What's New Archive 2008
A-Z how to find information > What's new> What's new archive
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26th November 2008
Ancient Rome on Google Earth
- Google has now added a 3D version of Ancient Rome to Google Earth
- You can see all round the city as it looked at midday on April 1 AD320
- An article in the Guardian newspaper 'Google Earth brings ancient Rome to life' gives details about the research behind this
- For the Google Earth download for Ancient Rome and an introductory video, see the Google page Ancient Rome in 3D on Google Earth
'Life' magazine photographs archive now available through Google
- A collection of photos and etchings from the Life magazine archive is now available at the LIFE photo archive hosted by Google. Most of the images have never been published before
- The collection includes major moments in US and world history, dating back to the 1750s
- About 20 percent of the collection is online at present. During the next few months Google will be adding the entire Life archive, about ten million photos
New online books at Credo Reference
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can log in to Credo Reference now. Don't have a library card? You can join the library now. Don't have a PIN? You can request a PIN now
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New online books added to Credo
reference |
In section |
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Continuum Companion to Twentieth Century Theatre |
Art |
| Continuum
Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World: Media, Industry and Society |
Music |
| Continuum
Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World: Performance and Production |
Music |
| Critical Terms for Art History | Art |
| Critical Terms for Literary Study | Literature |
| Critical Terms for the Study of Buddhism | Religion |
| Dictionary of Modern American Philosophers | Philosophy |
| Encyclopedia of Empiricism | Philosophy |
| Encyclopedia
of the History of American Management |
Business |
| Marquis Who Was Who in America: 1607-1984 | Biography |
| Shakespeare's
Theatre: A Dictionary of His Stage Context |
Art |
19th November 2008
Cobra, a complete online business reference advice service
- The library service now subscribes to Cobra, a complete online business reference advice service, which you can use free at all Bedfordshire libraries
- Cobra includes advice sections on topics such as start up, employment, health and safety and more, plus resources such as business opportunity profiles, business information factsheets and UK market synopses. Click here to read more about Cobra
- If you are using a computer in a Bedfordshire library now, click here to use Cobra
Parent's
guide to money
- Parent's Guide to Money is a new web site for parents and for people who work with families
- The site gives you information, resources, leaflets and some fun extras for children. Parent's Guide to Money is produced by the Financial Services Authority
Important public consultation on shoppers' rights
- On 10 November 2008 the Law Commission published, jointly with the Scottish Law Commission, a consultation paper on consumer remedies for faulty goods. The Law Commission is asking for responses to its provisional proposals and questions
- At the Law Commission's page Consumer Remedies for Faulty Goods you can click links for the consultation paper, an executive summary of the consultation paper, a press release and a response sheet. Comments may be sent on the response sheet or in any other format, by 2 February 2009.
Oxford
Music Online and Oxford Art Online updates
- Oxford Music Online has added to its Grove Music Online section a 'Guide to women composers', the first of a series of chronologically organised guides to biographical articles
- The guide covers the period from the early medieval period to the present day. At Oxford Music Online, click 'Tools and resources' then scroll down to the 'Music timelines section' to find the link
- Grove Music Online has also updated its contemporary music coverage, including significant revision of the article on Karlheinz Stockhausen, revision of articles on John Adams and Brian Ferneyhough, plus new articles on nearly 20 contemporary composers and pieces from all over the globe
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Oxford Art Online
has enhanced its Grove Art Online coverage of decorative arts with new and
revised content - There are more than 500 new articles featuring prominent artists, entries on pieces and techniques and more than 300 updated decorative arts bibliographies
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can log in to Oxford Art Online and Oxford Music Online now. Don't have a library card? You can join the library now. Don't have a PIN? You can request a PIN now
- You can also always find these services by clicking Reference Books Online on the main Information and Reference menu
13th November 2008
First
World War Trench Maps
- Several maps from war diaries kept by battalions have been adjusted to match modern maps
- At Poppyland Publishing you can view the adjusted maps as overlays on top of modern maps or on top of satellite imagery, so as to see the layout of trenches and other features,
'Lives
in Wartime', in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) Online
- The ODNB's Lives in Wartime section gives you a selection of ODNB resources relating to the First World War
