Connect V: Home

For September the Library will be publishing dissertations digitally.

This means they will be more accessible - anytime and anywhere they'll be available to you and your students, and as they can be read by a screen reader, they'll be fully accessible too.  Dissertations will be held on ResourceBank and linked from the relevant course and unit areas in myUCA. They will be kept for three years and only available to University staff and students.

All undergraduate dissertations awarded 70% or above and all postgraduate dissertations awarded 65% or above will be collected automatically and published and the Library will be in touch with course teams over the summer to select dissertations awarded between 65% and 69% which may also be published.

The the new reading list service - myReadingList - is now up and running ready for September. 

myReadingList is now being rolled out across the University, with course teams now busy creating reading lists, recent examples include - Film Production and Graphic Design.  The introduction of myReadingList enables you to create and publish readings lists for your students, which provides direct links to reading materials and provides for greater visibility, integration and consistency of lists, which are created, edited and published within myUCA.

The Liaison Librarians are providing online training now - so you can start creating your own reading lists ahead of the new academic year.

Going, going, gone...

Following a review earlier in the year the Library is removing fines on all University loans from September 2020 - they will be replaced by account blocks.  This means you won't be able to borrow any items until you've returned anything which is overdue.

Fines will still be charged on non-University items which are returned late - for example loans obtained via the Document Supply Service - as these relate to items owned by external libraries.  Damaged or lost items will also still be charged at replacement value plus a small administrative charge.

Live Streaming available now!

The streaming service, eStream can record and store TV programmes from all UK free to view channels.  In addition it is possible to access the recordings of every other university that also uses eStream. This means that, along with the University's membership of National Learning on Screen, you and your students have access to over 2 million programmes.  Make your request now using the Request Now form.

In partnership with campus technical teams it is possible for eStream to offer a simple one-click live broadcast function. This enables you to live stream instantly and has some great potential to broadcast - lectures, conferences, workshops and symposiums - all can be live streamed both internally within within the University and externally to a wider audience.

Teaching Online – myUCA Collaborate

Due to the sudden closure of the University's campuses, the move to online teaching and learning has been fast paced and successful through use of Blackboard's Collaborate webinar tool available within myUCA.

Collaborate allows you to create your own online room into which you can invite students and colleagues to chat over video and/or share your computer desktop, applications, polls and interactive whiteboard, and create breakout spaces for meetings, tutorials, workshops and lectures - enabling you to continue teaching and students continuing to learn effectively wherever they are in the world.

To view a recording of the recent Collaborate webinar click the screen -

If you would like more information about how to set up and use Collaborate email the team at - mycoursehelp@uca.ac.uk.

Conference Report - Cartoon Animation: Satire and Subversion (February 2020, UCA Farnham)

The conference marked the Golden Jubilee of Animation at UCA! Setup by Bob Godfrey it was first animation course in the UK higher education sector. The one-day interdisciplinary symposium was accompanied by an exhibition from the Godfrey Archive.

The conference and exhibition were organised by Birgitta Hosea, Emma Reyes and Jim Walker; and offered a diverse interdisciplinary perspective including scholars from animation, film, comedy, illustration, cartooning, philosophy, psychology, queer and gender studies. Keynote speakers included Dr Sharon Lockyer, Director of the Centre for Comedy Studies Research, Brunel University and Steve Bell, Guardian cartoonist.

Other speakers included Dr Maggie Gray, Kingston School of Art, a scholar from the field of comic studies; Animation director filmmaker Kate Jessop, University of Brighton who’s research was rooted in the values of feminism currently circulating in ‘adult animation’; and Pierre Floquet from Bordeaux INP who focused on the work of “Tex” Avery in the Disney style. 

Other contributors highlighted the power of the printed cartoon - Professor Fran Lloyd, Kingston School of Art gave an illustrated presentation on the drawings of German émigré Peter Sachs, who worked at the Larkins Studio in London from 1943-1955, and where animator Godfrey had himself trained. Sarah Tehan, Belfast School of Art/Ulster University focused on the cartoon’s propagandist function and its vital role in wartime communication. David Wischer, University of Kentucky provided a reflection of his own animation practice and gallery art. 

Finally, the papers of Professor Paul Ward, Arts University Bournemouth and Dr José L. Valhondo-Crego, Universidad de Extremadura were bound together by diverse understandings of topicality and the recovery of memory.

Jewellery as Art

​Klimt02 is a subscription website that offers an insight into a world of cutting-edge contemporary jewellery design, providing images and information and showcasing modern jewellery within the industry.  

This website is international in coverage but has a focus on continental Europe. It provides relevant and valuable content by including articles, interviews and video commentaries on the website. These are helpful if you need to develop a context or write about your crafting practice. Individual jewellers can use the website as a forum to show their work.

Klimt02 provides information about jewellery-related events: exhibitions, trade fairs, workshops, organizations, courses, publications and profiles of noted jewellers. Additionally, it is a place to find out about competitions and awards available for developing creatives.

Anyone studying jewellery and design will find browsing its pages inspiring.

The library subscribes to over 50 databases - collections of articles, images, electronic books and other resources - to support your learning, teaching, research and creative practice.

To see a full list of all the databases see the Database A-Z.