Do you need a book or resource that we don’t currently stock?

Posted on 20 March 2024 by lhoward

We have a wide range of books and resources at the RSL – but if we don’t have what you want, we can try and source or purchase it for you, via our Recommend a Purchase scheme.

Photo (c) John Cairns

If a book or another resource that you need for your studies or research is not currently held in the libraries or online, we will be happy to find it for you, if we can. The Recommend a Purchase option is a valuable additional tool, and we welcome suggestions and recommendations from both students and staff.

You can submit a request via Bodleian Libraries website (SSO required) – but before submitting a request, do check SOLO to make sure the resource is not already available in Oxford. You can also use our inter-library loan service.

Our specialist subject librarians liaise with various divisions and departments to ensure we purchase books and resources that are useful and meet the requirements of both staff and students. When completing the form, please give us as much detail as possible about the book or resource that you are recommending – the more information you give, the more helpful it will be for us.

We can purchase print books and e-books where they are available. This can include out-of-print books, and foreign language material.

Your request will then be passed on to the relevant subject librarian for consideration, and you will be notified of the outcome in due course.

Credit: Arcaion, Pixabay

The lower-ground floor of the Radcliffe Science Library is CLOSED next week

Posted on 12 March 2024 by lhoward

The lower-ground floor of the Radcliffe Science Library will be CLOSED from 18 March 2024 for up to one week.

This is to ensure necessary building work can be completed, including updating the doors to make the pathways through the library easier.

During this time, there will be no access to the Wellbeing Room, Group Study Room 1, the John Kidd Room or the individual study carrells.

The rest of the library will be open as usual – it is just the lower-ground floor that will be closed.

Credit: Tim Mossholder, Unsplash

There are a range of study spaces available in other Bodleian Libraries. Check out our previous post for some of our favourite spots.

We apologise for any inconvenience and will try to complete the works as quickly as possible.

If you would like further information or have any questions, please contact us: enquiries.rsl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Have a great break!

Posted on 8 March 2024 by lhoward

Term is finishing up and the break is fast approaching. We hope you have a restful and relaxing break – but if you need to get in a bit of work, we have plenty of tips on how to access the RSL and our resources.

Credit: Anna Demianenko, Unsplash

Opening hours

We are moving to vacation opening hours from Week 9, Monday 11 March.

The Library will be open:

Monday – Friday: 9am–7pm
Saturday: 10am–2pm
Sunday: Closed

Full details of library opening hours can be found here

While you’re away

While you’re away from Oxford, we have a wealth of online resources to enable you to continue your studies remotely.

SOLO

You can access the full text of many resources via SOLO when logged in with your Single Sign-On (SSO) ID – look for the green Online access icon to find these.

If a book you need is not available as an ebook, then we may be able to purchase one – complete the book recommendation form to put in your request.

Oxford Reading Lists Online (ORLO)

ORLO provides 24/7 access to reading lists from a range of devices via your Oxford Single Sign-On ID.

E-journals

All e-journals can be found on SOLO and BrowZine. BrowZine provides access to journals licensed by the Bodleian Libraries from 2005 onwards.

Databases

All of Oxford’s databases are accessible via SOLO (filter by Databases under Resource Type) and also via Databases A-Z.

LibGuides

LibGuides list key subject-specific resources, including e-books, e-journals, databases and other resources available online. Check out our subject-specific LibGuides.

Happy holidays!

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

Posted on 8 March 2024 by lhoward

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.

We 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Valls, A. & Gibert, K. (2022) Women in Artificial intelligence (AI)
Basel: MDPI – Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.

Available as an ebook.

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

Available as an ebook.

Cartwright, H. M. (ed.) (2020) Machine Learning in Chemistry: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence London: Royal Society of Chemistry.

Available as an ebook.

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.

Chellappa, 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.

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.