- It includes The Armistice, a gallery of life stories of 36 individuals. The life stories are arranged in categories reflecting different aspects of the war: Women and War; The Trenches; The Fallen; Empire; Land, Sea and Air; and Remembrance
- Lives in Wartime also gives you a selection of features, maps and podcast episodes
- Lives in Wartime is part of the free section of the ODNB Online that you can view without logging in to the full ODNB
- To view the full dictionary, log in to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography with your library card and PIN. If you don't have a library card, you can join the library now. If you don't have a PIN, you can request a PIN now
More
First World War information
- You can find many more First World War web sites at Intute, a database of the best web resources for education and research. All material on Intute is evaluated and selected by a network of subject specialists
- At Intute, enter first world war in the search box, leave the 'All subjects' box ticked and click 'Search'
- Your search results will include sites giving First World War history,
diaries and reminiscences, art and more, with full descriptions of each site's
coverage
4th November 2008
BBC's 1918 - 2008: 90 years of Remembrance campaign
- Discover the BBC's Remembrance campaign commemorating the 90th anniversary of Armistice, 11th November 1918, at 1918 - 2008: 90 years of Remembrance
- You can add your own memories of family members who served in the war, search an online 'Memorial Wall' of records submitted, find out about remembrance events and radio and television programmes
First World War history
- There is a great deal of information along with photographs and other documents at The First World War: Sources for History, an online exhibition on the National Archives web site
- Find out more at the BBC's World War pages
- At the Imperial War Museum web site, click 'Explore the First World War collections' to view photographs, posters, documents and more and to listen to oral history interviews
Great War Archive
- The Great War Archive is a major project run by the University of Oxford with the aim of collecting together material related to the First World War held by members of the public. The final collection will be made available free online on 11th November 2008
First World War Poetry Digital Archive
- Also being launched on 11th November 2008 is The First World War Poetry Digital Archive
- The archive will contain "primary source material from some of the major British poets from the First World War. This will consist predominantly of manuscripts and letters from Wilfred Owen, Isaac Rosenberg, Robert Graves, Edward Thomas and Vera Brittain, plus contextual information such as images, video and audio"
First World War family history
- Do you know about your relatives who served during the First World War? Discover sources of information at Local and family history A-Z > Armed services
- During November 2008 you can search and view key military records free on the Ancestry web site, which normally charges, as well as on the Ancestry Library Edition web site in Bedfordshire libraries, where they are free at any time. See Local and family history A-Z > What's new for more details
24th October 2008
New books added to Oxford Reference Online
- You can search and browse the new reference books below, and hundreds of others, on your pc at home, at work or wherever you are, by logging in to Oxford Reference Online
New books on Oxford Reference Online |
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Grove Book of Operas A collection of summaries and descriptions of over 250 operas, with information on the origins of each work and on its literary and social background |
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The Grove Book of Opera Singers Authoritative biographies covering over 1500 singers from the birth of opera to the present day |
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Oxford Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Includes definitions of terms from the fields of bioinformatics, biophysics,
cell biology, chemistry, genetics, immunology, mathematics, microbiology,
pharmacology, systems biology, and toxicology |
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The New Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians An authoritative overview of reptiles and amphibians, with over 200 colour illustrations and photos |
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- There are also new editions of several books already in Oxford Reference Online, including the 2008 edition of the world-famous bestseller, the Concise Oxford English Dictionary
- Take a look at Oxford Reference Online's 'What's new' page for full details of the new and revised books
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can
log in to Oxford Reference
Online (premium collection) now. Don't have a library card? You can
join the library now. Don't
have a PIN? You can request a PIN
now
First
World War biographies in the new Oxford Dictionary of National Biography monthly
magazine
- The October issue of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography free online magazine, a topical compendium of biography and history, is now available
- This issue includes biographies of 125 people, with a special focus on First World War lives. These include, for example, Edward Harrison, inventor of the gas mask, a discovery which cost Harrison his life, and Alfred Leete, creator of the famous Your country needs you! poster
- The magazine also gives you features, images and podcasts
- You can read the magazine without having to log in to the full Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- To view the full dictionary,
