You will find in this new database, repair and service manuals for all makes of cars from Alfa Romeo and Audi through to Volkswagen and Volvo. If you are more a motorbike enthusiast, Haynes also provide motorbike manuals from Aprilia to Yamaha. How do you find this resource? Find Ara Library and click on the link to Databases A-Z to find the Haynes Manuals.
Whether you are currently studying here at Ara in Automotive Engineering or just tinkering in your garage on your prized possessions, there is bound to be a manual to help facilitate those challenging repair jobs.
LinkedIn Learning database contains thousands of courses, videos, audio and learning paths free for you to develop new skills and learning on your career pathway. If you are new to this database then see our guide to LinkedIn Learning for students. If you browse LinkedIn you will find over 34oo courses, 72000 individual videos, 1300 audio presentations and 150 learning paths. Below is a sampling of each of these.
Mathematics and art are related in a variety of ways. Mathematics has itself been described as an art motivated by beauty. Mathematics can be discerned in arts such as music, dance, painting, architecture, sculpture, and textiles.
This article is a tour of some of the types of art with a strong mathematical component, or conversely where a mathematical visualisation has an astonishing beauty.
The Golden Ratio
The Golden Ratio (also known as the Golden Section, Golden Mean, Divine Proportion or Greek letter Phi) exists when a line is divided into two parts and the longer part (a) divided by the smaller part (b) is equal to the sum of (a) + (b) divided by (a), which both equal 1.618.
The Golden Section was used extensively by Leonardo Da Vinci. Note how all the key dimensions of the room, the table and ornamental shields in Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” were based on the Golden Ratio, which was known in the Renaissance period as The Divine Proportion.
The Golden rectangle & Spiral
One of the most common applications is through the use of a Golden Rectangle.
We begin with a rectangle with sides in the 1:φ ratio. Partitioning that rectangle into a square and new rectangle gives that new, smaller rectangle the 1:φ ratio. As you continue this partitioning inside each new rectangle, your Golden Rectangles get smaller and smaller, but are still in keeping with the ratio.
The fractal
A fractal is usually defined as a mathematical structure that exhibits some sort of “self-similarity”, meaning that if you zoom in on one, the same type of structure will keep appearing. For example, a fern leaf is built up of leaflets and fronds with the same reiterative structure. They are also often defined as shapes that have fine detail at all scales, and it is this combination of repetition and intricacy that makes them so aesthetically interesting.
A straight line, for instance, is conventionally understood to be one-dimensional; if such a figure is rep-tiled into pieces each 1/3 the length of the original, then there are always three equal pieces. A solid square is understood to be two-dimensional; if such a figure is rep-tiled into pieces, each scaled down by a factor of 1/3 in both dimensions, there are a total of 32 = 9 pieces. We see that for ordinary self-similar objects, being n-dimensional means that when it is rep-tiled into pieces each scaled down by a scale-factor of 1/r, there are a total of rn pieces.
Compile the information for this blog from the websites below:
Where do you stand? – Australia/New Zealand Points of View
Just when you think you have something straight in your head someone yells “fake news” and you are not too sure what to think anymore. Luckily the library is trialing a wonderful new online resource called Australia/New Zealand Points of View Reference Centre
We have a trial of the Australia/New Zealand Points of View Reference Centre
This resource covers a wide range of topics, such as banning rodeos, freedom camping and gun control and everything in between including recent views on COVID 19. Each of the over 225 topics contain an overview (objective background/description), a point (argument), and counterpoint (opposing argument), and a guide to the critical analysis of each topic.
Many subjects are covered in the Points of View Reference Centre
All of these tools are designed to help you develop your own perspective on the issues and write or debate an effective argument on the topic.
Never lose an argument across the dinner table or within the classroom again. This resource is fact checked and reflects both sides of any story. All you need to do is see both sides and declare where you stand. Remember those who stand for nothing fall for anything!
“Indigenous peoples have rich and ancient cultures, and view their social, economic, environmental and spiritual systems as interdependent, and have beliefs that are crucial to the sustainable development of the Earth.”