Equipment to borrow at the RSL

Posted on 19 February 2024 by thomascorrick

Forgotten something? If you’ve left your charger or headphones at home, the RSL has you covered!

Photograph of a person holding a laptop and mobile phone

Credit: Maxim Ilyahov, Unsplash

We offer a surprisingly large range of equipment to use in the library: from HDMI cables and plug adapters to book snakes and book rests. You can also grab back supports and footrests too.

Head to the Library Desk to borrow items.

We stock a range of computer equipment and peripherals:

Adapters for screens
Laptop lock
Adjustable laptop stand
Mouse
laptop power station
USB memory stick
You can borrow headphones, laptop and book stands, powerbanks and more from the Library Desk

All sorts of cables and adapters:

Plug adapter (European, American, Japanese)
C-type charging cable
USB Type-C to HDMI adapter – For hooking macs up to study room screens
Micro USB cable
iPhone charging cable
HDMI cable laptop to screen

These items can be borrowed from the Library Desk.

Credit: Srattha Nualsate

As well as:

SONY headphones
Magnifying glass
Foam book rests
Book snakes
Bookstands
Brightsign remote control (for use with study room screens)

Back supports and foot rests can be found in baskets in front ot the Library Desk.

Two photographs of footrests and back supports in baskets

Footrests and back supports can be found in front of the Library Desk

We hope you find this equipment useful!

Let us know if you think we’re missing anything or if you’ve any feedback: enquiries.rsl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Laptop Tables

Posted on 14 February 2024 by rachelc

Have your say!

We know you want more seats in the RSL, and we are working on it, but with some of those seats you’ll need tables. We have two different laptop tables that we are testing and we’d appreciate your feedback.

Both tables are height adjustable but have slightly different styles.

Table 1 has a round shape and a solid base.

Table 2 has a square design.

Give us your feedback by adding a vote for the table you like, use the whiteboard near the tables. You can also leave a comment.

Photograph of a whiteboard with the text that reads, New laptop tables? Help us choose. Add your vote or grab a post-it and leave your comments. Below that are spaces with headings Table 1, Table 2 and Comments.

Cast your vote!

If you have any further comments or suggestions you’d like to make about laptop tables you can reply here or email enquiries.rsl@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

RSL Wellbeing Programme HT

Posted on 1 February 2024 by rachelscanlon

Wellbeing during your studies can be affected by many things from your workload, to your accommodation to your relationships. The Oxford SU and the Counselling Service can offer help and advice on some of these big issues.

Sometimes just taking a break and doing something you find fun and relaxing can help with your wellbeing, whether it’s talking with friends, taking a walk or just resting. We recently shared a post about our regular wellbeing programme, feel free to drop into any of those events when they are on, like the Nature Walk on Monday 5 February.

We also have a range of special events from free hot chocolate to Craft events for DPhils coming up. Check out what we have planned in the RSL Wellbeing Calendar HT 2024. There’s also information about other wellbeing activities throughout the libraries on the Bodleian Libraries website. Keep an eye on our social media and posters in the library for updates on what’s coming next.

Research Data Management

Posted on 30 January 2024 by rachelc

Making your Data do More

Scientific research often revolves around dealing with data. This could be analysing existing data for new insights, tracking down data in publications or online databases, or creating entirely new data sets through lab, clinic and field work. It’s the data that helps you test hypotheses and provides the supporting evidence for conclusions in published papers and theses.

Graphic of various graphs and charts showing different data

Data comes in many forms

Data comes in all different forms from DNA sequences and mass spectrometer readings to interviews with patients, software code and rock samples. Whatever the data, making sure you have good systems in place to manage that data can help ensure that your data is :

Safe – keeping backups and storing data securely can help prevent loss of vital research and avoid running into legal problems when dealing with sensitive data.

Reusable – making sure that data is well documented and in standardised formats can ensure that it continues to be meaningful and reusable by yourself and others.

