A number of eBooks are in high demand at the moment due to exams. Please check Discovery and use copies on both platforms if available – VLeBooks and Ebook Central. We may have two sets of Ebook Central copies due to a recent change to the permissions made by the publisher Pearson. Use both sets as they are not the same copies. eBooks can only be read online and a copy will become free as soon as someone stops using it. If they are currently all in use, please try again later. If you have any questions, let us know via ISHelp@hw.ac.uk
Skills Hub webinars will help you improve the skills you need to succeed in your courses and assignments at Heriot-Watt.
Topics for this semester include:
Finding Research – an introductory webinar on how to find academic research, suitable for students who are new to university research, or who would like a refresher.
Literature Searching – more advanced webinars aimed at students who are familiar with the basics of how to search, but want to learn more. These are aimed at students in the final years of their undergraduate degree or taught postgraduates.
EndNote X9 reference management software. EndNote X9 is very useful if you are working on a literature review or a project with a lot of references.
Citing and Referencing, with sessions on Harvard and IEEE (check your assignment guidelines to find out which style you should use)
If you are a staff member based at the Edinburgh Campus then you can request a staff ID card online. To do this go to the IS Help self service either via the tile on the staff portal or via this link
Select Library Services > Staff ID card request
Fill in the form including all your details e.g. name, dept, employee number
Attach a photo
The Library Service Desk will contact you when the card is ready to collect
The Click and Collect Service for Library books will be available from 7th September. Due to COVID19 current restrictions, it is not possible to browse for books from the Library shelves.
To borrow a book, you will need to request it via the Library system. You can request books that are on the shelf in the Library and also those that are out on loan to another student.
Requesting a book Go to Discovery. Sign in, and search for the book you would like to borrow
Once you have found the book that you would like to borrow, there will be an option to request it
Select Request and fill in the details
Your request will be placed.
The request will then be processed by Library staff and the book will either be found from the shelves or will be recalled from another student if they have it out on loan.
For access to offsite journals, please log into the Helpdesk via the portal and fill in the form
When your book is available for you to collect, you will receive an email from the Library Service Desk.
If the book is in the Library, you will be able to collect it the next day. If the book has to be recalled, this can take anytime up to 2 – 3 weeks as it will rely on the student who currently has the book on loan returning it. Students have up to 2 weeks to return a recalled book.
All books when they are returned from other borrowers, must be quarantined for 72 hours to comply with safety guidelines.
Collection The email from the Library Service Desk will give instructions about when and where to come to collect the book. Please wait until you have the email instructions before visiting the Library. We are expecting that collection time will be between 2:00pm – 4:00pm daily
You must bring your Student ID card so that we can check the details.
The book will be issued to your Library account by staff before collection and will be wrapped ready to collect.
Opening hours From Monday 14th September – Semester 1 Monday – Friday 8:30am – 8:30pm and Saturday and Sunday 10:00am – 4:00pm. There are currently no plans for 24/7 opening for Semester 1.
Access to the building will be controlled according to physical distancing guidelines. ID cards will be needed to gain access via the entrance gates. Occupancy will be limited as we are only be able to use 25% of the total study spaces which is a total of 250 spaces. The study spaces – seats and tables – will be clearly marked to make it easier to find a seat.
Face coverings are required when accessing and moving around the building at all times. Once you are sat at your study space, then it is optional to wear a face covering.
Moving round the building will be the same as moving round the University – keep left when ever possible and physically distance from other students and staff.
Books will be available to borrow via our Click and Collect service. It will not be possible to browse for books from the shelves – books will be requested online and issued via the Click and Collect and will be available to pick up from a separate area of the Library.
Please be aware that the free student home access to Adobe Creative Cloud Applications will expire on the 14th of August. Although Adobe Cloud Storage wasn’t enabled for student home use, we would advise that you ensure that you have your Adobe Files saved to a location local to you or to your University Office 365 OneDrive. The University is actively investigating options to provide its students with remote access to Adobe Creative Cloud Applications for this coming Academic Year. If you do require access to Adobe Creative Cloud Application after the 14th of August please contact Information Services via the Helpdesk Tile on the Student Portal.
Advice for staff working off campus, including information on accessing important systems and services https://www.hw.ac.uk/remote-working.htm[HW Discovery Update]
As the new semester begins, Learning and Teaching Enhancement Services (LTES) will be increasing the training offering for staff for technology used in learning and teaching.
Learning technology is focused around using technology in a way that supports students’ learning and the pedagogical application of technologies. Headed by our learning technologist, the offering will be catering for both staff new to teaching with technology and staff members who’d like more support in trying new things.
We will happily schedule training at a time and place that suits, and we endeavour for training to be delivered both face to face, through webinars and with supplementary materials.
InformS 