Selwyn Katene and Rawiri Taonui
Image by rmadison from Pixabay
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples seeks to raise awareness of the indigenous peoples’ fight for recognition and justice across the globe. Throughout colonisation processes, indigenous peoples experienced different levels of physical and symbolic violence, land dispossession, cultural assimilation and a loss of language. The legacy of colonialism, however, is not restricted to the past. Today many groups still struggle with persisting inequality. Supporting indigenous peoples’ rights and valuing indigenous peoples’ knowledge and culture is the responsibility of all of us.
You can learn about this year’s theme “COVID-19 and indigenous peoples’ resilience” and the history of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2020 on the United Nations website.
If you would like to know more about indigenous peoples’ rights and the impacts of colonialism, here are some of the resources available in the library:
Global pandemic. Millions infected. Lockdowns. Social distancing … These are scary and uncertain times indeed. But remember that you are still in control of your thoughts. By choosing to have sensible thoughts, you’ll be able to take positive actions. So, here are the simple things you can do to manage stress and stay strong:
1) Avoid information overload.
Most of the news nowadays, whether local, national or international, is about the virus. Often the news is negative and therefore distressing. So, it is wise to limit the amount of time you spend reading or watching the news on this topic. A good idea is to assign a fixed and limited amount of time every day to stay updated on the news. For example, you may decide to keep up with the news from 7 to 8 p.m. daily. At other times you really need to focus on doing the other things in your life.
2) Let go of what’s beyond your control.
You need to rationalise that there is often little you can do to change the negative things that are happening around you. Leave the concerns and problem-solving to the relevant health and government authorities. Being overly concerned or worried is certainly not good for your physical and mental health.
3) Stay calm.
We are all different, and so you need to know what calms you down. Does listening to soothing music help you to relax? Does talking to someone who understands helps you to feel better? Does taking a walk outside make you feel relaxed? Regularly doing what calms you down is so very important. Learn more about how to cope during these stressful times here
4) Set aside time for breaks and hobbies.
Even when you have things to do and deadlines to keep, plan your time carefully to achieve a balance. Taking breaks helps you recharge your energy and become more effective in your study, work and other tasks. Having hobbies you enjoy lets you focus on the things you like doing and makes hobby time pleasant and enjoyable. Reduce stress and enjoy life with these 100 free or frugal activities. Be good to yourself.
5) Stay healthy.
Looking after your health well is so very important in these uncertain times. Make sure that you have a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Need ideas? Here are 42 cheap and healthy recipes you can try.
Stay healthy by taking regular breaks and setting aside time for your hobbies. Stay in touch with those you get along with.
6) Stay in touch.
Most of us cannot meet face to face with others due to social distancing. But you can still stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues through Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp or other means. Talking about how things are going and what’s happening can often help you to feel better and more connected with others.
7) Be kind to yourself and others.
You need to be more understanding with yourself and others. Many people are having to manage their lives and also to remain safe during these times. Do not expect too much of yourself – it is alright to feel concerned about the situation, as long as you take steps to prevent things from overwhelming you. If the people you know and others are not quite themselves, remain calm and be understanding. You do not know what others are going through. They are also trying their best to get through the day.
8) Count your blessings.
Avoid becoming preoccupied with the global health, social and economic crisis.
Don’t forget the positives in your life. Remember to always count your blessings. Make a list of all the good things in your life. A positive thing can be as simple as having good health. Having a job that pays your bills. Having a lovely pet that makes you smile. Living in a pleasant neighbourhood. Having some good friends who understand you.
As you can see, it is not difficult for most people to make a list of what’s positive in their lives. Look at this list every day, and add to it. This will remind you of what is good – it gives you the perspective to better manage any worries or stress that you are facing.
Takeaway
There is certainly more to life than the pandemic. When you begin taking one or more of the above actions, you’ll be able to keep stress to a manageable level. Kia kaha!
If you have searched Primo Library Search and your Subject Guide and still need a few more resources for your assignment you can also search the below sources which have been made available temporarily by our vendors for the Covid period.
