Continuing withdrawals from Reference

Update on Nov. 23.

After further discussion with Sharon I'd like to propose a solution to the items we're finding that librarians want to withdraw. We can set aside a couple of sections on the back side of Range 104 (between the end of the indexes that we're keeping and the cluster of JSTOR volumes that we're keeping). Those sections could receive reference books that you want to discard. We wouldn't do anything with them until everything else that is in process has been taken care of. We could assess what's there and decide whether to notify faculty again.

Let me know if you want to do that.

My previous post:

We have so many processes going on simultaneously with the various materials that we are either withdrawing or moving within the building that we need to halt new withdrawals. I know that some of you are spotting things in your section that you want withdrawn rather than moved but the deadline on that expired months ago now. We need to wait now until the dust has cleared on the rest of the process before we handle more withdrawals.

In addition to logistical concerns, we need to not withdraw anything very significant because we have sent the faculty multiple invitations to comment on withdrawals and risk some push back if we then toss titles that weren't listed.

If you think something needs to be gotten rid of please just leave it in reference for now and plan to go back next summer to weed it.

Thanks,

Mayo

Paper Cutter Maintenance

The rotary paper cutters in the reference and DMS areas require periodic maintenance. Two replaceable parts, the blade assembly and the cutting mat, affect cutting performance (see figure 1 below).

figure 1 - replaceable parts

The blade assembly screws in and out and should be replaced when the blade is dull.

The cutting mat requires the most attention because it wears out much more quickly than the blade. A long thin plastic mat that fits into a slot on the cutter, the mat has four cutting surfaces that can each be used before the mat needs to be discarded (see figure 2).

figure 2 - cutting mat

If you see that the paper cutter is performing poorly, please check the cutting mat and rotate or replace it as necessary. If the mat is fine, then please replace the blade.

Extra mats and blades are in the 2nd floor User Services supply room. If you can't retrieve and replace the part yourself, please let Lynda (for DMS), Gwen or Kristen W know.

Jackie Morton went to extraordinary measures to obtain extra cutting mats. Thank you, Jackie!

Criminal Justice Abstracts

CJA will be moving from Proquest to Ebsco by the end of the month. There will be some additional full-text in the Ebsco version.

Hours and Website links for Library Partners

Amy Y. added links for the LT&ITC, University Writing Center, and the Adaptive Technology Center to the hours page on the library web site.

This is a first attempt to help patrons (and us) locate information about services in the building that aren't provided by library staff.

In the future, we may put additional links elsewhere.

Search WorldCat Local for Table of Contents

WorldCat Local contains tables of contents that are not included in our catalog. For example, a student was looking for the play "Crumbs from the table of joy" today.
A catalog search found one anthology that is checked out.
Searching WorldCat local revealed that the play is also in another anthology that is not checked out.
I've had similar success with other searches that are coming up empty, because WorldCat Local includes more tables of contents than our OPAC.
You can find WorldCat local on the Databases A-Z page.

Access World News

Newsbank has offered us use of Access World News until 3/31/2011. Access World News includes over 3,800 sources that we do not currently have access to. It mainly contains international newspapers and media transcripts.
I've added it to Databases A-Z, Newspapers, and Country Studies.
Please let me know what you think of the resource.

Proquest platform demo

For those of your who missed the Proquest trainer's demonstration last week, here's a demo of the new platform. We'll likely be transitioning to the new platform over the holidays.

New ProQuest Platform Demo

Pick your 10 or 15% of reference

Thanks to everyone for great work in choosing reference books to withdraw. Now we are on to the next phase.

It is time to decide what reference materials can be moved to the stacks. Because we weeded a large number of volumes we only need to move between 10 and 15% of the remaining materials.

It's important that everyone do this in the same way to avoid confusion. Here's what we need.
1. Remove any stickers from books that are going to stay in reference (other than the blue ready reference, of course). This will mostly be the orange dots we used to mark books that had been recently used.
2. Work through your area and identify at least 10% of volumes (not titles) to move upstairs. If you hit 15% or even a little more that's ok. When calculating your 10% ignore the big sets of periodicals indexes. Select 10% of what will remain when they are moved or withdrawn.
3. Designate these books by putting a red, yellow or orange dot on the spine and then laying the book down on its spine. We have already used orange and red on some of them and I'm leaving some yellows down at the desk as well.
4. Let me know when your entire Dewey classification range is ready. If someone else works in the same area please coordinate with them. Try to get this done by Thanksgiving. Unless plans change we will be tearing out the front reference shelves during or just after Christmas break, so it's coming fast.

Once an area is reported to be ready we will "check out" the books to a dummy patron so that we can keep track of them. Collection Management will begin working on these one truck at a time until the end of the semester, when we will need to pull everything remaining.

Other developments:

• We expect to move Periodicals indexes that we will keep to the Periodicals area this weekend. They will be shelved in call number order on range 104. Collection Management will get the location code changed for each title as soon as possible.
• We also will begin working on indexes that will be withdrawn soon. You will see students in the stacks with a laptop. Each volume will be checked out to a dummy patron but the volumes will stay on the shelves until we are ready to take them out of the building.

Let me know if you have questions. More information is available on our wiki: refshuffle.pbworks.com.

Mayo