Royal Society of Chemistry to operate EPSRC National Chemical Database Service from 2013-2017

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) will be operating the EPSRC National Chemical Database Service from 2013-2017, having won a competitive tender against other bids. The RSC have issued a statement about the proposed new service. Follow the RSC on Twitter (@cds_rsc) for the latest developments.

Closure of Daresbury Chemical Database Service

The EPSRC is not providing funding to run the Daresbury Chemical Database Service after December 2012 and the service is now scheduled to be terminated on 2 January 2013. Daresbury advise that the new Royal Society of Chemistry service is likely to be significantly different from the present service and some databases currently available from Daresbury will no longer be available. Full details of the Royal Society of Chemistry service are not yet available. Please see CDS News - Future UK Chemical Database provision for the latest information. Updates will also be posted on the CDS homepage and on Twitter (@cds_daresbury).

Christmas Vacation

For details of loan periods over the Christmas Vacation, please see http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/library/services/xmasloan.

For details of Library opening times, please see http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/library/libsites.

The Information Commons will be open throughout the Christmas Vacation, please see http://shef.ac.uk/infocommons/students/christmas for more information.

Mass Observation Online now available

Mass Observation was a pioneering social research organisation whose papers provide insights into the cultural and social history of Britain from 1937-1965. The Library has recently subscribed to the online archive, making a wealth of material available to University of Sheffield staff and students. Every type of Mass Observation material from top level summaries to raw data is covered, including hundreds of written accounts by members of Mass Observation's National Panel of observers and the books, pamphlets and reports published by the archive. See Mass observation online for full details and to access the resource.

Future Chemical Database Service (CDS) provision

Funding from the EPSRC for the Chemical Database Service at Daresbury ceases at the end of December 2012. The Royal Society of Chemistry is the preferred bidder to provide a future service, but negotiations are currently ongoing. See the CDS News - Future UK Chemical Database provision for further details. CDS will provide further information as this becomes available. Keep an eye on the CDS homepage or follow CDS on Twitter (@cds_daresbury).

Text-to-speech support now available for all EBSCOhost databases

EBSCO Publishing has added text-to-speech (read aloud) support to all EBSCOhost databases. The Library subscribes to a number of EBSCOhost resources, including Business Source Premier, Historical Abstracts and Philosopher's Index. See the Databases A-Z list or search by publisher ('EBSCO') in the 'Find Databases' list on StarPlus to see them all. You can use the text-to-speech option with any full text article in HTML format. Please see 'How do I use Text-to-Speech?' for further details.

Edinburgh Research Archive now indexed in Primo Central

Records from Edinburgh Research Archive are now included in your Primo Central searches via StarPlus. Edinburgh Research Archive is the University of Edinburgh's digital research repository and covers the full range of academic disciplines. It includes theses and dissertations, working papers, technical reports and peer-reviewed journal reprints. For more information see the Edinburgh Research Archive website.

Health Sciences Library - Royal Hallamshire Hospital

The Library has reopened its doors to customers today. 
Please note our new contact details:
Health Sciences Library, Royal Hallamshire Hospital
University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield, S10 2RX
Map
(0114) 222-7335
For more information please see http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/library/libnews/rhhrefurb. 

Secure Electronic Delivery of documents from the British Library

From Monday 29 October, we shall start to request documents from the British Library (BL) that are delivered electronically as FileOpen files.

Interlibrary requests for articles supplied electronically by the BL will now go directly to our customers. The electronic copy is sent to your email address as a web link.

For further information, please see http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/services/sed

Refurbishment of the Health Sciences Library

The redeveloped Health Sciences Library at The Royal Hallamshire Hospital (RHH) will open on 10am Monday 5 November.
Please note, all services at this site will cease at 5pm Tuesday 30 October and there will be some disruption to the availability of stock from Thursday 25 October. Please see http://www.shef.ac.uk/library/hsl/refurbfaqs for further details.

