International students' guide

Welcome

Welcome to the Arts University College at Bournemouth (AUCB) Library. We offer a range of resources and facilities to support you with your studies. We recognise that international students may need specific information and help to make the best of Library facilities. The information below gives a basic introduction to the Library service but you are welcome to contact your Subject Librarian for further information.

 

How to join The Library

When you enroll at the AUCB you will be given an identity card. This is also your library card and you will not need to join the Library separately. Library rules are published in the Library Handbook.

 

Reading lists

When you arrive at AUCB your course tutor will have considered what you need to learn for your course unit and will have identified useful texts for you to read. Tutors will expect you to read some of the texts on this list, which will usually be divided into key and recommended texts. There may also be additional texts which are relevant to your particular interests.

 

How to find books and articles from your reading list

You may be expected to buy some textbooks but the Library will also stock titles that are on your reading list. Use the computer catalogue to find out what material is in the collection and where it is located. Books are arranged by classification numbers from 000 to 999.

 

The Library will not stock enough copies for everyone to borrow at the same time so you will need to plan your studying and reserve items in advance. Some key texts will be available for reference only and other copies may be restricted to a one week loan period.  Journals are located on the Library shelves with additional titles available electronically.

 

If you are unsure where a book is kept please ask the Library staff at the Counter or Enquiry Desk.

 

How to borrow library items

You must use your Library card to borrow items. Items can be borrowed at the Counter or by using the self-service facility in the Library. Please remember that you are responsible for the items you borrow and you will be fined if you do not bring them back on time. The Library will send an email reminder to return your items on time or if someone else has reserved them, so please check your University College email account regularly.

 

Subject Librarians

Each course has a Subject Librarian who can provide assistance for information and research skills. They will also provide an introduction to the Library service during induction week. 

 

All Subject Librarians are based in the Library and their contact details can be found on the Library intranet pages and on Blackboard.

 

Useful resources

We know that as international students you might sometimes find British culture and behaviour confusing or there may be times when you feel lonely or miss familiar things. The following resources are provided to help you.

 

  • Three Mac computers (the first three on the left) in the Library are equipped with IELTS software (International English Language Testing System).
  • Dictionaries

Dictionaries are useful for understanding what you are reading and to check words you wish to translate but they can also help you write essays, CVs and e-mails. Many larger bilingual dictionaries will have a central section with key phrases used in academic and other types of writing that will help you to select appropriate language. If your dictionary doesn’t contain a section like this then have a look in a Collins bilingual dictionary. Although you won’t get a translation into your own language you will get a useful collection of phrases to use.

 

You have access to online and paper dictionaries so that you can access a dictionary both on and off campus.

 

Paper dictionaries are kept in the Quick reference (Qref) section on the ground floor and include both bilingual dictionaries and a range of English dictionaries.

There are a range of online dictionaries:

 

  • Oxford reference online

    Over 100 dictionaries: bilingual (European languages), specialist and English dictionaries including grammar, abbreviations and proverbs. Go to http://www.aucb.ac.uk/libraryonline choose databases and scroll down.

  •  

  • Free online dictionaries

    This website has a wide range of dictionaries available for free and covers global languages. You may want to check the quality of the dictionary by looking up words you are familiar with in both languages before you use it for course work. http://www.yourdictionary.com/languages.html

 

  • Living and studying in the UK – the following Library books may be useful:
    • Andrews, R. (2008). The rough guide to England. London: Rough Guides.
    • Barron, T. (2003). Get set for study in the UK. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
    • Boden, A. (1997). The cultural gaffes pocketbook. Alresford: Management Pocketbooks.
    • Fox, K. (2004). Watching the English: the hidden rules of English behaviour. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
    • Hampshire, D. (2005). Living and working in Britain: a survival handbook. London: Survival.
    • Hargis, T.S. (2006) Rules Britannia: an insider’s guide to life in the United Kingdom. USA: Griffin.
    • Rao, K. (2005). A guide to studying and living in Britain. Oxford: How To Books.

 

  • Foreign language book collections in Bournemouth:
    Bournemouth Public Libraries have fiction and non-fiction books in a range of languages. Further details are available from the Bournemouth.gov website.

 

 

  • Common library and research terms

    The Library has created a guide that explains some of the terms you may come across when using the library resources. The guide is available on our web pages.

    Go to the guide.

 

  • Academic dishonesty

    Plagiarism is the practice of passing off someone else’s work as your own, or using someone else’s work without acknowledgement. Whilst it is an accepted part of academic study to research the ideas of others to develop your own learning, it is essential to acknowledge your sources in presenting work for assessment. You must credit the author:

     

    • When you quote or refer to words or ideas taken from a book, magazine, newspaper, song, TV programme, film, web page, letter or any other source;
    • When you reproduce diagrams, pictures or illustrations;
    • When you use information gained by interviewing somebody.

     

    You do not need to acknowledge a source when you are writing about your own experiences, observations or conclusions, or when you are using common knowledge. Common knowledge is usually interpreted as something your reader will already know or could easily find in general reference sources, or common sense observations.

     

    Using non-English language research in essays

     

    Translating quotes
    You may wish to include quotes from non-English sources in your written work. If you do this you can either translate the text or paraphrase the content in English.
    When translating quotes you will need to write “(Own translation)” after the quote. For example:

     

    In an interview with Tona Coromina the architect Michele de Lucchi explains the role of craft in design. “Craft work is absolutely necessary to be able to create, because it is the experimental laboratory of technology. It allows you to make mistakes and learn from them, something that would be impossible or very costly in industry. But design is that: the beauty of mistakes, chance …” (own translation) (2009, Coromina, Internet)

     

    Coromina, T. (2009). Por amor a lo manual. El Pais.com [Internet] 30/5/09.  Available from
    http://www.elpais.com/articulo/Tendencias/amor/manual/
    elpeputec/20090530elpepitdc_1/Tes Accessed 30/5/09.

     

    Bibliography

    If you reference a source written in a language other than English in your bibliography then you can either write the title in the original language, or an English translation with the language acknowledged. You will need to decide which you prefer and then use it consistently. For example:

     

    Cabañas Bravo, M. (2008). Arte, poder y sociedad en la España de los siglos XV a XX. Madrid: Consejo superior de investigaciones cientificas.

     

    OR

     

    Cabañas Bravo, M. (2008). Art, power and society in Spain in the fifteenth to the twentieth centuries. (in Spanish). Madrid: Consejo superior de investigaciones cientificas.

     

    If you reference a book written in a language with a non-roman alphabet, e.g. Arabic, Chinese, Russian, etc. you will need to use a standard transliteration scheme to write the title in your bibliography.

     

    Useful links

    Google translate – this gives you a rough translation
    http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en