log in to the Oxford
Dictionary of National Biography with your library card and PIN. If you
don't have a library card, you can
join the library now. If you
don't have a PIN, you can request a PIN
now
New words in the online Oxford English Dictionary
- Artilect, angledog, boysie, haar and jobble - these are just a few of the new words recently added to the online Oxford English Dictionary (OED)
- See the full list of new words and read notes on some of them
- Also, the entries in several alphabetical ranges have been revised
- The OED editor discusses this batch of new and revised entries in his latest article
- You do not have to log in to see the new words and revised entries, but if you log in at
reference
books online you will be able to look up what they mean and search the whole dictionary
New online books at Credo Reference
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can log in to Credo Reference now. Don't have a library card? You can join the library now. Don't have a PIN? You can request a PIN now
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New online books added to Credo
reference |
In section |
| African-American Writers: A Dictionary | Literature |
| The American Economy: A Historical Encyclopedia | Business |
| Biographical Dictionary of Psychology | Psychology |
| Biographical
Dictionary of 20th Century Philosophers |
Philosophy |
| Conspiracy
Theories in American History: An Encyclopedia |
History |
| Dictionary of World Philosophy | Philosophy |
| Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology | Psychology |
| Encyclopedia
of Archaeology: History and Discoveries |
Social Sciences |
| Encyclopedia
of Latin American and Caribbean Literature, 1900-2003 |
Literature |
| Encyclopedia of Postmodernism | Philosophy |
| Encyclopedia of Social and Cultural Anthropology | Social Sciences |
| Encyclopedia of 20th Century Technology | Technology |
| Encyclopedia
of Urban America: The Cities and Suburbs |
Social Sciences |
| Immigration and Asylum from 1900 to Present | History |
| International
Encyclopedia of Environmental Politics |
Social Sciences |
| Iran's Diverse Peoples: A Reference Sourcebook | Social Sciences |
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Featured title Encyclopedia of 20th Century Technology,
published by Routledge |
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New 'Conversions' feature on Credo Reference
- A new 'Conversions' page has been added to Credo Reference. You can convert area, distance, energy, fuel consumption, power. speed, temperature, volume and weight
- At the Credo Reference page, click 'Gadgets', scroll down to 'Conversions' and at the end of that section, click 'expand this gadget'
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can
log in to Credo Reference
now. Don't have a library card? You can
join the library now. Don't
have a PIN? You can request a PIN
now
18th September 2008
New books
- See New books July 2008 for a list of new reference books recently received at the libraries
- The books shown below are available at all Bedfordshire libraries
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New quizzes
- Test yourself with three new quizzes
- Check what you know already or find the answers in the
Credo Reference
online reference books collection
1st September 2008
"World's most ambitious scientific experiment" on September
10th 2008
- On September 10th 2008 scientists at the CERN particle physics laboratory in Geneva will carry out what has been called "the world's most ambitious scientific experiment"
- They will switch on the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the "largest and most complex scientific instrument ever built", and smash particles together at almost the speed of light in an attempt to recreate the conditions that existed immediately after the Big Bang
- See the new Large Hadron Collider Experiment page for a guide to key web sites where you can find out more!
Credo Reference enhanced web site with many new features!
- The online reference books collection Credo Reference has been relaunched with many new features
- Limit your results by subject or by type of book or limit results to those that have images, audio or video
- Sort your results by publication date
- Find books in the collection by subject, by title, by type or by Dewey classification
- Browse each individual book much more easily - click the 'Find a Book' tab, choose how to see the books listed, then click a book title to see links to its contents
- E-mail, print or export the entries that you collect and save during your Credo Reference session
- If you like your information presented visually, try the new improved 'concept map'
- There is now a multilingual interface - you can change the interface language to Chinese, French, Polish, Spanish or Urdu
- Visit the site now to see these features and more
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can log in to Credo Reference now. Don't have a library card? You can join the library now. Don't have a PIN? You can request a PIN now
More free online computer courses on MyGuide
- Three more courses for beginners have been added to the web site MyGuide
- The new courses are Using digital TV, Using digital photography, and Understanding banking online
- MyGuide also gives you other courses on computer basics and on using the Internet and an easy way to set up an email address
- The web site also includes 'Skills checkpoints'. These assess your IT skills and help you decide which courses to do next