Learning and Research support

We are currently revising the Library web pages for Learning and Research support.  Work completed includes the following new sections:

•      Meet the Team gathers together relevant information about our liaison activities aimed at each Faculty.  Find the details for your Faculty Librarians, read their latest blogs and newsletter, and follow them on Twitter.
•    Information literacy provides guidance on the information skills required at different stages of the student journey from induction to the workplace. Find help on writing assignments, research skills or information skills required in the workplace.

We are presently at work revamping our Research Support pages. We welcome any feedback on these developments so let us know what you think.

Digimap Carto: the latest advice from EDINA

EDINA have reported that some Digimap Carto users have experienced difficulties caused by changes to popular web browsers, updates to Java installations, and using 64-bit versions of operating systems (mostly Windows 7). EDINA intend to replace Carto with another advanced mapping service and are currently working on developing this. The Digimap Help page on Carto has advice for workarounds if you are experiencing problems with Carto.

EDINA also advise that you try Roam if Carto fails to operate as expected. Digimap Roam offers the majority of functionality available in Carto and some extra functions. Roam can print at A3 and A4, portrait and landscape, add annotations and labels to your map and measure distances and areas.

Digimap and anti-virus software

EDINA have advised that anti-virus software seems to be causing problems with Digimap's mapping applications for some users. See the post on the EDINA Digimap Blog for further information and advice on what to do if you think this has happened to you.

Research Data Australia now indexed in Primo Central

Records from Research Data Australia are now included in your Primo Central searches via StarPlus. Research Data Australia is a service provided by the Australian National Data Service to promote the visibility of research conducted by Australian institutions. The materials in the collection include research that is the result of surveys, of automated computer searches, and from sensors or instruments. The collection also includes images, audio and video sources, documents, web pages, and blogs. Records may describe a catalogue, index, or collections of independent works. For more information see the Research Data Australia website.

New students - kick-start your studies here ...

A warm welcome from the University Library to all our new students. You should get one of our Quickstart Guides at registration but if you don't pick one up there, please ask one of our staff. Also, have a look at our presentation "Welcome to the University of Sheffield Library and Computing Services".

New study areas in Western Bank Library

On Friday 14 September, contractors will be dismantling and moving tables to form a new silent study area on Level 3 (to the rear of the lift area) and also new group study areas on Level 4 in Western Bank Library.
Although disruption will be minimal, and access to Levels 3 and 4 will not be affected, customers are advised to find alternative study areas on this day.

Towards a cashless Library

The Library is moving towards a cashless environment which is being trialled at the Information Commons and St. George’s Library. You can add credit to your PCMS account online or using one of the value loaders situated at St. George’s Library ground floor and in the Business Units at the Information Commons. This will allow you to pay your Library fines at the Library desks as well as paying for your photocopying and printing, using your account. It will not be possible at these two locations, to get change. 
You can also pay Library fines or lost book charges online via your library account in MUSE.

Welcome new students!

If you’d like to find out about Library and IT services in advance of the start of semester, have a look at our 2012 guide to Library Induction.

You can also follow the Library on Twitter @UniSheffieldLib, follow this blog for the latest Library news, and follow the blog for your faculty.

Windows 7

PCs in the Library are now running Windows 7. If you have never used a Windows 7 PC on campus you may find that you are unable to log in. All you need to do is synchronise your password by following this procedure:

• In 'myQuickLinks' in MUSE click on 'Computer Account Management (Passwords)'
• Log in using your username and password
• Select option 4 'Synchronise Passwords'
• Click the 'Synchronise' button
• Click 'Continue'
• Click 'Log Out'

Once this has been completed, you should be able to log in to the Windows 7 PCs. If you are still unable to log in at this point, please contact library@sheffield.ac.uk or ask a member of staff for assistance.

