Library News and Events

As of July 1, the InfoTrac databases will no longer be available. Instead, RU faculty, staff, and students will have access to several new EBSCO databases which cover similar areas and disciplines. (See EBSCO databases replace InfoTrac.)

What you need to know:

• InfoTrac Powersearch will be gone. In its place, use Academic Search Complete, the EBSCO equivalent of Powersearch.
• Bookmarks to articles in InfoTrac will disappear. Many people bookmark articles for later reference, put a link to an article in your WebCT/Blackboard, or e-mail links to articles to colleagues or students. Any links or bookmarks to InfoTrac articles will not work after July 1.
• Although EBSCO offers full text to many of the same journals as InfoTrac, there is not 100% overlap. If you are used to getting to an online journal through InfoTrac, check the Journal Finder (or ask us to check) to see if we have access to it through another vendor. If an essential journal is no longer available, contact the reference desk and let us know!
• InfoTrac is owned by Gale. While we will no longer have access to the InfoTrac collection, we will still have access to other Gale products, including: Biography Resource Center, Gale Virtual Reference Library, Literature Criticism Online, Literature Resource Center, LitFinder, MLA International Bibliography, Opposing Viewpoints, Testing & Education Reference Center, and The Times Digital Archive.

We are very excited about the new EBSCO purchase; the EBSCO package will provide many more full-text journals online and gives significantly more coverage in the areas of business and education. If you have any questions about the move to EBSCO or any of the EBSCO databases, contact a reference librarian at refdesk@radford.edu; 831-5696; or IM RULibSpot.

Need to check out a DVD?  A Reserve book? How about a digital camera?  Now you can check out all of these materials at the same place - the Front Desk at McConnell Library.

The Front Desk is located on Level 3 (the main floor) and was formerly known as the Circulation Desk.  In addition to checking out books, audiovisual items, and equipment, the Front Desk also provides directional information and Course Reserves services.  (No changes have been made to the library’s Reference Desk, which provides research and instructional services for library users.) 

“We’re excited to provide this new service for our library users.  Combining our former Media and Circulation Desks will make it easier for our users to check out all of their library materials, without having to visit multiple service desks,” said Dave Hayes, University Librarian. 

Library users who wish to book equipment, ask questions about their accounts, or need other information may contact the Front Desk at 831-5364 or at circdesk@radford.edu.

The library has purchased a site license so that Radford University faculty, students, and staff can each download and print his or her own copy. This 24 page PDF revises and updates section 4.16 (pp. 268-281) of the 5th edition of APA, and includes how to cite online articles, Websites, PowerPoint Presentations, blogs, and much, much more!To get your own copy, visit our APA Color-Coded page or go to the PDF directly.If you have any problems, please notify the reference desk, refdesk@radford.edu, 540-831-5696, IM RuLibSpot.

The final Library Survivor workshops of the semester will be held April 8-10. Many professors offer extra-credit for attendance!PlagiarismTuesday, April 8, 4 pm to 4:50 pmMLA StyleWednesday, April 9, 2 pm to 3:15 pmChicago/Turabian StyleThursday, April 10, 11 am to 12:15 pmAPA StyleThursday, April 10, 2 pm to 3:15 pmThese workshops are free; no registration is necessary. Doors open 10 minutes before the class, and classes are limited to 20 students. See you in Library Classroom B!To learn more about the Library Survivor series, please visit http://lib.radford.edu/Instruction/survivor.asp

Starting Monday, March 24, the computers in McConnell Library will have only Microsoft Office 2007 (which includes Word, PowerPoint, and Excel). The computers used to have both Office 2003 and 2007 installed, but incompatibility issues forced us to remove 2003 this weekend.

Office 2007 is backwards-compatible, meaning you can use Office 2007 to read, modify, and edit documents created in Microsoft Office 2003 programs. But if you want to use Office 2003 to read, modify, or edit documents created in Office 2007, you will need to either:

a) Save the file in Office 2007 as 2003 compatible or

b) Install the Microsoft Compatibility Pack onto the personal computer that has Office 2003

If you are sharing the file with other people (like professors), we strongly encourage you to save the file as 2003 compatible.

Helpful 2007 hint: Commands that used to be available under the “File” menu in 2003 (like Print and Save) are accessed by clicking on the colorful Microsoft icon in the upper left hand of your screen.

If you have questions, please ask at the Library Reference Desk, 831-5696, refdesk@radford.edu, IM RuLibSpot. Office 2007 is new to us too, but we’ll do our best to help you!