- To make the most of MyGuide and keep track of your progress, register free at the site
- MyGuide is part of the official UK Online Centres service
Open University launches a channel on YouTube
- The Open University has launched a channel called OUView on the video web site YouTube
- At OUView, you can click OULearn to see 200 videos covering subjects from arts and history to science and nature
- There is also OULife, where the Open Universitys staff and students can upload their own videos
- Read more about OUView at the Open University's announcement of the new channel
- The Open University's videos are also available as part of a wider range of course materials freely available on the Open University's Open Learn web site
New online books on Credo Reference
- Many interesting new reference books have been added to the online books collection 'Credo Reference'
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can log in to Credo Reference now. Don't have a library card? You can join the library now. Don't have a PIN? You can request a PIN now
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New online books added to Credo reference |
| Alcohol and Temperance in Modern History: An International Encyclopedia |
| Biographical Dictionary of Social and Cultural Anthropology |
| Canada's Diverse Peoples: A Reference Sourcebook |
| Companion Encyclopedia of Asian Philosophy |
| Concise Encyclopedia of Latin American Literature |
| Concise Encyclopedia of Plant Pathology |
| Concise Encyclopedia of Sociolinguistics |
| Condensed Encyclopedia of Polymer Engineering Terms |
| Conspiracy Theories in American History |
| Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs |
| Encyclopedia of Ethics |
| Encyclopedia of Insects |
| Encyclopedia of Nationalism: Leaders, Movements, and Concepts |
| Encyclopedia of Nationalism: Fundamental Themes |
| Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English |
| Encyclopedia of the Solar System |
| Encyclopedia of Urban Legends |
| Encyclopedia of Volcanoes |
| Encyclopedia of Women and Gender: Sex Similarities and Differences and the Impact of Society on Gender |
| Encyclopedia of Women Social Reformers |
| An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Women in Early American Films: 1895-1930 |
| The Former Soviet Union's Diverse Peoples: A Reference Sourcebook |
| The Former Yugoslavia's Diverse Peoples: A Reference Sourcebook |
| Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture and the Law |
| Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children |
| International Encyclopedia of Hospitality Management |
| Martial Arts of the World |
| Mexico: An Encyclopedia of Contemporary Culture and History |
| Nigeria's Diverse Peoples: A Reference Sourcebook |
| Propaganda and Mass Persuasion: A Historical Encyclopedia, 1500 to the Present |
| Public Opinion, Polling, and Democracy Around the World: A Historical Encyclopedia |
| Science in the Ancient World: An Encyclopedia |
| Science in the Contemporary World: An Encyclopedia |
| Science in the Early Twentieth Century: An Encyclopedia |
| Science in the Enlightenment: An Encyclopedia |
| South Africa's Diverse Peoples: A Reference Sourcebook |
New features on Grove Art Online
- A redesign and relaunch of Grove Art Online, part of Oxford Art Online, has provided you with many new features
- For example, there are: improved image and bibliography searching, over 2,500 new images (from The Museum of Modern Art New York, Art Images for College Teaching, The British Museum and many more), links to ARTstor and Art Resource, new thematic guides and timelines, as well improved browsing and searching
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can log in to Oxford Art Online now. Don't have a library card? You can join the library now. Don't have a PIN? You can request a PIN now
- You can also log in after clicking Reference Books Online on the main Information and Reference menu
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB)
Health of the nation July 1948 article
- To mark 60th anniversary of the National Health Service the ODNB has an article Health of the nation, July 1948 on the background to the NHS and the main individuals involved
- You can read the article without logging in but if you log in (details below) you can read the biographies of the people mentioned
ODNB monthly magazine
- The August issue of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biographys free online magazine, a topical compendium of biography and history, is now available
- Features include an interactive map highlighting people remembered for lives spent on, by, and under the sea.
- The regular "Five lives" item on five people with something in common presents biographies of five gold medallists
- You can read the magazine without having to log in to the full Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- To view the full dictionary,
log in to the Oxford
Dictionary of National Biography with your library card and PIN. If you
don't have a library card, you can
join the library now. If you
don't have a PIN, you can request a PIN
now
15th July 2008
New issue of 'Inform' newsletter
- Now available - the Summer 2008 issue of the 'Inform' newsletter
- With a musical theme this issue highlights a wealth of resources, including online resources, web sites and printed directories
1st July 2008
The NHS - 60 years old on 5th July 2008
- See the new 60th Anniversary of the NHS page for links to photographs, articles, facts and figures, historical broadcasts and more....
