On a bleary Monday morning: some advice

The night supervisor told me he had a rather rough night at work last night. Lots of people in the library forgetting they were in a library, mainly, but something happened that threw him for a loop. Bearing in mind that he's only worked here since this past summer, he hasn't encountered every possible problem and/or emergency, but last night something happened that most of us haven't dealt with, even someone like me who's been here almost five years: someone dropped a study room key down the gap between the floor and the elevator, which means there's a study room key at the bottom of the elevator shaft.

Well, folks, this presents a problem. It's like those people who, while walking across the bayou, manage to drop their keys down the gaps in the bridge, or over the railing. It's just about impossible to retrieve them.

So, folks, some advice: be careful with study room keys. Put them in your pocket, purse, or backpack, until you get to the Circulation Desk to turn them in. Likewise, when crossing the bayou, also keep your keys safe!

Happy Anniversary, University Library!

Actually, it is "Happy Anniversaries!" The year 2008 marks the University Library's 60th anniversary as a member of the Louisiana State Documents Depository Program, and its 45th anniversary as a member of the Federal Depository Library Program.

Since December 11, 1948, the University Library has received copies of all State of Louisiana publications. The University Library is a "selective" depository for federal documents, which means that the Library does not receive all federal publications, but only those deemed most suitable to the purposes of the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Currently, the library receives about 35 percent of all federal documents distributed by the U.S. Government Printing Office.

The University Library and Government Publications Department will be celebrating these anniversaries with special events and activities throughout 2008.

For more information on the state and federal collections available through your library, please visit the Government Publications Office, Room 210, or check out the website, http://www.ulm.edu/~govdocs.

Tax forms and FREE tax software online!

Tax season is upon us and we've had several people ask us for tax forms at the Reference desk. Although we do not have hard copies of tax forms in bulk, any federal form you may need can be printed from www.irs.gov. The most frequently requested forms, including 1040 and 1040EZ, are directly linked in the upper left column; if you need a form not listed there, click on "More Forms and Publications," then "Form and Instruction Number."

Louisiana income tax forms can be printed from the state Department of Revenue's website, while forms for all other states are accessible through the Federation of Tax Administrators.

In addition, most students probably qualify for the IRS Free File program, which allows you to use tax preparation software such as TurboTax or H&R Block TaxCut for FREE on your federal tax return! If you use Free File, you will not need any federal forms at all as your return will be e-filed. Free File does not cover your state taxes, so you would still need to file those forms separately.

Black History Month Display

There is a new display of books relating to black history month on the 2nd floor of the University Library, near the elevators.

Don't forget: there are many more physical items, but also electronic resources, and texts on microfilm, which may be located through the iLink online catalog.

Reminder, Patrons: Mardi Gras Break!

Just wanted to remind you guys that Mardi Gras Break begins this Friday at 1pm, when the whole campus closes. We will be closed Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, February 3 through February 5.

We will reopen Wednesday, February, at 7:30am and remain open until 5:30pm. Classes and regular library hours will resume Thursday, February 7.

If you're planning to attend Mardi Gras in New Orleans, please be safe and have fun!

Wall Street Journal trial

Carita Alexander has found us a trial version of the WSJ that will last until February 27th.

To log in to your trial, go to:
http://trials.proquest.com/ptc?userid=2529628

The password? Well, I wouldn't feel comfortable telling it to just anyone, but here's a hint: You know when someone puts a mat outside the front door? It's what the mat usually says.

Various things for the CBA

I've talked with various people at the CBA about their resources (mostly Finance). Here are some answers to questions they had:

Carita Alexander and I have figured out that EBSCO host does have access to the Journal of Finance in EBSCOHOST, from 1948 to the present. There's a limit to what can go here, though; it has to be out for a year before it appears in full text here. Otherwise, there is only an abstract. That's a limit set by the publisher of the journal.

Speaking of EBSCO, It has been suggested that we think about getting a different version of EBSCO's Business Source database, to see if one of the other versions might be better. Here are links to what EBSCO says about their products:

Business Source® Elite
Business Source® Complete
Business Source® Premier

I've looked at the list of titles for each, and in a nutshell Business Source Complete, which is what we currently have access to, has the largest number of titles.

Still speaking of EBSCOHOST... Ever tried the Enhanced Business Searching Interface (the link for that appears right under the normal Business Source completes link in the database list)?
Being used to and fairly happy with normal EBSCO, I never looked until recently myself. This provides faster access to specific kinds of resources:

I don't know if that's going to be of any help at all, but I sort of like it.


I've also taken a closer look at D&B Key Business Ratios as a provider of business ratios, which has solicited us. They say that they have 14 Key Business ratios. I'm unsure if I'm interested in this product, but it is one to consider.

About the Wall Street Journal...
When I heard the fairly shocking news that Rupert Murdoch acquired the WSJ some weeks ago, I thought 1) I really hope this doesn't destroy its integrity and 2) I wonder if that's going to complicate getting a new subscription? I've contacted the WSJ's customer service about options for access, and I'll have more to to say about that when they reply.

I've also asked Standard & Poor’s about electronic access to their Industry Surveys, which we have in print up to 2006.

Random Factoid: Vodka for Cleaning

The Dean and several of us reference librarians were chatting a bit this morning, which led to a discussion of cleaning habits. Some of us are more obsessive-compulsive than others, which led to a discussion of ways to clean clothes.

