Get the most out of your library! Each week on TLDR, we’ll feature helpful hacks, resources, and other tools offered by the University Libraries that can enhance your studying and research, boost your classroom success, or make your non-academic life easier and more fun.
Find sheet music in the Classical Scores Library
Looking for some sheet music to play? Carolina students, faculty and staff have access to the Classical Scores Library, which is a collection of over 50,000 musical scores from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. Browse sheet music online.
Access the News and Observer online
UNC students, faculty, and staff: did you know that you can read archival and up-to-date issues of the North Carolina News and Observer through the Library’s Newsbank database subscription? See issues online.
Virtual Computing
Need to run SAS, R or another statistical software that you don’t have installed? You can use the Virtual Computing Lab to access these programs from your personal computers. Learn more about the Virtual Computing Lab.
Start Planting
Trying to start your own garden? The Seed Library in Kenan Science Library offers a variety of seeds and other resources to start planting.
BookTok Recommendations
Want something to read? Check out collections on OverDrive, including a list of #BookTok books compiled by student UL service desk assistant Zuzelle Ramos. See the list here.
Carolina Keepsakes
The items in North Carolina Collection’s Carolina Keepsakes digital exhibition are everyday objects that demonstrate how Carolina’s student life has evolved in the last two centuries. See the digital exhibition now.
Step into the new year
Did you know that we have treadmill desks on the fifth floor of Davis Library? Get some steps, sunshine, and studying in all at the same time.
Old money
The North Carolina Collection has a collection of North Carolina Moneys dating back to the 1600s. Browse the numismatics collection online now, or visit the North Carolina Collections Gallery in Wilson Special Collections Library.
Stay in touch
Students! Sign up for our monthly newsletter and get just-in-time tools for academic success; staff picks for streaming, reading, and listening; and fun highlights from the archives. Sign up here.
Tell your story
The UNC Story Archive aims to collect lesser-known narratives that tell the full story of the university. The project invites students, past and present, to share short, conversational recordings. Learn more about the Story Archive here.
Start a podcast
Have you ever wanted to make your own podcast? The Media and Design Center in the basement of The Undergraduate Library has its own podcast recording studio! You can reserve time to record here.
Make something amazing
The Makerspace at Kenan Science Library enables UNC students, staff, and faculty to explore emerging technologies. Items like 3D printers and scanners, Cricut makers, and sewing machines are available for use. Learn more.
Keep your passwords safe
UNC students, faculty, and staff have free access to LastPass Premium. Users can securely store passwords and other important digital information across multiple devices using this service. Learn more here.
Organize your digital files
Are your digital files a mess? University Archive’s blog post on digital records management 101 provides helpful answers and tips on how to maintain and when to delete your digital files. Read it here.
Sounds of Davis Library
Need some study inspiration? Maybe the familiar sounds of Davis Library can help get you in the zone to complete those assignments. Listen here.
Find Free Images
Looking for free images to use for your reports and presentations? Check out this LibGuide from the Park Library.
Make an ORCID iD
Writing a paper? Creating an ORCID iD is a way to distinguish yourself and your scholarly work from other individuals. Learn more about ORCID iD and how to set up an account here.
Read Harper’s Bazaar
Now available for UNC students, faculty, and staff: The Harper’s Bazaar Archive. This archive offers access to over 500,000 pages of the US and UK editions of the Harper’s Bazaar magazine from 1867 to the present. See it here.
Calling all birders
The e-resource Birds of the World (BOW) is now available to all UNC students, faculty, and staff. Content for this database comes from ornithologists all over the world. Learn more here.
Learn about Jazz
All ten episodes of Ken Burns’ documentary miniseries “Jazz” is available to UNC students, staff, and faculty to stream for free. The series explores the history of Jazz music and covers Jazz musicians who helped to shape the genre. Stream the episodes here.
Read a timeless novel
A collection of Toni Morrison’s novels including “Beloved,” “Sula,” and the “Bluest Eye” are available to read online for free via University Libraries. Browse the books here.
Start Your Own Archive
Want to start your own personal or community archive, but don’t know where to begin? The Southern Historical Collection in Wilson Special Collections Library has created guides to help you get started. See them here.
For Those About to Rock
Calling all music fans! UNC students, faculty, and staff have access to Rock’s Backpages, an archive of music journalism and popular music writing over the past 60 years. Access it online here.
Publish Open Access Articles
Are you writing an academic paper? Our agreement with Sage Publishing allows UNC researchers to publish open access articles in SAGE journals at no cost. Learn more about this program here.
Space is the Place
Looking for something out of this world to listen to? We recommend the album “Space is the Place” by jazz composer and experimental artist Sun Ra. UNC students, faculty, and staff can listen to the entire album online here.
High School Yearbooks
Want to see photos of family members in their high school heydays? Digitized yearbooks from high schools and colleges across North Carolina are available online through the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center. Browse yearbooks here.
Read a Comic
Love comics? The SILS Library has an extensive collection of comics, manga, and graphic novels for checkout. Learn more about the SILS library here.
Learn a Language
Are you trying to learn a new language? UNC students, faculty, and staff have FREE access to Transparent Language Online, which provides courses for 110 different languages for all levels of learners. Sign up for a free account here.
Houseplant Health
Is your houseplant’s health withering in this weather? The libraries provide access to a number of online books related to the upkeep, care, and propagation of houseplants. Browse them here.
SAT and ACT practice materials
Faculty and staff: Do you have a child preparing to take a college entrance exam? Our subscription to LearningExpress includes SAT and ACT practice materials that you can access for free. See them here.
Save sources with Zotero
To all the students with 100+ tabs open trying to write their research paper: there is a better way. Zotero is citation manager that helps you save and manage your sources. Zotero also has a browser extension to help you cite your sites! Learn more about Zotero here.
Relax and watch a movie
Movies including Moonlight, The Shining, Coffy, and other feature films are available for streaming to UNC students, faculty, and staff through Swank Digital Campus. Watch online movies here.
Tap in to our course guides
We know mid-term season is here. Do you have a research paper coming up? Our course guides can help your research move in the right direction. Browse our course guides here.
Get organized with Microsoft 365
UNC Students: did you know that you have FREE access to all Microsoft 365 apps? Use apps like Planner and OneNote to organize your tasks and projects. See all Microsoft 365 apps here.
Learn new skills with LinkedIn Learning
Interested in learning a new skill? LinkedIn Learning is a free and on-demand learning solution designed to help you gain new skills and advance your career. Available to UNC students, faculty, and staff online: go.unc.edu/LinkedIn
Get access through Google Scholar
Students: don’t let that paywall stop you! Configure your Google account to automatically find Google Scholar articles through your UNC library account. Learn how here.
Free online access to the New York Times
Keep up with the world through reading the New York Times! Sign up for a FREE New York Times online subscription through the University Libraries. Learn more and sign up here.
Want something new to read?
Check out an e-book online through University Libraries’ OverDrive collection! Librarians have created curated collections of e-books on personal and financial wellness, anti-racism, and more. Browse here: https://carolina.overdrive.com/
Free online access to The Washington Post
University Libraries has partnered with The Washington Post to provide students, faculty, and staff with paywall-free access to www.washingtonpost.com. Learn more and get access here.
