University Library Reference

Summer ITS consultant help from Dewey

2009-07-16T17:18:02Z

Message from Mary Jane
Folks, While University and Science Libraries are relying on the
ITS Help Desk for tech assistance this summer, Dewey still has
some hours of ITS Consultants. I checked with ITS, and they are
fine with librarians and staff from University and Science Libraries
calling the Dewey ITS Consultant when the ITS Help Desk is
closed.

Hours that Dewey ITS Consultant is on duty and ITS Help Desk
is closed:
Sundays 2-6pm
Monday-Thursday 5-8pm
To reach Dewey Consultant, call Dewey Circulation Desk 2-3693.

Thanks to Cathy for suggesting this. -- Mary Jane

Wirless Printing and Virtual IC

2009-03-18T15:03:34Z

1) Wireless Printing!!! Folks will be able to print from laptops (including apple). They need to download a client for each printer they want to use (if they print at Science black and white and ULIB black white they need two clients). Once this is downloaded they select print and are prompted for their netid and a document name. This is how they will identify the job in the print queue on the uniprint. If they do not assign a name the document will be called “document 1.” Documents stay in the queue for 2 hours (the same as the IC pcs) and costs 10cents per page to print. Win will take care of getting the software loaded on library laptops. The service is live now and you can tell patrons about it. But it will not be formally promoted until after the break. ITS consultants are prepared to assist with the service.
More information is here http://www.albany.edu/its/wp.htm
2) Virtual IC. The information commons page and ITS image will now be available virtually. They are referring to this as a virtual room with 15 seats available (15 simultaneous users basically). Using broadband (dial up does not work) users will launch a webpage window that will contain the ITS image. This page will have a secondary start button at the bottom and clicking that will open the IC programs. Users CANNOT access their own drives thru this page. If they started a paper in Word and saved it onto a flashdrive or their C: drive they CANNOT open that information in the virtual IC image. They must use the S: drive to save and access documents. Documents may be printed to local printers. They will be converted to .pdf format. Documents may be emailed.
Documents saved in mydocuments on the virtual IC page will be wiped out when the page is logged off. If you do not actually log off (e.g. users who get dropped from the wireless) information is retained for 15 minutes to give you time to log back on and retrieve it. Your seat in the Virtual IC is also retained for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes your documents are lost and your seat is open.
The service is live now and you can tell patrons about it. But it will not be formally promoted until after the break. ITS consultants are prepared to assist with the service.
More information on the Virtual IC is available here http://www.albany.edu/its/virtic.htm

19th Century British Pamphlets

2009-02-04T16:48:56Z

Mary C. set out an email with an update from JSTOR about the free access through 6/30/09 to the new 19th Century British Pamphlets collection. I've added it to the Primary Sources page. The link will take users directly to a page where they can browse or search this collection specifically. Of course, since it's part of JSTOR, results from this collection are included in any JSTOR search.

Here's the link: http://www.jstor.org/action/collectionInfoPage?selectCollection=britpam

Jane

IIST 605 syllabus

2009-01-27T15:15:12Z

SYLLABUS--IIST 605
INFORMATION SOURCES AND SERVICES
Spring 2009
Tuesdays 7:15-10:05, Draper 313B

Instructor: Steve Black
blacks@strose.edu (best way to contact me)
(518) 458-5494
My office is in The College of Saint Rose library, at 392 Western Ave. I am normally in at least 9-4 Monday-Friday, plus some Sundays and evenings. You are welcome to visit! If you travel a long distance to Albany, check ahead to be sure I'll be available.

SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of this course is to prepare students to understand and perform reference and information work in libraries and other information arenas. The objectives of this course encompass basic reference sources in both print and electronic formats, and the history, philosophy, and practice of reference services. By the end of the semester, students should be able to:
 identify and evaluate information sources
 choose appropriate sources to answer reference questions
 understand the process of reference, including reference interviewing and search strategies
 describe methods and challenges of connecting online resources to patrons
 discuss current issues in reference services, including policy issues in various library settings
 explain ALA standards for high quality reference service.

