All Cambridge University Libraries courses

This workshop session aims to address the following:

• What is critical reading?
• Reading productively
• Reading critically
• Effective note-taking techniques

The course will be a mixture of front-led instruction and interactive small group discussions.

This session provides an overview of the extensive e-resources available to Divinity Undergraduates, including e-books, e-journals, databases and the use of Moodle.

This session provides an overview of the extensive e-resources relevant to Theology, Religious Studies and the Philosophy of Religion, including e-books, e-journals, databases and electronic legal deposit materials (journal articles and monographs).

This session provides an introduction to the use of IDiscover (the University Library catalogue), for new Postgraduate students and Academic staff, demonstrating the main functions of the catalogue and showing how to make the most effective use of its capabilities for locating books and journals in print and electronic form.

This session provides an introduction to the use of IDiscover (the University Library catalogue), for new Undergraduate students, demonstrating the main functions of the catalogue and showing how to make the most effective use of its capabilities for locating books and journals in print and electronic form.

• Would you like to share your research findings with the international academic community, without paywall restrictions?
• Would you like to boost citations of your work?
• Did you know that funders recognise the benefits of Open Access and most now require it as a condition of their grants?

These are questions for postgraduate students at all stages of their research.

This sessions aims to demystify the UL and its colllections for students of Economics and Development Studies. A brief presentation will tell you all you need to know about finding and borrowing books and will be followed by a tour of the bookstacks.

These 30 minute small group sessions are an opportunity for you to obtain support for searching databases and using referencing software. General advice and support will be offered, and any specific queries will be addressed.

These 30 minute small group sessions are an opportunity for you to obtain support for searching databases and using referencing software. General advice and support will be offered, and any specific queries will be addressed.

These 30 minute small group sessions are an opportunity for you to obtain support for searching databases and using referencing software. General advice and support will be offered, and any specific queries will be addressed.

These twenty-minute sessions are chance to practice searching medical/scientific databases, use referencing software, and have your questions answered about literature searching for your dissertations.

Introduction to Bibliographic Searching in Theology and Religious Studies will give a brief overview of the issues of searching for publications in general, and follow this up with searching the specialist Theology and Religious studies bibliographic database ATLA and Index Theologicus.

The UL is unique: a national, legal deposit library with an amazing collection of around 8 million items in total, and over 1 million maps. This special session consists of a tour to help participants get to know the building, followed by an introduction to the Map Room and its holdings.

An introduction to the various online catalogue interfaces used by the University, presented by members of staff at the main University Library.

The session will cover different ways of finding print and electronic resources held by the University of Cambridge. We will introduce some of the systems you will need to use, and try to explain some of the functions (and quirks!) of these systems.

There will be a presentation covering the various catalogues and web pages, followed by some hands on exercises to give you some useful practical experience.

The Chinese collections of Cambridge University Library are among the finest outside China, including inscribed oracle bones dating from the 13th century BC; over 200,000 printed monograph titles, the earliest of which dates from the 12th century AD, and about 3,000 serial titles; about 200,000 digital books; as well as manuscripts, paintings, rubbings and other artefacts. This session will provide a brief introduction to these collections and guidance on how to make the best use of them.

Critical appraisal is the process of carefully and systematically examining research to judge its trustworthiness, and its value and relevance in a particular context.' Amanda Burls, What is Critical Appraisal?, Feb 2009

'An Introduction to Critical Appraisal' will help you understand how to critically appraise a Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT). Using the CASP Checklist the course covers samples and sample size, randomisation, bias, statistics, significance (P Values and Confidence Intervals) and relevance.

We ask that you read a paper that will be provided before you attend the session, in order for us to make the best use of the time together.

Ever wondered what lies behind the scenes of the Music Department at the UL? Following a quick tour of the open stacks, Music Department staff will take you to delve into the odd architecture of South Court, say hello to our elephants, meet some of our rarest and tiniest books, and discover why music librarians sometimes need to be good detectives. There’ll also be a guide to finding music, for those who haven’t used our card catalogues before.

• Nervous or intimidated about visiting the UL for the first time?
• Don’t know where to begin with a Literature search?
• Can never find the books you need on the open shelves?

Book a buddy!

Email reference@cam.ac.uk to arrange a session. Tell us what you need help with and we’ll match you with a member of library staff who can show you what you need to know, whether it’s searching the catalogue, using Electronic Legal Deposit, finding open shelf books or something else entirely.

Don't suffer in silence - Book a buddy!

Copyright can be confusing. Music copyright can be a minefield. This course looks at the benefits of copyright in relation to music, and how to navigate what the law does and doesn’t allow you to do. With hands on examples to evaluate, and some real-world copyright issues; this is an opportunity to discuss and find out more about the complex world of musical copyright, and its near relation musical plagiarism.

This session is designed for anyone who would like to learn more about how to read academic literature. This hour long workshop explores reading techniques, article structures and productive reading, while also providing techniques you can use to tackle your weekly readings.

Learning critical reading skills is a useful way to make better notes from what you have read and can help you to organise and plan what you read. This session will help you to put these skills to good use and become more confident at reading academic literature.

• Nervous or intimidated about visiting the UL for the first time?
• Don’t know where to begin with a Literature search?
• Want to discuss your Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan?

Book a buddy!

Email disability@cam.ac.uk to arrange a session. Tell us what you need help with and we’ll match you with a member of library staff who can show you what you need to know, whether it’s searching the catalogue, using Electronic Legal Deposit, finding open shelf books or something else entirely.

A guided tour through the open stacks and Anderson Room (Music Reading Room) at the University Library. This will provide an overview of the wealth of music materials held here, and how to find them. There’s also a look at the digital resources available, and an overview of other music resources at the UL.

The Map Department contains some 1,100,000 maps, both British and foreign, several thousand atlases and other material. This session, based in the Map Room, is designed to give an overview of holdings and guidelines for accessing and using them.

• Nervous or intimidated about visiting the UL for the first time?
• Don’t know where to begin with a Literature search?
• Can never find the books you need on the open shelves?
• Want to learn what extra support the UL can offer?

Book a buddy!

Email disability@cam.ac.uk to arrange a session. Tell us what you need help with and we’ll match you with a member of library staff who can show you what you need to know, whether it’s searching the catalogue, using Electronic Legal Deposit, finding open shelf books or something else entirely. You are welcome to attend by yourself or alongside the student that you assist.

Though the physical building is currently closed, Cambridge University Library is open online and our Reader Services team are here to help! Book a video or voice call with one of our experienced team members and we can help you to get the most out of our online services.

Simply email reference@lib.cam.ac.uk with details of your availability and what you would like help with. We will assign your request to a member of the team and will contact you to arrange a call using Google Hangouts.

Calls are available between 10.00 and 12.00, and 14.00 and 16.00 Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).