Bloomsbury Fashion Central – Includes Berg Fashion Library, Fairchild Books Library, Fashion Photography Archive and Bloomsbury Fashion Business Cases. (Until 31/05/20)
EBSCO – Faculty Select allows you to access quality open textbooks. Limit your search to OER and you will get a range of open access eBooks. This includes some New Zealand content. (Until 30/06/20)
National Emergency Library from Internet Archive – a temporary collection of books that supports emergency remote teaching, research, independent scholarship, and intellectual stimulation while universities, schools, training centers, and libraries are closed. This is a good place to look for an older edition of your textbook if you can’t access the latest edition.
Proquest Ebook Central – The place to find many online textbooks with increased accessibility thanks to our Elsevier, Proquest, and EBSCO vendors (Full access ends on 30 June 2020 when some textbooks will revert to either 1 user or 3 user access). A nice feature of using Proquest Ebook Central is that a search shows both book results and chapter results. You can also access it from the Databases A-Z in Primo. Watch this 3 minute YouTube video on using Proquest Ebooks Central for more tips.
Proquest’s Research Companion– great tips in video format to tackle your research assignment (Available until 30 June 2020) .
So keep safe in your bubble and remember to email library@ara.ac.nz or use the Ask Live chat service if you need help.
In the next few weeks, we’ll all be facing new challenges: we’ll be moving everything that we used to do on campus to the online environment.
Learning online is not much harder from learning offline – it’s just different. We’re bringing you a few tips on how to make this transition smooth and hassle free. Let’s all work together so that we can come out of this experience stronger and wiser.
Make Sure You Have Good Internet Access
Good internet connection is essential for successful learning from home. You’ll need the internet to be fast enough to smoothly run calls and videos. You probably won’t need unlimited access, but it allows you to not stress about downloading all of the resources you need for your studies.
Install and Test Appropriate Software
Are your lectures going to be delivered via Zoom (see Ara’s Zoom Guide)? Or Webex? Is it installed in all devices that you’re going to use?
Make sure that you have installed all software that you’re going to need before the lectures start and make sure that you know how to use it.
Take Regular Breaks
Sitting behind a computer for a long time can bring with it new physical challenges. Make sure that you take regular breaks from your screen.
We can still go for walks in our local area, so this is something you should make the most of even if you don’t feel like walking. Walking and exercise actually do help you to learn in a more effective way and there is a lot of science behind it.
Obviously you don’t have to run around with a tape measure to measure 20 feet (~6 meters) but you got the point. Application of this rule will prevent your eyes from getting tired.
Keep in Touch with Your Peers
Social contact via a screen is not as good as face to face, but it’s still much better than no contact at all. Establish regular meetings with your classmates. Try to make an online study group. It’ll help you to motivate yourself to study and succeed.
Get Rid of Distractions
I’m sure you already know that procrastination is not helpful. To learn new things, you need to focus as much of your attention as possible on what you’re learning. Each distraction reduces your chance of remembering what you’re trying to focus on. Identify what distracts you and put it away: your phone, TV etc.
Set Up a Specific Place to Study
Learning from your couch is a nice idea, but it might be more beneficial if you set up a specific place and time to study. This will help you to shake off the guilt of not studying all the time. It also helps you to relax during your breaks and to focus effectively during the time that you are actually studying.
Ask For Help if You Need it
If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. We all need help sometimes, especially in situations that are new to us as we might feel more vulnerable. To contact the library, email to library@ara.ac.nz or use AskLive.
In a previous blogpost we promoted our short term access to key nursing textbooks from Wolters Kluwer via our link to Ovid Books .
(Wolters Kluwer have kindly extended our trial access from 25/5 until 25/6/20 although access may be delayed from 25/5/20 in the transition to the extended trial period.)
5 minute consult – Browse more than 2,000 diseases and conditions and instantly access drug prescribing and drug safety information for more than 1,900 drugs.
Acland Anatomy – This Video Atlas provides an appreciation of the real human body and a direct understanding of the mechanics of body movement.
Bates visual guide – delivers head-to-toe and systems-based physical examination techniques including more than 8 hours of video content.
LWW Health Library – The overview of books,video and audio resources across a range of health disciplines including:
Ara Library Blog 
