Thursday, January 29, 2009

New Web interface for SciFinder Scholar

Exciting news for anyone who uses SciFinder Scholar! The database, which was previously accessed through a local client that required downloading and installation on users' computer(s), is making the switch to a Web-based interface. This means that you will be able to access SciFinder in your Web browser of choice and will be able to log in from any computer once you create your username and password. UPDATE 2/11/09: Technical difficulties are currently preventing off-campus access. We are working hard to resolve the problem and will keep you informed on the situation. NEW UPDATE 2/26/09: See end of this post.

What is SciFinder?
According to its website, SciFinder is "a research discovery tool that allows you to explore the CAS databases that contain literature from many scientific disciplines, including biomedical sciences, chemistry, engineering, materials science, agricultural science, and more." For help navigating the database, try the Support & Training pages or contact me (mawilliams@ulm.edu, 342-1065).

When?
From now until April 17, 2009, you will be able to access SciFinder either through the old downloaded client or through the new Web-based version. After April 17, the desktop client will cease to work and you will need to use the Web interface.


How do I register?
If you would like to register for the SciFinder Web version, I can supply you with ULM's registration URL. The terms of our license prevent me from posting it publicly here, but if you email me at mawilliams@ulm.edu I will send it promptly. All faculty and staff in the departments of Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Toxicology should shortly receive an email containing this URL from me (Maren Williams) . All ULM students, faculty, and staff are welcome to register if interested. Please note that you will need to (1) register from an on-campus computer and (2) use an @ulm.edu email address in your registration.

NEW UPDATE 2/26/09:

Thanks to Mike Magee, the Library’s Computer Services Technician, you should now be able to access the Web version of SciFinder off-campus. Mike has tirelessly negotiated between CAS’s very strict security and our state library network’s servers to make them play well together.

In order to use SciFinder off-campus, you will now need to pass through two authentications. When you try to navigate to http://scifinder.cas.org from off-campus, you will first be redirected to a LOUIS (state library network) database login page as shown here. Enter your CWID and PIN (birth month and year with two digits in each), select ULM from the drop-down box, and click Authenticate*. That should get you to the SciFinder login page, where you will enter the username and password that you chose when you registered.

*At this point you will probably get a pop-up warning mentioning an “untrusted certificate.” Your computer may not trust us, but you can—click “Ignore” to continue on to the database.

Once again, we are very sorry for this delay. If you have any more questions or continue to have problems logging in, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Inauguration Got Your Attention?

Did you know that President Obama took the oath of office on the same Bible used by President Abraham Lincoln?

If you would like to know more about this, or what other Presidents had to say at their inaugurations, or if you really want to know more about where the President and his family live, or about that beautiful room in the U.S. Capitol where the VIPs had lunch after the inauguration ... Come to the University Library. There are new displays on the 1st and 2nd floors to satisfy your curiousity.

On a more serious note, the new bulletin board display in the 2nd floor Government Documents Reading Area shows how federal laws are made, and just how you can keep on top of what laws and regulations are being passed.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Wall Street Journal-Folks Flocking to Libraries

I found this to an interesting trend.

Link below to Wall Street Journal article:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123197709459483585.html

Thursday, January 15, 2009

New Library Website Has Arrived

This week, the new library web site was unveiled!

http://www.ulm.edu/library/


We are still working on it. Feel free to ask us any questions or give us comments and suggestions.