Tuesday, October 07, 2008
CU Libraries - Midterm Blackout Period
From Bill Sees to reflib@
The midterm blackout period this semester begins on Monday, October 6 and ends on Saturday, October 18.The Butler hours page reflects this policy.
During this period Metro referrals will not be accepted, and reader cards will not be issued to non-Shares students and faculty. Exceptions will be made for students and faculty from universities outside the United States.
Visitors using the various rare book and special collections will be issued reader cards, and will not be affected by this policy.
"Guide to the Libraries" Correction
Per an email to reflib@ from Jen Rutner,
The phone number listed for LIO in the "Guide to the Libraries" brochure is wrong. Please direct patrons to x47309 for the Library Information Office.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Columbia collection development policies
Barbara List sent this link to the Columbia Libraries collection development policies to the Selectors. Maybe we should do something similar?
Labels: collections, CUL, policies
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Guide to the Libraries
The new CUL Guide to the Libraries and other guides are also available online.
The new Guide to the Libraries is now available in each Columbia University library. This compact brochure offers everyone, from new students to seasoned researchers, a convenient overview of the Libraries’ user services and outstanding collections. It describes the basic steps for starting library research at Columbia, and answers questions about where to turn for expert help and how to access key library services via the Libraries’ website. The Guide to the Libraries includes practical tips, a listing of subject specialist librarians, a campus map showing the location of all 25 libraries at Columbia and its affiliated institutions, and information on where major service points and collections are throughout the Libraries. The Guide to the Libraries will be an indispensable companion throughout the year for anyone whose research involves library resources.
The new Guide to the Libraries is now available in each Columbia University library. This compact brochure offers everyone, from new students to seasoned researchers, a convenient overview of the Libraries’ user services and outstanding collections. It describes the basic steps for starting library research at Columbia, and answers questions about where to turn for expert help and how to access key library services via the Libraries’ website. The Guide to the Libraries includes practical tips, a listing of subject specialist librarians, a campus map showing the location of all 25 libraries at Columbia and its affiliated institutions, and information on where major service points and collections are throughout the Libraries. The Guide to the Libraries will be an indispensable companion throughout the year for anyone whose research involves library resources.
Labels: CUL, orientation
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
July/August issue of Inside CUL
The July/August issue of Inside CUL is now available! In this issue:
--
Laura M. Kenna
Communications Coordinator
University Libraries and Information Services
Room 207 Butler Library, Columbia University
Announcements: RBML Processing Successes
Staff Spotlight: Sachie Noguchi’s travels to Japan
Events: Emerging Technologies Brown Bag
--
Laura M. Kenna
Communications Coordinator
University Libraries and Information Services
Room 207 Butler Library, Columbia University
Labels: CUL
Monday, June 16, 2008
CUL Style Guide
Is it The Burke Library, or simply Burke Library? How many "Rs" are in Starr? Web site or website? You'll find helpful information about how to refer to our buildings, divisions and the usage of common words in the CUL Style Guide. Created in 2006, the style guide is adapted from UDAR and the Office of University Publications at Columbia. In most cases it follows the Chicago Manual of Style (15th ed.) and the spellings of Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (10th ed.).
The CUL Style Guide is always growing. Send comments and suggestions to Laura Kenna.
--
Laura Kenna
Communications Coordinator
Columbia University Libraries/Information Services
Room 207 Butler Library
Phone: 212-854-4692
The CUL Style Guide is always growing. Send comments and suggestions to Laura Kenna.
--
Laura Kenna
Communications Coordinator
Columbia University Libraries/Information Services
Room 207 Butler Library
Phone: 212-854-4692
Labels: CUL, web resources
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Starr Renovation
Starr East Asian Library Renovation:
"This summer our library will be undergoing major renovation work in the entrance and service area to accommodate a beautiful centrally-located integrated service desk and card-reading entrance gates. Although we hope to keep the library and collections open and accessible, in order to accommodate the work we do need to make some temporary changes to some of our public services.
