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New Materials

Archbishop Ireland Library, Circulation, New Materials

Waiting in Line for a Best-Seller

You’re waiting with bated breath. The library just got a copy. It’s that series your friend hooked you on, a new mystery, biography, or adventure, and its hot… too hot to touch! Welcome to the back of the line for this week’s bestseller, but before you do:

HOLD your horses! Before you place a request through CLICnet, pay attention to your competition or else you’ll sell yourself short. When you view your objet desire, ask yourself how many copies are available, what their due dates are, and how many holds are already in the queue.

Let’s say you want to read Anthony Doerr’s latest novel. Observe: of three copies, none is guaranteed to be back in circulation until late April. It gets worse: while no one will be able to renew their loan before you can take a peek, everyone gets a full loan period of at least two months, and eight people are ahead of you in line! Thankfully, there are some fast readers in this world, and spot #9 will become #1 soon enough.

What’s a bibliophile to do?

If you’re desperate, you can put in an Inter-Library Loan (ILL) request. But think, the public library queues are probably longer and they’re likely to pass on filling another library’s request. While it never hurts to check your local library, be realistic about your prospects.

If you can wait, just place a request with us, but do it intelligently. After logging in, you’ll be asked to set a date for your request to expire. It is AUTOMATICALLY SET AT 30 DAYS FROM TODAY. Obviously, you may need more time than that for your ticket to be called.

When you come to the screen pictured above, enter the latest date you’d be interested in receiving the book. You’ll get the book based on the date you place your request, NOT the date your hold request expires.

Or if you want to get mathematical about it, multiple 8 weeks (shortest student loan period plus some time on the holdshelf) by 8 requests (or however many requests are ahead of you), then divide by 3 (the number of copies). Here the total is 21+ weeks, so extend that request expiration date out 5 months or so.

Keep waiting, but breathe easy. Play it smart: those eight people waiting in line, they might not be so clever; in two months, maybe less, their holds may expire while yours is there to stay.

~Mason M., Ireland Library Staff, Graduate Student

March 5, 2015 by Mason M.

Charles J. Keffer Library, New Materials

A Tale About Award Winners

On Monday, February 2, youth services librarians and children’s literature enthusiasts will be anxious to hear the announcements of the major award winners for 2014. Among the awards to be announced will be the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, Coretta Scott King awards, Michael L. Printz award, and a number of others. Authors and illustrators will be congratulated; and writers, reviewers, and bloggers will be predicting that the winners will “NEVER go out of print”.

Well, here’s the other side of the story. On January 28, Keffer Library added the last Newbery Medal winner that was missing from our collection. Daniel Boone, the 1940 winner has been out of print for many years. UST library staff have been watching for a used copy to become available, and finally one did! So let’s hear a cheer for the good news, and give a thanks to library acquisition staff for their work to find and acquire this rare book.

January 29, 2015 by

Database Highlights & Trials, Libraries, Media/Music Collections, New Materials, News & Events

Welcome Back!

Happy first day of Spring Semester (and congrats on surviving the frigid January of 2014)!

We’re excited to see everyone back on campus and hope everyone’s courses are off to a good start. Despite the cold, things were busy around here at the library this January and, as usual, we have some fun news to share.

As you gear up for spring research projects, remember to check out our handy Subject Guides – what I like to call handy “mini library websites” geared specifically towards your course and subject content (and I’m not making that up – we work with your professors to make sure we have what you need to do your assignments!).

Other than Coffee Bene’s reopening this morning, we’re happy to report that the Media Resources Collection moved into its new home next to the reference collection over J-term. Stop by to check out our wonderful collection of films and media – perhaps to find that perfect clip to add to a presentation?

We’ve also added many more online resources, including these favorites of mine:

ASM Handbooks Online: A little something for our engineers: ASM Handbooks Online is the industry’s best known and most comprehensive source of information on ferrous and non-ferrous metals and materials technology
Blackwell Reference Online: more than 50 online subject encyclopedia and handbook titles from 2013 have been added, increasing the collection to more than 570 titles.
National Geographic Online: the full text content of the magazine and all of its spectacular photography; see Kate Burke’s blog post for more info.
PrivCo: an excellent source for finding information on privately-held companies. PrivCo is the premier source for business and financial data on major, non-publicly traded corporations, including family owned, private equity owned, venture-backed, and international unlisted companies.

