Visit the Science Library in Science Week
National Science Week 2009 takes place from the 15th to 23rd August. It will be the 12th year of National Science Week which is an annual celebration of Australian achievements in science.
Stage 1 of UWA’s new Science Library opened on the 20th of July 2009. The Science Library brings together all of the Science related collections previously housed in other parts of the Library’s collection. In the three weeks since it opened, the Science Library has welcomed 29679 people through the doors. So far 3895 books from the main collection have been loaned, as well as 1617 reserve books and 652 items from the Information Desk, which includes headphones, laptop locker keys, USBs and whiteboard marker kits.
Stage 1 offers a range of collaborative, quiet and silent study areas. It has a staffed SISO desk, 240 purpose-built reader places with access to power and data and 120 new computers. The Science Library also features a postgraduate room; a parents’ room and 6 sound-proof group study rooms. The group study rooms are in high demand and can be booked 14 hours a day – it is not unusual for all these rooms to be booked solid from 10am – 7pm. On average the 6 rooms are booked for 63 one hour sessions per day.
The Science Library also boasts an exhibition space in the foyer. Visit the Science Library in Science Week and see Evolution in action: Charles Darwin and Western Australia’s Biodiversity Hotspot. This fascinating exhibition is the first to be held in the new Science Library, and commemorates the 150 year anniversary of the publication of his book On the Origin of Species, as well as the bicentenary of Charles Darwin’s birth. The exhibition uses artefacts, images, video footage and information provided by Western Australian scientists, researchers, academics and museum staff, to explore the question of what Charles Darwin could have discovered on his visit to Albany. The south-west of Western Australia has now been recognised as one of only 34 biodiversity hotspots on Earth – areas which are incredibly rich in plant and animal variety. In Evolution in action: Charles Darwin and Western Australia’s Biodiversity Hotspot, you will see some examples of amazing species which are endemic to this isolated part of the world.
There are also lots of other exciting events taking place at UWA during Science week, including free seminars held at UWA’s Science faculties. These seminars are open to the public, as well as UWA general and academic staff and students, so check out the website.
If you want to find out more about what is happening throughout Australia during Science week, you can visit the Australian Government’s National Science Week website.
Photographs courtesy of Dr Lisa Cluett at UWA Student Services.