"As a first step in the process all public workstations will be removed from their accustomed locations. Some will need to be stored until after the renovation, but most will be moved to two temporary locations as follows:
"Three library terminals will move to the microform corridor on the 100 level of the stacks, along with Ninja printer Kent 300B.
"Three more library terminals, along with Ninja printer Kent 300A will move to Alcove 317, as will the Japanese and Korean CDR terminals with the color printer, and one of the workstations providing access to the /Chinese Civilization in Time & Space/ database, along with its printer. (Alcove 317 is the first alcove on the south side - i.e. the right hand side coming from the entrance - of the reading room.)
"At this time, we aim to keep the library open and accessible throughout the process. Some of the work will, however, be noisy and perhaps sometimes dusty, so plan accordingly. If, on occasion, closure of the library turns out to be unavoidable, notices to that effect will be posted both at the entrance and on our website. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause."
"This summer our library will be undergoing major renovation work in the entrance and service area to accommodate a beautiful centrally-located integrated service desk and card-reading entrance gates. Although we hope to keep the library and collections open and accessible, in order to accommodate the work we do need to make some temporary changes to some of our public services.
"As a first step in the process all public workstations will be removed from their accustomed locations. Some will need to be stored until after the renovation, but most will be moved to two temporary locations as follows:
"Three library terminals will move to the microform corridor on the 100 level of the stacks, along with Ninja printer Kent 300B.
"Three more library terminals, along with Ninja printer Kent 300A will move to Alcove 317, as will the Japanese and Korean CDR terminals with the color printer, and one of the workstations providing access to the /Chinese Civilization in Time & Space/ database, along with its printer. (Alcove 317 is the first alcove on the south side - i.e. the right hand side coming from the entrance - of the reading room.)
"At this time, we aim to keep the library open and accessible throughout the process. Some of the work will, however, be noisy and perhaps sometimes dusty, so plan accordingly. If, on occasion, closure of the library turns out to be unavoidable, notices to that effect will be posted both at the entrance and on our website. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause."
Labels: CUL, renovation, starr
Friday, May 30, 2008
Academic Commons (no longer DigitalCommons)
On Monday, if all goes well, our current institutional repository system (DigitalCommons@Columbia) will be replaced by the new "Academic Commons" repository. You can preview Academic Commons.
Initially the content of Academic Commons will be the same as DigitalCommons, with the same three content 'communities':
Under the hood Academic Commons differs from Digital Commons in that it is built on a local implementation of the open source dSpace software, rather than on the commercially-vended, remotely-hosted ProQuest system. The dSpace-based system will allow us more flexibility in developing our institutional repository over time and more options for integrating the content into other CUL and campus information systems.
We have tried to minimize the impact of this change on current users by configuring a full set of redirects from the old system to the new, so as not to break bookmarks or URL references that users of the DigitalCommons may have made. All items in Academic Commons now and in the future will have a permanent CNRI "handle" assigned rather than the ProQuest-specific URLs available in DigitalCommons.
The main differences between Academic Commons and DigitalCommons that staff might encounter are in the Columbia Dissertations and Theses collection. In the new system, descriptive information displayed for Columbia dissertations will now be based on catalog records extracted from CLIO rather than on data supplied directly by ProQuest. (Actually what's displayed in Academic Commons is a combination of CLIO and ProQuest data, since we want to continue to acquire and load ProQuest's valuable dissertation abstracts in Academic Commons and CLIO.) This change in information flow will mean, among other things, that individual dissertations may show up in Academic Commons at different times than they do in ProQuest Dissertations and Theses or would have in DigitalCommons. The actual workflows for getting accurate information about new online dissertations into CLIO and then into Academic Commons are still being developed and will doubtless improve over time.
Other differences in the Columbia Dissertations collection include:
Initially the content of Academic Commons will be the same as DigitalCommons, with the same three content 'communities':
Center on Japanese Economy and Business working papers, etc.Over the next months you'll be hearing from the new Center for Digital Research and Scholarship (CDRS) about plans for enlarging Academic Commons with additional collections and communities.
