The Library’s resource discovery tool, Primo, will be unavailable for a short while tomorrow morning (Thursday 05/11/15) between 08:00 and 09:30 while essential updates are installed. We apologise for any inconvenience. The Library Catalogue will still be available so if you need to search for books or journals please use it in the meantime.

This morning’s solar eclipse was rather impressive, despite preceding weather reports which suggested that we might see nothing at all due to cloudy conditions. The Sir Duncan Rice Library offered excellent views of the event, with all 3 meeting rooms on the 7th floor bustling with staff and students eager to watch proceedings unfold. Several pairs of dark glasses had thoughtfully been provided, and as the sky went dark we could see crowds of people outside gazing to the heavens as the semi-dark cast an eerie atmosphere across the campus and far out to sea. The passing clouds also created a slight rainbow effect, which you can hopefully just about discern in the photos here.

Hopefully you were able to enjoy it yourself. If not then never fear, there’ll be another good one along in 2026. In the meantime, why not go and read the Tintin classic Prisoners of the Sun, in which a total solar eclipse plays a key part in events? Now that’s what I call making good use of an inter library loan.

Did you know that the University’s Library, Museums and Special Collections have produced a wide-ranging series of factsheets designed to help you with all aspects of using the University’s vast range of resources? From the simple stuff such as how to find a book to more in-depth guides on how to use specific databases like LION, Medline and Westlaw or referencing software such as RefWorks, there’s a guide out there to assist you with pretty much anything that you’re trying to do. IT Services also have their own range of guides to help with technical matters such as printing, configuring your wireless connection and using various software.

New guides just added include one on using the Linkbuilder tool on Westlaw UK and a quick guide to the OGEL database.

Guides can be found under the Help and Support tab on the Library homepage. Have a look and see if there’s something there that can help you!

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/library/support/guides/

As you can see, we have implemented an exciting new look for the InfoLinks blog!

Additions include a list of helpful links on the right hand side of the home page to remind you about the other blogs for the different areas that make up the Library here at the University – The Medical Library and the Taylor Library both have their own sites giving you constant updates, as do Museums and the Special Collections Centre.

As ever, you can still find useful information at the content links at the top, whether you’re an undergraduate, taught postgraduate, research postgraduate or a member of staff.

Hopefully you like the new look; we will continue to bring you the latest and most useful news about all that’s going on across the Library, Special Collections & Museums and an assortment of other information that you might find useful.