Monthly Archives: October 2023

Keep up to date with the RSL!

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We try to keep you up to date with important information about the RSL. We use our channels to promote our services such as borrowing books and interlibrary loan (ILL). We also share details on our skills sessions for reference management, metrics and search skills. We also have important update on closures, changes to library opening hours and other updates.

You can get information on any of the following:

  • Posters in our library
  • information on our screens
  • our Twitter(x)
  • our blog – look you found it!
  • our website

We also share information on the MPLS and MSD newsletters. If there’s another way you’d like to get information from the RSL let us know.

Graphic showing icons for a blog, a website, a phone, a screen, a poster and a bird icon.

Choose the channel that’s right for you!

 

What’s so great about ebooks?

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Ebooks are hardly a new invention but there might be some things about the ebooks in the University of Oxford that you don’t know.

Access anytime, anywhere

Although any people like the smell of books and the feel of paper in your hands ebooks have a great advantage in that they can be accessed from anywhere. All the ebooks we purchase can be accessed from anywhere whether the room in your college or travelling the world. You just need to sign in to SOLO then follow the View Online link to the ebook or sign in to the platform.

You can also download most of our ebooks. We have thousands of ebooks from many different suppliers so the methods of download can vary. If you are having problems check out the downloading ebooks section of our ebooks guide.

Ebook on tablet on towel, next to pool with sun hat and sunglasses.

Read ebooks anytime anywhere

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Check out our Resource of the Month – November

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The RSL has a huge collection of physical and electronic materials. We have so much that we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of our items whether recently added or an existing collection item. The resources are recommended by our knowledgeable subject librarians who are excited to show off parts of the collection for their subject.

Text that says resource of the month over small images of books, computer equipment and scientific equipment

This month’s selector is:

Ollie Bridle

Photo of Ollie Bridle

Ollie Bridle

Ollie has selected RefWorks.

RefWorks logo

Brief Description

Creating reference lists for your essays can be a pain! It’s easy to lose track of all the papers you’ve been reading and formatting your references so that all the commas and italics are in the right place may not be the most fun part of academic writing. Fortunately, RefWorks can help! RefWorks is reference management software that helps you keep track of all the books and articles you are reading. It gives you a single place to store details about these documents for later citing and referencing in your assignments. Better still, RefWorks can automatically format your in-text citations and reference lists in hundreds of different citation styles saving you time.

  • Free for Oxford University members.
  • Works online from any computer.
  • Compatible with Mac and Windows.
  • Cite using Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
  • Lots of training and support available.
  • Alumni access – you can carry on using RefWorks for free even when you’ve finished your studies at Oxford.
Photograph showing close up of hands typing on a laptop keyboard.

Image by janeb13 (Pixabay)

Who is this useful for?

Anybody at any level of the University who is involved in scientific writing – everything from undergraduate assignments to your thesis and research papers.

How can I access it?

You can access RefWorks from any web-browser by going to https://refworks.proquest.com/. You must set up a free account to use the software. When setting up your account, we recommend using the ‘Create Account’ option rather than the ‘Use login for my Institution’ option. Please ensure you sign-up using your Oxford University e-mail account.

For help using RefWorks, contact your Subject Librarian (www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/ask/subject-librarians) or attend one of our free RefWorks courses – www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/ask/workshops/reference-management-workshop-handouts

Black History Month Display 2023

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This Black History Month we have selected a few key titles from our collection that highlight the role of black people in history and science. We have also selected a few  titles that show some of the impact of racism in these fields. Please browse our digital display and let us know if you have any recommendations.

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Group Study Rooms

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Our readers told us they wanted more group study rooms and we have listened. The RSL has not 1, not 2, but 6 bookable spaces that can be used for group study. All our group study rooms are located outside of the reading rooms and so cold food and drinks are allowed. They all have WiFi access and power points to charge your devices. We are launching a new online booking tool for all of our group study rooms. It should make room bookings quick and easy. Remember to book using your ox.ac.uk email. Keep reading for the details of our different spaces.

Photograph two students having an interactive video call. The screen shows a man smiling and talking.

photo (c) John Cairns

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Welcome to all new and returning students in Michaelmas 2023

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A warm welcome from the Radcliffe Science Library to all new and returning students! We look forward to seeing you soon.

The RSL is one of the Bodleian Libraries and is Oxford’s main library for science subjects and pre-clinical medicine.

We’ll be opening our doors in Michaelmas Term but our staff are available to answer your questions.

Map showing the Radcliffe Science Library located on the corner of Parks Road and South Parks RoadPlease don’t hesitate to ask library staff for help. You can contact the rsl team at enquiries.rsl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk. Here are a few pointers to get you started:

  • e-Reference services:  Our Live Chat service is available via the SOLO home page and the Bodleian Libraries website seven days a week, (9am–7pm on weekdays and 10am–4pm on weekends) and our central email enquiry service is reader.services@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Check out our resource of the month for October

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The RSL has a huge collection of physical and electronic materials. We have so much that we wanted to shine a spotlight on some of our items whether recently added or an existing collection item. The resources are recommended by our knowledgeable subject librarians who are excited to show off parts of the collection for their subject.

Text that says resource of the month over small images of books, computer equipment and scientific equipment

This month’s selector is:

Rachel Scanlon

Photograph of Rachel Scanlon

Rachel has selected Patent Information LibGuide curated by Alessandra Vetrugno.

Brief Description

The Patents Information LibGuide has gathered together a range of resources on patents including key resources on the patent application process and international databases which list published patents including Espacenet and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The guide also contains a list of scientific databases which include patent information as well as resources on keeping up to date with patent information.

Sketch of a toilet roll with the paper folded over the top with various notations.

Toilet paper roll patent by S. Wheeler

Who is this useful for?

Patent information is useful for those researching Chemistry, Materials Science, Engineering, Pharmacology and those interested in keeping up to date with technical developments in these fields.

How can I access it?

The Patent Information Guide is available on our guides website with many other useful guides for researchers. It is available to anyone and doesn’t require any sign in.