Gordon Fraser Collection
- A new feature has been added to the Art pages - details of the Gordon Fraser Collection, a small collection of finely produced books on a variety of subjects, that was presented to Bedford Central Library in 1990 by the Gordon Fraser Gallery
- The new section outlines the career of Gordon Fraser and his company and gives you a list of the books in the collection
New free online computer courses on MyGuide
- Three new courses for beginners have been added to the web site MyGuide
- The new courses are Using a computer, Using a mobile phone, and Understanding eBay online
- MyGuide also gives you other courses on computer basics and on using the Internet and an easy way to set up an email address
- The web site also includes 'Skills checkpoints'. These assess your IT skills and help you decide which courses to do next
- To make the most of MyGuide and keep track of your progress, register free at the site
- MyGuide is part of the official
UK Online Centres
service
150th anniversary of the announcement of the theory of evolution by natural selection
- 1st July 2008 is the 150th anniversary of the joint announcement by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace of the theory of evolution by natural selection
- For details and links see Darwin200, a web site celebrating several Darwin anniversaries: 200 years since his birth on 12 February 2009; 150 years since Darwin and Wallace made their announcement on 1 July 2008; and 150 years since 'On the origin of species' was published on 24 November 2009
- You can read all Darwin's works online at The complete work of Charles Darwin Online
- Both theses web sites are in the Gateway to the Internet at Science and technology > Biology and other life sciences > Charles Darwin and Evolution
New Books
- See New books July 2008 for a list of new reference books recently received at the libraries
- You can open an Excel file to see the list of new books, library by library
New online books on Credo Reference
- A range of interesting new reference books has been added to the online books collection 'Credo Reference'
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can log in to Credo Reference now. Don't have a library card? You can join the library now. Don't have a PIN? You can request a PIN now
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New online books added to Credo reference |
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Black's veterinary dictionary, in Medicine section |
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Elsevier's dictionary of psychological theories, in Philosophy and Psychology section |
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Handbook of aging and the social sciences, in Social Sciences section |
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Handbook of forensic psychology, in Philosophy and Psychology section |
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Handbook of vegetable pests, in Science section |
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International handbook of giftedness and talent, in Philosophy and Psychology section |
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Notable American women: a biographical dictionary: completing the twentieth century, in Biography section |
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Word origins, the hidden history of English words from A to Z, in Language section |
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography magazine
- The June issue of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biographys free online magazine, a topical compendium of biography and history, is now available
- Features include a football 'British all-stars XI', biographies of eleven players from 100 years of football
- The regular "Five lives" item on five people with something in common presents biographies of five Wimbledon champions
- You can read the magazine without having to log in to the full Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- To view the full dictionary, log in to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography with your library card and PIN. If you don't have a library card, you can join the library now. If you don't have a PIN, you can request a PIN now
New words in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) online
- Explore over 1500 new and revised words in the OED online whose alphabetical section from 'quittal' to 'ramvert' has just been revised
- Latest new words include qulliq, Quotron, quoy, qursh, racemulous, rakyat. In addition, other new words and senses from across the alphabet have been added to the dictionary
- See the full list of new words and learn the stories behind some of these words in notes on some of the new words
- You can also read the OED editor's discussion of this batch of new and revised entries in his latest article, including "insights into railroad versus railway, and how the latest update reflects both early English preoccupations ('radish', 'rain', and 'rake') and modern preoccupations ('ragga', 'ram-raiding', and 'racecourses')"
- You do not have to log in to see the new words, but if you log in at reference books online you will be able to look up what they mean and search the whole dictionary
19th June 2008
112: The European emergency number
- Going on holiday in Europe? You may like to take a note of the European emergency number 112
- This number is designed to enable everyone to call emergency services anywhere in the European Union, from a fixed or a mobile phone, free of charge
- For more details see the new 112 web site
Food prices
- A new document Tackling the challenge of rising food prices - Directions for EU action from the European Commission takes a detailed look at causes of high food prices, the medium term outlook, the impact within the EU and worldwide and possible European Union responses
- Read more at Rising food prices - EU responds on the European Commission web site
New additions to Oxford Reference Online
- You can search and browse the new reference books below, and hundreds of others, on your pc at home, at work or wherever you are, by logging in to Oxford Reference Online
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The Oxford companion to cosmology |
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You can find detailed information on many individual topics, including cold dark matter, galaxy clusters, the evolution of galaxies, alternative cosmologies, red-shift surveys, and cosmic microwave background radiation |
- There are also five new editions of books already in Oxford Reference Online:
