Library News

ISU Library has a free trial to “Iter: Medieval & Renaissance Bibliography” database until November 2nd 2010. You can access it both on and off campus.

Description: “Iter, meaning a journey or a path in Latin, is a not-for-profit partnership dedicated to the advancement of learning in the study and teaching of the Middle Ages and Renaissance (400-1700) through the development and distribution of online resources. Online resources include Iter bibliography comprised of secondary source material pertaining to the Middle Ages and Renaissance (400-1700). The Bibliography of English Women Writers 1500-1640, a list of scholarship about 738 recovered writers and located texts, canonical and non-canonical. It identifies many hitherto unknown writers, including among them not only already familiar figures, but also women refugees such as the recusants, women in the colonies, Marrano women (Anusot), women translators, and English women writers in French, Greek, Latin, Spanish, Irish Gaelic, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh. And so much more.”

This article was contributed by Regina Koury, Electronic Resource Librarian at Oboler Library. Please let her know how you like the database.

Did you know that Idaho State University and Oboler Library are both on Facebook? Here’s how to quickly find all the different ISU social software sites; some of them are also listed on the ISU home page.

If you’re reading this, it’s from the library’s blog, Library News. You can get to it right from the Library Web Page. Library News will update you on what’s new in the library. Right now we are offering many 15 minute workshops, including social software workshops –see the Learn Something Quick schedule. Hurry, these classes end Sept. 10th!

Idaho State University on Facebook

Oboler Library on Facebook

Twitter for Idaho State University

YouTube for Idaho State University

I’ve attended a few of the Learn Something Quick workshops and am very impressed. (See the article below or look at this page for the topics/dates/time schedule, and course descriptions for the 40 different classes.) I would like to urge people to attend some of them this week (Sept. 3-Sept. 10, 2010.) For a 15-20 minute time investment, you can get a concise overview of a new technology or research trick. You can also get new or advanced information about technologies you’ve already worked with. Some classes have also come with handouts. Classes are offered two or more sessions, so you still can attend the ones that have already been offered! Here are some of the “gems” I’ve learned:

Photos and Clip Art: Spencer Jardine, Coordinator of Instruction taught this interesting class that included a half-page handout of web sites to go to for clip art and free photos. I will be using this information for Library News. The next one is Thursday Sept. 9 at 10 a.m.

Bengal Web–Beyond the Basics: Did you know you can customize your BengalWeb page? This class shows you how. It also covered BengalWeb Groups, which is really handy for clubs, organizations, teams, and more. You can e-mail your group and also post files or handouts. You can also bookmark your favorite web pages here. Marjanna Hulet, Training Assistant with the TIGERi Project taught it. The next one is Friday Sept. 10th at 11 a.m.

Facebook Settings and Privacy–This class covers the “ins and outs of the settings on Facebook.” I was interested in taking it to see if I was protecting my privacy enough, and it gave me a lot of answers. It included a short video on privacy settings. Jenny Semenza, the Head of Reference at Oboler Library, is the instructor. The class will be offered again on Wed. Sept. 8 at 3:30 p.m.

Last time they were offered I learned a lot about Google Books, Google Docs , and Google Scholar, which are all offered again this semester, as well as numerous other classes.

Most of the Learn Something Quick classes are offered more than once, so if any of these classes or the 37 others that are listed in the schedule intrigue you, you can still take them. The schedule is also posted on the bulletin boards near the entrance to the administration offices. Hurry, this program ends on Sept. 10th and it can make a big difference in your research this semester.

This article was contributed by Joan Juskie, Library News editor and Library Assistant at Oboler Library.

In celebration of Banned Book week the library is hosting a Banned Book Title Poetry contest. Participants will have their name entered into a drawing for a free 1 GB jump drive. The library will not be judging the quality of the poetry. The Event Committee’s favorites along with the drawing winners, will become part of a display and a webpage. For more details see the webpage at: http://www.isu.edu/~semejenn/poetry.html

Come to the Library and Learn Something Quick! In fifteen minutes we’ll show you a new piece of software, or teach you about the changes to the APA citations, or demonstrate a new research tool. So little of your time, and so much information! All sessions meet in room 212, and are scheduled between Aug. 30th and Sept. 10th. Find the complete schedule here.

