BarnardRefDesk

The following e-resource was recently added to the NER Trials page: xrefer

Online collection of reference books covering art, medicine, history, technology, and more. The collection features: over 2 million entries; 180,000 audio pronunciation files; 66,000 art, science, and medical images; and 90,000 atlas images of places and geographic features throughout the world." (from xrefer information)

Please share your comments with the ERC for this resource: Sarah Wenzel
<sgw2103@columbia.edu>

Our policy regarding the reference desk telephone as I recall it is that no one but staff is to use it. There is a campus phone in the lobby for patron use.

This policy was documented in the first edition of the reference desk procedures manual. No one is expected to have memorized the manual or anything. I just wanted to let you know that this policy is documented at least back to August 2003.

Hi all-

Just a quick note to let you know that we are no longer subscribing to the
database, Tablebase. Databases that contain similar information are:

Business and Company Resource Center:
http://www.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/cul/resolve?AUZ7900 [provides rankings
through the Business Rankings publication]
Factiva: http://www.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/cul/resolve?AUQ3920 [excellent
source of trade journals]
Global Market Information Database:
http://www.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/cul/resolve?ATG2744 [great source for
consumer demographics]

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Best,
Kathleen M. Dreyer
X45467

All RLG databases except CAMIO, RLG Cultural Materials, RedLightGreen and Trove.net are currently unavailable. Our systems staff is investigating the problem and we hope to have it fixed very soon.

Users can connect to the RLG Union Catalog via z39.50 but records cannot be displayed. All other databases are available via Z39.50.

13 December 2005 6:10 a.m., PST

Hi All,

Just in case the questions start pouring in, I want to make sure you feel comfortable helping readers use the zine collection.

• The cataloged zines are all in CLIO. A keyword search will yield results, as long as the topic is mentioned in the abstract. Use .
  
• Another way to access the collection is to do a call number browse on ZINES.
  
• Much of this info can be found on the zines page.
  
• The collection in the stacks, as you may know, has modified call numbers. They're actually author Cutters (title when there is no author). People may use the stacks zines and photocopy them at will.
• The zines don't yet circulate, but I hope they will eventually. (It's a matter of making some logistical decisions since few zines have room for a check-out stamp slip.)
• The stacks do not represent our entire collection. When there is only one copy of a zine, it is housed in the archives. The "rare books" zines should be treated like other special collections materials. Our policy is to page special collections items for the patron upon request. The zines are in several blue archival boxes about halfway down the archives stacks.
  
• Like other special collections materials, you should keep an eye on how they're being used. We don't have a set policy in place about photocopying, so for now, please refer photocopying requests to me. I will need to assess whether or not the zine is fit for copying.
• There is also a great number of zines that is not yet cataloged. If someone is doing serious zine research, they should make an appointment with me. I can hook them up with pre-processed zines if necessary.
  
• Most of the zines in the zines in the lobby display are available in the stacks. They can get the call numbers from the display or from CLIO, if they have the titles.
  
• Do not hesitate to refer zine users to me. 4.4615 or my e-mail alias zines@barnard.edu.
  

Thanks! Jenna

I had a question today about whether or not we keep Barnard theses, and since I didn't know the answer right away, I thought I'd share it in case the rest of you didn't either.

• We do not generally collect Barnard theses and do not intend to do so in the future.
  
• Some departments retain them. Interested parties should contact the department for which the student wrote her thesis.
  
• Selected theses have been retained by the library--those of famous graduates and those that had to do with Barnard. Donald has a list of these in the archives; they are not in CLIO.
  
• We have all the senior (A.B.) theses from 1893 to 1905. They are cataloged as a collection in CLIO.