From: Cathy Michael, Communication and Legal Studies Librarian
Re: Happy Summer 2010
Dear Faculty:
My, this year went quickly! Thanks to everyone who used my guides, sent orders, booked an instruction session, offered feedback, and sent students to me for consultations. Let me know how I can help you and your students access the information they need for their research. Have a wonderful summer!
SUMMER HOURS / ASSISTANCE / MY SCHEDULE
Through Memorial Day, the library will be open from 7:30-5 pm M-F & closed on the weekend. In June, the library will be open from 7:30-10 pm M-Thurs, 7:30-6 pm Friday, and 10-6 pm on weekends. For an update of hours, check the library’s website. I work through the summer but will be out of the office from May 14th to May 31st. I’ll check my e-mail on occasion. I’ll also be away June 23rd through June 29th for the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.
ONLINE COURSE AND TOPIC GUIDES
I’ve created a number of course guides: Government and Media, Journalism Research, History of the US Mass Media, and Issues in the News. Additionally, I’ve created some general topic guides: Communication Research Methods, Documentary Film, and Visual Communications. You can link to these guides in Blackboard or refer to them on your syllabus. If you would like me to create an online course guide that you can embed in your class, please let me know.
ORDERS RECEIVED FY 2009-10 & CALL FOR ORDERS FY 2010-11
I’ve requested a report of orders received. As soon as it is available I’ll post it here.
Please send me any orders for books or dvds. I’ll submit them June 1st when the new fiscal year begins. I’ll need to be 25% spent by September 1st.
DATABASE UPDATES
LexisNexis: Due to some linking issues, we held off activating the new LexisNexis interface until this summer. Here is what it will look like.
Sage: Communication Studies: The interface changed over the past year; I asked the publisher to adjust the size of the search boxes. Consequently I participated in a focus group for the new interface. The publisher plans to move to a new interface in the next year. A change in the content is pending, too.
Underground and Independent Comics, Comix, and Graphic Novels. I won one year free access to this database that contains more than 75,000 pages of comics and graphic novels along with 25,000 pages of interviews, criticism and journal articles.
World News Connection (Trial): I had a brief trial of World News Connection (government translation service) through a database Country Wire. However, the database only had one years worth of articles. We decided not to subscribe given the scope. An alternate translation service is BBC Monitoring; there is some content in our ProQuest Newspapers database.
Films on Demand (Trial): We had a trial to Films on Demand – streaming educational films. Our network did not stream the videos very well. Given that — and the budget — we opted not to subscribe at this juncture.
Ithaca Journal: We lost access to the Ithaca Journal in Newsbank a year ago. We’ll be holding on to our paper copies until microfilm is in receipt. Articles can be identified through the Ithaca Journal’s online index (2002-current); articles can be requested using are ILL service. Sorry for any inconvenience.
LIBRARY: NEW CATALOG NEXT WEEK & WEBSITE BY NEXT FALL
Next week our catalog will appear different. Hopefully it will be easier for everyone to navigate. Also, the library has been developing a new website. It should be up by next Fall. Access should be uninterrupted.
