Library Newsletter: Summer 2021

As summer draws to end we hope all staff and students had a lovely relaxing summer!

With the new academic year steadily approaching we want to take this opportunity to welcome new staff and students to LIT. We wish you the very best of luck in your work and studies. Once you have settled in feel free to pop into the library for a look around or to introduce yourself!

Of course we would also like to welcome existing staff and students back to LIT! We hope this academic year will be a happier, healthier and more normal year for all. Best of luck with the start of lectures and we look forward to meeting staff and students again in person.  

Library Locations and Opening Hours

There are currently four libraries across LIT's campuses. There is a library in Moylish, LSAD (Limerick School of Art & Design), Thurles, and Clonmel. For more details on library locations please click here. 

Moylish, LSAD and Thurles library are currently open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. Clonmel library is temporarily closed. Due to the on-going COVID-19 situation please be aware that our opening hours may change. Please check the library website for the most up-to-date opening hours.

Library Membership and Accessing the Library's Online Resources

Library accounts are automatically created for students when they join LIT. Your college I.D. card will act as your library card and library membership is free.

To access the library's online resources you will need to use your username and your password. Your username will either be your K-number or your first name and last name with a full-stop in-between (for example Mary Bloggs' username would be mary.bloggs). Your password is the same as your LIT email password.

You can also access your library account online via the library website to renew books you have borrowed or to check when your books are due to be returned. To access, go to the library website and click on My Library Account as shown below circled in red. 

Study Desks, Computers and Printing

There are study desks and workstations with computers available in the library for students to use freely. These are available during opening hours and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

Printing is also available for students from the library. Moylish library has a print room in the library. LSAD and Thurles libraries have printers in the library and Clonmel has printers on campus. There is a charge for printing and print balances can be topped up via the Student Portal.

Finding Books and Journal Articles

To begin searching for books and journal articles go to the Library Website.

Print books can be found by searching the Library Catalogue, finding the book's call number, and retrieving the book from the shelf. Once you have searched for a book on the Library Catalogue and clicked into a book you like, you will see the record of the book where you can find the book's call number (circled in red below). Each book is assigned an individual call number depending on it's subject and it is arranged on the library' shelves in numerical order. To find out more about locating print books within the library please click here or checkout some of our How To videos. 

EBooks / online books and online journal articles can be found by using the library search engine Discover! and by searching the library Databases. The Discover! search box is circled below in red and the link to the library Databases is circled below in blue. 

Borrowing and Returning Books

Books can be read in the library and they can also be borrowed and taken home by students and staff. Undergraduate students can borrow up to 7 items for 2 weeks. Postgraduate students can borrow up to 9 items for 3 weeks. Students can also renew their books if they need more time as long as another student isn't waiting to use the books. Find more information about borrowing and renewing books here.

Ordinarily books can be borrowed and renewed at the Library Issue Desk using your LIT student card. However, due to COVID-19 we are now offering a Click and Collect service instead. To avail of the Click and Collect service you need to reserve your books via the Library Catalogue and then wait for an email to advise that the books are ready for collection from the library. Please click here for a guide on how to use our Click and Collect service.

When returning books please leave the books at the library issue desk or use the Library's Book Return Box situated outside the library. Pictured below is the Library Book Return Box outside Moylish library

Getting Help / Contact Us

Although the library issue desks are closed due to COVID-19, library staff are available by phone (Moylish 061 293265, LSAD 061 293380, or Thurles 0504 28076), by email (library@lit.ie) and via our library chat (go to the library website and the chat will pop up).

If you are looking for help with anything like searching for articles, writing literature reviews, or referencing please check out our excellent online Library Guides. 

In recognition of the importance of promoting equality, diversity and inclusion at LIT, Nadene Ryan from the Library team has become the library representative on LIT's EDI Champions Forum.   

The forum will be used as a key communications channel for EDI related discussions, events and activities.

So far this year, the Champions have been involved in raising the Pride flag at LIT campuses and taking part in LGBTQ+ workshops on allyship and support services. They helped to celebrate the various cultures and nationalities present at LIT for the World Day for Cultural Diversity, and attended talks on Race and Gender Equality held at other Irish Universities. 

The Forum members are committed to keeping informed on EDI issues, celebrating international days, and maintaining an open dialogue so that all our staff and students continue to feel welcome and supported. 

Nadene Ryan joined the LIT Library team in March 2021.

Originally from Nenagh, she spent the past 10 years in Dublin where she worked as a journalist and English teacher before becoming a Senior Library Assistant with Fingal Libraries.

She recently graduated from the University of Sheffield where she studied Library and Information Services Management, and is delighted to have made the move back to Munster to begin a career with LIT.

Her hobbies include art and hiking, and she is currently based in Moylish library.   

Our Harvard Referencing Guide has been updated!

Over the summer library team member Nora was hard at work updating and revamping the much used online library guide Write it Right - a guide to Harvard referencing style. 

The updates include more relevant examples for students and staff for the year 2021!

Make sure to check out the guide to learn about referencing, plagiarism, citing and how to create a reference list.

The guide also provides examples on how to reference sources such as websites, images, eBooks, online journal articles and newspapers.

It is available to view online and it is also available to download as a PDF.

Follow us on our Library Instagram page created by our fantastic staff member Nadene Ryan! Search for library.lit on Instagram.

It was National Heritage Week from the 14th to the 22nd of August 2021.

National Heritage Week is an initiative by the Heritage Council that celebrates all things heritage. The Heritage Council have curated the following useful links connected with Irish Heritage. 

If you are interested in more information on Irish heritage you might want to explore some of the wonderful Irish heritage related books available in the library. Please see the gallery of National Heritage Week books the library has created below. 

Find our main library Facebook page HERE or search for @LIT.Library on Facebook.

Find our LSAD library specific Facebook page HERE or search for @lsadlibrary on Facebook.