I shared this method of cleaning costumes that I learned from a costumer: sometimes costumers will spray costumes with vodka to "clean" them or freshen them up, when there isn't time to wash or dry-clean costumes between performances. The vodka dries quickly, doesn't leave behind any kind of scent, and kills bacteria, which cause smells. And it doesn't matter which vodka you use, so it could potentially be more cost-effective than frequent dry-cleaning!

And that's a random factoid from a librarian. :D

Coming Up Soon: Mardi Gras Break

So, library patrons, we are approaching one of the first big breaks of the semester: Mardi Gras! We will have special hours during Mardi Gras, which are posted on the ULM Library Homepage, but just in case you miss them: we will be closed Sunday, February 3, through Tuesday, February 5. We will reopen Wednesday, February 6, at 7:30am and remain open until 5:30pm. Classes - and regular library hours - will resume Thursday, February 7.

Anybody want to share their Mardi Gras break plans? I know this librarian is going to attend some parades and spend some time with family and friends!

Welcome back, library patrons!

Welcome back, returning students, faculty, and staff! Welcome, new students, faculty, and staff! I am sure we are all looking forward to the spring semester! Anybody want to share their New Year's Resolutions? Hopefully they will include devoting more time to studying, especially at the library! :D

January Book Display: Wild Diversity of Books From Your Federal Government

There is a small display on the 2nd floor, University Library, exhibiting the variety of interesting books published by the federal government: travel books, art books, a Hebrew diplomatic dictionary, quilting, folklife, water conservation, aviation, educational statistics, military hardware, etc., etc.

The books are on display near the central stairs on the 2nd floor (to the left of the elevator lobby).

All of the books on display--and hundreds of thousands more--government publications may be checked out by students, faculty, and staff, just like any other book. All the federal materials are listed in the iLink online catalog.

Check 'em out!

New U.S. Census Map Shows Congressional Districts

During this 2008 election year, you may find it interesting and illuminating to look at a new map issued by the U.S. Census which shows all the federal congressional districts.

The map has been posted on the north (exterior) wall of the University Library, on the 2nd floor, just beyond the map cases.

Enjoy!

Admin functions

All library personnel who can create posts on this blog now have admin privileges.

You'll Be Missed, Glenn!

Today we had a party for Dr. Glenn Jordan, professor of history and Head of Special Collections & Archives here at the University Library. It was a surprise retirement party - it had to be a surprise, otherwise he'd run away (or so he said). Enjoy this PowerPoint slideshow of Glenn's Party!

Glenn, we'll miss you! Enjoy retirement, but don't be a stranger!

Early Christmas Gift: Extended Hours!

Hello, Library Patrons! Just wanted to let you guys know that we have extended our hours - including adding a day! - in consideration of all the cramming - er, I mean, preparing and studying you guys will be doing for finals! You can see the updated schedule on the Library's website, but we also wanted to post it here:

Friday, November 30: 7:30am - 6pm

Saturday, December 1: 10am - 6pm

Sunday, December 2: 10am - 1am

There will be reference librarians here all day Friday and Saturday, and from 10am to 9pm Sunday to help you! Starting Monday, December 3, and continuing on until Thursday, December 6, the Library will be open until 1am instead of midnight. Come on by, get your study on!

Note:  Off Campus access of online journals and catalogs, (ULM Music Catalog) are now working.  When off campus, go to the ULM Library Web-site: http://www.ulm.edu/library, click on the journal or catalog needed, sign in using your SSN or Student Number as USER and birth month birth year, mm/yy as PASSWORD.

Update: Library Resources Back Up!

Okidoki, Library Patrons, our resources are back up and running. We thank you for your patience! If you should encounter any problems, don't hesitate to contact us!

Oops - Sorry, Library Patrons!

If you're currently trying to access our catalog or our databases, you may have some trouble if you're on campus. If you're off-campus, things seem to be working fine. We're not sure what the problem is, but we've contacted the proper people, and hopefully they'll get it up and running soon. Until then - sorry, Library Patrons!

Update! Apparently, some maintenance was done on the "backbone" of Internet access in the state, and this maintenance has caused the outage of our resources. The Computing Center has reported the problem to LaNet, and they are addressing the problem. Hopefully this will all be resolved very soon!

Safari: What the heck?

I've just discovered now that this blog looks completely different in Safari:

I'm a little baffled by this. Shouldn't blogger look the same in every browser? Even IE does it the right way. I'll try to fix it, if I can.

Reference page demos

I've sort of finished some candidates for the long-promised reference page (sorry it took so long). I've consolidated all the reference pages, removed some pedantic language, and added new elements. If these designs turn out to be any good, I'll use them for other pages I plan to make (the department page, ILL page, etc.) It is mostly html, but has some CSS use.

I've made 3 versions (All of them work in IE now):
#3 151 kb total
#2 188 kb total
#1 198 kb totall
I like the first and last ones the most. Let me know which you think is the least ugly. Or if they all are. There's a poll to the right. Anyone may provide input!

My reasoning here is:

- it's distinctly different from other ULM web pages
- it looks fairly modern
- websites are marketing tools. Someone who has never been here or doesn't know what Reference is will get first impressions here.
- I wanted it to appear friendly
- The images in the margins break up the extra space at high resolutions, but the middle column is 700px across, so it can be viewed at low resolutions (some blogs like this one do this, and better too)

My dream was to make something that looked like this Biola University page. But I think it's beyond my skill level right now.

(this is cross-posted on the Library Web Page Committee blog )