If students were animals… which would you be? Library tips for each type of student

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?

  1. Yes!
  2. I did once time started to run out
  3. Only a little
  4. Nope

Do you do all your work at the last minute?

  1. When else?
  2. Quite a lot of it: I do a late-night blitz in the Silent Study rooms on Floor 2
  3. I’ve been known to get up at dawn on submission day!
  4. I can’t think of anything worse

Do you reserve short loan books you know you’ll need?

  1. You can do what?
  2. When I remember to log into my Library account
  3. I prefer to go in when the Library opens and get my books before anyone else
  4. Always

Do you zip through e-books because you don’t have time to search the shelves?

  1. Of course. Who needs paper books?
  2. Sometimes, but you can often get the books late at night
  3. I use e-books when the hard copy isn’t available
  4. I use a combination of e-books and paper books, by planning my research efficiently

Have you experienced the Library at midnight?

  1. On the night before a deadline, yes!
  2. My favourite time to be there
  3. No thanks, I’d rather get up early to do my work and then go to the pub
  4. Are you kidding?

 

Results:

Mostly 1: You are the wild-eyed hare.

If students were animals… which would you be? Library tips for each type of student

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.

If students were animals… which would you be? Library tips for each type of student

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.

If students were animals… which would you be? Library tips for each type of student

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.

If students were animals… which would you be? Library tips for each type of student

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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