Friday 20 March 2020

Getting the most out of the library from home

As we all become accustomed to social distancing, no doubt the initial panic/novelty is wearing off for some of you, and you’re wondering what the best way is to continue with your studies. While we recommend keeping in touch with your lecturers and tutors, and looking out for emails from the college with further updates on how teaching will be delivered, we’re here to help you make the most of our online library services so your study can continue as smoothly as possible.
The library is temporarily closed to the public, but library staff are still working hard so please get in touch with us if you have any queries or need any help. Providing services to you as best we can during this uncertain time is our primary concern, and we are contactable over the telephone or via email.
This guide will point out some of our fantastic e-resources and online services available to you: while our physical doors are closed, the virtual ones are always open!


Online Journals
The TUD online catalogue has a vast wealth of academic journals which students can easily access from home. Search quickly and easily through thousands of online journals using our Search All. Simply type the journal title, author or keywords into the search bar, click submit and filter the results by “Journal Article” on the left-hand side.


Online journal articles can also be found through our catalogue. First, click on eResources on the catalogue homepage, and then select eJournals from the drop down menu.


If you don’t have a specific article in mind, but instead are looking for material on a topic, type keywords relevant to the topic into the search bar and click “submit.”

The eJournals homepage will also allow you to search through eJournals by title or subject if you have a specific article or journal in mind.
For a more tailored search, students can search through the online databases to find journals specifically curated to their subject of interest. On the library homepage, simply select Databases under eResources. Particularly popular general databases to search through include Academic Search Complete, Emerald Premier, JSTOR and ProQuest, however TUD students have access to a wide range of specific databases to suit their subject matter, so be sure and have a thorough browse to make sure you don’t miss anything from the list.



eBooks
Since the libraries are closed, you won’t have access to our current physical collections – however, don’t panic! Many of our titles are also available to read from home as eBooks. Read at your own pace from your own home, without worrying about closing times or potential fines (although rest assured, any fines incurred on items you have checked out during this unprecedented closure will be waived once we have reopened!).
To access our eBook collections, head back to Search All. Type the title, author or keywords about the eBook you are looking for, press “submit” and then filter by “Book / E-Book” on the left-hand side.

You can also search for eBooks through the library catalogue homepage. Just select “eBooks or New eBooks” from the eResources drop down menu.

This will bring you to the library website’s guide to searching for eBooks. If you’d like to look directly for a book, click on “advanced search” in red underneath the search bar on the catalogue homepage. From there, select “EBOOK” under “Material Type” and type in the name, author or subject you’re looking for eBooks on.

Click on “Submit” to see your results.
A list of available eBooks will appear in the results page, and will be identifiable by the E-Book icon on the left.



Subject Guides
If you’re having trouble finding materials for your subjects yourself, be sure to consult the online Subject Guides that are available on a subject-by-subject basis. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your Academic Liaison Librarian for recommendations and assistance!
Hopefully this guide will help you make the most of navigating our online resources. We look forward to welcoming you back into our libraries once this closure is over!