a URL which has now been fixed. RefWorks users will need to download a new version of ‘Write N Cite’ to apply the fix. To do this log into RefWorks on the web and choose Tools / Cites in Word and then choose the correct plug in for Word.  You may already have been prompted to do this when you opened Word. You must update to the newest versions of Write N Cite to avoid problems.

RefWorks Citation Manager for Word for Mac 2016/2017

Those using Word for Mac 2016/17 need to use the RefWorks Citation Manager instead of RefWorks Write N Cite. Unfortunately, the Citation Manager sometimes inserts bit of code into footnote citations. This seems to affect citations such as book chapters where the footnote points to a source within another source (e.g. Jones ‘book chapter’ in Smith, Book Title….). At the point where the ‘in’ occurs the code < BR > is inserted. This makes the citation manager difficult for footnote users who are citing lots of book chapters. The problem does not affect author-date style citations. If you are encountering this problem, but want to continue to use RefWorks, when you have finished their document you should choose “remove field codes”. This permanently divorces the document from Refworks and they will then be able to manually delete the < BR > from citations. However, once you have removed field codes you will not be able to add more citations to the document or use any other Refworks functions within it. It is therefore advisable to save a new version of the document before removing field codes in case you subsequently want to add or edit citations. Removing field codes should be the last thing you do before finishing a document.

Users who have Word for Windows should use Write N Cite in preference to Citation Manager. Mac users with Word 2016 or 17 will need to use Citation Manager.

We are continuing to work with RefWorks to find solutions to these issues as a matter of priority, and hope that a solution will be available soon. If you are experiencing any difficulties, please email the Reference Management Team at reference-management@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Information on RefWorks can be found on the Reference Management LibGuide

Power outage: some digital services unavailable 14-17 July

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(reposted from Bodleian Libraries’ Notices)

On Friday 14 July, essential maintenance will be carried out in the University Shared Data Centre in support of the ongoing work to increase the data centre’s capacity. Most library services will continue to run unaffected by this work, however some services will be unavailable for the duration of the work. These include:

  • Digital.Bodleian
  • DBooks
  • LOCKSS
  • ORA-data – (data files won’t be available)
Unavailable websites will be redirected to an ‘unavailable page’

Work is expected to commence at 1pm on Friday 14 July, with affected services brought down over the course of Friday afternoon. It is anticipated that these services should be restored by 1pm on Monday 17 July.

We apologise for the upcoming inconvenience.

2nd years – more training available in TT!

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Working towards your 2nd year thesis? There are still a few more training sessions left in Trinity Term to prepare you for researching over the Long Vacation…

Referencing: Choosing and Using software

Wednesday 24 May 14.00-17.00

Location: 13 Banbury Road, Isis Room

Formatting your in text citations, footnotes and bibliography correctly for your thesis or publication is a chore. Reference management software makes it easier and saves you time. This introductory session gives an overview of how reference management works, explores the pros and cons of a wide range of software packages and gives you the opportunity to try out five different packages (RefWorks, EndNote, Zotero, Mendeley and Papers) so that you can work out which one is best for you.

Objectives:

  • Understand how reference management software works and what it does
    • Understand the pros and cons of a range of reference management packages
    • Add, edit and organise references using a number of different tools
    • Add citations to documents and create bibliographies using a number of different tools
    • Make an informed decision about which reference management package works best for you

>Book a place 

Sources for Medievalists
Tuesday 30 May 14.00-16.15

Location: IT Services, 13 Banbury Road, Windrush Room

Presenters: Isabel Holowaty, Hilla Wait, Eva Oledska, Charlotte Goodall, Helen Scott

A general introduction to the vast range of electronic resources which are available for all historical periods for British and W European history: bibliographical databases, biographical / reference research aids, ebooks and ejournals, web portals, and collections of online primary source materials.

Subjects to be covered include:

• Bibliographical databases
• Bibliographical / reference research aids
• E-books and e-journals
• Web portals
• Collections of online primary source materials

> Book a place

Newspapers and other online news sources from the 17th-20th centuries
Wednesday 7 June 09.30-12.30
Location: SSL, Information Skills Training Room
Presenters: Angela Carritt and Isabel Holowaty

Newspapers are a valuable resource for researching, not only news but also many other aspects of society. In this session we will introduce key historical and contemporary sources of news and how to make best use of them.

Subjects to be covered include:

  • The value of newspapers in research
  • The difficulties of using newspapers in research and effective search techniques
  • Using a range of sources for searching and reading historical newspapers
  • Using a range of sources for searching and using historical audio-visual news sources
  • Using a range of sources for searching and reading contemporary newspapers

    > Book a place

RadCam Lighting Fault UPDATE

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We have been informed of a fault relating to emergency lighting in the Radcliffe Camera and Gladstone Link and have had to adjust access to reading rooms and facilities as follows.

  • The Old Bodleian is open as normal.
  • The Radcliffe Camera is open as normal but the toilets are closed (the nearest alternative facilities are in the Upper Gladstone Link and Old Bodleian Library)
  • The Upper Gladstone Link is open.
  • The Lower Gladstone Link is closed to readers but staff will provide a fetching service – please ask at the Main Enquiry Desk in the Old Bodleian and the Enquiry Desk in the Radcliffe Camera if you require any material.

The Gladstone Link will close at 5pm.

We apologise for the temporary inconvenience and are working hard to restore full access as soon as possible.

iSkills Sources for US History: rescheduled date!

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[Reblogged from VHL Blog]

The iSkills course on Sources for US History has been rescheduled and will now take place on Monday 6th June at 11am in the Radcliffe Science Library Training Room. Book your place now!