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New editions |
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A dictionary of nursing |
| A dictionary of earth sciences |
| A dictionary of biology |
| A dictionary of chemistry |
| The Oxford dictionary of literary terms |
- All these new editions include carefully selected web links to guide you to the best of the rest of the web
- In addition, there is a new 'Victorian Britain Timeline', a chronology of the 64 years of the rule of Queen Victoria, together with links to related entries in the Oxford Reference Online
- Take a look at Oxford Reference Online's May 2008 update for full details of the new books and other new developments
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can log in to Oxford Reference Online (premium collection) now. Don't have a library card? You can join the library now. Don't have a PIN? You can request a PIN now
22nd May 2008
Gypsy, Roma, Traveller History Month June 2008
- June 2008 is Gypsy, Roma, Traveller History Month
- New Gypsy, Roma, Traveller pages in A-Z how to find information link you to many web sites, online resources and books on history, stories of everyday life, language, music, photographs, audio and video clips and more
- Information, events, competitions and activities are at the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller History Month web site
New Online Resources - Oxford Art Online and Oxford Music Online
- The library now subscribes to two more vast information resources so that
you can use them free
- Oxford Art Online gives you more than 45,000 articles covering all aspects of Western and non-Western visual art and over 5,000 art images, maps and line drawings
- It includes the complete Grove Art Online, the online version of the 34-volume Dictionary of Art, along with other art reference works
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Oxford Music Online provides more than 50,000 signed articles on all kinds of
music as well as links to sound files so that you can hear examples
- It includes the complete Grove Music Online, which itself gives you the full texts of the following standard reference works: the 29-volume New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians; the New Grove Dictionary of Opera and the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz
- Oxford Music Online also gives you other works, including the Encyclopedia of Popular Music, the 'most comprehensive reference work devoted exclusively to popular music', with biographies of rock, pop, and jazz artists
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can log in to Oxford Art Online and Oxford Music Online now. Don't have a library card? You can join the library now. Don't have a PIN? You can request a PIN now
- You can also log in after clicking Reference Books Online on the main Information and Reference menu
New online books on Credo Reference
- New reference books have been added to the online books collection 'Credo Reference'
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can log in to Credo Reference now. Don't have a library card? You can join the library now. Don't have a PIN? You can request a PIN now
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New online books added to Credo reference |
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Late antiquity: a guide to the postclassical world, in History section |
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The new Harvard guide to women's health, in Medicine section |
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The new Americans: a guide to immigration since 1965, in Social Sciences section |
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Marquis who was who in America 1985-present, in Biography section
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Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) magazine
- The May 2008 issue of the ODNB's free online magazine is now available
- This issue is on the theme of 'Local history', and includes, among other items:
- an interactive map of British 'local heroes'
- podcasts related to different places
- and Bond-related lives for Ian Fleming's centenary - You can read the online magazine without needing to log in to the full ODNB
- To view the full ODNB, log in to the Oxford dictionary of national biography with your library membership number and PIN. If you don't have a library membership number, you can join the library now. If you don't have a PIN, you can request a PIN now
8th May 2008
Computer basics and email for beginners
- MyGuide is a new web site aimed at computer beginners
- It gives you an easy way to set up an email address along with courses on computer basics and on using the Internet
- The web site also includes 'Skills checkpoints'. These assess your IT skills and help you decide which courses to do next
- To make the most of MyGuide and keep track of your progress, register free at the site
- MyGuide is part of the official UK Online Centres service
Adoption reunion web site
- Adoption Search Reunion is a new web site which is 'intended to be the first port of call for anyone thinking about searching for or making contact with birth and adopted relatives or researching an adoption that took place in the UK'
- Among many other features it includes a database to help you find out where adoption records might be held
'The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913' - a major update
- If you are interested in social history, take a look at the The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, 1674-1913 web site
- A recent major update to the site has added 100,000 trial accounts published between 1834 and 1913, along with other historical background information
- The web site now provides 'a fully searchable edition of the largest body of texts detailing the lives of non-elite people ever published, containing 197,745 criminal trials held at London's central criminal court'
- Other features added in this update include:
- the texts of all 'Ordinary's accounts' published between 1690 and 1772. These are 'richly detailed narratives of the lives and deaths of convicts executed at Tyburn'. They have been linked to the relevant trials
- historical background information on 'Transport', covering horse-drawn coaches and omnibuses, water transport, railways and trams and motorised transport
- historical background information on 'Chinese communities', in the 'Community histories' section