READINGS
See “Assignments” below. There is no textbook to buy for this class.

EXPECTATIONS
Intellectual engagement
You are expected to learn about information sources and services by doing all of the following:
• Attend class, pay close attention, and actively participate,
• Read all assigned readings,
• Become familiar with the sources presented in class and used to complete assignments,
• Complete the assignments on time.

Attendance (physical and mental)
All students are expected to be to class on time, to stay the entire class period, to pay attention, and to actively participate in class. One half point will be deducted from your final grade for each instance of being more than 10 minutes late to class or leaving class early. Points will be subtracted from your final average for absences as follows:
First absence: no points off
Second absence -2 points
Third absence -4 points (total 6 points off)
Fourth absence -8 points (total 14 points off)

GRADING STANDARDS

Letter Percentage score Performance indicators
A 96-100 Complete, thorough, and accurate. Exemplary expression of both the spirit and letter of the assignment; clearly shows familiarity with sources and grasp of concepts.
A- 90-95 Complete and well written, with very few errors. Clearly expresses comprehension of the content.
B+ 85-89 Mostly well done and competently written, but contains a few errors and/or does not express understanding of an important concept.
B 80-84 Mostly complete and competently done, but has some errors and/or does not express a few important concepts.
B- 75-79 Substantially completed and displays understanding, but with multiple errors
C+ 70-74 Partially completed and/or contains substantial errors
C 60-69 Incomplete and/or with numerous errors
E 0-59 Very poorly done, displaying minimal effort

Grades on assignments turned in late will be reduced by 10 points.
Incompletes for the course will be given only under truly extraordinary circumstances.

POLICY ON STUDENTS WORKING TOGETHER
Librarianship is a collaborative, collegial profession. As such, I strongly encourage you to discuss the content of this course with your peers.
Naturally, the University's policy on academic honesty applies to this course. Part of that policy reads "Plagiarism includes . . .submission of another student's work as one's own." Working together on assignments is allowed. "Together" is defined as being physically in the same time & place. Dividing the work, as in “you do the odd ones and I’ll do the even ones” is NOT allowed. If you work together with someone, write a note at the beginning of your assignment indicating who you worked with and what you did together.
It is also all right to discuss reference sources in terms of their strengths, weaknesses, and the types of information that may be found in them. But giving or receiving an answer from a classmate is forbidden. I encourage you to discuss the readings as much as you would like with your peers, but of course the wording of your work must be your own.

ASSIGNMENTS
Please submit assignments on white paper, stapled in the upper left corner, with your name at the top of the first page.

READER RESPONSES (10% OF GRADE (2% EACH, DUE DATES LISTED BELOW)
Respond to each of the following assigned readings in no more than one page (maximum 500 words). Highlight what you personally found to be most important and/or interesting, and summarize any questions or concerns you’re left with (if the author visited class, what would you want to ask them?).
Green, Samuel S. Personal Relations Between Librarians and Readers, American Library Journal, no. 1, Nov. 1876, 74-81. Online at http://polaris.gseis.ucla.edu/jrichardson/DIS220/personal.htm. DUE FEB. 10
Radford, Marie L. “A Personal Choice: Reference Service Excellence,” Reference & User Services Quarterly, v.48, no. 2, 2008, 108-115. DUE MARCH 3
Tykoson, David. “Why is Germany in Europe?” Reference & User Services Quarterly, v. 47, no. 3, 207-209. DUE MARCH 17
Kieft, Robert. “The Return of the Guide to Reference (Books),” Reference & User Services Quarterly, v.48, no. 1, 2008, 4-10. DUE APRIL 7
Ross, Catherine S. and Patricia Dewdney. Negative Closure: Strategies and Counter-strategies in the Reference Transaction, Reference & User Services Quarterly, v. 38, no. 2, 1998, 151-163. DUE APRIL 21

