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Oxford Reference, including the Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland

Always wanted to learn a new language or improve your school French or German? Well, there’s no excuse now as you as you may have found yourself with time on your hands during this current pandemic, and not least because you can do it for free with some of Dublin City Libraries’ online resources – Transparent Language Online, uTalk and Road to IELTS. This blog is brought to you by our colleague Simon from Inchicore Library. Simon likes travelling and languages and is currently reading  "Milkman" by Anna Burns.Transparent Language OnlineYou can learn 110 plus languages including French, German, Spanish, Italian and Irish but also more exotic tongues such as Afrikaans, Bengali, Breton, Dakota, Farsi, and Maori. For those of you learning English as a second language, you can do so through 31 interface languages. Thus, you can study English through French, German and Spanish etc. but also through Thai, Arabic, Turkish and Romanian for example.Transparent features a flexible learning path, meaning you can stick to a structured course made up of a number of units containing three lessons and an assessment, or you can follow the Practice activities in Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. You could, of course, do a combination of both. The units feature real-life themes such as Organising your Trip, Staying at a Hotel and Dealing with Money. You can follow your progress through reports that are automatically generated and a Learned Vocabulary tracker, which also act as a motivation to progress. A grammatical approach is also catered for with a comprehensive grammar reference section including verb conjugations, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and commonly confused words.In my opinion, the best and most fun feature is the speech recognition tool where you listen to a word or phrase spoken by a native speaker, then record your own attempt at pronunciation and see your score on a dial. You can listen to your attempt and compare with the original and repeat the process to try and increase your score. A graphic speech wave pattern also appears as an aid to pronunciation.If you are learning English or one of the major European languages, in addition to the structured course you have access under the Browse tab to many practice activities such as immersion conversation activities at elementary to advanced levels. These include topics such as Finance, Medical, Moving Overseas and Home Sweet Home (topical or what?). Under the Resources tab there is access to features such as Word of the Day, Blogs, Transparent on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, PDF resources and a Proficiency Test with 50 questions.There are courses for children too with “Kidspeak” in 6 languages: Chinese, English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Using colourful animation this contains lessons on the alphabet, colours, numbers, and songs along with downloadable puzzles and activity PDFs.Library members can access Transparent Language through RB Digital on our Dublin City Libraries website using their Library card number and PIN. If you are not a library member, you can get a card number.To use Transparent Languages Online (TLO) app, please follow these steps:1. Register or log on (if you are already registered to use RBdigital magazines you can use the same log-in details)2. You need to select a language course when logged in on a browser.3. Now click Menu >Get the app > use the log-in credentials supplied by TLO.4. Download the TLO Mobile App on Google Play - Android | iTunes - iOS and enter the log-in credentials supplied by TLOuTalk is another of Dublin City Libraries’ online language-learning resources. With this you can learn the basics of over 140 languages including familiar languages such as Italian, Russian, German, French, Chinese, Japanese, French, Spanish and Irish. There are also lots of minority languages like Albanian, Basque, Burmese, Esperanto, Sicilian, Mongolian, Urdu and even Cockney! There are almost as many (130) interface/help languages, so for example, if you are Brazilian you could learn Polish through Brazilian Portuguese or if you are from Spain you could try Irish through Spanish.Each language consists of 64 topics with 35+ words/phrases in each – a total of 2,200 phrases. The topics cover real-life situations you could encounter on a visit to that country, including sections on transport, restaurant, shopping, directions, emergencies, and social phrases. Intelligence gathering is also a topic, perhaps not a real-life situation for most of us! In addition, there are sections on the alphabet, prepositions, and adjectives.The method of learning is chiefly through listening, speaking and game playing. You listen repeatedly to words and phrases spoken by native speakers - each phrase is heard with a male and female voice for diversity. You can listen at normal speed and use a slow speed option, then record yourself and compare your effort to the native pronunciation, repeating as often as you wish. Your learning is then consolidated by use of a game where you match the card shown to a phrase you have just learned. With the Speaking Game you record yourself against your own pronunciation. Having recorded a few given phrases, you then must identify these phrases when they are presented back to you visually by a virtual card. There are also memory games in which you match the phrase to a card, playing against the clock and a final game where you test your recall and pronunciation of all the phrases in the topic.Access to uTalk is administered by the Central Library Dublin and is offered mainly to learners participating in courses such as City of Dublin ETB, and group-learning settings for ESOL (English as a Second Language). Normally, you have to register in person but for the duration of the Covid_19 pandemic you can send an email to [email protected] requesting a link to the registration page and a log-in code. Once you have registered you can then download uTalk to your PC or the uTalk app to your device/phone/tablet and sign in using your email address and password.Road to IELTSRoad to IELTS is another online language learning resource provided by Dublin City Libraries for those learning English and specifically those preparing for the IELTS exam. The International English Language Testing System, or IELTS™, is an international standardised test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers, very often needed to work or study in an English-speaking country. Road to IELTS is the British Council’s official website for preparation for this exam.The course includes material to prepare for the 4 skills tested in the General Exam: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. Material for each skill is very clearly laid-out in four areas: Starting Out, Advice & Tutorials, Practice Zone and Test Practice. Starting Out contains short videos giving you key facts on each test along with a 7-page e-book/pdf with information and tips on how to approach the test. Advice & Tutorials contains more videos with practical advice and suggestions from British Council teachers on how to maximise your score in each skill test. For example, under Speaking there’s advice on how to cope with nerves and a video of a real test with a real candidate.The Practice Zones are the real bones of the course and are divided into sets, about 12 in each, with real examples of the type of questions used in the exam. They are ordered in increasing level of difficulty. For example, under Reading you can practice sentence completion, matching information to paragraphs and multiple choice, among others. Clicking on Tips, you can get relevant advice before you start. Then, after writing your answers click on Marking and you get your result. You can start again to try and correct wrong answers or click on Show the Answers to see the correct version.In Test Practice there is access to 36 real tests. You can do simulated timed tests on a PC which you submit and get your score immediately or you can do it by paper by printing test papers, answer sheets and the answer key. Other features include a Resource bank featuring a study planner and study guide for each skill test. There are videos of former candidates giving their advice on how to approach each test. Progress Report shows you how much you have done and compares your score in each practice area, giving you a score breakdown in each skill. As in the case of uTalk, access to Road to IELTS is administered by the Central Library Dublin. Send an email to [email protected] requesting a link to the registration page. 