- Other historical background information topics available include 'Crime, justice and punishment'; 'London and its hinterlands' at different periods, including population, built environment, social and occupational structure, culture and politics; 'Currency, coinage and the cost of living'; Gender roles'; 'The Old Bailey Courthouse'; and a 'Glossary'
- Other articles in the 'Community histories' section are 'Black communities', 'Gypsies and travellers', 'Homosexuality', 'Irish London', 'Jewish communities' and 'Huguenot and French London'
- For full details of the new update see the site's page
What's new:
changes to the Old Bailey website in April 2008
Free database of research articles on environmental issues
- Ebsco GreenFILE is a new free database of research articles 'focusing on the relationship between human beings and the environment'
- The database includes scholarly and general interest titles, as well as government documents and reports
- It covers connections between the environment and subjects such as agriculture, education, law, health and technology. Topics covered include global warming, recycling, alternate fuel sources, pollution, animal conservation and many more
- Most of the database records give publication details and a short
abstract, but a small proportion also include the full text of the
publication
New quizzes
- Test yourself with three new quizzes
- Check what you know already or find the answers in the 'Credo Reference' online reference books collection
New online books on Credo reference
- New reference books have been added to the online books collection 'Credo reference'
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can log in to Credo reference now. Don't have a library card? You can join the library now. Don't have a PIN? You can request a PIN now
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New online books added to Credo reference |
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Handbook of United States economic and financial indicators, in Business section |
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15th April 2008
Major consultation on flight path proposals
- NATS (formerly called 'National Air Traffic Services') is consulting on proposed changes to flight paths in our area
- The consultation has been running since February and ends on 22nd May 2008
- See the consultation web site NATS - Terminal Control North, Proposed Changes to Airspace for full details and to send your comments
- At the web site, if you click 'How this affects you' in the menu on the right of the home page, you can enter your post code to see if there are any proposed changes in your area
7th April 2008
New books
- See New books April 2008 for a list of new reference books recently received at the libraries
New additions to Oxford Reference Online
- Several new books and timelines have been added to Oxford Reference Online
- You can search and browse the new reference books below, and hundreds of others, on your pc at home, at work or wherever you are:
A dictionary of environment and conservation -
the social and scientific aspects of environmental science and conservationThe Oxford companion to Australian politics
The Oxford dictionary of American art and artists,
The Oxford dictionary of American quotations
Oxford companion to Black British history -
the history of black people in Britain, from Roman times to the present dayThe Oxford companion to Irish History
The Oxford companion to Scottish History.
The Oxford companion to the High Court of Australia
The Oxford dictionary of law enforcement
New timelines: 'Ireland', 'Modern design', 'Settlements of North America', 'The American Revolution' and 'The American Civil War'
- Take a look at Oxford Reference Online's January 2008 update and October 2007 update for full details of the new books and other new developments
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can log in to Oxford Reference Online (premium collection) now. Don't have a library card? You can join the library now. Don't have a PIN? You can request a PIN now
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) magazine
- The April 2008 issue of the ODNB's free online magazine is now available giving you a topical compendium of biography and history
- Includes, for example, 'Hoaxers and jokers' for 1st April and 'Bluestockings', a gallery of biographies and images of ODNB biographies and images of some of the eighteenth century's most talented women, along with those of two men who championed their work. This feature accompanies the National Portrait Gallery's new exhibition, 'Brilliant Women' on the original 'Bluestocking Circle'
- You can read the online magazine without needing to log in to the full ODNB
- To view the full ODNB, log in to the Oxford dictionary of national biography with your library membership number and PIN. If you don't have a library membership number, you can join the library now. If you don't have a PIN, you can request a PIN now
15th March 2008
Latest additions to the Oxford English Dictionary
- The new March 2008 update focuses on the revision of key words and word clusters, rather than on a specific alphabetical range as in previous updates.
- 'The main purpose of this change is to revise, much earlier than would otherwise have been the case, important English words whose meanings or application have developed most over the past century: for example, computer, culture, gay, and genetic.' View the list of revised ranges and some notable entries in them and discover a selection of new words
10th March 2008
International Women's Day 2008
- For news, features and links, see the International Women's Day 2008 web site
- What is the average age of women at the birth of their first child? At what age do women and men get married? What are the employment and unemployment rates for women? You can find answers to these and other questions in an EU News Release published for International Womens Day
- You can read more detailed statistics in a new online report The life of women and men in Europe - a statistical portrait which describes the situations of women and men at different stages of their lives
- Another new EU report looks at the position of women in business and politics. You can read the full report Women and men in decision-making 2007 analysis of the situation and trends or see a summary by going to the EU Press Releases search page, entering IP/08/390 in the Reference search box, then clicking 'Search'. At the resulting page click 'Women in power still trapped by glass ceiling EU report'
- Take a look at
a series of photographs of Suffragettes, published by the Guardian