A drawing for 20 flash drives will occur at the end of the Learn Something Quick workshops series (Monday Sept. 13th. to enter, attend a class, fill out the form, and drop it in the box. You can enter as many times as you attend. Only one flash drive per person will be awarded.

Here’s a partial list of class topics offered: APA and MLA styles, Bengal Web, Books Online, Tools (including Bubbl, Delicious, Doodle, End Note, Gliffy, Jing, and more), Facebook Settings and Privacy, EbscoHost, Funding for Student Research, GMail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Earth, Google Scholar, Google Site, and Travel on the Cheap. Be sure to check the schedule for dates & times, and a description of each class. See you there!

We welcome spouses of students, faculty, and staff just as we do any other member of the community. Spouses are encouraged to come into the Library and sign up for a Community Borrowers card. They may then check out up to 10 books for 28 days each or use one of our four dedicated “visitor” computers. These computers have Internet access, access to all of our licensed databases, and Microsoft Office Word 2007 - occasionally there may be a short waiting list. Our Reference staff will also help them with any research needs. So please, let your spouse know that the library is here to serve them too.

The Library will be closed for the Labor Day Holiday. It will be open Friday Sept. 3rd from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and will re-open Tuesday Sept. 7th at 7:30 a.m. We hope you have an enjoyable holiday weekend!

You can still do extensive research from home with the library web page, unless there are power or computer outages. Over 200 electronic databases can be accessed off campus, with access to 112,401 electronic journals, books and reports. Call, e-mail, or come into the reference desk during open hours if you have questions.

If you need internet services that you usually get with the computers at Oboler library, you could try your local public library. Check with your local library for their open hours and internet policies. They are usually not open on Sunday or holidays.

Welcome to Fall Semester at ISU! As you begin or continue your college experience, come by the library for your information needs! The library is a great place for individual or group study or visiting.

You don’t need to have a computer account to use the library computers for research, books, periodicals, internet, e-mail and Facebook–just your Bengal ID! Printing is 10 cents a page (duplex–both sides.) If you do have a computer account, you will be pleased to know that their is a computer lab on the 2nd floor of the library.

The library will be open shorter hours the first couple weeks of the semester (August 23-Sept. Sept. 3, 2010), and then resume general library hours. For a complete listing of the hours and the exceptions, check the Library Hours page.

If you are new to ISU or unfamiliar with the library, you may want to check the Oboler Library Tour on this page, under the right hand column, “Pages”. Also you can attend one of the numerous library tours (see below) that will be offered during Week of Welcome, plus mini workshops (Learn Something Quick) on a variety of topics that are offered the following week. Watch Library News for an announcement.

The library will also have an information booth in front of the library on Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 24 and 25, from 7:30 a.m. until 2 or 3 p.m. Stop by and get a free color map of campus, ask directions to places you can’t find, or pose other questions to the reference desk staff manning the booth.

On Thursday Aug. 26 the library will be offering tours from 12 to 4 pm, every hour, on the hour. Meet at the Circulation desk to attend. If you need a tour at a different time during this week, call Spencer Jardine, Coordinator of Instruction, at 282-5609, or stop by his office Library 110 (near the current display magazine/art area on the first floor) to arrange a tour.

A few changes have occurred over the summer. The National Union Catalog moved to Technical Services and the newspaper microfilm and microfilm reader-printers moved to the area near the Law Library on the 1st floor. Books on tape and CD have moved to the 3rd floor. Current newspapers have moved to the lowest shelves of the current display magazine shelves on the 1st floor. Click above to read the entire story, and check previous entries of Library News to see other things that happened at the library over the summer. We are also doing the usual early semester Blood Drive–please sign up!

Have a wonderful Fall 2010 semester!

Microfilm reader-printers have been moved from the 3rd floor to the 1st floor, into the area across from the Law Library and Reference Stacks. If you need assistance with the machines, please ask at the reference desk.