The world's leading classical music channel is now available for free with your Dublin City Libraries card. Choose from an extensive selection of concerts, operas, ballets, documentaries and master classes:

We had a look last week at a selection of online research and reference tools available for you to use at a time and a place and a pace that suits you, and all for free with your Dublin City Library card.

We have an excellent selection of online research and reference tools to suit all age groups: from primary school to university; from early years to life-long learning.

Have you ever wished to get an overview of a subject but were unsure where to start? Why not try Very Short Introductions from Oxford University Press, this collection of 600 books cover a range of subjects in the Arts, Law, Medicine, Sciences and Social Sciences from Abolitionism to Zionism and everything in between. All titles provide intelligent and serious introductions to a range of subjects, written by experts in the field who combine facts, analysis, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make challenging topics highly readable.For example, there’s a book by Barry Cunliffe on The Celts. I really like the way he explains the term “Celt” and shows how the meaning changed throughout history. Cunliffe has, (with J.T. Koch) published three volumes "Celtic from the West". They claim that Ireland's population came from south west Iberia, around 4,000bc. The books are expensive but the theory behind them is widely available online.Climate Change by Mark Maslin is quite topical and worth a read. He looks at the factors that influence the global climate. He considers the difference between weather and climate. He concludes by looking at the issues of climate change and what is being done to tackle it. Other science topics include The Antartic, Black Holes, Waves, Viruses, and many more.Recently I began reading “The Divine Comedy". I saw that there was a title: Dante by Peter Hainsworth and David Robey on Very Short Introductions, so I had a look. Dante wrote about people and issues from his era. Hainsworth and Robey demonstrate how these issues are often left to the reader to resolve. They look at the medieval versus modern aspects of the text and that is why, The Divine Comedy, is a masterpiece in world literature. Sometimes it's enough to dip into the book to see what interests you.Submitted by Liam in Terenure Library. Access Very Short Introductions with your Dublin City library membership card barcode number. Select 'Dublin City Public Libraries' from menu.

