The Library Blog for Media

The Library is running a week of workshops from the 6th-10th of June aimed at students who will be starting a dissertation or major project next year or post graduate students doing a dissertation over the summer.

All workshops are in the Info Skills Room (lower floor of Murray Library) and are open to book now: http://uniofsunlib-skills.eventbrite.com

Contact your subject librarian for help finding academic sources in the library collections - we can help you navigate the library’s huge collection of resources to find electronic journals we subscribe to, help you dig out the statistics you need and the companies and markets you need to research and much much more...including but not limited to....

• Writing in an academic style • How to write critically • Getting started with essay planning • Tips and tricks on advanced searches • Finding journals and other eresources

We’ve changed the libraries to help you through to the end of term. We’ve introduced silent floors and whispering areas, extended our library chat service, opened St Peter’s library 24 hours and created more spaces for you to work (with plugs as requested) but we’ve also introduced some relaxing activities to help you take a well earned break from studying...

Did you know you can book rooms in Murray library for hour long slots beginning 8am in the morning until 8pm at night? So if you need to work as a group into the evening without being disturbed you can whisper as loudly as you need to in your own meeting room!

The link to booking a space can be found on the University of Sunderland library homepage.

The Library produces a range of quick checklists as part of it’s collection of Skills for Learning resources to make getting through your revision less daunting - the “doing well in exams” hand out might help avoid some common pitfalls this exam season...

Book tickets to Performing Arts final assessments and watch this year’s crop of stars perform their exams. The University of Sunderland Performing Arts final assessments take the form of performances of their final major projects which are open to anyone to go along to..

Book now to view...

Stage 3 Dance final performances pieces which are choreographed, staged and performed by Stage 3 and Stage 1 students.

Try a 5 minute stress buster at St. Peter's Library - colour in one of our bunting flags and display your art...we’re tweeting the beautiful results @uniofsunlib and on the University of Sunderland Library facebook page..

By popular demand we’ve created silent and whispering libraries during exams and are showing a selection of short silent films to provide a lighthearted (although still silent of course!) escape from studying for anyone who would like a few minutes well earned amusement during this busy revision time.

Silent films on show in The Murray Library’s Relaxation Room on the Lower Ground Level..

The library is here to help this exam time - we can offer a range of online support to help you through your revision. Take a look at our Skills for Learning area also available through sunspace for online guides, tutorials and step by step resources.

There’s a section dedicated to revision and exam preparation with advice about doing well in exams and common pitfalls and you can construct your very own seven point action plan to tackle your revision...

Georges Méliès was a French illusionist and silent filmmaker praised for his sense of fun and ability to astound. A collection of some of his most famous films have been donated to The Internet Archive for free downloading and reuse.

By popular demand this exam time we have created silent and whisper only areas in our libraries so in celebration of silence and whispering during exams we’ll be showing a selection of silent films in The Murray and St Peter’s Libraries - pop into our libraries to view or click the links below to watch them straight away. Good luck with all of your revision and we wish you fantastical success in your exams!

Le Voyage Dans La Lune (1902) - 12 mins

Le Voyage Dans la Lune (Trip to the Moon, in English) is perhaps Georges Méliès‘ most famous film, and is considered to be the first science fiction film in cinematic history. The 12 minute film follows a group of astronomers who travel to the Moon in a cannon-propelled capsule.

The Man with the Rubber Head (1902) - 2 mins 40 secs

The Man With The Rubber Head, or L’Homme à la tête de Caoutchouc, is a French silent film from 1902 directed by Georges Méliès. A scientist places a living copy of his own head on a table and makes it swell like a balloon

Le Dirigeable Fantastique (1905) - 2 mins 43 secs

"The Inventor Crazybrains and his Wonderful Airship" (Le Dirigeable Fantastique ou le Cauchemar d'un Inventeur)  A Jules Verne-like flying airship soars the skies with floating mermaids before out of control fireworks put an end to the crazy inventor's dreams.

L'Homme Orchestre (1900) - 1 min 21 sec 

Seven identically-dressed Georges Méliès playing musical instruments and interacting with one another in remarkably convincing synchronisation.

Le Monstre (1903) - 2 mins 7secs The film tells the story of a chaotic attempt to bring an Egyptian Princess back to life.

Cendrillon (1899) - 5 mins 41 secs Possibly the earliest film version of Cinderella, Cendrillion (1899) was landmark for Georges Méliès; it founded the techniques and tricks he would later master and become famous for, earning him the title of The Cinemagician.

Le Papillon Fantastique (1909) - 1 min 47secs On exiting a strange cone a young girl deploys her butterfly wings.

Le Mélomane (1902) - 2 mins 43secs A marching band appears, and the band-leader prepares to give them the music for the song he wants them to play. He has prepared a large staff above their heads, and he now creates notes by making duplicates of his own head.

La Sirène (1902) - 3 mins 58 secs A man in a silk top hat stands in front of an empty aquarium. Mermaids and magic ensue.

We’ve enhanced our Library Talk online chat service this exam time. Our chat service is always 24 hrs a day 365 days a year but we can ensure for exam time that there will be a University of Sunderland librarian available on campus 9am-7pm on a weekday and 2pm-5pm on Saturday and Sunday ready to help. 

So we will be there to respond to your questions and help you within our libraries as much as possible over this busy time!

Thanks for your study spaces feedback leading up to this year’s exam time - we’ve added some extra ‘whisper’ quiet places to work in St Peter’s library with extra plugs for your laptops.

Your feedback was clear: MORE PLUGS PLEASE

TAH-DAH - we took down some shelving and added more areas with as many extra plugs as we can for you to work:

By popular demand this exam time we have created silent and whisper only areas in our libraries:

The Murray Library

- Lower ground level is a whisper only zone - Ground level is for group study - Upper level is entirely silent

St. Peter's Library

- Social space is for group study - Main library is a whisper only zone - Catherine Cookson Reading Room is entirely silent

St Peter’s library will also be 24 hours from 18th April to 26th May to help support your studies.

We have relaxation areas too where you can get some well earned rest from essay writing and revising - both libraries will have relaxation spaces where there will be stress busting colouring in and a selection of silent films on show. At St Peter’s Library the roof terrace will be open for you to soak up the sun on our library deck chairs...

Exam time is upon us so to help you with your studies St Peter’s Library will be open 24/7

From Monday 18th April until Thursday 26th May St Peter’s Library will be open 24/7. The Murray Library will continue to run 24/7 as usual. We will also continue to offer our 24/7 online chat support service Library Talk . This way you can gain help and support even when you’re not on campus.