As we did this past winter, once again we plan to hold another Cookie Night during final exams.   This event is always such a success, providing a wide assortment of cookies for students to munch on while studying.  So, please help to make this Cookie Night just as successful by making your favorite recipes for all to enjoy.  Cookies can be brought to Library 250E throughout the day.

Announcing a new video hosting service, MIDDMedia. This service allows for the streaming and downloading of mp4 and flv video, and mp3 audio files for people with Middlebury and Monterey accounts.

In addition, we have integrated this service with our web platforms- the college CMS, Segue, WordPress and Mediawiki. Log into your site, blog or wiki and manage your media, allowing you to add the media to a page.

Is there ONE place that I can go to to see videos created by people at Middlebury? In answer to this question, we have been working with Communications, and are now beta-launching MIDDTube, a place where we can pull together video from many places, whether the video is hosted by MIDDMedia, YouTube, or any other service.

White Whale Web Services will be coming to campus on April 26th, meeting with faculty, students and staff from all areas of the college.  Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th will be full days, with meetings and activities from 8:30am until 9pm.  Wednesday, the 29th, there will be a couple short wrap up sessions before they fly back home to Oakland, CA.

During this visit, they will be meeting with faculty represntatives from Film and Multimedia Culture, Economics and Chemistry.  Students will be able to share their thoughts as White Whale sets up camp during dinner at Atwater Dining Hall on Monday, and Ross Dining on Tuesday.  Meetings have been scheduled at McCardell Bicentennial Hall, Chip Kenyon ’85 Arena, and various places in between.

If you miss your chance to spot White Whale, fear not!  They will be returning to campus at a later date, more information to follow.

When you’re working at the Information Desk,

are you reluctant to interrupt another staff person

to get help with a question?

   Remember Pidgin 

One of Reference’s primary roles is to help people with their research.  So it’s okay to interrupt—especially if a pidgin green light is on!  To see who’s readily available,  go to the start menu and then pidgin, to get phone numbers and to see  who’s signed in.  (Pidgin is also available on Circulation Desk computers.)

Even if there are no green lights, please don’t hesitate to refer a research question to someone in Reference.  If it’s off hours, encourage the questioner to send queries electronically.  (This mailbox is checked several times a day.)

http://sites.middlebury.edu/libforms/2009/01/12/ask-a-librarian/

The MIIS Library is celebrating Earth Day (April 22) during the entire month of April. Every week we’ll have a new display of books from our collection in our front lobby.

This week we are having a display that features on oceans and marine resources. Here is a picture attachment.

For further information, please visit the library’s blogs at:

http://sites.middlebury.edu/colemanlibrary/

Thanks to Hans Raum for leading the inaugural LISterine Workshop on government information resources last week, and thanks to all who attended.  In case you weren’t able to attend, you’ll find a link to a handout in the description of the workshop here:  Government Information Resources.

The conference will be held May 12th and 13th at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in S. Burlington.  This year’s theme is: “Speaking Up! Advocacy for Libraries”.  Our own former Dean Barbara Doyle-Wilch is one of the co-chairs of the conference.  Featured speakers include Chris Bohjalian, Marshall Keys, Wayne Piper, Keith Curry Lance, and Jan Reynolds.  Mark Nash will perform “Underneath the Lintel”.  The highlight of Tues. will surely be the advocacy cocktail party “Celebrate Vermont Libraries” (can you guess which committee I’m on) which will feature displays highlighting the impact of VT libraries on our users.  Many politicians and officials have been invited (did I say the theme is advocacy?).  See the conference website for all the details. http://www.vermontlibraryconference.org/index.html