Recently in News/Info Category

If you're looking for something different from the conventional "beach read," check out Listverse's "Top 10 Books That Changed the World," "10 More Books that Changed the World," and "Another 10 Books That Changed the World." Of course, the titles selected are highly subjective--and the author acknowledges that--but I found the justifications for each quite interesting. I'm a little disappointed the author so heavily depended on Wikipedia, though, and not sources like Contemporary Literary Criticism (online access, PSU only), Norton critical editions, or Cambridge companions.

Research Penn State recently featured the "probing question": How is the computer age changing libraries?

As someone who works in a library every day, the answer seems obvious to me! But, I think the answer here is interesting to all. Some of my favorite passages (but be sure to check out the whole article!)...

If everyone can now carry a virtual library in his or her pocket, what happens to actual, real-life libraries? How are digital media changing libraries?

"The image of a library as a staid and outdated place is untrue," says Lisa German, assistant dean for Technical and Collections Services at the Penn State University Libraries. "Libraries are vibrant places, full of life and change," and with the rise of digital media over the last two decades, libraries have evolved accordingly.

"People are coming to libraries--at least to Penn State's libraries--as much as they ever have, if not more so," [German] says. What's changed is the way in which students use the library space.

Michael Furlough, assistant dean for Scholarly Communications at the Libraries, sees today's students collaborating more than their predecessors. Able to do solitary research from anywhere, students increasingly take advantage of the social aspects of the library, such as open study spaces and group meeting rooms. ... Digital media have helped transform libraries into communal spaces for students to research, discuss, and study together--which, notes Furlough, has made them much louder places than you may remember.

Massive digital databases have allowed researchers to re-discover overlooked knowledge, to make new connections among and within disciplines, and to find work they never knew existed.

As German and Furlough see it, one future role of the library and librarians will lie in helping students navigate a vast and shifting sea of information--a sea that only grows wider and deeper as digital media proliferate.

[L]ibrarians... still are invaluable guides for travelers exploring an ever-expanding virtual storehouse of information.

I very much enjoyed reading the article "Class Gifts: The Beloved, Bizarre, and Bulldozed" in the May issue of the Penn State Alumni Association's AlumnInsider online magazine. Many graduates have decided to honor the University Libraries by donating books, study spaces, and other items for the Libraries. Many thanks to these Classes for their contributions!

This year the University Libraries are celebrating 150 years of service to the Penn State community. If you would like to make your own contribution, you may donate here.

Spring 2009 graduates, don't forget to join the Alumni Association and to check out the Alumni Library.

Class of...
1994 - Extended Hours Room in Pattee Library
1989 - outdoor study lounge at Pattee Library
1985 - Library book fund
1984 - Library book fund
1979 - Library book fund and improvement to facility
1977 - Library book fund and improvement to facility
1976 - Library book fund and improvement to facility
1975 - Library book fund and improvement to facility
1974 - Library book fund and improvement to facility
1973 - Library support funds
1972 - Library support funds
1968 - Libraries Program Endowment; $100,000 to the Campaign for the Library at their 25th reunion
1966 - Library endowment in memory of Charles A. "Rip" Engle at their 25th reunion
1964 - American cultural heritage collection for Library
1962 - Library book fund
1960 - Library book fund
1959 - American contemporary literature collection for Library
1957 - Library book fund
1953 - record album collection for the library (earmarked for a proposed radio station)
1936 - contribution to Library scholarship
1935 - Library book fund
1932 - Library books
1912 - class ivy at Library (when it was in the Carnegie Bldg)
1911 - busts of Fred Lewis Pattee and A. Howry Espenshade in Pattee Library
1910 - clock in the library (Carnegie Bldg)
1907 - collection of books from the Atherton Library collection; nuclear engineering books donated in 1962 at class' 55th reunion
 

Penn State's yearbook, La Vie, is now available to everyone online as part of the Penn State University Libraries' Digital Collections. Browse or search cover-to-cover images of yearbooks from 1890-2000 on the Libraries' website at http://www.libraries.psu.edu/digital/lavie/. Find your self, find your friends, or simply turn back the pages of time! If you're like me, you might have bitter-sweet feelings about not having your picture taken for the yearbook!

For more details, see the announcement on our website!

Tip: When searching for a name, say "Joe Paterno," you will likely get better results if you use the "Advanced Search" option and enter the name on either the "All of the words" or "The exact phrase" line. This is especially helpful if you are searching across all issues. There are currently 180 pages referencing Joe Paterno, including the Dedication of the 1969 issue to the  "Coach of the Year."