Wednesday, March 5, 12 pm to 1 pm
McConnell Library Classroom B
Hosted by Candice Benjes-Small and Kevin Tapp

By popular demand, Kevin Tapp and Candice Benjes-Small will be repeating the brown bag on keeping current with RSS feeds. In this session, we will:

*Learn what RSS is and how it can make your life easier

*Explore different ways to get RSS feeds delivered to you

*Set up searches so that journal and article information will be pushed to you

*Create a customized Google page that will automagically update itself with information you want

If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to Candice, cbsmall@radford.edu

Brown bag sessions are intended for faculty and staff, but students who are interested in the topics are also welcome!

To learn how to use the library’s resources effectively, plan to attend a Library Survivor class. These drop-in sessions will help you be a better library user. Many professors offer extra credit for attendance, too!Classes are held in Library Classroom B, and are restricted to 20 students. There is no registration for these workshops. Seating is first come first serve. Doors will open ten minutes before the class starts.Library Survivor: APA Workshop Co-taught with LARC, this workshop will help students learn how to cite in proper APA format. Please note that this class is 1 hour 15 minutes.

• Monday, Feb. 11, 2 pm to 3:15 pm
• Thursday, April 10, 2 pm to 3:15 pm
• APA Workshop Online (PPT). 1/08: We will get the narrated version up soon!

Library Survivor: MLA Workshop Co-taught with LARC, this workshop will help students learn how to cite in proper MLA format. Please note that this class is 1 hour 15 minutes.

• Wednesday, April 9, 2 pm to 3:15 pm

NEW! Library Survivor: Chicago/Turabian WorkshopThis workshop will help students learn how to cite in proper Chicago/Turabian format. Great for history and political science majors! Please note that this class is 1 hour 15 minutes.

• Thursday, April 10, 11am to 12:30 pm

Library Survivor: Library BasicsStudents will learn the basics of searching for books and articles in the catalog and InfoTrac. This is an excellent introduction to McConnell Library.

• Offered in the fall or by special request. E-mail refdesk@radford.edu

Library Survivor: Citations and Full TextStudents will learn how to select an appropriate database, interpret citations, and find the full article when only a citation or abstract is available. Please note this class is 1 hour 15 minutes.

• Tuesday, February 12, 2008, 11 am to 12:15 pm

Library Survivor: EndNote Endnote is a software package that helps users turn their citations into APA, MLA, and thousands of other formats. In this workshop, students will learn how to set up an EndNote library, how to put their citations into the system, and how to create a bibliography.

• Monday, April 7, 2008, 1 pm to 1:50 pm

Library Survivor: PlagiarismIn this interactive class, students will discuss plagiarism, paraphrasing, common knowledge, and other issues of academic integrity.

• Tuesday, April 8, 2008, 4 pm to 4:50 pm

Library Survivors By RequestGive us a date, time, and the names of at least five students who will definitely attend, and we will hold any Library Survivor when you want it. Please give us at least one week’s notice, and note that the class will only be held if a classroom and librarian are available for that time slot.Questions? Comments? Contact Reference Desk, refdesk@radford.edu, 540-831-5696, or  IM RULibSpot.

Supplement your class with Vitamin L!If you want your students to use the Library to do research, please consider incorporating library instruction in some way.

We offer instruction on: creating search strategies; finding articles; searching databases; differentiating between popular and scholarly sources; identifying research articles; avoiding plagiarism; using EndNote; citing in APA, MLA, and Chicago/Turabian; and much, much more.

Some ways to incorporate the Library in your class:*Bring your students to the Library for a workshop, taught by a Librarian. We design the workshop based on your assignment, using sample topics relevant to the class.*Arrange for a short Library “booster shot”. If your students already have a good grasp of Library research but need a quick introduction to new-to-them databases, or just a refresher of one topic: have a librarian stop by your class. This can often be done in as little as 10 minutes of your class time - and we come to you.Check out the possibilities for Library instruction: http://lib.radford.edu/Instruction/menu.aspRequest a Library workshop or booster shot for your class (please give at least one week’s notice!):http://lib.radford.edu/information/contact-instruction.cfmQuestions? Contact Candice Benjes-Small, Library Instruction Team Leader, cbsmall@radford.edu, x6801.

Want more hours in a day?  Would you settle for more days in your loan period?  Grad students, in response to your requests, we’ve extended the loan period for main collection materials to the length of the current semester (instead of just 28 days).  Research on!

Because of excessive shipping delays, increased risk of losing items in the mail, and staffing shortages due to vacation schedules for staff and students, most lending libraries will NOT fill interlibrary loan requests from mid-December through the first week or two of January. Also, out of consideration for the RU community, the ILL staff in McConnell Library schedule their vacations for this time of year.  Therefore, we will suspend  interlibrary borrowing during the holiday season from Dec 15-Jan 10.

Please continue to submit your requests to ILLiad during the Christmas break, but know that we will not begin processing them until January 10, 2008.  During this “closed” period, there may be someone present in the office to give assistance, but generally no items will be ordered in that time period.

Questions or concerns may be submitted to our email address:  ill@radford.edu