Newspaper microfilm reels and cabinets have also been moved down. Oboler Library has many historical Idaho newspapers on microfilm. There is a list of “Idaho Newspaper Holdings by City” available on the microfilm filing cabinets, as well as a list of the contents of the seven newspaper microfilm cabinet ranges:

no. 1 Aberdeen Times to Hub City Voice

no. 2 The Idaho Bengal to Idaho Statesman

no. 3 Idaho Statesman to New York Times

no. 4 New York Times to North Idaho Press

no. 5 North Idaho Press to Salt Lake Tribune

no. 6 Salt Lake Tribune to Wall Street Journal 

no. 7 Wall Street Journal to Zion’s Ensign

For more information about the library’s newspaper collections, click here.

Census 2010, The ISU Reading Project Book, Wickiup, Pedestrian Safety, My Favorite Books, U S. Poets Laureate, and Research at IHSL are the new or continuing subjects of displays up in the library now. The Current Display Art Area has art by George Wise.

First Floor:

Display case 1: ISU Reading Project: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. The ISU Reading Project book is the subject of this display. Find out more about this event that involves the ISU community all reading the same book, and attending discussions, movies, lectures, etc. related to the book and topic–see the schedule of events here. The display includes some facts about about autism, traits of autistic personalities, ISU events, and more.

Display Case 3 has a display on Wickiup, the ISU Yearbook that was published in earlier times. Get in the mood for homecoming, which occurs Sept. 20-25, with the Homecoming Parade and Football Game Saturday Sept. 25th! You can find an online directory of Wickiup 1941-43, 1948-71 here. The page also includes more information about ISU’s early yearbook. Since Facebook seems to be a modern equivalent of yearbooks, in some ways, you’ll want to become a fan of Idaho State University and also Oboler (Idaho State University) Library on Facebook.

Census Information, fills case 2. This display explains a lot about the U S census. There are brochures/ charts that describe the history of the census, the population of the United States from 1790 (3,929,214) to 1970 (203,184,772) to 2000 (281,421, 906) , and one for the costs of the census from 1790 ($44,377) to 2000 (4,500,000,000). Learn some things you didn’t already know from this display.

The Current Display Art area is filled with art by George Wise. Read the complete story here. You’ll want to come in the library and see these beautiful pictures of cats, wildlife, Native American themes, flowers, horses, a Victorian home, and more.

Second Floor:

Display Case 4 has information related to Pedestrian Safety. Find many tips here on how to make your walking, biking, and driving on campus safer. Brochures on walking and biking safety at the display are free to pick up, complements of Bannock Transportation Planning Organization.

My Favorite Book is the subject of display case 5. The library usually holds a drawing during National Library Week, and these are the results of favorite books in the ISU community. If you’re looking for good summer reading, be sure to check out this display. Recommended titles include: River Town by Peter Hessler, The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, Fate is the Hunter by Ernest Gann, Telling by Marion Winik, Prey by Michael Crichton, Dear John by Nicholas Sparks, and many more.

Third Floor:

Display case 6 is on The U.S. Poets Laureate. The display covers newly appointed Poet Laureate W S Merwin. It provides information about the position, spines of many book titles of current and past poet laureates, details about how to find out more on the internet, and other items of interest. If you enjoy poetry, you’ll want to see this display. Also see the previous Library News articles on the subjects of W.S. Merwin Appointed Poet Laureate and Idaho Writer in Residence.

Health Science display case—Research at IHSL The Idaho Health Science Library (IHSL) has the mission “to advance education, research, and patient care by providing publication-based information to the university community, Idaho health care providers, and consumers.” This display illustrates the diverse resources that are available: tools like PubMed, EbscoHost, A-Z journal List, Cinahl, STAT!Rev, Cohchrane Library, Ulrichs Periodicals Directory, and more. It is pleasantly accented with an orange and black homecoming theme: ISU pennant, pompom, Bengal tiger, and megaphone. If you’re taking a health class, doing research on a health topic, or research a personal medical condition, be sure to check with the IHSL.