Are you, like so many people nowadays, staying at home safe with your children? Would you appreciate access to FREE, reliable, up-to-date and trustworthy online resources to help with home study? Then look no further. Dublin City Libraries has a comprehensive and authoritative collection of online encyclopaedias, dictionaries and other reference tools to help children and young people to study and to learn, whatever age or level they’re at.All that’s needed is a Dublin City Libraries card.Read on and click on the links as you go to explore.World Book Online provides access to three websites with accurate information at age-appropriate levels in a controlled and safe learning environment.    World Book Early World of Learning for toddlers and children in the early education    World Book Kids for ages 7 to 11    World Book Student for ages 12 to 15This resource is packed with thousands of easy-to-read articles, illustrations, videos, interactive maps, and a wealth of engaging games and activities.Britannica Library provides access to hundreds of thousands of informative articles, a rich media library filled with videos and images, an interactive atlas and much more. Simply select the link you want below and enter your library card number    Britannica Library Junior for ages 5 -11    Britannica Library Student for ages 12 – 18    Britannica Library Adult – for ages18 plusOxford Reference is a general reference resource covering all fields of knowledge. It spans 22 core subject areas with over 2 million entries represented across hundreds of subject and language reference titles, and it includes 19,000+ illustrations, and 270 historic timelines by subject or time period.Look to the left of the screen where it says ‘Sign in with your library card’, enter your library card number, and then select ‘Dublin City Libraries’.Oxford Research is a scholarly reference resource and its content is more academic than Oxford Reference. Readers can access peer-reviewed articles written by leading experts for an overview of the selected areas of research listed below.Click on your selected topic, and enter your library card number where indicated on the left of the screen, and select ‘Dublin City Libraries’.    Classics    Climate Science    Communication    Criminology    Environmental Science    International Studies    Literature    Politics    Psychology    Religion    Social WorkVery Short Introductions provides concise, intelligent introductions to a diverse range of subject areas. VSI are very readable and give a quick overview of the topic. They are written by experts in their field who combine facts, analysis and new ideas, and can be used at any level of the academic journey.Look to the left of the screen where it says ‘Sign in with your library card’, and then select ‘Dublin City Libraries’.Oxford Music Online provides information on composers, musicians and other people and subjects linked to the world of music, e.g. patrons, timelines, eras, instruments, pieces, styles etc. This resource includes    52,000+ articles, written and edited by nearly 9,000 subject experts,    images, audio and videos,    extensive bibliographies with life information and works lists for composers, performers and other important musical figures,    free learning resources including subject guides, opera indexes, timelines, and articles on key topics in music.To find out more, click on Oxford Music Online (Grove Music)  - Look to the left of the screen where it says ‘Sign in with your library card’, and then select ‘Dublin City Libraries’.Oxford Art online provides information on all aspects of the world of art, including artists, architects, craftsmen, patrons, movements, locations, and periods, and includes,    30,000+ articles and images,    6,000+ subject entries and 20,000+ biographies, contributed to by nearly 7,000 international scholars – all with bibliographies for further research, and    7,000 searchable images from Oxford’s partnerships with museums, galleries, and other outstanding arts organizations as well as 40,000 editorially selected image links to museums and galleries.Benezit Dictionary of Artists is one of the most comprehensive and definitive resources of artists’ biographies available. It contains    entries on obscure artists and historic auction records,    over 11,000 images of artists’ signatures, monograms, and stamps of sale, and    detailed museum listings, bibliographies, exhibition information, and auction records.To see more, click on Oxford Art Online (Grove Art Online/Benezit Dictionary of Artists). Look to the left of the screen where it says ‘Sign in with your library card’, and then pick ‘Dublin City Libraries’.Oxford English Dictionary is your ‘go to’ resource when you need to find the meaning of a word, or want help with grammar or spelling. It’s the definitive guide to the meaning, history, and pronunciation of 600,000+ words— past and present—from across the English-speaking world. It’s updated every 3 months, and existing entries are revised and new words added.    Dictionary: Browse the whole dictionary from A-Z.    Categories: Browse words by subject, usage, region or origin.    Timelines: Discover when words entered the English language.    Sources: Explore the top 1,000 authors and works quoted in the OED.Click on the ‘Sign in >>’ button on the top right hand of the screen and then enter your library card number where indicated, and select’ Dublin City Libraries’.Oxford Dictionaries Premium provides access to eight unabridged bilingual language dictionaries, as follows:    Spanish    Arabic    German    French    Italian    Portuguese    Russian    ChineseBilingual language content is created by native speakers of each language, working with computational tools to analyse millions of words of language together to find the right translations, new phrases, and changing patterns of usage. It contains comprehensive grammar and spelling rules as well as writing help.Login where indicated with your library card number.Visit our website to find out more about our great online resources. 