Some print copies of La Vie are still available for purchase. For more information, see the La Vie student organization web site. Issues for 2001-2005 will become available in La Vie Online 2010.

In a related story from Penn State Live, "Penn State Alumni Find Themselves and Others on the New Digital La Vie."

First, there has been so much I have wanted to tell you about! A million apologies for not posting in awhile--more coming soon. I promise!

I wanted to share this news with you now. Penn State Live recently posted a news item (full article) about the Penn State University Libraries' involvement in helping to develop Google Book Search:

"Penn State University Libraries is sending its first shipment of books to Google this month to be digitized as part of the CIC/Google Book Search project. Among the volumes are Penn State's distinctive English and American literature collections. When complete, the multi-year project will have digitized upwards of 10 million books from the collections of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), the academic arm of the Big Ten Conference.

The project, Google Book Search, is digitizing books from publisher and library partners to make them discoverable and accessible online. For out-of-copyright books in the public domain, users will have access to the full text of the book online. For books still in copyright, the Google Book Search will enable users to obtain bibliographic information so they may find the actual texts at the library or bookstore. In some cases, portions of the text will also be available online."

This is exciting news for Penn State Libraries users! When complete, it will allow patrons to search the contents, or "full text," of many of our books and help faculty, staff, and students find the books most relevant to their research more quickly. Books that have been sent to Google for digitization will display "Being digitized-Click here to request via Interlibrary Loan" and include a link to the Interlibrary Loan request form in ILLiad.

Obtaining a copy from another library until our copy is returned is simple! Once you establish an account in ILLiad, just click on the link and the request form will be completed for you. Then, simply review and submit. Items typically arrive within one week.

See how Google Books is already integrated into our catalog, The CAT: New in The CAT: Google Book Preview and Cover Art

Related: 12-University Consortium Joins Google Digitization Project and Photo Album

Going through and adding tags I realized there are probably a number of broken links of on the blog due to all the recent changes to University Libraries website, as we finish the long migration to a content management system. I tried to fix what I could, but there's no way I can do that all now. So, my apologies! If you find a broken link, please let me know via comment on that page. Thanks!

The original tag cloud is on the left and the new tag cloud is on the right. Given the size of the widget box, only some of the tags are being used, but I'm not sure how it's selecting them. It seems like the date of publication is a factor, as two of those tags were only used once--today--but both appear in the cloud. I can live with it, though! Real estate on the homepage is expensive! (Thanks, Bonnie!)

For anyone out there who subscribes to this feed... please excuse the re-publication of many older entries. On the new Eiche Library homepage there will be a tag cloud for the blog entries (cool, huh?), but not all the entries currently have tags. The librarian in me initially choose to go with MT's creator-defined "categories" so I could standardized  the terminology, rather than use the more free-form "tags." Currently the cloud is pulling the category and tag terms, but I'm hoping for a better mix when more tag terms are added.

On December 1 Eiche Library started testing a new service--assistance by text message to 814-280-1941. Go ahead, I'll wait while you program it into your phone...

We know you're busy, and that most of you have your cell phone within reach right now (hopefully because you just saved our number)! And maybe you have a question like...

Does the library have the book I need?  [Yes]*

Does the library have any books available now on X subject?    [Yes]*

What time does the library open/close?    [Today, open 8am to 11pm]

Or maybe you have a question with a short, quick answer like...

How many counties are there in PA?    [67]

What year did women win the right to vote in the US?    [19th Amendment passed in Congress in 1919 and was ratified by President Wilson on Aug 26 1920]

How many students are there at Penn State?    [92, 613]

Eiche Library will be offering this service** on a trial basis from now through the spring semester. So, program our number (814-280-1941) into your cell phone and next time you have a question, just text us!

Eiche Library also continues to offer research assistance to students at Penn State Altoona in-person at the Reference Desk, by telephone, email, online web form, and AOL instant messenger.


* I'll assume that we have everything you need, or something similar, for these examples! :)

** Cell phone and service generously provided courtesy of Sprint/NEXTEL.

New in The CAT (the Penn State University Libraries' catalog) this week... cover art and links to Google Book's limited preview or full view, when available.


Book Covers: Cover art will display in your list of results and in the detailed record for the item, when it's available.