BIBLIOGRAPHY—OLD TOOLS, NEW TOOLS (20% OF GRADE, DUE FEB. 24)
1. Choose one bibliography in book format published before 1980 on a person or specific topic. Select one you can check out of the library. If you have difficulty finding a book-length annotated bibliography, select a monograph that includes extensive bibliographic citations. For this assignment, avoid guides to archives and special collections. Cite the book in MLA format.
2. Make a list headed “Books” and cite in MLA format any 10 books listed in the bibliography. Look each one up in WorldCat and record how many libraries have the work. If the title is not in WorldCat, indicate “not in WorldCat”.
3. Make a list headed “Periodicals” and cite any 5 journal, magazine, or newspaper articles from the bibliography, then use WorldCat to indicate how many libraries have the periodical for the cited year.
4. For each of the 5 articles listed for question 3, indicate an index or database (e.g. Reader’s Guide, Social Sciences Index, JSTOR) that cites the article. If you can’t find an index or database that cites it, write “none.” Be thorough! This part counts heavily in the grade on this assignment.
5. Summarize the value of your chosen bibliography as a research tool, including whether online resources make the bibliography obsolete.

WHICH DATABASE SHOULD I USE? (20% OF GRADE, DUE MARCH 31)

For each of the following mock queries, recommend 1-3 of the best database(s) for finding the answer, using those available from http://library.albany.edu (http://library.albany.edu/databases/search.asp, the Minerva catalog, “reference collection”). For each query, describe to the patron in a few sentences why the database(s) is/are good choices. A database may be appropriate for more than one query, but since this assignment is designed to have you identify 15 different databases, do not respond with only a general database like Academic Search or InfoTrac.

1. How many versions of The Night Before Christmas have been published?
2. Does U Albany have this? Can I get it online? Lankes, R David (1998) “The Virtual Reference Desk: building human expertise into information systems,” Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Information Science, v.35, p. 81- .
3. I'm building a comprehensive bibliography of scholarly articles on the history of the Erie Canal.
4. I want to browse issues of the journal Meat Science.
5. Where can I find research articles on dreaming and nightmares?
6. I need information about Fanny Wright for a 5-page paper.
7. Where can I find scholarly articles about how to effectively train employees in the food services industry?
8. Does drinking milk actually improve bone density? I mean, have clinical studies proven that?
9. Can I get full text articles from the Albany Times Union?
10. I need research articles on best ways to teach children with autism spectrum disorder how to read.
11. Where should I look for current research on atomic and molecular collisions and interactions?
12. I need current information on Congressional action in the last few years regarding our troops in Afghanistan. I’ve searched newspapers, but need something with more depth, like committee hearings.
13. Where can I find literary critiques of William Kennedy’s fiction?
14. I need info on the textiles of the Indian subcontinent for my art class.
15. I’m looking for current data on Spain’s economy.

WHAT’S THE BEST SOURCE? (20% OF GRADE, DUE APRIL 14)

Part 1
1. Compare & contrast the entries on a topic of your choice in Encyclopedia Britannica, World Book Encyclopedia, and wikipedia.org. Which would you recommend for whom, and why?

2. Compare & contrast the entries for "Morris, Robert [signer of the Declaration of Independence]" in American National Biography, biography.com, and wikipedia.org. Which would you recommend for whom, and why?

Part 2
For each of the following, find and cite THREE sources that would be useful to the patron asking the question: one reference resource (print or online, but no Wikipedia), one book (circulating or reference), and one article from a periodical. Cite in MLA or Chicago style. For each of the 3 cited sources, state which database(s) or other resources you used to find them, and briefly explain to the patron why it appears to be a useful resource.

3. I'm working on a paper comparing the temperance movement in the early 1800’s with MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving).
4. Where can I get primary sources from soldiers in the Korean War? You know, letters home, photographs, that sort of thing.
5. I'm writing a paper about prisons for my English 101. I have to present opposing viewpoints.
6. I have to write a short paper for my physics class about what causes rainbows.
7. What are the current job prospects for newly graduated holders of an M.S.I.S.?

