Welcome Week, Semester 2: the Library can’t wait to meet you!

cartoon graphic for welcome week 2021

Have you ever wondered what 5 million Library resources look like? The best way to get familiar with the services and facilities we have to offer is Welcome Week, Semester 2.

From Monday 2 August to Week 1 of Semester 2, we have a jam-packed schedule of awesome activities for you to take part in.

Learn about what study looks like at Uni with Welcome to your Library

Finding information at uni will probably be a bit different from what you’ve done in the past. At uni, you’re part of the scholarly conversation. Find out more about what that means, your responsibilities as a contributor, and how you can get the most out of it.

Get to know our friendly team at Meet the Library Online

The Library is a safe and inclusive community looking forward to welcoming you. Join us for an online Q&A session with Meet the Library Online. Our friendly team is here to answer all your questions about our services and how we can best support you to succeed at uni.

Meet your peers at Plan Your Semester & Think.Create.Innovate

Starting uni is exciting, but it can also be a little overwhelming. Peer Learning Advisors are current students who will share with you their tips on how to manage your time, refine your study skills, or just look after yourself. Come along to Plan Your Semester to organise your semester well ahead and Think.Create.Innovate to discover the coolest and most innovative spaces on campus!

Make new friends at Uni with Speed Meet & Chat and Ni Hao Mate

One of the most exciting things about starting uni is meeting cool and interesting people! Come along to Speed Meet & Chat get a chance to meet heaps of people in this fast-paced session and Ni Hao Mate to learn about Chinese and Australian culture!

Check out our full program of events of the Welcome Week website.

We can’t wait to meet you!

Seeing the Unseen exhibition

Image of pregnant woman from seeing the unseen exhibition

Our new exhibition, Seeing the Unseen: A history of imaging the pregnant uterus, sourced from The University Library’s Rare Books & Special Collections, features significant works that aided the professional development of midwifery and the practice of obstetrics between the 16th and 19th centuries.

Intended to assist in the instruction of practising midwives, the works describe and illustrate the anatomy of the gravid (pregnant) uterus, as well as discussing possible treatments during complicated labour.

The exhibition was curated by Ben Higginbotham, a fourth-year student in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney.

Seeing the Unseen is on display at the SciTech Library and Fisher Library (Level 3) until 30 July 2021.

Image from: Cesare, Giulio (Casserius) (1452-1519). Opera quae extant, omnia. Ex recensione Ioh: Antionidae Vander Linden. Amsterdam; Apud Iohannem Blaev: 1645.

How to be as exam ready & least stressed as possible this semester

Feel like you have more to learn that brain capacity? Panicking over impending deadlines? Pressure and stress to pass & do well?

Exam time is tough, and at the Library, the hub of group assignments, 3am cramming & intense studying, we know all about it! So, together with the STAR team (Student Transition and Retention), we are here to help!

Here are some ways you can destress and study effectively for exams this semester:

Therapy Dogs

What better way to unwind than a soft, furry cuddle from one of our four-legged friends? Therapy dogs will be visiting Fisher, SciTech and The Quarter Libraries during our Exam Ready program so you can take a break and get your dose of puppy love. Visit our Facebook page for details.

Yoga and Meditation

Reduce your stress by taking some time out for you this exam period. Our free yoga and meditation sessions are designed to refresh your body and mind between study sessions, so you can stress less & focus more. Free fruit is also provided at the end of each session. Visit the Exam Ready page for more details.

Focus & Study

If you find it challenging to power through distractions and get things done, our Focus & Study sessions are for you. Using the Pomodoro technique, these sessions are all about short bursts of intense productivity. Come along with your study notes and walk away feeling accomplished.
Visit the Exam Ready page for more details.

Nap zone

Sleep = the secret power to retaining information. Drop by our Nap zones in Fisher and Health Sciences Libraries for a power nap to rejuvenate and up your productivity. Visit the Exam Ready page for more details.

Craft at ThinkSpace

Get creative, messy and give your brain a break with some craft at ThinkSpace. Drop by and get creative those creative skills in action- a zen way to clear a cluttered mind. Visit the Exam Ready page for more details.

The Library and the STAR team (Student Transition and Retention) have lots more activities happening this semester to help you get through exams. Visit the Library website for more information and for the full program.

How we’ve improved our study spaces

Following our Lion’s Den challenge and recent surveys, Library staff have been working hard to introduce new ideas into our spaces to make student experience even better… just in time for first semester exams.

Improvements we’ve been working on include: 

Improved Kitchenette facilities

In Fisher Library, we’ve improved our kitchenette facilities with new microwaves and seating areas. Don’t forget – there’s also vending machines and a 24/7 coffee machine available for late night study energy boosts.

More study spaces & standing desks

We have installed over 190 new study spaces across SciTech, Fisher and Law Libraries, equipped with power and USB outlets. Prefer studying standing up? We have new high-level standing desks on Level 6 of Fisher Library.

Silent Zones

Noticed our new blue ‘Silent’ signage around our spaces?  Last year our Library staff conducted surveys on our 3-tiered Quiet, Silent and Group zoning. Results showed that this system was generally too confusing, therefore the new scheme simply has specific marked silent zones and all other spaces are unmarked.  

If you want a quiet place to study, head for a spot with blue signage.

Printing in central locations

All printers in Fisher Library are now located on levels 3 & 4. There are also quick print service ICT kiosks available for your convenience.

True to Type

If you have ever created a digital document, chances are you’ve come across the terms Italic, Roman, and Sans Serif.

This exhibition tells the story of these three enduring letter-form classifications, through early examples drawn from Rare Books & Special
Collections.

When: 25 October 2018 – 31st January 2019

Where: Fisher Library, Level 3  Corridor & SciTech Library, glass cabinets

Need a desk? Book-a-Desk!

Ever wander around the Library looking for a desk? Wander no more! We extended the trial of a desk booking system for Semester 1.

Students and staff may now book an individual desk at Fisher, Law, and SciTech libraries as well as in the Quarter . As part of an extended trial, approximately 115 desks will be bookable just like a meeting room.

To book a desk for up to 8 hours, go to http://sydney.edu.au/library/book-a-desk.