Overwhelmed with core and recommended texts? Fancy something a little lighter?
There’s more to the library than textbooks and study resources!
Reading for pleasure can benefit and enrich you beyond your academic pursuits and there’s great value to reading for its own sake, helping to improve your wellbeing.
Fiction books
Why not visit the library and choose some titles to read whilst you take a break from studying, if you are looking for fiction titles you will find our Love to Read collection based in the Library Café, some Festive Reads in the Welcome Hall and a great range available in Block D, Floor 1, classmark P of the Templeman Library where a variety of classics and more recent fiction is available to borrow. For electronic access check out titles available via Libby.
Films
If film is more your fancy then don’t forget that the library has access to a number of resources where you can stream and access film, television and radio content. Kanopy’s classic film collections includes titles such as The Watermelon Woman, Little Shop of Horrors and the original 1930’s A Star is Born. There is also a huge range of British and World Cinema as well as documentaries (The mask you live in), spanning a range of topics. BFIplayer have a fantastic selection of free clips and footage for you to enjoy – check out the selections.
Plays and Productions
Missing going to the theatre? Digital Theatre Plus provides access to around 300 plays and productions including both classics and contemporary theatre from companies such as Shakespeare’s Globe and the Broadway Digital Archive. Plays include Macbeth, King Lear, The Crucible, Grapes of Wrath, 15 Heroines and A Blues for Nia.
TV and Radio
BoB On Demand TV and Radio also offers a wide diversity of programmes to watch and listen to with an archive of content from nine channels: BBC1 London / BBC2 / BBC4 / ITV London / Channel 4 / More4 / Channel 5 / BBC Radio 4 / BBC Radio 4 Extra dating back to the 1950s. As well as searching for your favourite shows you can also access public playlists and search for handpicked videos from other universities on your chosen topic.
Must read classics online
Project Gutenberg is a library of over 60,000 free e- books. Choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online. You will find the world’s great literature here, with focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired.
Classic books online from Library of Congress This resource provides access to many older titles electronically to enjoy. It also has a great list of author webcasts to listen to, including authors like Chinua Achebe and Isabel Allende.
Sci-fi, fantasy and horror online
Digital fiction pub – great if fantasy and sci-fi are more your thing, supporting speculative works and up and coming authors. You may discover the next Aldous Huxley or Neil Gaiman.
Graphic novels online
Read graphic novels online – a blogpost site dedicated to listing access to some fantastic visual delights. Personal favourites are ‘Fun Home’ by Alison Bechdel and ‘Persepolis’ by Marjane Satrapi.
We hope you find some time to take a break from your studies and wish you a restful winter break!