Exam time

Examinations are upon us once more. It’s a stressful time of year for everyone, but with your cooperation and awareness of other students in the Library space, we can hopefully avoid adding to stress levels. Here are a few pointers of what to expect from the Library (and what not to expect, so that you can organize your time accordingly):

1. The Library will be open as usual from 8.30am to 9pm Monday –Thursday and 8.30am to 5pm Friday on both weeks of the exams, and 10am to 4pm on Saturday 18th May
2. All group study rooms are open for study – you don’t have to book. This includes the Whitaker Archives and the Training Room unless they are otherwise in use. Please observe the rules of the room you are using (available to view on the sign on the door)
3. 10 computers on each floor are available to book for one hour, one hour in advance, via the catalogue
4. Please respect other students by observing the rules of the space. All areas on the second floor are for quiet study only. Even if you are on the first floor, noise should be kept to a minimum
5. There is no technical or printing support in the Library after 5pm. If you need technical help, you should be here before 5pm 
6. Access past exam papers from here

We wish you the very best of luck in your exams.

Modern Life is Rubbish

Every night when I lock up the Library I notice the 'offerings' left on tables - sweet papers, empty crisp packets, plastic bottles, paper cups ... sometimes these are on full display, occasionally it feels as if they have been hidden, stuffed down the side of a PC or under a keyboard.

Collectively each week, 16-20 bags of paper cups, 10-15 bags of plastic bottles and tens of bags of unsorted rubbish are collected from our recycling bins. The reason we cannot open earlier or always at 8.30am is because of all this rubbish, the bits that are in bins and the bits left lying around.

How do the cleaners feel about cleaning up this excess mess? I wonder what makes someone leave a mess for another to clean up?

And the rubbish on the desks feels like the symptom of a larger culture. Many writers suggest that our world view has been dominated for centuries by mechanistic models of how to be (see Margaret Wheatley or Joanna Macy for instance). In this world-view we are all separate: leaving rubbish on the desk has no impact on me, I can shed it and be gone. I have no relationship to the space or to others who use it. These writers also talk of a new way of looking at ourselves in the world - as interconnected, part of a collective system. In this framework when I leave rubbish on the desk it means that I impact on the next person who uses the space, on the people waiting at the bottom of the stairs at 8.30am to use the upper floor of the Library, and on the sense of space. I see the space as a place to be cared for, I assume my responsibility for its maintenance.

Education apps for iOS

A couple of months back we looked at education apps for android ... here are some apps that (going by user reviews) could be useful if you have an iPad or iPhone.

Studying/ assignments
StudyBlue. Free app. For serious studiers they say, this app lets you create flashcards, study stats, and more.
My Study Plan. Free app. Organize your time before exams.
Clear. €1.79. Create to do lists. 
Genius Scan Free app. Scan documents and create pdfs.

Learning
iTunes U. Free app. Online catalogue of free online content from leading institutions.
TED. Free app. “The official TED app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch presents talks from some of the world's most fascinating people: education radicals, tech geniuses, medical mavericks, business gurus and music legends.”

Words and numbers
Dictionary.com. Free app. Dictionary and thesaurus, medical dictionary, scientific dictionary ...
PCalc Lite. Free app. Scientific calculator.
Google Translate. Free app. If you're learning a language - or going on holiday.
Shakespeare. Free app. The complete works plus searchable concordance.
MyScript Calculator. Free app. Solves equations you write on screen.

Science
Quick Periodic Table of the Elements. Free app.
Physics Full Course. €0.89. Plus exercises.

This is a tiny selection of the world of apps that are out there, so if you're looking for something specific that's not on our list, check out the Apps Store.