Tag Archives: eNewsletter

Help us improve the LIS Website!

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The LIS Website team has set up four quick tests to see if we’ve placed links to resources and information in the right place on the page and used the correct labels. For each test, you’ll be asked 5 questions like, “Where would you click to find out when the next Cookie Night will be?” You can click anywhere on the screenshot and can leave multiple clicks for each question. To add a comment to one of your clicks like, “I’d click here, but only because I know to find Cookie Night information on the blog…” you can click the plus (+) sign above and to the right of your placemark.

We’ve created one test for each of the four areas of the LIS Website. Each test has a different set of five questions. A test should only take 1-2 minutes to complete. Thanks for your help!

LIS Homepage

Library Homepage

Helpdesk Homepage

Curricular Technology Homepage

Wireless on campus

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A new wireless network access method has been created on campus which promotes better connectivity to Middlebury resources.

The new wireless access (SSID) is: MIDD-STANDARD.  Currently many users access our wireless network by turning-on their laptop and automatically connecting to midd_unplugged.  Although this is an easy connection for many this particular wireless access point is becoming saturated with connections and performance is degrading.  There is no security on midd_unplugged; using it puts your data at risk.

Connecting to MIDD-STANDARD will improve your networking performance, provide added security and help us reduce the loads on midd_unplugged so that our guests will continue to have a viable Internet connection when visiting.

To connect to MIDD-STANDARD you will need to contact the Helpdesk at x2200 for the key. You will then go into your wireless network console on your laptop and select MIDD-STANDARD from the list.

NOTE: if you are already on midd_secure we recommend you stay with this access.  Your Middlebury sign-in credentials will be the key for access and will not change.  MIDD-STANDARD’s key may change from time to time requiring you to re-authenticate to the network.

If you have any questions, please contact the Helpdesk at x2200.

Segue from Segue Update

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The Curricular Technology Team has been focused nearly exclusively on the Segue from Segue project for the last few months.  A Segue from Segue Advisory group consisting of faculty and students has been formed to help the team engage the College community and the LIS Area Directors have also provided input and guidance.

In March, the team ran focus group sessions to find out more about how faculty are currently using technology, what technologies they would like to have and what technologies they feel do not meet their needs.  Focus group topics included “online discussion”, “assignments and assessment” and “websites and media.”

These focus group sessions helped the team draft surveys for both faculty and students.  The faculty survey has already been distributed and will remain active until the end of April.  We will be sending out a student survey sometime next week and will publish a report once all responses are in.

The team is committed to making initial recommendations for alternatives to Segue by the end of the spring semester and final recommendations in late August after gathering information about technology usage by the Language Schools and Breadloaf.  For updates on the project, see: Segue from Segue

Google Apps for Education Evaluation Underway

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Middlebury is evaluating Google Apps for Education as a possible replacement for Microsoft Exchange as its platform for email and calendaring. We’ve set up a website about this evaluation process that includes a summary of the process and the key questions we are asking. We will host an open session on this evaluation in early May in order to ensure that there are opportunities for the entire community to learn more about Google Apps for Education, to understand the evaluation process, and to provide input and feedback. The website is Google Apps @ Middlebury Project.  You can ask questions and make comments via this site, or feel free to contact Michael Roy (mdroy@middlebury.edu) .

Saving your data to MIDDFILES

The Technology Support Helpdesk would like to take this opportunity to again remind the campus user community to please save all personal and work related files to their MIDDFILES personal space (on a Windows computer this would be your U drive in File Explorer).  We have had a rush of computers recently come into the Helpdesk with failed hard drives.  In some cases we were unable to retrieve any information from those failed drives, leaving the user with no means of data recovery.  The risks you assume by not using MIDDFILES are significant when a hardware failure occurs on your computer.

To protect yourself and your data it is highly recommend you immediately start relocating your data to your MIDDFILES personal account.  You may visit the Technology Help and Support website (shortcut: go.middlebury.edu/helpdesk) for more information on how to use MIDDFILES.  You may also want to visit our Wiki resource link for proper MIDDFILES and DFS usage:  Backing Up My Files.

If you have any questions please call the Technology Help and Support Desk at x2200.

James Beauchemin
Technology Support Helpdesk

Microsoft Office 2007 Upgrade now available!

Microsoft Office 2007 Upgrade is now available to all faculty, staff and students on campus.  This online upgrade is easy to complete and should not take more than 5-10 minutes of your time.  The upgrade can be found at MIDDFILES\Software\Office2007.  Double-click the Office2007_upgrade file that is inside the folder.  This will start an automated upgrade of your current Microsoft Office Suite.  This file will upgrade Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook to the 2007 version.

It is recommended that you first prepare for the new Microsoft Office 2007 user interface by visiting the Technology Helpdesk website as a resource to learn more about this upgraded Office version.  You may also visit our Wiki resource link here: https://mediawiki.middlebury.edu/wiki/LIS/Microsoft_Word_2007_Basic_Usage

NOTE:  If you currently have Microsoft Office Access 2003 you should not run this upgrade.  Please contact the Helpdesk for upgrade assistance.

As always if you have any problems or questions please let us know at the Technology Helpdesk x2200.

James Beauchemin
Technology Support Helpdesk

Library Exam Hours

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24 hoursThe Main Library will be providing extended hours during the last week of classes and the exam period. 24/7 hours start on Sunday 5/2 and end at 8 pm on Tuesday 5/18. Bring your ID – card access required after 11 pm. Check here for up to date hours at all Libraries. Good luck with exams. Remember to eat and sleep!

Access to e-content: permanent or not?

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We have online access to a large number of journals and newspapers.  The terms governing our access vary considerably, and can change with the passage of time.  One of the most important aspects of our access is the extent to which it is dependable and permanent.  Following is an attempt to illustrate the range of stability of our electronic offerings.

The most stable and permanent situation is when we have a subscription with the publisher to a specific journal or packaged group of journals (e.g. Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Taylor & Francis).  In this case we have guaranteed permanent access to all material published during the years of our subscription.  Often we will also have access to a backfile of material published before our subscription started.  In some cases we are assured continuing access to this backfile, while in other cases ongoing access to any material dating from before the start of our subscription is not guaranteed. Continue reading →