Adobe!

The IT folks have now loaded the Adobe Suite on the reference desk computer! I'm not sure how long it has been there as I just noticed it today. Enjoy!

SON OF Duplex Printing

Apparently you must choose printer Am-Ref1 and go to the "Finishing" tab to ask for double-sided print. WARNING: DO NOT CHOOSE PRINTER "AM-REF2: DOUBLE-SIDED." If the printer itself asks you to take the paper out and reload it into tray 1, you have done something wrong. It should pop the paper out, suck it back in, and then re-pop it all by itself.

Dot-Edu Sites for Environmental Chemistry

I had a student working on a paper for an adjunct Chemistry prof named Chedekel, who apparently wants the students to use internet sites only, and only those with .edu extensions. I am not commenting on this assignment, you understand, just noting helpfully that this can be done through specifying .edu in the domain in Google Advanced Search.

The Way of the Stapler

Our stapler has gone missing. I don't know when it slipped away. I've been letting students use the super-stapler, but it only has a few staples left. No spares in the supply cabinet (hmmm...). So, I may bring my own stapler out before leaving for the evening.

Such is the way of the stapler.

Printer News!

Great news about our reference printers (at least one of them). Ref-1 prints duplex (and Ref-2 may if its the same model). I was informed today by a student that she has been printing duplex on Ref-1 and would like us to post signs telling others that they can print double-sided too. Very good idea. Perhaps we should make some signs to paste to each computer noting this, especially since I've been telling students for the past couple of months that our printers don't print duplex.

When the print box appears, go to Properties and you have a choice to Print on Both Sides. This choice only appears for Ref-1. If the printers are the same model, can we change the properties on Ref-2 to reflect the ability to print duplex?

FirstSearch Full Text -- NOT

FirstSearch is not respecting the "full-text only" box today. The student I was helping had checked it, but about half of his return was not full-text. He was in Philosopher's Index; I replicated the problem in both Agricola and MLA. Verletta is letting the appropriate people know.

Library Floor Map

I have posted a pdf of Lua's Library Floor Map to the website. It is located under the "About Us" section, and is the third link down "Library Floor Map." There are also black and white print outs of the map in the handout display.

"Note on Organization Structure" by Nitin Nohria

Kamala Gollakota has this article on her syllabus. Note that the actual title uses the phrase "Organization Structure," not "Organizational Structure." We do not have access to this publication through the library, but it is available from Harvard Business Online, to which her students are required to subscribe.

Walk-in Databases

I have posted a list of databases that allow usage by walk-in patrons on the bulletin board inside the reference desk. I also placed an updated guide on how you might log these people into the databases if they request access. Let me know if you have any questions.

Handout Display

I added some handouts to the display this evening. There are four slots remaining. One will hold Lua's charming map once it is completed but feel free to put any other handouts you think are appropriate in the remaining three slots!

SciFinder Scholar

It appears that SciFinder Scholar has stopped working on the new reference area computers. I have contacted Linda to try and fix this problem but in the meantime, you can send students to the back two rows of computers as it is up and running there.

High-Capacity Stapler

The high-capacity stapler is now "under the counter." We've been through half a box of (expensive) high-capacity staples already AND had a staple-jam caused by someone (student assistant?) putting regular staples in the fancy stapler.

Sigh. It seemed like such a good idea at the time.

But now we get to save the day by producing the big stapler when we see a student struggling with a large document, so I guess that's all right.

Course Reserves--CHEM 131

Denise asked me to post a note about Chem 131 reserves to the reference blog as we often help students find their reserve items.

I have another unusual situation for Course Reserves. There are 10 copies of a Lab Information Packet for CHEM 131. They are located on the Reserves Shelf under LONGIN, but there are also 5 other instructors. Here’s the Reserve page for LONGIN:






I have also added a note to the Reserves page for each of the other instructors: “PLEASE NOTE: All CHEM 131L packets are on the Reserve Shelf under LONGIN”.

WorldCat Ports

I am having trouble accessing WorldCat once again this afternoon due to the "All Ports Full" issue. If you think of it, would you all mind sending me an email when this happens to you as well? I would like to keep a log of "lock outs" to send to SCELC. I am still working on getting WorldCat added to our training account as well. At least we have some access with Open WorldCat...

Brubacher Assignment

You may be seeing some of Elaine Brubacher's students in (I think) BIOL 133 with the annual assignment in which they must find a (reputable) web site, a primary source, and a secondary source. They most often have questions about the secondary source. Reference books are OK! If the topic is appropriate, I just hand them Mosby's Medical Dictionary (Ref Desk R 121 .M89), which has the added advantage of some really gross pictures. ;}

Son of Business 126

For your reference, there is a link on the library website to Susan's handout, "Recommended Resources for Business 126."

WorldCat Ports

I don't know if anyone else has experienced this but I have been locked out of WorldCat on three separate occassions, receiving the error message "Ports Full: Your library's authorized maximum number of users are currently searching WorldCat. Please try again in a few minutes or try another database." I emailed our OCLC rep as it was my understanding we had unlimited search access through our SCELC subscription. Apparently SCELC has opted to go for the purchase of 50 ports to be shared by all SCELC subscribers so if fifty people from any one place are searching WorldCat at the same time, we will be locked out of the database. This, of course, could be allievated by SCELC subscribing to unlimited access at a 5-6% cost increase... At any rate, I anticipate this could be a problem during our instruction sessions. I will see if I can get WorldCat added to our training account for instructional purposes.

ProQuest Lock Out

This morning ProQuest presented us with an error message, "The ProQuest account you entered is locked due to too many failed logon attempts." In talking with ProQuest Technical Support, it appears that the problem is a result of our recent password change. ProQuest's policy to lock our entire account when too many incorrect passwords are entered. After twenty incorrect password entries, the database locks everyone out-- regardless if they are entering through our proxy server or using the old username/password system. I have fixed the problem for now but anticipate that it will occur again until current students and faculty realize they should be entering ProQuest through the proxy server and former students realize they no longer have access. I will continue to monitor ProQuest but suggest you might want to check it before each instruction session. If I am not around (particularly Wednesday mornings), ProQuest technical support can be reached at 1-800-889-3358. It is a relatively quick fix. Hopefully this system will be changed in the ProQuest-CSA merger? It seems silly to continually punish us for not violating our license agreements!

BUS 126 Assignments

Hello All,

Here are the essay assignments and topics for Bus 126. The library instruction sessions are coming up next week -- Sept. 10 - 14. There are 5 sessions so be prepared for lots of questions. In each session I will offer to meet with the students on their topics so feel free to send them over to me.

Business 126 Assignments


Osborn Topics


Andress Topics

Lexis-Nexis: It's Worse Than We Thought

Running search samples for next week's BI, I discovered that Lexis-Nexis is now defaulting to a search that produces primarily NEWSLETTER sources, not NEWSPAPER sources. It does this in the Easy Search under both General and News tabs. In order to specify that I wanted actual newspapers, I had to go into Power Search and use the dropdown menu. Grrr...

New Databases!

New databases added to the virtual collection include the Bibliography of Asian Studies Online, HAPI, and the JSTOR Music Collection. ComDis Dome and AnthroSource will be coming soon as well. Happy database exploring!

LexisNexis Refresh

FYI-- It appears that LexisNexis has changed the look/feel of their website. You may want to check it out when you have a chance if you haven't already...