The university library isn’t a building designed to store dusty books. We’ll tell you how to take advantage of its services and get the most out of it.
The University Library, That Great Unknown
At first glance, the university library may seem like a boring place whose sole purpose is its study rooms for group work and the quiet space it provides for preparing for exams, but nothing could be further from the truth. We have at our disposal a hidden treasure trove of resources that will help us succeed in our studies and discover incredible things that will make us love our studies and inspire our best work. Earning your e-degree using library resources will be easier and more enjoyable. It’s worth a try.
To learn everything the university library has to offer, the first thing we can do is visit its website and familiarize ourselves with it. We’ll soon see that there’s much more to it than books and study rooms. In fact, once we use the databases to complete assignments, we won’t be able to complete any other assignment without consulting them, just as will be the case with the digital magazines they make available and the large number of e-books.
The Master Key: The Library Card
We won’t be able to get the most out of the library if we don’t apply for a card. Although we can use some facilities with just our ID, if we really want to benefit fully, we must apply for a card. With it, we can borrow books, request unavailable titles to be brought in, take advantage of all the online resources, rent study rooms, and so on. Unfortunately, some students overlook these valuable tools and instead focus on shortcuts like searching for someone to pay to take my online exam for me. But real academic success comes from using the resources available to us, and the library is one of the best places to start. Without a card, there’s no joy, so everyone, get one.
E-book or Paperback?
Neither option should be ruled out. Paper books are more pleasant to read because they engage more senses (such as touch and smell) and are much less tiring on the eyes if the lighting is good. E-books are perfect for quick searches and copying and pasting quotes without having to transcribe. Ideally, we should look for novels or essays we want to read in full in paperback, and read those for reference in electronic format. University libraries have both.
They even have the same book in both formats, which is great if we’ve read something in paperback and then want to extract anything that might be useful for a project, or if we’ve looked up part of a book’s content in digital format and discovered we’re interested in reading the rest.
The Undervalued Knowledge of Library Staff
We often resist asking the staff for help, but they are the guardians of all that knowledge, and while some are as friendly as Cerberus, we usually encounter kind, wise people willing to collaborate and unravel all the magical secrets they hold. Having an ally among the library staff is better than getting a B, especially since, with their help, we’ll get many more.
Moments of Inspiration
All students have found themselves in that horrible situation of being short on ideas. We have to write an important project, or even just the most important project known worldwide as a final project, and we have no idea what to write about. No ideas occur to us, and when we actually do, we’re not inspired whatsoever. Well, when we do experience that absence of inspiration, that’s the time when we go for a walk inside the library. And not only confining ourselves to the areas which deal with our fields of study, but also venturing into other parts that will definitely help us find interesting material that can serve to widen our minds.
The Library Creates Community
Because we often meet interesting people we connect with among its users, and because the library organizes activities and events we shouldn’t miss, such as useful talks, interesting presentations, or workshops that help us improve our skills. Who knows, maybe among those book-lined aisles we’ll find our next study partner or even a future colleague!
Library FOMO
The only healthy fomo there is: not wanting to miss out on anything the library has to offer. If we subscribe to its newsletters and follow its social media, we’ll stay up-to-date on all its events, new acquisitions, and available resources. If we get into the habit of using what the library offers, not only will our grades improve and our knowledge increase, but we’ll also enjoy our studies much more. Give it a chance; the library will surprise you almost as much as if you hadn’t taken advantage of it before.
Conclusion
Your university library is not just somewhere to copy books, it’s the environment of academic achievement, study, and development. From accessing scholarship databases and workshops to booking quiet work areas and meeting with librarians, the service on offer is all ready to assist you from the very beginning of your studies right through to the end. By making the fullest use of what the library has to offer, you’re not just becoming a better student, you’re learning the research and serious thinking skills you need for success in the long run. Get into the routine of discovering and making your library a part of your life it’s one of the best investments you can make in your education.