newspaper to mark the the occasion of the 90th anniversary of right to vote
gained by women over 30 in Britain on February 6th 1918. At the page, click
the forward arrow to look through all the photographs
New Gateway section
- A new history sub-section has been started in the Gateway to the Internet section on Television and Radio. See Television and Radio > History to find some key web sites on old programmes, television schedules, graphics, presenters and more
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (ODNB) magazine
- The March 2008 issue of the ODNB's free online magazine is now available giving you a topical compendium of biography and history
- Includes biographies of 'Irish lives' to mark St Patrick's Day and figures associated with motherhood, to mark Mothering Sunday
- You can read the online magazine without needing to log in to the full ODNB
- To view the full ODNB,
log in to the Oxford
dictionary of national biography with your library membership number and
PIN. If you don't have a library membership number, you can
join the library now. If you
don't have a PIN, you can request a PIN
now
New quizzes
- Two new quizzes have been added for to try
- Check what you know already or find the answers in the 'Credo reference' online reference books collection
New online books on Credo reference
- New reference books have been added to the online books collection 'Credo reference'
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can log in to Credo reference now. Don't have a library card? You can join the library now. Don't have a PIN? You can request a PIN now
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New online books added to Credo reference |
In section |
| Chambers dictionary of the unexplained |
Philosophy & Psychology |
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Contemporary youth culture: an international encyclopedia |
Social Sciences |
| Dictionary of existentialism |
Philosophy & Psychology |
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The Edinburgh encyclopedia of continental philosophy |
Philosophy & Psychology |
| Encyclopedia of classical philosophy |
Philosophy & Psychology |
8th February 2008
Two major US news services now free
- Two major US news resources which used to charge are now free
- The New York Times has made its entire web site and also most of its archive free. The archives from 1851 to 1922 and from 1987 to the present are free, while for 1923 - 1986 some material is charged for and some is free. Useful for UK content too - worth searching the early years for significant events in or affecting UK. Find this in future at Gateway to the Internet > Newspapers > Individual titles
- Second, the entire web site of the US news service CNN is now free. Until mid last year video news clips on the site were charged for but now they are free. Find this in future at Gateway to the Internet > News
New biographies on the online 'Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'
- The new update to the online 'Oxford Dictionary of National Biography' (ODNB) adds entries on 211 men and women who died in 2004
- These include, for example, broadcaster John Peel; actor and playwright Peter Ustinov; Nobel prize winning scientists Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins, journalists Alistair Cooke, Paul Foot, Bernard Levin, and Lynda Lee-Potter; trade unionists Len Murray and Hugh Scanlon; and dancers Alicia Markova and Margaret Kelly (Bluebell)
- You can read a selection of the new biographies now as part of the January issue of the ODNB online magazine, without needing to log in to the full ODNB
- To view the full ODNB,
log in to the Oxford
Dictionary of National Biography with your library membership number and
PIN. If you don't have a library membership number, you can
join the library now. If you
don't have a PIN, you can request a PIN
now
New books
- See New books February 2008 for a list of new
reference books recently received
New online books on Credo reference
- New reference books have been added to the online books collection 'Credo reference'
- Do you have a library number and PIN? You can log in to Credo reference now. Don't have a library card? You can join the library now. Don't have a PIN? You can request a PIN now
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New online books added to Credo
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In section |
| Dictionary of Italian literature | Literature |
| Encyclopedia of medieval literature | Literature |
| Handbook of environmental sociology | Social Sciences |
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Featured title Encyclopedia of medieval literature, published by Greenwood |
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This encyclopedia is a comprehensive guide to literature written Short entries cover particular literary works; significant kings, artists, explorers, and religious leaders; important themes, such as courtly love and chivalry; and major historical events, such as the Crusades Longer entries cover major authors and entire genres, for example:
There are also in-depth entries about the literature of entire countries and
cultures |
between 500 and 1500
3rd January 2008
Have fun with maths!
- A new page Mathematics has been added to 'A-Z How to find information' and a new set of maths web sites has been added to the Gateway at Science and technology > Mathematics
- You will find both sites to help with the basics and sites that give games, puzzles, guides and articles for more advanced exploration
Oxford English Dictionary latest update
- In the December 2007 update to the Oxford English Dictionary the words and phrases in the alphabetical range from 'purpress ' to 'quit shilling' were completely revised and updated and many new words were added
- What, for example, is a pisanka? What does QALY stand for and what does queek mean?
- You do not have to log in to see the list of new words, but if you log in at reference books online you will be able to search the dictionary and find out what they mean
Health and safety guide
- The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) has produced an updated edition of 'Workplace health, safety and welfare: a short guide for managers' which you can download from the HSE news page
Health and safety - freedom of information
- The HSE has also launched a redesigned Health and Safety Freedom of Information web site, which gives you updated information on your rights to request information from the HSE
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Page last updated: 30th June 2009