ONLINE REFERENCE RESOURCE PRESENTATION (10% of grade, presentation dates TBA)
Create a one-page handout and make a brief presentation to class OF LESS THAN 15 MINUTES on any electronic reference resource listed at http://library.albany.edu/databases/search.asp, OR of a free web resource that is useful at reference. Specify your chosen target audience. The handout should succinctly describe the resources’ purpose and highlight its noteworthy and/or unique features. Part of the assignment is choosing what’s most important to highlight within the 1-page and 15-minute restriction. Make enough copies of the handout to distribute to your classmates. Include in your presentation at least one sample search that shows how the resource works. Grade is based on clarity of presentation, helpfulness of the sample search, and usefulness of the handout to your target audience.

RESEARCH ESSAY (20% of grade, due May 5)

Topic: What must reference librarians do to remain relevant and valuable to patrons in the 21st Century?

Write an essay of 2000-3000 words (approximately 5-8 pages, double-spaced, size 12 font) that answers the question above by analyzing, synthesizing and integrating the standards listed below with 7-12 additional books or journal articles of your choice. Cite sources in either Chicago or MLA style. Definitely express your own opinion, but also show that your opinion is informed by the standards, cited readings, and class lectures and discussions. Periodicals worth a look include Reference and User Services Quarterly, Library Journal, portal: Libraries and the Academy, Journal of Academic Librarianship, and College & Research Libraries. Feel free to include sources from other fields such as education, psychology or business.

RUSA Professional Competencies for Reference and User Services Librarians, Online at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/resources/guidelines/professional.cfm.

RUSA Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers, Reference & User Services Quarterly, v.44, no. 1, Fall 2004, 14-17. (This document is also available at the ALA web site).

Association of College & Research Libraries, Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, 2000. Online at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency.cfm.

IMC during intersession

2008-11-19T21:24:09Z

All,
The IMC will be painted and new workstations installed.
We will begin to dismantle some workstations after Reading day.
There will be no scanning available, no Datastream or video digitizing available until after Jan 9th. Most other applications are available in the Information Commons.
NOTE: one scanner, located outside of the IMC will be available to scan PDF files only during this period.

We will post notices in the lab and on the web..

details will follow later.

Regina Conboy
Coordinator, Interactive Media Center
LI b58
518-442-3608
fax: 518-442-3088

Foreign Service Institute Language Courses

2008-10-24T20:22:42Z

Hi everyone,
I got a Choice review card for this Web site and thought it would be very useful to students, but I’m not sure where to list it on the reference pages. As you know, we don’t have a great collection of foreign language cds, most of what we have is old and on cassettes. This site is from the Foreign Service Institute and is free. Here’s the review (emphasis is mine). Let me know if you have any ideas where we could link it. I suppose we could put a record in Minerva. Jane

FSI Language Courses
http://www.fsi-language-courses.com/
This site provides easy access to language courses developed by the Foreign Service Institute. Created by the US government, these materials are in the public domain and thus freely available. At present users may select from 34 languages, but new materials are added frequently. The work of adding materials to he site appears to be done by volunteers. No advertising appears on the pages. For each language, users may access either printed textbooks or digitized audiotapes online, and in many cases, both. Often once can select from various dialects (e.g., users wanting to study Arabic may choose Classical, Levantine, or Urban Hijazi Arabic). Disciplined students will find these materials very helpful. In fact, this site is a wonderful free tool for language learners wanting extra practice or exposure to a new language. In addition to the audiotapes, links to podcasts of authentic conversations in various languages are available. Users may also participate in open forums that discuss the study of specific languages. Libraries could spend thousands of dollars to obtain foreign language materials of this quality. This site adds a significant amount of material for a large number of languages that are not represented in the collections of many libraries. Summing Up: Recommended. Libraries that provide foreign language materials to users; lower-level undergraduates through professionals, and general readers. C. Pracht, Southeast Missouri State University.

