Tag Archives: science

New Resource: Curiosity Collection

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

New Book Collection

Ever wondered how computer algorithms and AI are changing our lives? Or perhaps you’ve got your eye on a future trip to Mars? Maybe you’d like to peep into the world of quantum mechanics or see the world from an ant’s perspective over your lunch break? Find the funnier side of mathematics (there really is one!)? If you’re intrigued by science in all its variety, this collection is for you!

What is it?

The Curiosity Collection showcases entertaining, informative and topical scientific writing and science journalism. You’ll find books on themes such as climate change, artificial intelligence, and women in STEM. There is also a range of beautifully illustrated books with inspiring images of the natural world.

Photograph of a selection of books, in a bookcase, with a sign reading "Curiosity Collection".

Who is this for? 

This collection is for anybody with an interest in science and technology, particularly if you would like an accessible introduction to a new topic or would just like to feed your curiosity on an exciting area of science!

How can I access it? 

You’ll find the Curiosity Collection in the Breakout Space in the basement of the Radcliffe Science Library. It is available during library opening hours. You are welcome to both browse and borrow titles from this engaging selection. To borrow items, simply take your chosen book(s) to the Enquiry desk at the library entrance on the ground floor.

The Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Writing Competition

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The Radcliffe Science Library (RSL), part of the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford, is committed to supporting an inclusive culture and being a space where everyone feels welcome, valued and respected when it re-opens in Summer 2023. As part of this action, the library is launching a writing competition open to all undergraduates in science and medicine.

Photograph of a notebook, an open laptop and a cup of coffee on a wooden table

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New ejournals for MSD and MPLS

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The Bodleian has been making considerable efforts to increase provision of online resources for researchers across MSD and MPLS. Additional funds were made available to us during the COVID-19 pandemic, which were used to expand ejournal access as well as provide enhanced access to ebooks.

We have been able to subscribe to a number of new titles and to purchase a range of online journal backfiles, identified via reader requests or turn-away data (attempts from within the University’s IP range to access content that we do not have access to).

We continue to take a proactive approach to the development of our ejournal collections in response to the continuing expansions in research activity and associated research outputs across both Divisions and welcome suggestion from our colleagues across MPLS and MSD. Please contact:

You can also recommend a purchase using our online form.

All titles are available via SOLO and BrowZine (our user-friendly one-stop for online journals). This includes publishers such as Nature, AIAA, ICE Virtual Library, SPIE, and SAE and individual titles such as Chem, Nature Astronomy, and Synfacts.

MPLS

Subscriptions

One-off purchases

MSD

Subscriptions and backfiles

Backfiles

Subscriptions

Note:

All these resources are accessible via SOLO when logged in using your SSO. Direct links to publishers’ platforms should also work when logged into Bodleian Libraries and Departmental computers, or when using the University VPN.

Thousands of new ebooks across science and medicine

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We aim to build collections that reflect a diverse academic community and breadth of scholarship, and to support the University’s flexible and inclusive approach to teaching. To this end, we aim to continue to fill gaps in our current online collections, meet student expectations for 24/7 remote access to key materials, and address previously under-represented areas and revisions to the academic curricula.

Since March 2020, there have been considerable increases in ebook provision for both taught students and researchers across MSD and MPLS. Additional funds were made available to us during the COVID-19 pandemic, which were used to provide enhanced access to ebooks as well as expand ejournal access.

This expansion of ebook access included:

  • large collections from major publishers aimed at students and researchers across science and biomedicine
  • one-off purchases of individual texts available in perpetuity
  • some individual titles which require annual subscriptions

These include key individual ebook titles on undergraduate reading lists or individually requested, and also major reference works such as Encyclopaedia of the Life Sciences and Birds of the World. We have also acquired access to over 60,000 additional online monographs from the Springer and Elsevier ebook platforms.

There has also been a substantial increase in uptake of ORLO (Oxford Reading Lists Online) in MSD and MPLS, and staff have made great efforts to identify material newly available online, and online alternatives to reading list texts only available in print.

Very high usage levels are being reported for some these new titles and collections. For example, there were 8,000 chapter downloads from Berg’s Biochemistry online in just 6 months, and the big increases in downloads from our Elsevier and Springer ebook collections can be seen in these graphs:

Springer ebook usage from February 2021

Elsevier ebook usage from March 2021

New publisher ebook collection subscriptions in science and medicine:

MSD ebooks now available:

  • 265 key individual ebook titles in direct support of undergraduate reading lists – titles catalogued individually on SOLO

Packages:

MPLS ebooks now available:

  • 450 key individual ebook titles in direct support of undergraduate reading lists – titles catalogued individually on SOLO

Packages:

New databases and reference works:

Springer ebook collections purchased in perpetuity:

  • Earth and Environmental Science (2017 and 2020-21)* – titles catalogued individually on SOLO
  • Mathematics and Statistics (2017-21) – titles catalogued individually on SOLO
  • Chemistry and Materials Science (2017-21) – titles catalogued individually on SOLO
  • Springer Medicine (2017-2021) – titles catalogued individually on SOLO

Note:

All these resources are accessible via SOLO when logged in using your SSO. Direct links to publishers’ platforms should also work when logged into Bodleian Libraries and Departmental computers, or when using the University VPN.

*2018 and 2019 already purchased