St. Thomas Libraries Blog - News, Events and Musings from the UST Libraries

RefWorks Access UPDATE

A few weeks ago RefWorks updated its list of usernames in order to bypass the group code. You may have received an email saying your username has been changed. Please check your St. Thomas email to see if you received an email like this. If so, login with your old username and password. If you receive this error message,

click on FORGOT YOUR LOGIN INFORMATION?

Refworks will then send an email to the account you registered with (probably your UST email) telling you your username/password. You can then click on UPDATE PROFILE on the upper right of the screen (once you’ve logged in) to set an easier username/password. As always, ask us if you have problems.

January 19, 2012 by

Database Highlights & Trials

JAMA News

For those of you used to following up the evening news with an online trip to JAMA, I have some bad news. We no longer are able to receive the current 6 months of JAMA online. We only have this in print copy. So you’ll have to follow up the evening news with a trip into the library if you want to read the latest JAMA study on fill-in-the-blank. If you’re looking for an older article from JAMA, you’re in luck and can stay put. We have JAMA online from 1998-current 6 months ago and in print for the current 6 months. We offer you print copy all the way back to 1921-1990. For 1991-2011 we have microfiche.

January 19, 2012 by

Database Highlights & Trials, News & Events

Why the Blackouts? Info on SOPA; alternatives to Wikipedia

wiki_black
Have you noticed that Wikipedia and other sites are “blacked out” today?

Many tech companies have decided to go dark for 24 hours on January 18, 2012 as an advocacy move to fight against adoption of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and a related act dubbed PIPA that seek to regulate online piracy and copyright infringement. These opponents are concerned about potential threats to privacy and the open-ness of the internet.

For more on the issue, here are some resources:

For usable, every day quality information as an alternative (or in addition to) Wikipedia, try some of these UST Libraries subscription resources:

Summon: Google-like search of library resources (use as is, or search and click “Reference” box at left to limit to online encyclopedia articles)
Encyclopedia Britannica online
Primary UST Online encyclopedias
UST online & print encyclopedia finder (hundreds of specialized encyclopedias for all subject areas available)

Ask a Librarian if you’d like some help.

January 18, 2012 by

Libraries, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Crash! Bang! What’s Happening in the Library?

You may have noticed some really loud pounding and sawing noises in the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library over the past few weeks and perhaps have seen some recent crane activity used to move heavy pieces of equipment up and out through the roof. The crane will be back in a week or so to help load in the new equipment, too.

All of this is related to an aggressive heating and cooling project that is now underway. The large air handlers that were a key part of the HVAC system that served the older part of the library are being removed and replaced with new. When the project is complete we can expect increased comfort and greater consistency of temperatures throughout the seasons. The loudest part of the project has been completed and by the end of March we hope to be finished. We thank you for your patience.

January 13, 2012 by

Charles J. Keffer Library, Libraries, News & Events

Keffer 2.0 – Under Construction!

For those of you who haven’t heard, in the next few months Keffer library will be undergoing some renovations. Later this spring, we will be reopening as “Keffer 2.0.”

Keffer staff have been working hard to prepare for this change. Throughout it all, our main goal is to keep library services and staff available as usual. This has meant moving books, the circulation desk, reference desk, reference collection, and more to temporary locations within the library.

But most importantly, we’re still open! Library access is still available through elevators moving between the first and second levels. Once you reach the lower level, we are ready and waiting as usual to help you with whatever research or other help you may need. We’re extremely grateful for your flexibility as all the construction goes on around us!

To satisfy your curiosity about what’s going on as you work around us, this week has been the start of the more major moving and demolition. Carpets have been lifted up, walls knocked down, and in general, the space is being prepped for Keffer 2.0.

You may also have noticed how the reference desk has been relocated to room 130. It and many other materials have moved into nooks and crannies around the library; feel free to ask any library staff if you are having troubles finding anything.

When construction is finished, we will reopen with the majority of library services located on the second, skyway level. Plans are underway for the lower level to contain the book and periodical stacks as well as a quiet reading area.