Anthro assignment - child growth standards

2008-10-21T17:41:38Z

Hi all,

There is an anthro assignment. Professor Robinscraft apparently asked students to compare child growth standards with US and other countries. The student who came is looking specifically for Russia but there may be others...

Chris found the category "Child Growth Standards" on the WHO site under Global health indicators.

You can also search the NCHS Natnional Center for Health Statistics site (click on ALL CDC documents) and locate comparative info on their site.

US standards are on the National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/nhanes/growthcharts/datafiles.htm

WHO (World Health Organization)
http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/who_standards.htm

Chime in if you know of other sources?

Thank you,

Deborah

Africana Studies 520

2008-09-09T20:08:58Z

Hi everyone,

There’s a new assignment out from Africana Studies 520 (African Economics) for which the students may need to use the UN Demographic Yearbook , UN Statistical Yearbook, etc. They are looking for literacy rates, GDP rates, etc. Traditionally we have set aside long runs of each title at reference if we expect we will get a lot of traffic for them, as well as other relevant titles and we should consider doing the same. One patron said there are about 20 students in the class, but since I didn’t see the assignment itself I have no idea of what the scope is. The professor is Kwandwo Sarfoh and the class meets Tuesdays from 2:45-5:45.

Some info that will help students in this class:

UN Demographic Yearbook (now online!): http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/products/dyb/dyb2.htm

UN Statistical Yearbook: Over * HA 12.5 U63 (1990-1998), Ref HA 12.5 U63 (1999-2005)

UNESCO Statistical Yearbook: AZ 361 U45 (1963-1999)

There are also some great statistical sources described on Deborah’s page Guide to Resources for the Study of Africa

Good luck!

Daryl

Art History Assignment - from Daryl

2008-08-28T18:11:53Z

Hi everyone,

A professor in art history is sending students to find an article, but has given them incomplete citation information. What they are really looking for is:

Lilley, K. D. (1999). Modern visions of the medieval city: Competing conceptions of urbanism in European civic design. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, 26(3), 427 – 446.

The students may or may not be aware that this is a journal article (I had one who thought it was a book), so as a heads up, you have the correct info above. We own the journal in print (Per NA 2005 E58), but the article is freely available as a pdf file through the Web at: http://www.envplan.com/abstract.cgi?id=b260427

I'm not sure how long the assignment will go.

Hope that helps!

Daryl

Meebo help

2008-08-28T17:51:35Z

If this situation occurs, here is help I got from Meebo Support -- it sounds like a technique that might help with other problems.

My problem
You can log in and are noted as being logged in.
Your widget says you are offline.
IMs don't get through or get through in batches without being able to respond.

Meebo support -- reasonable response time from them to fix problem
Hi Jean,

Thanks for writing in. We were having some issues this morning. But it should be fixed now. Can you give it another try. Sorry for the inconvenience.

If you are still having issues, try clearing your browser cache and refreshing the meebo page to see if it helps. Here is a link on how to do so: http://wiki.meebo.com/doku.php?id=clear-cache-cookies. To refresh the meebo page, go to www.meebo.com and hold down the ctrl-key and hit the F5 key.

Honors College - Human Rights & Wrongs: Anthropological Exploration (T ANT 141) – J. Burrell

2008-08-27T17:10:33Z

Please see J.McLaughlin for more information

Interlibrary Loan / UA Delivery

2008-08-22T14:08:10Z

Interlibrary Loan Office: UL 110 Email: libill@albany.edu
Hours: Mon – Fri 10:00am – 4:30pm ILL webpage: http://library.albany.edu/ill/
Phone: 442-3613
UA Delivery webpage: http://library.albany.edu/about/delivery.html

Note: There is no UA Delivery Department (this service is provided by people from multiple departments in all three libraries). All UA Delivery questions can be directed to the Interlibrary Loan Department or the Dewey Reference Desk (442-3691).