As I like to joke, you can stick a quarter in me and I’d go on and on about all of the wonderful resources we have here at the UST Libraries. Maybe you can make it one of your 2014 New Years’ resolutions to finally stop by and check it all out? If so, we’d love to see you! Make an appointment with your favorite librarian today find out more about what we have in your subject area.

February 3, 2014 by

Database Highlights & Trials, New Materials

Now Available! BrowZine Journal Browsing App

BrowZine is a tablet application that allows you to browse, read and monitor content from the library’s academic journals just as you would any other ejournal.

browsable-newsstand-librarys-journals

UST’s subscription currently includes over 3,000 UST-owned titles, browsable by general subject area. BrowZine is a free app — by Third Iron — for accessing and reading content from academic journals on the iPad and Android tablets. The app allows users to

select academic journals from a “shelf” display
browse complete journal issues,
read individual articles,
collect favorite journals on a shelf of one’s own,
save favorite articles,
and perform additional tasks with journal content.

To get started, search for “BrowZine” in the App Store or Google Play store and download the app for free; when initially launching BrowZine, select the University of St Thomas from the drop-down list, use your UST credentials to log in, and start browsing.

BrowZine is growing fast and will continue to expand, adding new titles and features as time goes on. Work is progressing to include RefWorks integration, as well as content from many more publishers. If a favorite title isn’t available now, it is very possible it might become available in the near future!

More information about the UST libraries’ subscription is available on the library website. You can find more information about BrowZine in general – along with an introductory video – on the Third Iron website.

Please let us know what you think! Send any comments or questions to Laura Hansen.

June 11, 2013 by

Database Highlights & Trials, New Materials, News & Events

New Trial: International Historical Statistics Online

Locating data as part of your research can be a real pain. Add an international dimension to your research, and the problem can get worse. We are trialing a new online resource that could help with your search, the International Historical Statistics Online database. (We currently have print versions of different regional versions of this title; details here). Obviously, if folks like this version and we can swing the dough ($), having this data available online would be nice.

To use this work, hit the link and use the table of contents on the left-hand side of the page to drill into the various sections to browse the available data tables. The tables display in-page as PDFs, and can be downloaded in PDF or Excel workbook format. It’s organized in three regional groupings: Africa, Asia, Oceania; the Americas; Europe. Within each region, it breaks into chapters on population & vital statistics, labour force, agriculture, industry, external trade, transport & communications, finance, prices, education, and national accounts.

This online version covers from 1750-2010 (five more years than the last print version). It appears that this source will not be updated, so you’ll need to consider this truly a historical resource. As with all statistical sources, the frequency and completeness of the data will vary by country and source.

The trial is available through May 16; please send any comments you have to John Heintz, jpheintz@stthomas.edu.

April 17, 2013 by

Libraries, New Materials, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Seeing Symmetry and the Beauty of Math – O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library hosts exhibit beginning March 18

Math has never been so beautiful

Please join the Department of Mathematics and the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library at the University of St. Thomas for a special mathematical art exhibit.

“Seeing Symmetry” (Exhibit Dates: March 18 through mid-April, 2013)

Exhibit Opening and Public Lecture, Monday, March 18, 2013 –

4:00 p.m.—Exhibit Opening and Reception – free and open to all

O’Shaughnessy Frey Library, Room 108 (the O’Shaughnessy Room)

7:00 p.m.—Lecture by the Artist – free and open to all

3M Auditorium, OWS 150

Light refreshments will be served after the lecture.

About the exhibit:

The word symmetry may evoke bilateral symmetry, as in an idealized human face or the two wings of a butterfly.

For mathematicians, the concept is richer, ranging from the patterns of wallpaper to the symmetries of a molecule or crystal.

Indeed, the concept of symmetry is central to students’ first experiences in the field of abstract algebra, where symmetry is used to illustrate the idea of a group. For mathematicians, group is a technical notion that may be best approached through examples, like the ones offered here.

The images in this exhibition offer a way to learn more about symmetry and the group concept. Of course, some visitors will prefer simply to look and enjoy a workout of the visual cortex.

About the artists:

Frank A. Farris is a 2012 visiting professor at the University of Minnesota. He is an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Santa Clara University. He edited Mathematics Magazine from 2001 through 2005, and again in 2009. He remains active in the Mathematical Association of America and is currently chair of the organization’s Council on Publications and Communications. In 2011, Farris was a visiting professor at Carleton College where this exhibit originated.