Again, we’re extremely grateful for your flexibility and patience as we stay open for business throughout construction! Despite all of the change, our focus continues to be providing quality services and research help to the UST community, and we at Keffer are happy to help you with whatever you need.

In the meantime, please feel free to stay tuned for future construction updates; we’ll try to post updated photos to our Facebook page as they’re available.

We look forward to reopen as the “new” Keffer library later this spring!

January 11, 2012 by

Database Highlights & Trials

New Year’s Edition

Happy New Year y’all. January 1 always comes with a few surprises and 2012 blew in with no exceptions. We are experiencing a few glitches with a few resources, but all in all, none of it is a big deal.

The following resources are currently unavailable:

Academic Search Premier
Alt Health Watch
Business Source Premier
Health Source Complete
ERIC
Health Source
Masterfile
Megafile
Points of View
Professional Development
Regional Business News
Science Reference Center

The common denominator of these resources is that they are the ones that we get free from the state of Minnesota through the ELM (Electronic Library of Minnesota) agreement. The state currently pays for these for all Minnesota residents and as a library, we are able to link to them from our websites. With the budget crunch, we are in danger of losing this type of state government support. These resources are incredibly valuable to us as information consumers. If you are currently bummed that these are not available at this time, think of the possibility of losing these resources altogether. Right now we only lost them temporarily because of a Jan 1 computer glitch. But this could be a glimpse of the future. Please contact your state representative to encourage them to support ELM.

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON 1/5/12 at 9:01. Access to the above resources has been reestablished.

Gale Virtual Reference Library is not working in Internet Explorer, but other browsers are handling the changes just fine.

January 4, 2012 by

Libraries, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Coffee Bene in the Library this week as test

Coffee Bene will open in the O’Shaughness-Frey Library each day this week, January 2 through January 6, from 8:30am until 2:00pm. If there is enough interest, the coffee shop will continue these hours through the end of J-term.

If not enough customers stop in to warrant keeping open, the library’s coffee shop will close until first day of Spring Semester.

If you find the coffee shop closed, you can always visit the main store on Cleveland Avenue next to Davannis.

Happy New Year to all!

January 2, 2012 by

Libraries, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Food For Fines program reports results

Nathan Wunrow, circulation supervisor, reports that the UST Libraries and the English Department would like to thank everyone who participated in this fall’s ‘Food for Fines’ drive.

We were able to donate 462.5 lbs. of food and $227.00 in cash to the Francis Basket Food Shelf.

This fall’s food drive was in collaboration with the English Department Common Context Program theme of Hunger.

January 2, 2012 by

News & Events

Bookdrop locations

book drop

Just a brief reminder that if you need to drop off library materials that are due after regular library hours or over holidays, you can use one of our various bookdrop locations:

Outside O’Shaughnessy-Frey: north of the front door at the bottom of the steps

Outside O’Shaughnessy-Frey: south side of the library

Across from the Post Office window in Murray-Herrick

Outside Keffer: in skyway near old front entrance & elevator

For more info, see our Returning Books web page.

Have a great Holiday season!

December 22, 2011 by

Libraries, News & Events, O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library

Congratulations to UST librarians Linda Hulbert and Andrea Koeppe

Two UST Libraries staff were honored in December with annual awards from the College Libraries in Consortium (CLIC).

Linda Hulbert, UST Libraries’ associate director for collection management services, was awarded the CLIC User Services Award for her leadership within CLIC, especially as it relates to the future of the integrated library system and the development of e-book collections, as well as “her many contributions over the past few years.”

Andrea Koeppe, Keffer Library reference librarian, received, with others, the CLIC Group Effectiveness Award for her work on a major professional development initiative related to improving the quality of library instruction. From her nomination: “The word ‘transformative’ comes to mind … thanks to this group, our instructional abilities – broadly defined – have been enhanced and given new life, which is very exciting for us as individuals, as institutions, and as a consortium.”

December 22, 2011 by

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