Patrons Eligible for Interlibrary Loan/UA Delivery Services:
• Currently enrolled students (undergraduate and graduate)
• Currently employed Faculty and Staff
• Retired Faculty

Patrons NOT Eligible for Interlibrary Loan/UA Delivery Services:
• UAlbany alumni
• Students, Faculty, and Staff from other SUNY institutions
• The general public
• If these patrons need interlibrary loan services, they must go to the institution they are affiliated with or their local public library.

ILLiad:
• All Interlibrary Loan and UA Delivery requests must be submitted through ILLiad (we do not take requests over the phone or via email)
ILLiad logon page: https://illiad.albany.edu/illiad/
• All patrons must create an ILLiad account before placing any requests (patrons must use their NetID as their ILLiad username – note that an ILLiad account is separate from their MyUAlbany account).
First Time Users Link: https://illiad.albany.edu/illiad/FirstTime.html
The registration form can be accessed by clicking on the “First Time Users Click Here” button at the bottom of the page.
• Patrons can edit their ILLiad profiles (change contact information, delivery options, ect.) by logging into ILLiad and clicking on the “Edit Profile” link (lower left corner of the page).
• Patrons who have forgotten their passwords can reset their passwords by clicking on the “Forgot Password?” link on the ILLiad Logon page.
Submitting Requests Directly from a Database:

• Patrons can submit Interlibrary Loan requests directly from many of our online databases by clicking on the “Find It” button and then clicking on the “Request Interlibrary Loan” link. Once the patron logs in to ILLiad, the appropriate Interlibrary Loan request form will be filled in. All the patron has to do is hit the submit button.
• When clicking the “Find It” button, you will also see a link that says “Request UA Delivery Service.” This link will take you to the UA Delivery request form, but it will not fill the form in automatically.

Electronic Delivery via ILLiad:
• Patrons can chose to have their Interlibrary Loan articles sent to them electronically.
• All UA Delivery articles are sent electronically.
• All articles are delivered in pdf format and can be retrieved by logging in to ILLiad and clicking on the “Electronic Delivery Pick Up” link.
• We do not deliver articles via email.

Interlibrary Loan Policies:
• Our Interlibrary Loan department borrows from libraries throughout the United States, select libraries in other countries, and commercial document providers.
• Patrons are allowed to request any item that is not currently available at the University Libraries except textbooks.
• There is no official limit on the types or materials (other than textbooks) that can be requested or the number of requests that can be submitted, although we try to discourage patrons from submitting large numbers of requests at the same time or requesting materials that are not related to their research or coursework.
• The amount of time it takes to fill a request can vary widely, but our average turnaround time this past semester was 4.3 days for articles and 12.3 days for books.
• Items that are difficult to obtain include audio/visual materials, books published within the past year, books published before 1900, and items that are typically non-circulating (reference books, rare books, archival material not available on microfilm, ect.)
• Loan periods are set by the lending library and can thus vary, but the typical loan period is four weeks with one four week renewal.
• Patrons can renew Interlibrary Loan items through ILLiad by logging in and clicking on the “Renew Items” link. Patrons cannot renew overdue items through ILLiad (they must contact the Interlibrary Loan office).
• Borrowed materials (books, microfilm, audio/visual, ect.) can be delivered to any of our three libraries. We do not deliver borrowed materials to faculty offices.
• Articles can be delivered electronically, held at one of our three libraries, or mailed to the patron.

UA Delivery Policies:

• Patrons can request electronic copies of articles and chapters from our non-circulation collection (journals and reference) and asked to have circulating books and A/V materials shipped between our libraries (except between the main and science libraries).
• Patrons are limited to three requests per day.
• There is a 50 page limit for article/chapter requests (if a patron wants something longer than that they must break the article/chapter up into multiple requests that are under the page limit).
• Faculty members can have books delivered to their offices via UA Delivery by asking for that service in the notes field of the UA Delivery book request form. Note that faculty members are responsible for requested items once they leave the library.
• Article/chapter requests are typically filled within 24 hours, and book requests are typically filled within 24-48 hours.
• Books requested through UA Delivery are checked out through Aleph and must be renewed through Minerva.