Scanning to Email

You can now scan images directly to your inbox using the photocopiers in the Western Bank Library, St. George’s Library and the Information Commons. There is no charge for this service.
There are instructions at the photocopying machines or here:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/cics/printing/studentsharp-scan

If you need help, please ask Library staff

Temporary closure of the Architecture section, Western Bank Library

Due to general maintenance work, the Architecture section, (Level 5) and the Computer Room, (Level 6) will be closed from Tuesday 28 August.
There will be no access to the Western Bank Library colour printer, A3 scanner and A3 printer during this time.  The PC with JAWS and ZoomText software will also be unavailable, as well as the height-adjustable desk and chair.

Although customers will not be able to browse the book stock, Library staff will operate a retrieval service for items at 10am and 2.30pm (weekdays) and 12.30pm and 2.30pm (Saturday).  Please ask at the Library information desk for more details.
The Architecture section will reopen on Monday 3 September, but the Computer Room on Level 6 will remain closed for the rest of that week.

Building work in Western Bank Library

From Thursday 2 August, building work will commence on the South Gallery (Level 6). This involves the removal of offices that overlook the Information desk. Panels will be demolished and flooring will be replaced.  The construction team have been asked to carry out any noisy work in the mornings, and access to book stock should be unaffected.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Library systems unavailable on Wednesday 1 August

Due to scheduled maintenance relating to the University's financial year end, a number of Library systems will be unavailable on Wednesday 1 August from around 6 AM. They are expected to be back before noon. The systems affected are: Self-service machines, Star MyAccount (including online renewals, reservations and payment of fines), and myLibrary Account on the Library tab in MUSE.

Please note that you can still borrow and return books by taking them to a staffed counter. StarPlus, Star (searching only), Find it, and myResource Lists will all be available as normal during the maintenance period.

MUSE Library tab and access to electronic resources

You may have noticed a few changes to the Library tab in MUSE. We've made these changes to streamline access to electronic resources within the context of our evolving resource discovery offer and the forthcoming implementation of a new version of MUSE. All Library content including electronic, digital and print can now be accessed from a single point: StarPlus, our new next generation library catalogue and resource discovery layer.

Instead of having to click on separate links for ejournals, ebooks and databases, you now only need click on the link to StarPlus to search for everything. Use 'University Collections' to search for electronic and print books, journals, theses, White Rose Research Online (WRRO) content, databases and maps. Use 'Articles and more' for simultaneous searches of multiple databases (e.g. Web of Knowledge and Scopus). Searches can also be limited to predefined subject specific Quick Sets. Results will be a mix of open access and subscribed content.

To get the most out of StarPlus, please log in using your University username and password. This will give you authenticated access to subscribed electronic and digital content together with access to additional features such as a personalised e-shelf, saved searches and alerts.

Further information about electronic resources is still available on the Library web pages.

Glossary of common Library words and abbreviations

Do you sometimes not understand words or abbreviations that Library staff commonly use? There is now a Library Glossary to explain what these words mean. We hope it will be useful to all our customers, but particularly to our international students and staff. Please address any comments or suggestions for inclusion in the Glossary to lib-support@sheffield.ac.uk.

Royal Hallamshire Hospital (RHH) refurbishment due for completion Monday 29 October 2012

As part of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health’s Medical School redevelopment, the Health Sciences Library (HSL) at RHH will be reconfigured and refurbished during 2012. Keep up to date with progress by reading the latest refurbishment news, or by following @UniSheffieldLib or (for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals customers) @STHLibrarian on Twitter.

Peer-reviewed journal indicator in Find it

New peer review icon

Following a recent software upgrade, Find it (the Library's digital content discovery service) now displays an icon to indicate peer-reviewed journals. The icon (which looks like a document with a magnifying glass) appears next to titles in the listings on the 'Title', 'Subject' and 'More Options' tabs in Find it. If you hover your cursor over the icon, you'll see the description, "This journal is peer reviewed. Articles in the journal are subject to review by selected researchers in the same field before publication".

Journal Citation Reports (JCR) 2011 data released

Journal Citation Reports (JCR) data for 2011 is now available. You can download a complete list of titles included in JCR 2011 [PDF, 1.34 MB] as well as a list of titles receiving their first Journal Impact Factor [PDF, 913 KB].

An expansion of regional journal coverage in Web of Science reflects the needs of an increasingly global research community and data from these titles is also included in JCR.  If you're interested in reading more about this, Thomson Reuters have produced a report ('The globalization of Web of Science, 2005-2010'), which is available in summary form or as a free download.

The 2012 edition of Journal Citation Reports will be made available around June 2013.

Special Collections

Special Collections staff have installed a temporary exhibition at the Butcher Works Gallery, on Arundel Street in the city centre. It focuses on Arnold Freeman,“the visionary who had his feet on the ground”, founder of the Sheffield Educational Settlement, whose archive is held in Special Collections.

The exhibition runs from 18th to 30th June, and coincides with a conference at Freeman College.

University IT services now up and running

After an extended outage all core University IT services are now up and running. This includes access to Library eResources, StarPlus and Find it. See the CiCS upgrade blog for full details, or search for  #cicsupgrade on Twitter to watch last night's events unfold!

Changes to the British Library Document Supply Service

Over the past two years the British Library has been developing a new service, at a cost of £6m. This has been jointly funded by the British Library and the Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE). The new British Library Document Supply Service (BLDSS) will replace the current technology to provide a more efficient service.

The main changes are that the new BLDSS will provide higher quality copies. Photocopies will be supplied in an A4 stapled booklet format. Articles supplied electronically will be sent from noreply@bldss.bl.uk. Please ensure that you do not treat these messages as spam. Items supplied for loan by the British Library will have a standard loan period of five weeks and will not be recalled during this time. It is important that items are returned promptly to the library or you may be charged for the cost of the renewal of the item, which is a charge imposed by the British Library.

Initially there will be a period when the British Library will be running a dual system. The British Library will not allow us to renew items that have been loaned on their old system and these items should be returned on the date given. If you still require the item, please submit another interlibrary request. It is also possible that you may still receive articles supplied electronically from archie@bl.uk.

Major infrastructure upgrade this weekend

Due to a substantial upgrade of IT infrastructure, most University IT services will be unavailable from 6pm on Friday 15th June. This includes access to Library eResources via MUSE, StarPlus and Find it. CiCS aim to restore the majority of services by 9am on Saturday 16th June. However, if there are unexpected problems, services may take until midday to return. The CiCS blog will be updated with full details and progress throughout the weekend. You can also follow CiCS on Twitter.

Scheduled building work in Western Bank Library

The Architecture section and the above computer room in Western Bank Library will be closed from Monday 11th June. This is to carry out work on the curtains which will involve the erection of scaffolding.
The Architecture section (Level 5) will reopen on Friday 22 June from 10am.
The computer room above the Architecture section (Level 6) is scheduled to reopen by Monday 25 June.

We apologise for any inconvenience.

Vacation Loans

Loan periods for Summer Vacation 2012 are now available. Please note that a normal loan item may be recalled by the Library if someone else requests it. Recalled items must be returned within 15 days of the recall so please ensure that your borrower account is kept up to date.

University Copyright Hub

There is a new University web page bringing together information about copyright from across the University. Two of the highlighted links are: Copyright guide - the Library's general copyright guidance page, and Copyright in online environments - particularly useful for academic staff. It is part of the MOLE2 guidance.

St George's Library 20th anniversary

St. George's Library celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Did you use the 'new' library when it opened in 1992? If so, why not send your memories to us via Twitter (@SGLat20) or leave a comment below. 

Royal Hallamshire Hospital (RHH) refurbishment

As part of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health’s Medical School redevelopment, the Health Sciences Library (HSL) at RHH will be reconfigured and refurbished during 2012. Keep up to date with progress by reading the latest refurbishment news, or by following @UniSheffieldLib or (for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals customers) @STHLibrarian on Twitter.

Bookable student PCs in Western Bank Library

As a pilot CiCS has extended the PC booking system to include 38 computers on Level 6 of Western Bank Library.