Reading and Writing Innovation Lab Workshop Series

Smart Ways to Speed up Studying

Reading and note taking are essential academic skills that you develop throughout your studies and research. But did you know that there is a whole range of devices and apps that can help you read and write more efficiently and keep all your notes organised? Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also opening exciting possibilities for researching and writing, but understanding the limitations of current AI tech and where it is appropriate to use these tools for academic work is challenging.

Illustration of digital devices including laptop, mobile phones, calculator, plus notebooks and pens

Credit: Image created by AI using DALL.E.-3 on Microsoft Copilot

To help guide you through the landscape of apps, websites, gadgets and gizmos, we are delighted to announce that the Radcliffe Science Library will be hosting the Reading and Writing Innovation Lab Workshop series in Trinity Term. This Workshop series consists of three 90-minute sessions:

Hardware and software for more efficient reading: Choosing e-readers, tablets and reading apps

An exploration of digital reading technologies, covering both hardware and software. Participants will learn about various strategies for effective digital reading and gain hands-on experience with tools. Topics include choosing the right e-reader, understanding e-readers versus tablets, using digital handwriting on devices, and optimising reading and note-taking workflows with tablets and apps.

When: 26th April, 1pm – 2.30pm
Where: In person, Seminar Room, Radcliffe Science Library
Availability: Free. Booking required. Booking details HERE

Guide to the note-taking revolution: New tools for organising readings and reading notes 

An overview of contemporary note-taking tools, including OneNote, Notion and Obsidian. This session offers insights into effective note organisation strategies and workflows. Participants will have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with different note taking applications. This workshop will also delve into the integration of note-taking with planning tools, and the emerging trend of audio note-taking.

When: 3rd May, 1pm – 2.30pm
Where: In person, Seminar Room, Radcliffe Science Library
Availability: Free. Booking required. Booking details HERE

Integrating AI into your Academic Practice Responsibly

A detailed look at the role of generative AI in academic practice. This workshop covers the process of assessing academic tasks for AI compatibility and choosing the most suitable AI tool. It also discusses the common tasks where AI is widely used in academia and the typical pitfalls to avoid. A useful session for those interested in integrating AI into academic work without compromising integrity.

When: 24th May, 1pm – 2.30pm
Where: In person, Seminar Room, Radcliffe Science Library
Availability: Free. Booking required. Booking details HERE

These workshops will be presented by Dominik Lukes from the University of Oxford Centre for Teaching and Learning’s Reading and Writing Innovation LabThe workshops are open to all University members, including undergraduates, postgraduates, academics and researchers.

All these workshops are free, but spaces are limited and pre-booking is essential. To find out more details and look at all the sessions, please visit our booking page.

Laptop, notepad and pen, cup of tea

Credit: Engin Akyurt, Pixabay

Find out more about Artificial Intelligence (AI) with our Book Display

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has captured the imagination of scholars and scientists for decades. The field of AI is now rapidly evolving and its impact on various fields is becoming increasingly evident.

Photograph of Artificial Intelligence book displayWe have curated a small book display that you can view in the break out area at the RSL. These titles offer insights into various facets of AI, from its history to current advancements, and applications in various disciplines, such as chemistry and computational biology. Other titles investigate the intersection of neuroscience and AI or examine the ethical and societal implications of AI technologies. These books are all available in SOLO.

Book Display

Book cover of "The Deep Learning Revolution" by T. J. Sejnowski

Sejnowski, T. J. (2018) The Deep Learning Revolution.
Cambridge: The MIT Press.

Available as a print book from the RSL at shelfmark Q325.5 SEJ 2018.

Book cover of "Common Sense, the Turing Test, and the Quest for Real AI" by H. J. Levesque

Levesque, H. J. (2017) Common Sense, the Turing Test, and the Quest for Real AI.
Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.

Available as a print book from the RSL at shelfmark Q335 LEV 2017.

Book cover of "The Road to Conscious Machines" by Michael Wooldridge

Wooldridge, M. J. (2021) The Road to Conscious Machines: The Story of AI
UK? Pelican, an imprint of Penguin Books.

Available soon as a print book from the RSL.

Book cover of "Natural General Intelligence" by Christopher Summerfield

Summerfield, C. (2023) Natural General Intelligence: How understanding the brain can help us build AI
First edition. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Available soon as a print book from the RSL or as an ebook.

Book cover of "Women in Artificial Intelligence (AI)" ed: A Valls and K GibertValls, A. & Gibert, K. (2022) Women in Artificial intelligence (AI)
Basel: MDPI – Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.

Available as an ebook.

Book cover of "Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Computational Biology" ed: R. K. Rout

Rout, R. K. (ed.) (2023) Artificial Intelligence Technologies for Computational Biology
First edition. [Online]. Boca Raton: CRC Press.

Available as an ebook.

Book cover of "Machine Learning in Chemistry" ed: Hugh CartwrightCartwright, H. M. (ed.) (2020) Machine Learning in Chemistry: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence London: Royal Society of Chemistry.

