Duplicate results in Keyword

The problem of duplicate results in the advanced search is now resolved.
http://161.45.205.102/search/X?SEARCH=a:(Scott%2C%20R.%20Neil)&searchscope=1&SORT=D
Yeah for small victories.

Reference Questions from University of Nebraska-Lincoln

I'm trying to trouble-shoot an odd problem. Can you let me know if you've had patrons affiliated with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln contact the Reference Desk for help?
If you could give me as many of the details as you can remember, that would be great.
Thanks!

Article Results in InfoSearch

Everyone isn't thrilled with the placement and format of the article results in InfoSearch results.

Ann is going to investigate the options to make the division between book results and article results more obvious. She is also going to find out why article results still appear when you limit to the print books facet.

The display options for article results are top, middle, or bottom. Feel free to comment here about your preference.

Firefox and My Library Account

Just wanted to let you know that we are aware there is a connection problem to My Library Account through Firefox. David is working with ITD on this. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Ann Funkhouser

Instant Messaging

There are no stupid questions in the library, right?

So, if you feel you need a refresher on Pidgin, are not sure how to open or set up Pidgin, or you need a tutorial on transferring questions, please let me know. I promise to not tell you it's a stupid question.

Kristen

Ebsco visit 9/29 10-11, 4th floor conference room

Our Ebsco rep will be here next week to talk about our current subscriptions, products moving to Ebsco, and their plans for NetLibrary.

Vanderbilt Access Cards

An update on the Vanderbilt cards we circulate via Reserves.

Vandy updated their cards/general access policies and supplied us with new cards. We now have three -- two for graduate students and one for undergraduate students. While that sounds somewhat scary, Vandy does have open hours for the public from 7:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and until 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. So after 7:00 p.m.
on weekdays and 5:00 p.m. on weekends, the card is required to get in.

Here is the link with info:
http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/central/access.shtml#public

-Christy

Bio 3230 Assignment

Biology 3230 students may ask for reference help this week with an assignment that asks for examples of primary, secondary and tertiary literature. In addition, the assignment requires the use of Current Contents, a publication that is shelved in the current periodicals area. (This assignment isn't new; it's the same one from previous semesters).

Linked to this post are my handwritten notes that may help you direct students to the correct types of examples. Please don't give students examples outright, but try to help them determine what types of resources fall into the three categories and help them determine where to find examples of those resources. Tertiary literature is the most difficult of the three concepts for students to grasp. Examples are abstracts, indexes, article databases, bibliographies, or any type of list). The definitions of secondary and tertiary literature vary depending upon authority, but my handwritten notes reflect what the students are told in this class.

Also, the students had a library session about this assignment on Sept. 8, and their textbook talks about it in depth.

-Kristen W.

LexisNexis vendor visit

Our LexisNexis rep will be here next Wednesday 9/15 at 11 am in 272. She'll answer any questions we have about LexisNexis and also share information on their two core digital suites, LN Congressional and LN Statistical.

Patrons sharing URLs

Around this point in the semester we start getting calls from faculty and students who have shared URLS that don't work from off-campus.
Please refer patrons to this Common Questions answer about using persistent URLs from off campus.
I've been able to configure some databases to include the ezproxy prefix in persistent URLs, but most databases do not have that feature. Patrons do not know that when they share a persistent URL with an off-campus user, they must include the proxy prefix.

Legal Research & Writing Assignment

I have put a copy of Amanda Moore's answer key to her Legal Research and Writing library assignment at the reference desk. This assignment will be given on Tuesday, Sept. 7, and is due Tuesday, Sept. 14.

• The answer key is not to be distributed to students.
• Only use it to help the students advance to the next step in their solution.
• All questions should be answered with print sources that have been covered in their class.
• This assignment does use the Tennessee Code Annotated, which has been moved to the weeding section, so students may need some help physically locating it.

Jason

Heavy Duty Stapler

You have probably seen the new heavy duty stapler in the reference area. It is designed to fasten 2-180 pages, and it works great if operated correctly. However, if you've seen the stapler you've perphaps noticed that it is usually jammed.

I have moved the stapler to the counter between Ref2 and Ref4 so we can supervise its use. The key to successful operation is to follow through when you push down on the lever so that the entire platform lowers into the base (this is what crimps and cuts the staple on the back of the paper). Failure to follow through results in a jammed staple.

Let me know if the location is disruptive.

JSTOR Interface

JSTOR implemented a new search interface last week. I confess I'm too crazy-busy to check it out now, but I thought I would pass along the news.

Interestingly, JSTOR has already made a significant change since the platform update because of backlash about the results list defaulting to all JSTOR holdings regardless of a library's JSTOR subscriptions. JSTOR has published an announcement about the change.

EndNote web connecting to Millennium

EndNote web is now connecting to Millennium instead of to Voyager. To search for catalog records from within EndNote web,
-select the 'Collect' tab,
-under 'Select database or library catalog connection' select 'Mid Tenn St U',
-click 'Connect',
- perform a search
-view or select records, and
-use 'Add to Group' drop down to retain citations in EndNote web.

A question came up today about searching subscription databases from within EndNote Web. While it's technically possible, it would require that the database vendors have created a connection file for EndNote web. If you would like to let me know which databases would be a priority to connect to, I will check with those vendors.

Web of Knowledge on 'Find Articles' starting points

You may have already noticed that Web of Knowledge is now included in the list of 'Starting Points' on the Find Articles page.
I'm hoping to increase usage and awareness of this important (and costly) resource. Web of Knowledge indexes thousands of journals in the sciences and social sciences. It's cited reference utility can help patrons find related articles.

History grad student working in digital projects room

Meghan Fall is a graduate assistant who is working for Dr. Rebecca Conard on developing the Stones River Battlefield Historic Landscape digital collection. She is funded by a year-long special projects grant that the library is a partner to. Meghan will be working 20 hours a week and will be headquartered in room 201b, the digital projects room. She will not have a key to that room so will need to ask librarians at the DMS and reference desks for a key when Ken and Lynda aren't around.

Thanks - Mayo

Two trials and related news

A faculty member asked for a trial to the newspaper The Times of India. It's now available on the Database trials page.
Also available is a trial to Criminal Justice Abstracts from Ebsco. This database is migrating from Proquest to Ebsco. Proquest will be offering a competing product.
Ebsco will also be offering Econlit and Philosopher's Index, two products we currently get from Proquest. I believe we will still have the option of getting those two from Proquest.
In their on-going efforts to one-up each other each vendor is working on new features. NetLibrary books will be cross-searchable on the Ebsco platform sometime around the first of the year. Proquest is working to make all the Proquest, CSA, and Chadwyk-Healey (ABELL, LION) products cross-searchable on a new Google-like platform over the course of the next year.

Logins to ArticleFirst and Electronic Collections Online

Logins are no longer required for the FirstSearch databases. I've removed the login page from the Reference binder.
These resources only appear on Databases A-Z, but they do include some indexing not available elsewhere.
Also listed on Databases A-Z is the Union List of Periodicals. Instructions are provided to go to Worldcat and limit the search to 'Serial Publications'. You can see nearby holdings of serials. This is helpful when a patron needs an article and can't wait for ILL.
On a side note, Ulrichs is a great source for finding where journals are indexed. Remember to click 'Log Out' when you're done with your session because there's only one simultaneous user allowed.