Month: January 2018

Automatic renewals of Library items

Posted on by Katarina Ferro
University of Sydney Library

This year we’ve enabled automatic renewals for our general collections to help people avoid fines when they forget to renew the things they’ve borrowed from us. Additionally, it’ll help us get our items back for RFID tagging, and mean we can better maintain our collection.

This means we’ll be automatically extending your loans up to four times (48 weeks) – You don’t need to do this yourself any more. We’ll renew for you if:

  • your fines are under $30
  • they’re from our general collection
  • your account hasn’t expired
  • no-one else has requested the item you’ve borrowed from us.

The only things we won’t automatically renew for you are:

  • If we’ve borrowed it from BONUS+ or it’s through Document Delivery
  • Equipment
  • 2 hour collection (as this is a high demand collection)
  • Items that have already been renewed four times or more.

If you’d still like to keep it after a year or four renewals (whichever comes sooner), they’ll need to come back before you can re-borrow them. If you have extenuating circumstances, please reply to the last email notice you got from the Library so we can work with you.

We’ll let you know when it’s time to bring the items back by email, no need to renew anything manually anymore!

Rare Breeds: The Dogs of Rare Books and Special Collections

Posted on by Katarina Ferro
Topsell, Edward. The history of four-footed beasts and serpents. London : Printed by E. Cotes, for G. Sawbridge ... T. Williams ... and T. Johnson, 1658. RB Wing G624.

 

When: Until 31st January 2018

Where: Level 3 Corridor, Fisher Library F03 and Scitech Library

 

They pursue ill-fated hares across the pages of treatises on hunting; captivate poets and artists as the subjects of dedicated portraits and odes; linger quietly as background figures in illustrations and paintings; and populate narratives in all manner of roles from protagonist to confidante.

Dogs appear frequently in cultural records of many kinds dating back to antiquity. This is hardly surprising, given the longevity and strength of their relationship with humans. Their companionship and utility to man have been extensively documented and discussed by historians, scientists and enthusiasts. Also evident is their ability to captivate the human imagination as exemplars and symbols, positive and sinister, from models of loyalty to harbingers of death.

This exhibition presents a selection of cultural depictions of dogs found in Rare Books & Special Collections, and thus a snapshot of the canine-human relationship as expressed in art and literature. From the wild and mysterious to the familiar and faithful, dogs of all kinds have been coaxed from their kennels, dens and chaise-lounges into the spotlight. No doubt there are many more waiting to be found.