This is an introductory session that will give you an overview of the various primary source collections and resources available for the study of Colonial America and US History here in Oxford and online. It is particularly suitable for undergraduates considering writing their theses on US history as well as for graduates and researchers who need to get a sense of what’s available for their research.

If you can’t make the session, or have more specific questions about our American history collections, please feel free to contact the VHL Librarian, Jane Rawson, to arrange a one-on-one meeting: jane.rawson@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

InfoSkills workshops in 3rd week for 2nd year Undergraduate Historians

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Bodleian iSkills logoIn Week 3 of Trinity Term, the HFL and Bodleian Libraries will be running the following sessions, many of which are relevant for 2nd year UGs working towards their thesis. Please follow links to book online:

Research Skills for your Thesis [reserved for 2nd year UGs]
This 2-hour session is designed to equip students working on their dissertation with the key information skills in order to make best use of electronic information and discovery  resources. A range of databases, e-journals and web portals will be explored as well as advanced features in SOLO and tools for literature searches. Hands-on practise time will be offered.
Week 3: Wednesday 11th May, 2-4pm
Presenters: R D’Arcy-Brown, B Jenkins

> Book a Place (SSO required) [currently fully booked, but definitely worth signing up to the waiting list.]

1-1 with History Librarian
Thurs. 12 May, 11.30-12.30pm – Sign me up
If you would like a one-to-one session to get help any aspect of library resources and tools (SOLO, databases, ejournals, etc.) and generally get advice and tips for locating sources for British and Western European history, then sign up for a 1-1 session with Isabel Holowaty.

Bodleian iSkills: Online resources for Historians (Tuesday 10th May 09:30-10:45) – Book a place
A general introduction to the vast range of electronic resources which are available for all historical periods of British and W European history: bibliographical databases, biographical / reference research aids, ebooks and ejournals, web portals, and collections of online primary source materials.
Who is this session for? Students, researchers and anyone interested in this topic.
Presenter: Isabel Holowaty
Venue: Radcliffe Science Library, Parks Road

Bodleian iSkills: Sources for US History (Tuesday 10th May 11:00-12:30) – Book a place
Introduction to key information sources for the study of colonial America and US history. The session will provide an overview of the primary sources available in Oxford and online (such as early printed books, US newspapers and US government papers), as well as guidance on locating material for your research.
Who is this session for? Students, researchers and anyone interested in this topic.
Presenter: Jane Rawson
Venue: Radcliffe Science Library, Parks Road

Bodleian iSkills: Newspapers and other online news sources from the 17th to 21st century (Wednesday 11th May 10:30-12:00) – Book a place
Newspapers are a valuable resource for researching not only news, but also many other aspects of society. In this session we will introduce key historical and contemporary sources of news and how to make best use of them.
Who is the session for? Students, researchers and anyone else who is interested.
Presenters: Isabel Holowaty, Angela Carritt
Venue: Radcliffe Science Library, Parks Road

Bodleian iSkills: Getting started in Oxford Libraries (Thursday 12th May 09:30-12:30; repeated 2nd June) (also repeated Week 6) – Book a place
An introduction to Oxford Libraries including guidance on which libraries to use; accessing e-journals and other online resources; SOLO and other finding aids and making the most of Library services.
Who is this session for? Anyone who would like an introduction to Oxford Libraries.
Presenters: Angela Carritt & Cathy Scutt.
Venue: Social Science Library, IT Room Ground Floor

Referencing: Zotero (Friday 13th May 9:15-12:15) – Book a place
Zotero is a reference management package that enables you to build libraries of references and add citations and bibliographies to word processed documents. This introduction covers the main features of Zotero.
Presenter: Erika Delbecque
Venue: IT Services, 13 Banbury Road

Keep up with Bodleian Libraries training opportunities: Why not follow them on Twitter or visit the Bodleian iSkills blog

Places still available for 2nd year Historians’ Research Skills Course

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Places are still available for 2nd year Historians on the Research Skills for your Thesis course!

Are you preparing for researching your thesis over the summer months? Get a head start on the skills you need to make the best use of your time!

This 2-hour session is designed to equip students working on their dissertation with the key information skills in order to make best use of electronic information and discovery resources. A range of databases, e-journals and web portals will be explored as well as advanced features in SOLO and tools for literature searches. Hands-on practise time will be offered.
Week 1: Wednesday 27th April, 2-4pm
Week 3: Wednesday 11th May, 2-4pm [REPEAT]
Venue: RSL Training Room
Presenters: R D’Arcy-Brown, B Jenkins
> Book a Place (SSO required)

New: Migration to New Worlds

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I am pleased to report that Oxford historians now have access to Adam Matthew’s Migration to New Worlds. Following a collaboration between Jisc and Adam Matthew this resource is made freely available to all UK academics and students in higher (HE) and further (FE) education institutions from January 2016.

Migration to New Worlds documents the emigration of peoples to the United States, Canada and Australasia during the period 1800 to 1924, although there are documents from the eighteenth century and also later materials.

Mainly focusing on European emigration, the resource includes material on English, Scandinavian, Irish, Italian, Jewish, Polish and Scottish experiences along with a wealth of material covering Chinese and Japanese movement to the United States.

The majority of the collection comprises unique manuscript correspondence, diaries and travel journals, providing eye-witness accounts and experiences of emigrants across the World. It is also rich in visual content.

Topics covered include: motives for emigration; assisted migration schemes; social conditions and organisation in ports of emigration; ships and shipping lines involved in emigration; government legislation for emigration and immigration; settlement, naturalisation and choice of location; maintaining identities.

This collection of primary sources provides an important and multi-faceted resource for students, teachers and researchers from a diverse range of academic disciplines, including migration studies, history, sociology, law, economics and postcolonial studies.

Migration to New Worlds is now available via SOLO and Databases A-Z.

Watch a webinar on this resource:

Related resources on the web: