You have access to a variety of study spaces at both the Engineering and West Hub Libraries which you are welcome to use for independent study, collaboration and relaxation.

The Engineering Library in Central Cambridge is open from 08:00 on weekdays and you can use your University ID card to access the library after 17:00 and at weekends. The West Hub Library at West Cambridge is open to all from 08:00-21:00, Monday to Friday. 

Borrow stationery, chargers, headphones and cables while you are in the library.

When you need to go beyond your lecture notes, find a link to the reading list for each course on Moodle.

Make use of Access Engineering to access textbooks online, look up topics and equations and find alternative explanations (including video explanations). Particularly useful during revision.

Use Browzine to find articles for the exposition course.

In the Engineering Library, find reference copies of your reading list books in the Tripos Collection in the North Corridor, and borrowable copies in the main library collection (A-T in the Silent Space, T-Z in the Collaborative Space).

We aim to support you beyond your studies so please do take advantage of this by browsing the EDI, Wellbeing and Science Fiction sections of our Beyond Engineering collection in the Engineering Library Collaborative Space.

Hopefully, you are now very familiar with the Engineering Library at Trumpington Street. If you are studying at West Cambridge this year, you can also meet the other half of the Technology Libraries Team, ask questions, and make use of the space at the West Hub.

Remember:

• Find a link to the reading list for each course on Moodle.
• Find reference copies of your reading list books in the Tripos Collection in the Engineering Library North Corridor, and borrowable copies in the main library collection (A-T in the Silent Space, T-Z in the Collaborative Space).
• This Beyond Engineering collection includes borrowable books and online resources on Study skills, Careers, Wellbeing, Equality, diversity and inclusion, and Science fiction.

As you start working on independent projects which require you to find information or academic literature, you will need to go beyond reading lists and textbooks.

We recommend you start with:

• iDiscover: Contains all the print books and ebooks in your Cambridge Libraries, as well as many other easy-access online resources.
• Scopus: A very large inter-disciplinary database of journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, and other academic literature.
• Compendex: An engineering-focussed database of academic literature. Note that Compendex includes preprints and dissertations which are not peer-reviewed in the same way as journal articles or conference papers.

If you need help, just ask a librarian or book a 1-1 timeslot with a member of the library team.

Hopefully, you are now familiar with the library study spaces available to you and the types of resources you can make use of (stationery, hardware, study buddies, as well as books!).

Remember:

• When you need to go beyond your lecture notes, find a link to the reading list for each course on Moodle.
• Find reference copies of your reading list books in the Tripos Collection in the Engineering Library North Corridor, and borrowable copies in the main library collection (A-T in the Silent Space, T-Z in the Collaborative Space).

This year you might want to go further and explore…

• Subject overviews, case studies, material properties data and more, to go deeper into a topic with Knovel.
• The content and features available in Access Engineering to help you understand what you’re learning in lectures and labs. Also useful for looking up definitions, equations, methods, etc. during revision.
• Professional magazines. Find print copies between the SciFi books and the Student Supplies in the Engineering Library Collaborative Space, or browse online with Browzine.
• The Study skills and Careers sections in our Beyond Engineering collection in the Engineering Library Collaborative Space.

To develop and successfully apply the skills you need for your 4th year project you can:

• Attend the Finding What You Need for your 4th Year Project session timetabled during Michaelmas Term
• Visit the Databases A-Z to find the best places to search for literature for your literature review, or other information you need for your project
• If you would like help deciding where to search or help reviewing your search terms, book a 1-1 timeslot with a member of the library team.
• To learn about research methods make use of the Communication and Research Skills: Research methods section (Engineering Library shelfmark: ZF) in the Beyond Engineering collection.

Remember:

• Make use of study spaces at the Engineering Library and the West Hub
• Find a link to the reading list for each course on Moodle.
• Find reference copies of your reading list books in the Tripos Collection in the Engineering Library North Corridor, and borrowable copies in the main library collection (A-T in the Silent Space, T-Z in the Collaborative Space).
• The Beyond Engineering collection includes books and online resources on Study skills, Careers, Wellbeing, Equality, diversity and inclusion, and Science fiction.

If you need help, ask a librarian or book a 1-1 timeslot with a member of the library team.