Half a million e-resources now available to Library users
An image from a Paul Frenak Dance Company production, Seven and InTime.
The Monash Library’s e-resources are expanding rapidly, with nearly 500,000 ebook titles and an extensive electronic resources collection including innovative elearning resources now available to users.
Among a number of recent significant additions to the e-resource collection, Lynda.com, is a groundbreaking initiative which provides Library users access to over 1700 online video courses and tutorials.
The material available through this innovative resource covers a diverse range of software and other applications. Users can learn anything from how to use new software for business budgeting and delivering keynote presentations on Mac computers, to discovering the newest features of Photoshop, Excel and Camtasia, to highlight just a few of tutorials. The video material is delivered by expert teachers and specialists, and can be accessed from pcs, tablets or mobile devices, making it accessible to Monash users wherever they are.
Another example of the recent growth of the e-resource collection, ArtFilms Digital, offers videostreaming of hundreds of educational videos.
Subject Librarian Art, Design and Architecture, Judy Nolan, said the expansive collection provides unique perspectives.
“The ArtFilms Digital videostreaming collection includes documentaries, feature films, archival footage, film-making teaching techniques, and interviews with artists, architects and other professionals providing invaluable insights into their creativity," Ms Nolan said.
“The nature of videostreaming also opens up a new world of possibilities for students and teaching staff, allowing them to engage in learning and sharing highly relevant online content in their particular discipline that is not available for free on download channels such as YouTube."
The Library’s subscriptions to these resources allows clips to be used in lectures, or they can be linked into Moodle or lecture slides.
Other new electronic resources include those from Alexander Street Press, Kanopy, Digital Theatre Plus , and Routledge Performance Archive.
Subject Librarian for Music, Theatre and Film studies Jackie Waylen said the material married theory and practice well.
“Material from the Routledge Performance Archive was demonstrated to over 100 theatre students in first semester training sessions – which included masterclasses with specialist actor trainers from around the world," Ms Waylen said.
"This brings together the theory and practice of their subject matter in a far more graphic and memorable way than when utilising conventional resources.”
New Library resources in a subject area can be discovered by contacting your librarian, or typing the topic into Search and, once the results are displayed, selecting the preferred format from the Resource Type options.