Northwood college 2013

On the shoulders of giantsFiona O’Brien

Academic Liaison and Training Manager

Northwood College

27 March 2013

University of Westminster

– The first polytechnic in the UK, founded in 1838

– Sites across central London and in Harrow

– 19,000 undergraduates

– 2,000 staff

About me

– 30 years in librarianship– British Library, BBC, BFI, further education,

charity sector

– Manage a team of 20 librarians and IT trainers– Building relationships– Developing resources– Teaching and learning activities

Summary

– The university library– Researching your assignment– How university is different– Tools you can use– What is information literacy?– Digital skills– Preparing for the world of work

The university library

– Books and e-books– Journals and e-journals– Trade journals– Newspapers– Websites and databases– Film and broadcast material

Researching your assignment

– Where do you start?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiPJ3Ci1h6Q

How university is different?

– Demonstrate what you’ve researched

– Develop original ideas to show your understanding

– Cite correctly using appropriate referencing style

Tools you can use

Tools you can use

Tools you can use

Other libraries

– COPAC

– SCONUL Access scheme

– British Library

What is information literacy?

“Information literate people will demonstrate an awareness of how they gather, use, manage, synthesise and create information and data in an ethical manner and will have the information skills to do so effectively.”

Digital literacy

– A hot topic in higher education and for employers

– 90% new jobs require digital skills

– Manage your online reputation

Preparing for the world of work

– Information literacy is a life skill, not just for assignment writing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrr32t-JsYs

Any questions?

THANK YOU

Fiona O’Brien

F.obrien@westminster.ac.uk