This week, we are going to take a look at TumbleBooks, an online resource especially designed for the little ones in your life. TumbleBooks are animated, talking picture books which teach children the joy of reading in a format they'll love. TumbleBooks are created by taking existing picture books, and then adding animation, sound, music and narration to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you. This resource also includes National Geographic videos and games.(Example of National Geographic Videos)Available on TumbleBooks:Story Books: This option features animated, talking picture books for the younger reader. The reader has the option to automatically or manually turn the pages.  Chapter Books/Read-Alongs: While this option does not include animation, the ebooks are narrated. They also include Chapter menus so that you can jump chapters, and a bookmarks and notes feature which are cookied onto your computer. Chapter Books also allow readers to change the colors of the background and text, as well as the font style, size, and line spacing. This helps to make the ebooks even more accessible to a wider range of readers. Videos are from the world renowned National Geographic! Simply click on "Watch Online" to watch the 2-5 minute clips on various topics. Most of these videos have been paired with ebooks as a way to introduce a topic! Featured is where teachers, librarians, parents, students, and TumbleBooks staff can recommended a book! It's a quick and easy way to find books on those rainy days! Puzzles & Games accompany each book and reinforce concepts from the books, allowing for a fun and educational learning experience. Language Learning is an easy way to access our French and Spanish titles! Non-Fiction contains a growing collection of non-fiction titles in subjects such as health, science, astronomy, biology, and nature.Playlist allows you to access the pre-loaded playlist. The eBooks play back-to-back just like a music playlist! In addition, you can create your own playlist! Simply click on the "Add to Playlist" button below a TumbleBook to create your own!(Example of Foreign Language eBooks)Access How:Website; Follow link below. To register; select the "My Cloud" tab, click where it says "Register" and enter your library card number and pin as your username and password.App; Select "Library" tab, in country box fill in "Ireland" (Note; state is NOT required), select Dublin City Council Public Library and enter your library card number. In main menu select "View by Detail" to add your favourite books to "My Favourites."URL: http://www.tumblebooklibrary.com/autologin.aspx?UserID=08Hezhy7Lfgp480vNdjp%2bw%3d%3d 

The e-resource featured in this week’s blog is World Book Online. A suite of three websites from the publishers of the famous World Book encyclopedias. Supplying you with accurate information at age appropriate levels in a controlled safe learning environment.From pre-primary to secondary school – from the wobblers and toddlers to tweenies –  World Book provides fast and accurate information at every level in an immersive learning environment. The information is reliable, age-appropriate, and easy to read and comprehend.·         Early World of Learning for ages 3 to 6 years: this is a resource for preschoolers and children in early primary education. Developed with experts on early childhood education, it offers rich resources designed for the younger child.(An example of a webpage on World Book Online)·         Kids for ages 7 to 11 years: this is a premier reference website developed especially for young students. It features an intuitive user interface, thousands of easy-to-read articles packed with stunning illustrations, videos, interactive maps, and a wealth of engaging games and activities.(Example of the search function on World Book Online)·         Student for ages 12 to 15 years: this contains numerous tools to engage users in 21st-century education and blended-learning practices.(Further example of the search function on World Book Online)And best of all, it’s free with your Dublin City Public Libraries membership card.See World Book Online for more details.

As well as developing typing skills, TTRS is designed to benefit students of all ages who experience spelling, reading or writing difficulties. Students with dyslexia or literacy issues have found it helpful.