Welcome to the Zoo. We know the Library can feel like a menagerie, but have you ever thought about the fascinating variety of species to which it plays host?
…by Carina Hart
After some careful wildlife-watching, we’ve spotted the four most common critters to stalk the Library corridors. But which one are you, and how can you get the most out of the Library? Have a go at our quiz, and then read on for our tips on how the Library can help each type of animal. Sorry, student.
Did you panic over your last essay?
- Yes!
- I did once time started to run out
- Only a little
- Nope
Do you do all your work at the last minute?
- When else?
- Quite a lot of it: I do a late-night blitz in the Silent Study rooms on Floor 2
- I’ve been known to get up at dawn on submission day!
- I can’t think of anything worse
Do you reserve short loan books you know you’ll need?
- You can do what?
- When I remember to log into my Library account
- I prefer to go in when the Library opens and get my books before anyone else
- Always
Do you zip through e-books because you don’t have time to search the shelves?
- Of course. Who needs paper books?
- Sometimes, but you can often get the books late at night
- I use e-books when the hard copy isn’t available
- I use a combination of e-books and paper books, by planning my research efficiently
Have you experienced the Library at midnight?
- On the night before a deadline, yes!
- My favourite time to be there
- No thanks, I’d rather get up early to do my work and then go to the pub
- Are you kidding?
Results:
Mostly 1: You are the wild-eyed hare.
You spend the day (and night) before a deadline racing around the Library looking for a seat or a book. If you can’t face actually working on your essay further in advance, try making use of your Library account as you go through the term: whenever you come across a useful book, save it to a list. You can create a list for each topic in your Library account, and add a book from its Library Search record. This way you will have a ready-made list of books when a deadline looms.
Mostly 2: The midnight owl.
Sometimes you pull a late one when submission day looks scary, but you prefer working at night anyway. The Library is quiet, no one is using the books you need – except those books that are already out on loan. Remember that you can request a hold on a book, so that when it’s returned it will be held for you and you’ll be notified by email.
Mostly 3: The morning lark.
You’re in the Library at 08:00 sharp, coffee in hand, and no one is getting those short loan books before you! But wait, someone’s already booked that vital set text? Helpfully, you can reserve a short loan book for a specific day online, from the book’s record on Library Search.
Mostly 4: The elephant who never forgets.
I know, you’ve got it all covered. You track down key books on your reading list in advance, downloading the e-book if you’ll keep referring to it and staking out a seat in one of the Floor 2 Silent Study rooms for your intense writing stints. But you can go further: get hold of unusual resources that aren’t on your reading list – or even in the Library – by requesting them through Document Supply , Article Reach or filling in a book suggestion form.
Images:
Hare at Homebush (2)/Richard Taylor/ CC BY-NC 2.0
Owl in Montesiepi/Antonio Cinotti/ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Rufous-naped Lark, Mirafra africana at Pilanesberg National Park, South Africa/ Derek Keats/CC BY 2.0
Elephant/William Warby/CC BY 2.0
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