Book Previews: In the detailed record for the book, a link to the Google Books preview will appear, when available. There, you will be able to see a limited preview of books still under copyright and the full view of books no longer under copyright or made available by the copyright holder. For books with a limited preview, the amount you can preview is determined by the copyright holder. Of course, you can always get the "full view" by checking out your campus library's copy, or requesting a copy from another PSU library location using the "I Want It" button in The CAT!

I received some great questions about the library from Ms. Hommer's PSU 3 class! I thought if they have these questions, there are probably other students wondering the same things.

Have a question of your own? There are many ways to ask! Or, see one of these FAQ pages:
Eiche Library, Virtual Reference Service, Lending Services, Interlibrary Loan, or Library Learning Services' Knowledge Base.

Finding Things
Q: Is there a library catalog that I can access? How do I go about using the catalog? - H.F.

A: Yes, the PSU Libraries' catalog is called "The CAT." You can access the The CAT from the University Libraries home page, under the "Find Books" heading. See "How to Search The CAT" or ask for help.

Q: How does the number system work for finding books in the library? For instance, if I wanted to find a book about drawing the human body or environmental problems or something specific, how would I go about finding it? - S.J.

A: I don't encourage browsing the shelves... at least until after you've checked the catalog! A book's call number is assigned based on the subject of the book, and the catalog can help you find one or more call number ranges to browse. Books only have one call number, but often have more than one subject, so you very well may find books on your topic in several different places on the shelf. The Boston Public Library has a guide to popular subjects and their LC call numbers. To see what I mean, check out the entry on "date rape."

Penn State Libraries use the Library of Congress or "LC" call number system. The BPL has a nice explanation of how to find a book on the shelf using the LC system. If you want to practice, try the "Within Range" game!

Borrowing Things
Q: I am going to be doing a big research paper soon and was wondering if I'm allowed to check out the books, or just use them and make photo copies? - K.P.

A: Yes! Most books in the Eiche Library can be checked out. These include books in the General Collection (the largest collection in our library), Juvenile Literature Collection, Mutimedia/AV Materials Collection, and Popular Titles (Browsing) Collection. You can assume books and other materials can be checked out (circulate), unless The CAT record says "nocirc" (non-circulating).

Q: How do you order books that are not in the Penn State library system? - J.S.

A: Place a request for books not found at any Penn State library location by using ILLiad.

How Long?
Q: I was wondering if students can check out magazines and for how long? I also wanted to know if you keep old newspapers anywhere in the library? - M.L.D.

A:  No, sorry, the library does not lend popular items like magazines, newspapers, or reference books. However, you are encouraged to use them anywhere in the library and since they aren't loaned out, they'll always be here for you to see. These items are considered "non-circulating materials." The "Borrowing Privileges" page explains more about this, and the "Lending Code" explains your library account privileges and responsibilities.

Q: I was wondering if students are allowed to take out reference books, and if so for how long? - M.A.D.

A:  Sorry--like magazines, newspapers, and journals--reference books are non-circulating items and cannot be checked out. They can be used in the library and can be photocopied ($.10 per page), if you wish to take what you need with you. See the question above for more explanation. -- Also, the University Libraries has quite a few electronic reference books that you can view on the Internet, from anywhere. See the "Online Reference Shelf" page for details.

Q: What is the typical time period it takes to receive a book from another state? - L.S.

A: Most book requests can be filled by the library one one of the many PSU campus locations, and if not, by a university in Pennsylvania through the E-ZBorrow system (see Materials Not at Penn State). All book requests are usually filled within about a week. You'll be happy if they come in a little sooner, but be aware sometimes it takes little longer.

Q: I was wondering, when there is an article or research that's at a different campus, how long does it normally take to get it? - S.S.

A: Books at another campus usually arrive within 3-5 days, sometimes as quickly as 2-3. For DIY reqeust, look for the "I Want It" button when you find a book in The CAT. Or, stop by the Eiche service desk with the title.

Reference
Q: I have a term paper on the history of American businesses and I was wondering what would be the best source of information that the library has relating to this topic? - F.B.

A:  In one of our online reference resources, the Gale Virtual Reference Library, you can search or browse the contents of hundreds of reference resources normally only available in print. Included in the business category is the International Directory of Company Histories, which would be a great place to start your research. Ask at the reference desk if you need additional sources.

Hours
Q: My question for the library is what are the hours, and do they changes during finals week? - V.M.
Q: Does the library stay open later during finals week? What are the libraries normal hours? - K.M.

A: Yes, we are open later during finals week. See the Eiche Library hours page for regular and details.