Available as an ebook.

Book cover of "AI: Its nature and future, by Margaret A. Boden

Boden, M. A. (2016) AI: Its nature and future
Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Available soon as a print book from the RSL or as an ebook.

Book cover of "Can We Trust AI?" by Rama ChellappaChellappa, R. & Niiler, E. (2022) Can We Trust AI?
Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Available soon as a print book from the RSL or as an ebook.

Book cover of "Sex and Gender Bias in Technology and Artificial Intelligence, ed: D. Cirillo et al

Cirillo, D. et al. (eds.) (2022) Sex and Gender Bias in Technology and Artificial Intelligence: Biomedicine and Healthcare Applications
First edition. London: Academic Press.

Available as an ebook.

Photograph of Artificial Intelligence book display

Find the book display in the break out area in the lower ground floor.

LGBTQ+ History Month

As LGBTQ+ History month kicks off there is a range of informative and enriching events happening throughout the University.

We’d like to take this time to highlight two scientists from the LGBTQ+ community who are represented in the portraiture around the RSL.

Christopher Strachey was a computer scientist, leader in the field of programming languages and pioneer of early video games. See his portrait in the RSL and read more about this amazing figure on our blog.

Our colleagues in the archives have an amazing collection of his working papers and lectures that can also be consulted.

Oliver Sacks is one of the few scientists whose work became well-known through his published accounts of neurological case stories, particularly the adaptation of his book ‘Awakenings’ into a film starring famous American actors. He was also a man who lived at a time when he had to hide his homosexuality for fear of imprisonment or chemical castration. We are grateful to his foundation for allowing us to include this eminent Oxford alumnus in our portraiture. Read more about him on our blog.

Book Display 

We have also put together a small book display that you can view in the break out area. The collection highlights the great work of LGBTQ+ scientists and their allies in history such as combatting AIDS or representing the LGBTQ+ community in data. Other titles provide advice for LGBTQ+ scientists or are interesting reads about the lives and experiences of the community.

Photograph of a book case displaying a selection of LGBT+ related books.Beyond our small display, Bodleian Libraries has created a reading list of LGBT+ resources. There are many great books and websites there that you may find useful to learn more about LGBTQ+ issues and history.

 Books

Book cover of "How to Survive a Plague: the story of how activists and scientists tamed AIDS" by 'David France.France, D. (2017) How to survive a plague : the story of how activists and scientists tamed AIDS. First Vintage books edition. New York: Vintage Books.

Print Book available in the RSL – WC503.7 FRA 2016. Find it in SOLO.

Book cover of "Succeeding in academic medicine: a roadmap for diverse medical students and residents" by John P SanchezSánchez, J. P. (ed.) (2020) Succeeding in academic medicine : a roadmap for diverse medical students and residents. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.

Print Book available in the RSL – W21 SAN 2020. Find it in SOLO.

Book cover of "Heart, Brain and Mental Health Disparities for LGBT People of Color" by James J GarciaGarcía, J. J. (2021) Heart, brain and mental health disparities for LGBTQ people of color. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.

Print book available in the RSL – WA305 HEA 2021. Find it in SOLO.

Book cover of "The Emergence of Trans: Culture, politics and everyday lives" by Ruth Pearce. Pearce, R. (2020) The emergence of trans : cultures, politics and everyday lives. Igi Moon et al. (eds.). Abingdon, Oxon ; Routledge.

Available as an ebook.

Book Cover of "Pride Parades: how a parade changed the world" by Katherine McFarland Bruce.

Bruce, K. M. (2017) Pride parades : how a parade changed the world. New York: New York University Press.

Available as an ebook.

Book Cover of "Black On Both Sides: a racial history of trans identity" by CR Snorton. Snorton, C. R. (2018) Black on both sides : a racial history of trans identity. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Available as an ebook.

Book cover of "Sexuality: A graphic guide" by MJ Barker.

Illustrated by Jules Scheele.

Barker, M.-J. (2021) Sexuality : a graphic guide. London: Icon.
Print Book, RSL Wellbeing Room – HQ21 BAR 2021 (WBR).

Find it on SOLO.

Book cover of "Queer" by David Getsby.Getsy, D. (ed.) (2016) Queer. London: Whitechapel Gallery.

Print Book available from our Offsite Storage. Find it in SOLO.

Book cover of "Queer Data: Using gender, sex and sexuality data for action" by Kevin Guyan.

Guyan, K. (2022) Queer data : using gender, sex and sexuality data for action. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Print Book available in the RSL, HQ73 GUY 2022. Find it in SOLO.

New Resource – Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

Text reads New resource over a range of scientific, computer and book related imagesNew online resource

Exciting news for all those interested in the field of Biology and Experimental Psychology, we have now arranged access to a new online resource, the Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science by Shackelford and Weekes–Shackelford.

What is it?

