What's in a Name? Electronic, Online, Digital Resources or What?

It may only be a little thing, but we're trying to get our terminology right. We have all these subscriptions to electronic information resources, but we're not sure which words are most meaningful to the most of our readers. So, we're doing a one-question survey. Today we experimented with the iPad - behind the scenes - but watch out for next week! We'll let you what the outcome is!

HELP WITH RESOURCES FOR RCS MUSIC HISTORY 2 ESSAY

If you're a 2nd year music student at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, then you just got lucky!  We’ve been looking at the Music History 2 essay questions to see how our online resources could help.  Here are some general hints.  We'll be emailing more hints soon.

A   You can often find a score online.   Use your computer’s snipping tool to copy little excerpts for examples.  We subscribe to Alexander Street Press Classical Scores Library (accessible online wherever you are), and Library Music Source (accessible on site).  You probably already know about IMSLP (the Petrucci library), too.

B    You can look for information in Groves Dictionary – it’s part of Oxford Music Online.  Check our e-resources page.  http://www.rcs.ac.uk/about_us/libraryandit/databases/ 

C   You can also find useful information on JSTOR.  Be clever with your searching – if the essay is asking you to link concepts (eg Liszt and literature), make sure your search terms reflect that.  Check our e-resources page.  http://www.rcs.ac.uk/about_us/libraryandit/databases/

D   If a piece of music has an English title as well as its original title, search both!

E   There’s nothing wrong with older literature, if it informs the question you are answering. However, do remember that opinions may have changed, if an article is very old indeed!!

F   Search keywords in our catalogue.  http://capitadiscovery.co.uk/rcs/  Start with a precise search (eg the composer’s name and  perhaps the piece) then broaden it if you don’t get what you need.  If you don’t find the right information under a composer’s name, try MUSIC HISTORY - and maybe the century you’re interested in.  If you’re off-site, limit your results to e-books to see if there’s anything you can read online. 

G  You can stream music by Naxos or Alexander Street Press Music Library.  Check our e-resources page.  http://www.rcs.ac.uk/about_us/libraryandit/databases/ 

H   There are also plenty of electronic journals on the e-journals page.  Start by looking for suitable journals under the List of Music Titles.  http://www.rcs.ac.uk/about_us/libraryandit/e-journals/

We're the very helpful Whittaker Library, here to help students and staff of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with their information requirements.

Scotland Weather Warning: Students Stranded at Home Today?

24:7 

Access to Library Web Resources

Wild Winds, Stormy Strings, Shrieking Sopranos, Blustering Brass?

Staff or students unable to get transport to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland today?  We realise how frustrating it is not to be able to get to us.  However, all is not lost.

We have lots of web resources (databases, information sources, electronic books and journals), so do take a look at our E-Resources pages on the RCS website, or via the Library Mahara pages.

Earlier this week, we did a blogpost about using online resources for your critical artistry assignments.  Want to read it?  Click here.

Approaches to Critical Artistry - We have Web Resources to help your Research!

24:7

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Students! Do you have to research a topic for your Critical Artistry module?
 
The Whittaker Library has lots of web resources* online - we subscribe to specialist websites on your behalf - websites and electronic journals. Find them via the Library Mahara pages or HERE on the RCS website:- http://www.rcs.ac.uk/about_us/libraryandit/databases/ 

Most things are accessible anywhere, any time - use your RCS login if you're off-site.  The subject librarians can recommend the best web resources for you.  They can also show you how to find e-books on the library catalogue.  You can use them without coming into the library at all - 24:7.
 
*Web resources, Electronic resources, E-resources - call them what you like!  They're specialist websites that we subscribe to - they aren't freely available on the web except to subscribers.

If you're interested in critical artistry, you might like to visit Rachel Kennedy's blog, where she writes about approaches to critical artistry.  Click here, and again here.

The Library's Shut! How Will You Manage?

Staff and students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland will know that the building's closed until next Monday, 5th January.  

Assignments or presentations pending? What will you do?!

The Whittaker Library subscribes to loads of online information via the web. Visit our Library and IT website, or you'll find everything via Moodle and Mahara, if you prefer that route.  Any of the resources we subscribe to will require you to login first.  That usually means picking Royal Conservatoire of Scotland from a list of universities and colleges,then entering your usual RCS login.  (Naxos is different - you'll have been given the login details.)

Whittaker Library and IT website - click HERE.  Scroll down and pick Electronic Resources, or E-Journals.

We also have E-books - they're in the catalogue like any other book.  Here's the RCS Catalogue link:- 

http://capitadiscovery.co.uk/rcs/

We look forward to seeing our students and colleagues in the New Year.  Happy Hogmanay, everyone!