Economics Department discussion papers
Columbia Dissertations and Theses
Under the hood Academic Commons differs from Digital Commons in that it is built on a local implementation of the open source dSpace software, rather than on the commercially-vended, remotely-hosted ProQuest system. The dSpace-based system will allow us more flexibility in developing our institutional repository over time and more options for integrating the content into other CUL and campus information systems.
We have tried to minimize the impact of this change on current users by configuring a full set of redirects from the old system to the new, so as not to break bookmarks or URL references that users of the DigitalCommons may have made. All items in Academic Commons now and in the future will have a permanent CNRI "handle" assigned rather than the ProQuest-specific URLs available in DigitalCommons.
The main differences between Academic Commons and DigitalCommons that staff might encounter are in the Columbia Dissertations and Theses collection. In the new system, descriptive information displayed for Columbia dissertations will now be based on catalog records extracted from CLIO rather than on data supplied directly by ProQuest. (Actually what's displayed in Academic Commons is a combination of CLIO and ProQuest data, since we want to continue to acquire and load ProQuest's valuable dissertation abstracts in Academic Commons and CLIO.) This change in information flow will mean, among other things, that individual dissertations may show up in Academic Commons at different times than they do in ProQuest Dissertations and Theses or would have in DigitalCommons. The actual workflows for getting accurate information about new online dissertations into CLIO and then into Academic Commons are still being developed and will doubtless improve over time.
Other differences in the Columbia Dissertations collection include:
- Links to dissertations within Academic Commons now point directly to ProQuest's standard Digital Dissertations and Theses portal rather than to a DigitalCommons landing page.
- Records for 'embargoed' dissertations, which did not appear at all in DigitalCommons, will appear Academic Commons; users asking to view such dissertations, however, will see a message on the ProQuest site about the dissertation being withheld by the author.
- The browsable list of Columbia dissertations arranged by academic department will be generated from CLIO rather than created manually by LDPD staff; here again, there will need to be some level of CLIO clean up before the list is completely accurate.
- The need for this quick cutover to Academic Commons / dSpace is in part because the license for the DigitalCommons is expiring and we don't want to spend waste additional $$ on extending it for another year.
- The "DigitalCommons" name has been trademarked by ProQuest / BePress and so cannot continue to be used after our license expires, hence the new name, "Academic Commons"
- Any questions, problems, anomalies should be reported to: academiccommons@columbia.edu
Labels: CUL, digitization
Monday, May 05, 2008
Library Essentials Debuts
Library Essentials, a collection of online tutorials to help students with their research:
Workshops & Research Help -- General Research Skills
Ask Us -- Help Yourself
LibraryWeb Help
LibraryWeb Site Index
Created by Columbia CourseWorks Committee with help from CCNMTL, LDPD, and LITO.
Workshops & Research Help -- General Research Skills
Ask Us -- Help Yourself
LibraryWeb Help
LibraryWeb Site Index
Created by Columbia CourseWorks Committee with help from CCNMTL, LDPD, and LITO.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Columbia books at the Internet Archive
from Janet Gertz:
The Internet Archive has now created a homepage for the books being digitized from Columbia's collections.
The Internet Archive has now created a homepage for the books being digitized from Columbia's collections.
Labels: CUL, digitization, internet archive
Friday, April 25, 2008
Final Examination Blackout Period
The final examination blackout period begins tomorrow, Saturday, April 26 and ends on Friday, May 16. During this time staff in the Library Information Office will not be accepting Metro referrals, and will only be issuing temporary reader cards to students, staff and faculty of Shares institutions.
Access to the rare book collections, and government documents will not be affected by the final examination access restrictions.
Access to the rare book collections, and government documents will not be affected by the final examination access restrictions.
Labels: CUL, final exams, shares
Thursday, April 03, 2008
HISTORY LAB with John Tofanelli
From CUL Notes:
Greetings! The Committee for Columbia Library and Information Professionals (formerly RCL) would like to invite you to our next CCLIP Talk (formerly Brownbag presentations). We thought a new name for the series would compliment (sic) the committee’s new name, as well as clear up some confusion about the events scheduled start times. CCLIP Talks do not happen strictly at lunch time, but are scheduled at staggered times throughout the day to ensure more people with varied schedules have a chance to attend.
