Tag Archives: Sept 11 2009

Thesis Carrel Monday!

Submitted by Elin Waagen

Senior thesis carrel sign-up started today – Monday, September 14. The first senior to be assigned a carrel arrived at the Main Library at 4 am; the 64th person arrived at 7 am for the 7:30 am opening of the library. By 10 am, 130 (out of 202) carrels had been assigned to the early-birds. Maura and Steve organized the event – with Morgan, Joanne, Rich, and Cassidy providing on-site support – ensuring another successful and orderly Carrel Monday – many thanks! I dream of the day that this process can be automated – much in the same way that we reserve our own airline seats :-)
Thesis carrels at the Main Library can be reserved by seniors who are enrolled in a 500-, 600-, or 700-level thesis or independent project – and thesis carrels are first-come, first-served.

Area Directors Notes from August 28, 2009

The LIS Web Team presented their recommendations for AD approval See: https://mediawiki.middlebury.edu/wiki/LIS/LIS_Website_Recommendations

Here’s the high-level summary; many other details in the above link, explaining thinking/research leading to these recommendations.

We recommend that the LIS Website consist of the following elements:

A landing page with contact information, location information, hours, and links to our content offerings.
A blog that contains information about the organizational mission and structure as well as news and articles from LIS staff.
A wiki that holds the technical and procedural documentation maintained by LIS staff, chiefly the Helpdesk and Telephone Services documentation.
A website in Drupal for access to Library resources.
Subject guides for academic departments and disciplines in SubjectsPlus.
A search portal for Library resources

We also recommend that there be some consistency across all sections of the LIS Website. Every page should have a unifying graphic element (eg, a logo) to make it clear to the user who has arrived via search that they are on a Midd-LIS page. Every page should invite feedback (“Was this page helpful?).

General questions, comments and discussion continued.

Blog consolidation issues were discussed with the possibility of maintaining one blog for all of LIS or possibly one for internal and one for external audiences. Ian McBride suggested using one blog with various categories to assist in this issue.
White Whale will assist in developing a unifying theme for the Library landing page.
Concern was addressed regarding White Whale’s home page design only showing Library and not including technology links. Should they prepare two links for Library and Technology?
We should streamline services to utilize more self-service features and contain them in one place.
Should we include things like:
- where can we find a free computer?
- Link system status to show which printers are up and running
- Room and thesis carrel availability
A lively discussion occured regarding LIS Staff directory photos. Discussion will continue at a future date
Governance and advisory groups – access and structures should be made available to users
New helpdesk software – Where are we going? Software is currently being evaluated. We need to choose a product to create web-based forms with seamless integration

Recommendations were approved by the Area Directors

Info desk discussion: it was decided to not continue staffing the info desk as of September 1^st. For the short term, the desk will remain. Possible ideas for the space would be to place additional computers at the desk for walk up usage or possibly a large monitor. Mary would talk to Joseph about reproduction of brochures and materials. Gate statistics will no longer be monitored and the info desk phone extension should divert to Circulation. Carol will prepare a write-up for discussion regarding the possibility of shifting room reservations to Scheduling. An announcement needs to be prepared stating the info desk closure. Mary agreed to write something for LISt.

Films Scheduled for Screenings by Media Services

Submitted by Elin Waagen

To ensure quality and availability, films that are scheduled to be screened by Media Services staff are set aside by Circ staff – after cleaning, repairing (by P&P staff if needed) and verifying availability. On the day of a scheduled screening, films may not be borrowed prior to the screening. Students may borrow films after a screening, or on any day prior to the day of the scheduled screening, and regular reserve loan guidelines apply. This only applies to films that are listed in the daily Media Services screening schedule. Films are listed in the daily film screening schedule only when a faculty member requests that Media Services staff provide technical support to a class screening.
If a faculty member has a film on reserve and will be screening the film themselves, this policy does not apply.

LIS Website Team – Recommendations

Submitted by Elin Waagen

The web team met recently with the LIS Area Directors and our team sponsor, Jeff Rehbach to present our recommendations for the new LIS web presence.
The recommendations incorporated many hours of research and discussion by team members – in meetings and on the team blog and wiki. The recommendations were informed by user patterns, surveys and statistics, feedback from our LIS colleagues and the recommendations from White Whale. We received the enthusiastic support of the AD’s to move ahead with our recommendations. Thank you Jeff and the AD’s! :-)
The recommendations document can be found here.
In addition, the team has identified primary contacts for the major content areas of the LIS web site and we are currently working with primary contacts to develop the major content areas of the LIS website. Please feel free to be in touch with your primary contact for more information relating to your specific area of the website. LIS primary contact information can be found here.
Many thanks to you all for your valuable input into the recommendations.
Stay tuned for exciting new developments!
We welcome your comments and ideas.
Thanks!
Ian, Barbara, Jim, Liz, Doreen, Jess, Carrie and Elin
The LIS Website Team

Web Requesting – Retrieval Services Discontinued

Submitted by Elin Waagen

I am sorry to have to report that retrieval services for on-campus borrowers will be discontinued within the next two weeks.
Due to decreased staffing resources, Circulation Services will no longer be able to retrieve web-requested materials from library stacks for on-campus borrowers. This change in service will take effect within the next couple of weeks. It has been a valued and much appreciated service, but sadly we are unable to continue retrieval services in light of current staffing changes. Thank you for your understanding. Please feel free to contact Elin with any questions or concerns.

Borrowing – Recalls and Holds

Submitted by Elin Waagen

Borrowers can place holds (web-requests) on materials that are currently checked out. A hold request will not shorten the due date (recall the item), but it will ensure that the item is held when returned. For items needed before the due date, try NExpress (usually here within days :-)) or Interlibrary Loan. If the title is not available though NExpress or ILL, Circ can initiate a recall. Feel free to contact Circ with any questions.

The Undergraduate Research Office (URO) has moved!

Submitted by Jim Ralph

The Undergraduate Research Office (URO) has moved! It is now located in Library 215. Pat Manley of the Geology department is the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Research and Colleen Converse is the administrative assistant for the URO. The URO supports and promotes undergraduate opportunities in inquiry-, creativity-, and experience-based scholarship through research experiences with Middlebury College faculty and other non-Middlebury professionals. Its mission is to integrate undergraduates more fully into the research life of the College. By relocating to the Library, the URO will now be able to collaborate more readily with the staff of LIS and, especially, of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Research.

Please feel free to drop in and introduce yourself. Colleen is in the office every day from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and her extension is 3026.

Help with Google Earth

Submitted by Carrie Macfarlane

This year, we will continue to support geospatial applications like Google Earth and Google Maps through student tutors in the Wilson Media Lab at the Main Library, but we’ve altered the scope of our services a bit.

Like last year, all tutors have been trained in Google Earth and related applications, and a few tutors have additional expertise. Unlike last year, we won’t be able to do in-depth GIS (geospatial information systems) projects during the school year. During the school year, we’ll only be able to help people with projects. During the summer, as long as we have student tutors with GIS skills, we should be able to DO projects for people.

Anyone who would like assistance with geospatial projects can visit the Wilson Media Lab on the main level of the Main Library, or send a request for assistance to DigitalMediaTutors@middlebury.edu.