Distance Education Services:
• Patrons who cannot come to campus on a frequent basis are eligible for distance education services.
• Distance education patrons can have circulating books mailed to their homes and obtain electronic copies of chapters from circulating books via UA Delivery.
• Distance education patrons can have their Interlibrary Loan materials mailed to their homes.
• Distance education patrons are responsible for all materials sent to them from the time they leave the building to the time we receive them back.
• Any patron interested in distance education services must contact Suzanne Turner.
phone: 442-3612
email: sturner@uamail.albany.edu

The ILLiad Institutional Lending Form:

• Other libraries that cannot send lending requests to us via OCLC can use the ILLiad Institutional Lending Form.
• Libraries need to create an Institutional Lending account before they can submit requests. To set up an account, they must call the Interlibrary Loan office.
• To log in to ILLiad, other libraries must go to the Interlibrary Loan webpage, click on the “Information for other libraries about our lending policies and the ILLiad institutional lending form” link, and then click on the “Institutional Interlibrary Loan request form” link. They cannot log in to ILLiad via our regular ILLiad log in screen.
• Our lending policies can be found here:

http://library.albany.edu/ill/policy.html

ITS consultant at the ULIB reference desk

2008-08-15T15:53:21Z

Hi all,
Just a heads up on a few things concerning the ITS consultant at the ULIB reference desk. :
1) We are trying to get everything in place for the consultant. They will have their own PC and Peter has a chair on order for them. I have cleared a temporary drawer in the low side of the desk for them to use but that may change. They will share the reference desk phones for business calls. The word reference has been removed from the block sign over the desk and will be replaced with “reference & technical assistance”

2)There will still be a consultant in the far wing (LI103). And when there is enough help also someone in LI-137. Priority for available ITS consultants in ulib should be a) the reference desk b) LI103 and c) LI137

3)Hours for the ITS consultants will be posted on the library hours page along with the usual reference desk/meebo hours information.

There is an information commons meeting on Tuesday so I may have further updates at the reference alliance meeting.
Let me know if you have questions.
Thanks
cathy

Tech Consultant Schedule for the Information Commons

2008-08-14T14:30:14Z

Here are the hours that we have been promised Tech help for Fall 08

Tech Consultant Schedule for the Information Commons

When a Tech Consultant is not available, call 442-3700 x2 (Mon-Fri 8:30a-5p) or submit a Help Request.

========================================================

Fall 2008 Semester: Monday August 25, 2008 - Monday December 8, 2008

When classes are in session, Tech Consultants are available in the Information Commons -

IC @University Library: Mon-Thurs 10am-11pm, Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 12noon-5pm, Sun 12noon-8pm

IC @Science Library: Mon-Thurs 11am-11pm, Fri 11am-5pm, Sat 1pm-5pm, Sun 12noon-8pm

IC @Dewey Graduate Library: Mon-Thurs 2pm-8pm, Fri 2pm-5pm, Sun 2pm-6pm

Exceptions: Tech Help hours may change on holidays and when classes are suspended.

E-mail from Barbara Via on 8/13/08

Printing Open Office Documents

2008-06-06T21:01:35Z

Hello All.

Yesterday, I helped a patron who wanted to print out an Open-Office document. Since we do not have the Open Office program in public computers, I had to use online word processor such as Google
Document.(http://docs.google.com/)

You have to have a Gmail account for this service. Then, you can upload the open office file to your Google Document account and edit it from there or print it out. Google Doc can handle below file formats;

Microsoft Word (.doc),
Rich Text (.rtf),
Open Document Text (.odt)-Open Office
Star Office (.sxw).
Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt, .pps).
Comma Separated Value (.csv).
Microsoft Excel (.xls)
OpenDocument Spreadsheet (.ods).

Peter