Library Induction Tours
A tour of the library and an electronic induction are given to each student when they start at Murray Edwards College. These take place during the first week of term.
Library induction tour
The tour includes information about in person and online library services, locating your books, finding out about the three different types of library within the University and where to print. The tour starts from the library foyer.
Electronic induction: finding electronic resources
An orientation session on using the electronic resources includes how to find books using the library catalogue, iDiscover, accessing online resources such as electronic books, electronic journals, your subject libguide, use electronic table of contents alerting services, document delivery services and how to use other research libraries. Please see the booking calendar for location details.
All induction events can be booked through our library booking calendar. If you are unable to attend an induction Please contact us to arrange one at a time to suit you.
Library Induction Videos
Rosemary Murray Library Induction - a video giving a brief tour of the library, IT Resource Centre and the services we offer can be viewed via our YouTube channel.
Cambridge Libraries Introduction - a video giving an overview of all the libraries available to students at Cambridge is available via the Cambridge University Library YouTube channel.
Library Skills for Academic Study
The library provides a range of library skills for academic study on critical reading, searching abstracting and indexing databases, e.g. Pubmed, Web of Science, Jstor, etc, presentation practice, time management, proof reading, referencing and Zotero. All classes will be delivered in person. To book a place at these workshops please visit the booking calendar. If you are able to book a place, this helps us to send out session materials in advance. Alternatively just turn up on the day. If there are no sessions advertised for the training you want on the library booking calendar, please email library@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk to book an individual session with either Valerie or Kirstie.
Critical Reading
Learn more about how to read academic literature and improve your note-taking skills. Explore reading techniques, article structures and productive reading, while also discovering methods you can use to tackle your weekly readings.
Finding Articles in your Subject Area
Information searching workshops are available for all students. Each session will provide advanced search tips that will save you time when searching for information and relevant journal articles using Cambridge’s electronic resources. At the end of the workshop you will be able to:
- Understand the hierarchy of research material, ie. textbooks, edited books, conference proceedings, research journals, systematic reviews, clinical trials/randomized controlled trials
- Be able to select the correct online resources for your subject, especially abstracting and indexing databases ie. Pubmed, Jstor, British Humanities Index, Web of Science, Cochrane Library
- Devise search strategies to use in the above online resources ie. string searching, thesaurus searching
- Use alternative terminology
- Use specific tips and techniques to save time when searching, ie. wildcards, boolean operators, proximity searching, truncation, phrase searching
- Know how to save and re-run searches
- Know how to export searches to email, PDF or reference management systems (see Zotero below)
- Know how to evaluate web resources ie. who has written the information, is it biased, reputable source?
Presentation Design
Join the Librarian for this training session which will help you think about designing your presentation. The session will cover who your audience is, creating and delivering your presentation for both face to face and online formats.
Presentation Delivery
If you have already created your presentation and want to receive constructive feedback, come along and practice your session in a supportive environment where the Librarian will view your presentation and give you tailored constructive feedback.
Proof Reading
Proofreading a piece of writing for spelling and grammar errors is an important final step before submitting your work. In this session you will learn some important tips to help you proofread your work both in digital and paper format.
Reflective Learning
Learn more about reflective practice and how it can improve your academic experience. Review several models of reflection, learn about the barriers which prevent reflection, and how reflective writing can help you examine past experiences and prepare for the future.
Referencing with Emojis!
Confused with referencing and creating citations for your bibliographies? Come along and see how emojis can help boost your understanding of referencing. At the end of the workshop you will be able to:
- Know why you should reference
- Be able to acknowledge the original source
- Understand what parts of an article or image, etc, make up a reference ie. author, title, description
- Know where to locate guidance on finding referencing styles (departmental handbook, library libguide)
Time Management
Need help managing your time? In this session you will have an opportunity to make short and long term goals, learn about prioritising work and about making realistic and achievable goals.
Zotero: Managing your references with Zotero Workbook available
Zotero is a free online reference management tool. Find out how Zotero can help you gather, organise and produce references for your assignments and dissertations. After working your way through the workbook you will be able to:
- Know how to use Zotero to collate and manage your research and references
- Use the "cite while you write" word plug in
- Be able to transfer references from abstracting and indexing databases and other online resources, into Zotero
Further training
The Library Study Skills Catalogue (Raven password required), provides a comprehensive list of library and study skills training taking place across the collegiate university. The list includes both in person and online or virtual sessions, for both undergraduates and postgraduates. Our library training is also included in the catalogue.