March 14, 2013 by

Archbishop Ireland Library, Charles J. Keffer Library, Libraries, New Materials, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library, Uncategorized

UST Libraries Embarks on New Ebook Initiative

Demand Driven Acquisition/Patron Driven Acquisition pilot project has started at the University of St. Thomas.

What does that mean? Liaisons in Business, Education and Psychology have hand-crafted profiles with Coutts/Ingram for the purposes of identifying and adding ebook records to CLICnet in those 3 disciplines. We won’t own these – AND they are available for use. We will own them once the third user goes into the book itself or the index (not the cover page or table of contents). The books should all be able to be used by more than one person at a time, but we could not limit our profile to only downloadable – until more publishers are on board. The sample size would have been too small.

These should all work and act like all other MyiLibrary books.

Questions?

Ask Linda Hulbert (lahulbert@stthomas.edu) or 651-962-5016 if she doesn’t know the answer, she’ll make a good one up! On the spot!

January 22, 2013 by

Libraries, New Materials, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Did you know… we have a Leisure Reading Collection!?

Midterm Break! Doesn’t that sound great right about now? As you head off campus, remember the UST library has your back for helping you to relax and rest over the break. The library has several Kindles to check out and a rather deep selection of fiction books in our Leisure Reading Books.

kindle

The new Leisure Reading section is conveniently located right near the Coffee Bene! See what the Leisure Reading section has right here: http://clicnet.clic.edu/search~S1?/ftlist%5Ebib195%2C51%2C0%2C259/mode=2. Fancy a movie? The Media Resources collection also has some fantastic movies for your viewing. Come in and see the collection or take a look at what you can stream: http://www.stthomas.edu/libraries/collections/media/default.html .

lotsa books

Still have some research to do? Well, once again the library has you covered. The library will be open this weekend.

Here are the hours: http://www.stthomas.edu/libraries/about/hours/default.html.

The reference desk will be staffed over the long weekend. You can start you research here by looking at one of the terrific research guides: http://libguides.stthomas.edu/ .

Take time to enjoy some relaxation this midterm break and visit the library.

October 24, 2011 by

Business & Economics, New Materials

New Books!

Business librarians have been busily buying new books!

That’s certainly a tongue-twister, if I ever heard one. The results are some great brain gymnastics, as well.

Here are a few recent arrivals:

The Accountant’s Guide to the Universe: Heaven and Hell by the Numbers

Dilbert meets Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in this hilariously quirky book about God “outsourcing Heaven and Hell” to an accounting firm. A quick and fun read – by the end, you’ll be amazed how much you’ve learned about finance and accounting.

Fixing the Game : Bubbles, Crashes, and what Capitalism can Learn from the NFL

What better way to learn than combining your favorite Sunday afternoon activity with your study of corporate management? Author Roger Martin discusses how and what corporate leaders can learn from the NFL’s success, including everything from finance to customer loyalty.

Brand Champions: How Superheroes Bring Brands to Life

This is chock-full of great case studies showcasing the individuals within organizations who nurture and sustain brands, bringing them to lifethrough their everyday, superhero performances.

World 3.0 : Global Prosperity and How to Achieve It

“In World 3.0, Pankaj Ghemawat provides a fresh look at cross-border integration and its implications. He demonstrates why integration and regulation must be seen as complementary. And he offers great recommendations that should inspire all stakeholders in times of major global challenges. A must-read.”
–Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Interested in seeing more? A list of this month’s newest business books is always available on the library homepage, or you can subscribe to it as an RSS feed.

Purchase recommendations are always welcome, as well – simply fill out this form!

October 8, 2011 by

Music, New Materials, News & Events

The National Jukebox

Hey, this is pretty cool: the Library of Congress has released the National Jukebox, which provides free access to some vintage music from the LOC and other collections. Users can browse or search by genre and artist, access, create, and submit playlists, etc. The “Jukebox Day by Day” feature lets you see what was recorded each day of the year.

Listen to a Sample Playlist.

About the National Jukebox
The Library of Congress presents the National Jukebox, which makes historical sound recordings available to the public free of charge. The Jukebox includes recordings from the extraordinary collections of the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation and other contributing libraries and archives.

jukebox

May 12, 2011 by

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