Help from library staff

The Library team includes a number of qualified librarians who can help to develop your search skills and support your research. However, as a small team, we all have different skills and expertise, including a number of people with backgrounds in the subjects at RWCMD. If you are in the Library, please ask staff at the Issue Desk for help. If they think someone else in the team is better placed to answer your question, then they will always pass it on to the most relevant person. You are also welcome to contact us by phone or email.

Please note: many of our team are part-time, so we use shared email addresses to avoid missing your questions! If someone cannot help you immediately, they will be in touch as soon as possible.

Please also see our subject pages for more information from the Assistant Librarians for Drama and Music.

Training sessions

The Library sees all new students for an induction highlighting some key resources for your course and a tour of our space. We also see some students again throughout their course, to help with research for assignments and referencing.

These are areas with which we can help you:

• Search skills – how to find the best resources for your assignment
• Referencing and plagiarism – what to do and what to avoid
• Copyright
• Careers information – job hunting / researching a sector / using social media effectively
• Current awareness in your subject area
• Finding what you need in the Library – areas of the collection and online resources

If you would like to request additional training on any of the topics above, either for your class or as an individual, please do email us at library@rwcmd.ac.uk.

Referencing

Why should I reference?

Accurate referencing is an essential but potentially confusing skill to learn. It is important that you acknowledge the source and quotes you use in your work: to give credit to their creators and to avoid the risk of plagiarism. All assignments submitted to the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama should be referenced according to the University of South Wales’s Harvard referencing guide. The Library has compiled a guide to referencing music sources based on the USW document. It provides examples of the type of music sources you may need to reference.

Remember to check the Library catalogue for reliable sources for your assignments. We also stock guides to referencing and avoiding plagiarism.

Still unsure?

Contact us at library@rwcmd.ac.uk if you want advice on how to cite your sources and compile your bibliography. We can provide 1:1 support or group training sessions. Don’t struggle on your own!