This comprehensive, twelve volume reference work reflects the interdisciplinary influences on evolutionary psychology and serves as a major resource for its history, scientific contributors and theories.  It offers the full breadth of an area that is the forefront of behavioural thinking and investigation.

Photograph of four different humanoid skulls with annotations.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

Who is this for?

This resource will be of interest to Students and researchers in Biology and Experimental Psychology.

How can I access it?

This book is available through SOLO.  To access this off campus use the VPN or sign in to the journal platform with your Single Sign On (SSO).

 

Winter Mental Health Display 2023

We know that winter and the holidays can be a challenging time for people. Although for some people it is “the most wonderful time of the year”, this isn’t the case for everyone. It can exacerbate existing mental health issues and lead to feelings of loneliness. However, there are resources to help. We have some links below to the Student Welfare pages and the Student Counselling service. You can also pop into the Wellbeing room in the RSL and try out a weighted blanket, some knitting or read a book. We have a collection of novels, poems, wellbeing books and more in our Wellbeing collection. All of the books in the collection can be borrowed.

We have also put together a book display covering topics of mental health and winter blues. The digital display is here on our blog and the physical display is located in the Radcliffe Science Library, in our breakout space downstairs. Stay warm and take care of yourself physically and mentally over the winter period.

Continue reading

New Ebook series – ACS In Focus

New ebook collection

Exciting news for all those interested in the field of Chemistry! We have now arranged access to a new ebook series covering a broad range of emerging topics ACS In Focus.

Text reads New resource over a range of scientific, computer and book related images

What is it?

ACS In Focus digital books cover a wide range of emerging interdisciplinary and chemical topics, as well as core techniques from across the sciences. These primers are designed to be four-six hour reads and combine concise and in-depth information to facilitate a swift grasp of fundamental concepts and essential techniques in various scientific domains The ACS In Focus digital primers are delivered in a dynamic online platform, and include features such as a pop-up glossary, multimedia, video interviews with top experts in the field, A Day in the Life examples and tutorials, and more.

Cover of machine Learning in Chemistry

One of many new ebooks available from ACS In Focus.

Who is it for?

The ACS In Focus series will be of interest to advanced undergraduates, postgraduate students and researchers in Chemistry and related areas who want to get up to speed on a topic beyond their current competencies. It will also be useful to those students and researchers who want to learn about cutting edge techniques and new topics.

Cover of Metal Nanocrystals

One of many new ebooks available from ACS In Focus.

How can I access it?

Individual ebooks in the ACS In Focus series are available through SOLO https://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/  To access them off campus use the University VPN or sign in to each ebook via SOLO with your Single Sign On (SSO). 

Cover of Astrochemistry

One of many new ebooks available from ACS In Focus.

What’s so great about ebooks?

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

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 the Lyell Collection.

Brief Description

The Lyell Collection, created to mark the Geological Society of London’s 200th anniversary in 2007 and named after Charles Lyell, the eminent nineteenth-century geologist, represents one of the largest integrated collections of online Earth science literature available. It comprises the Society’s journal titles, Special Publications and key book series and allows cutting edge science to sit alongside important historical material with full-text archives back to 1811.

Natural Bridges at Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, Oregon USA

View through Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah USA to arid/desert valley beyond

Who is this useful for?

This is an essential resource for researchers and students in the field of Geosciences including geochemistry, geology and petroleum geoscience.

How can I access it?

This collection is available through SOLO. To access it off campus use the VPN or sign in to the journal platform with your Single Sign On (SSO).

Check out our resource of the month

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:

Alessandra Vetrugno

Photograph of Alessandra Vetrugno holding a laptop

Alessandra Vetrugno

Ale has selected the Institute of Physics evidence-based acquisitions (EBA) ebook collection

Brief Description

The institute of Physics (IOP) is the leading scientific society for Physics in the UK and Ireland. It supports the promotion and advancement of Physics around the world. The IOP EBA ebook collection provides DRM-free access to around 800 ebooks published by the Institute of Physics including high-quality monographs on key areas in physics and shorter texts that cover rapidly advancing topics.

We have access to this collection under an EBA model. This means that we are able to access all titles in the collection for one year and at the end of our subscription we’ll retain the titles that have been used the most.

Abstract illustration of waves and particles

This photo by Gerd Altmann is licensed under CC0 Public Domain

Who is this useful for?

This resource is essential for Physics students and researchers, from undergraduate level up to academics. It is also relevant for researchers in other areas with an interest for Physics-related research and education.

How can I access it?

The IOP EBA collection is accessible from the Oxford Libraries catalogue SOLO. Individual titles can also be also accessed from SOLO. To access it off-campus use the VPN or sign into SOLO with your Single Sign On (SSO).

Our access to the IOP EBA ebook collection is valid until the 10th May 2024.

If you want to know more about searching titles included in the IOP EBA, you can talk to one of our friendly Subject Librarians! 😊