Shared – Although not all research data can be shared, making data available in online repositories and archives can help speed up scientific research and save money by removing the need to recreate existing data sets and allowing others to analyse data in new and different ways.

Preserved – Archiving data in repositories can ensure that data being generated now can be fully available to the scientists of the future.

Reliable – Data management can improve confidence in the reliability of data and help to demonstrate ethical research practice and research reproducibility.

Citable – Just like a journal article, a dataset can be cited. By sharing and making data sets citable you’ll get credit and recognition for data as another valuable research output in its own right.

Research data management helps you embed sound data management practices into your work. However, getting started can be a bit daunting. Fortunately, the University of Oxford provides you with a whole range of support in this area.

Working together, the Bodleian Libraries, IT Services, Research Services and other groups around the University provide the resources, tools, information and training you need. To help provide guidance to researchers, the University has recently published its latest University of Oxford Research Data Management Policy. This policy is supported by the redeveloped Research Data Oxford (RDO) website which now offers improved access to all the information you need about research data management at the University.

If you’re new to research data management, start here for a gentle and friendly introduction – https://researchdata.ox.ac.uk/new-start-here. Or, even quicker, you can watch the one minute introduction to Research Data Management below.

https://youtu.be/j4l63M9m8qM

Still got questions? No problem! We have a dedicated team that can answer research data management questions – researchdata@ox.ac.uk

New Resource – Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

Posted on 19 January 2024 by rachelc

New 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).

Oxford Reading Lists Online (ORLO)

Posted on 16 January 2024 by catherinedockerty

Reading Lists:

Reading lists are collections of materials such as books, chapters, journal articles, and more, recommended by your tutor for your studies. These lists can be distributed in print or electronically through platforms like email, Canvas, or ORLO.
Oxford Reading Lists Online (ORLO):

ORLO is an online system for accessing reading lists at the University of Oxford. It offers features such as checking the availability of print items in the library, accessing full-text electronic resources using ‘View Online’ buttons, and aiding time efficiency in your studies.
Accessing ORLO:

You can find your course’s reading list through the ORLO homepage or your course’s Canvas site. If your course isn’t on ORLO, you can contact your Subject Librarian or email orlo@bodleian.ox.ac.uk for assistance. Note that most ORLO lists are private and require an Oxford Single Sign On (SSO) for access.

photo (c) John Cairns
Tips for Using ORLO:
- Download and Export: You can download an ORLO list in PDF format with retained links or as a RIS file for citation management.
- Reading Intentions and Notes: Set private reading intentions to plan your studies and add personal notes to items.
- Filter and Search: Use filters and the search bar to quickly find specific readings or types of resources.
- Save Lists: Save lists to your profile for future reference, even after the academic year ends.
- Report Broken Links: If ‘View Online’ links are broken, you can report them and get notified when they’re fixed (click the three dots on the far right of the reading list item and select ‘Report broken link’).
- View Other Formats: Check book details and explore alternative editions through SOLO.
- Access Digitised Content: Some lists include digitized chapters or articles from Bodleian Libraries, accessible through ‘View Online’ buttons.

For more information see the Bodleian Libraries page on Reading Lists.

Science and Medicine

A Bodleian Libraries blog

Category Archives: RSL services

Do you need a book or resource that we don’t currently stock?

The lower-ground floor of the Radcliffe Science Library is CLOSED next week

Have a great break!

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

Book Display

Equipment to borrow at the RSL

Forgotten something? If you’ve left your charger or headphones at home, the RSL has you covered!

We stock a range of computer equipment and peripherals:

All sorts of cables and adapters:

As well as:

Laptop Tables

Have your say!

RSL Wellbeing Programme HT

Research Data Management

Making your Data do More

New Resource – Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science

New online resource

What is it?

Who is this for?

How can I access it?

Oxford Reading Lists Online (ORLO)

Reading Lists:

Oxford Reading Lists Online (ORLO):

Accessing ORLO:

Tips for Using ORLO: