New Year Delights!

Sometimes things are just beneath your nose and you never notice them. Other times they are obvious - because they are the perfect solution.

Here are a selection of resources and links that might just be the perfect solution to the current essay or dissertation or academic interest. Or they might be totally distracting........but worthy for all that!




1. Gorgeous apps!
(Oh and if you don't have an iPad, we now have one in the Library where you can try out any of these apps - and more)
British Library apps for smartphones and tablets:

• Treasures. This includes the the original version of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and medieval books
• Nineteenth Century books. This includes access to novels of the 18th and 19th Century eg Daniel Defoe's The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe and Fiction and Prose literature eg Frankenstein
• Royal Manuscripts. This includes illuminated medieval and Renaissance manuscripts from the BL's exhibition.
• ebook treasures. More information available here. 

TouchPress with Faber brought out the (now) well-known version of The Waste Land by T.S.Eliot but have recently produced an app for Shakespeare's Sonnets. These productions take the meaning of a 'book' to a new level including a wonderful variety of performances, commentary, notes and images.

Watch for Faber and Bloomsbury's new online resource for drama and if you want to request a trial contact Libby.

2. Fascinating news from the University Library.
Did you notice that during 2012 the UL's news diary had a number of literary items?

• Dame Margaret Drabble has deposited her literary archive at the UL
• Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy has invited ten of the best UK poets writing today to take part in an unprecedented series of residencies at the University of Cambridge
• Siegfried Sassoon's Poems for 'Mamsy'     

3. Digital Theatre Plus - no excuses for continuing to promote this resource. For login and password which you need either on or off campus email Libby and ask for it. Recently added to the list of full productions is Ibsen's A Doll's House.

Much more available other than productions - including documentaries, interviews and learning resources.




4. Time-saving devices and strategies.......always good to know about when putting your New year resolutions together! Some useful ones that we promote include:

• Zotero - for collecting references, creating bibliographies and citing works. Referencing - almost pain-free! Ask Libby or Niamh for more details. Look for the book by Jason Puckett in the catalogue and/or look at his website for more.
• Google Calendars - time management at its best, including links to when your books are due back in the Library (save yourself all those fines). Look here for instruction on setting up a feed. Just scroll down to 'Loans feeds'.

5. Coming new in 2013:
Oxford Scholarly Editions Online
Oxford Bibliographies Online: British and Irish Literature

ENJOY!