Thursday 11 December 2008

Be happy... use your library!

The recent Happy Days campaign, encouraging everyone to take a fresh look at their library has made two students in Wales £100 richer – and one of them came from Aberystwyth University!

As part of the campaign nearly 400 students across Wales volunteered to take part in a survey to state why libraries make them happy, resulting in a top ten list and a collection of personal stories showing the positive effect that libraries have had on them and their studies.



The winner from Aberystwyth said:
"After a lecture or when preparing for an exam, I like to retreat to the library as the environment gives me a boost to get the work done. All resources are there for me to refer to for my research like the newest books and journals, etc. The newspapers help you to keep up to date with current affairs, which is important in today’s fast moving society. It has a comfortable atmosphere as all of us students are studying for our courses. When I am at Halls, I have distractions like the TV and sleeping. The library is a haven for the production of work. Honestly, if the library was not available, I do feel that it would be more harder for me to study. I do take advantage of the facilities such as photocopying and computer access."
The stories that have been generated from this survey highlight how libraries can make a real difference to your studies – helping with research, saving money and a peaceful environment have all proved important factors in this survey.
The top 10 reasons that libraries make students happy:

1 Help with research 83%
2 Surfing the net 70%
3 Peace and quiet 68%
4 Somewhere to study 67%
5 Saves me money 62%
6 Learning new skills 51%
=7 Emailing my friends 34%
=7 Helps me pass exams 34%
=8 Quick answers to my questions 30%
=8 Caters for my specific needs 30%
9 Saves me time 29%
10 Somewhere to relax 28%
And according to Dr Richard Tunney of Nottingham University:
“It appears that spending time relaxing is the secret to a happy life. Cost-free pleasures are the ones that make the difference – even when you can afford anything that you want.”
So it would seem that libraries really do offer the things that can make you happy!

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