Our next CCLIP Talk will be on Tuesday, April 8th from 11am to noon in Butler 523. We hope to see you there! Light refreshments will be served.
HISTORY LAB:
AN EMERGING MODEL FOR
DISCIPLINE-BASED LIBRARY INSTRUCTION
Speaker: John Tofanelli
History Lab has been offered since Spring 2007 as a seven-week, two-point course for instructing Columbia history majors in the basics of library research. The course consists of four sessions taught by librarians, bookended by an introductory session and concluding sessions taught by a History Department faculty member or graduate preceptor. In Spring 08, as in Fall 07, three sections of roughly fifteen students each have been enrolled in History Lab. Seven librarians have been responsible for teaching the Spring 08 sessions.
I have served as the primary liaison between the History Department and the Libraries in the development and coordination of History Lab. I invite you to attend a session in which I will give a brief presentation on the development of History Lab and a demonstration of the History Lab Courseworks site. History Lab has been generally successful. I hope that librarians who may be thinking about new possibilities for discipline-oriented library instruction might learn from one or another aspect of it.
Please consider attending. I look forward to your questions.
For an advance glimpse of the current History Lab Courseworks site: simply select Admin Access in Courseworks; search by Course Title: History Lab ; and choose one of the 2008 sections. (The syllabus content is the same for each.)
Greetings! The Committee for Columbia Library and Information Professionals (formerly RCL) would like to invite you to our next CCLIP Talk (formerly Brownbag presentations). We thought a new name for the series would compliment (sic) the committee’s new name, as well as clear up some confusion about the events scheduled start times. CCLIP Talks do not happen strictly at lunch time, but are scheduled at staggered times throughout the day to ensure more people with varied schedules have a chance to attend.
Our next CCLIP Talk will be on Tuesday, April 8th from 11am to noon in Butler 523. We hope to see you there! Light refreshments will be served.
HISTORY LAB:
AN EMERGING MODEL FOR
DISCIPLINE-BASED LIBRARY INSTRUCTION
Speaker: John Tofanelli
History Lab has been offered since Spring 2007 as a seven-week, two-point course for instructing Columbia history majors in the basics of library research. The course consists of four sessions taught by librarians, bookended by an introductory session and concluding sessions taught by a History Department faculty member or graduate preceptor. In Spring 08, as in Fall 07, three sections of roughly fifteen students each have been enrolled in History Lab. Seven librarians have been responsible for teaching the Spring 08 sessions.
I have served as the primary liaison between the History Department and the Libraries in the development and coordination of History Lab. I invite you to attend a session in which I will give a brief presentation on the development of History Lab and a demonstration of the History Lab Courseworks site. History Lab has been generally successful. I hope that librarians who may be thinking about new possibilities for discipline-oriented library instruction might learn from one or another aspect of it.
Please consider attending. I look forward to your questions.
For an advance glimpse of the current History Lab Courseworks site: simply select Admin Access in Courseworks; search by Course Title: History Lab ; and choose one of the 2008 sections. (The syllabus content is the same for each.)
Labels: CUL, demonstrations, history, instruction, research
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Amistad Digital Resource
Columbia University Libraries/Information Services in the NEWS
(NEW YORK, February 12, 2008) The Amistad Digital Resource, a joint venture between Columbia University’s Center for Digital Research and Scholarship (CDRS) and the Center for Contemporary Black History (CCBH), was recently launched. For more information, visit the Columbia University News page or view the press release.
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
“Amistad Digital Resource: Multimedia website is right on time”
February 7, 2008
BYLINE: MISANI
“The Amistad Digital Resource is a progressive idea that is right on time. Launched on February 1, the multimedia African American history website, richly enhances the 2008 commemoration of Black history Month by providing an innovative research tool that will help to educate both teachers and students about contemporary Black History. Created by Columbia University’s Center for Contemporary Black History (CCBH), and the Electronic Publishing Initiative at Columbia (EPIC), the engaging and user-friendly website, www.AmistadResource.org will serve to assist teachers throughout the nation in planning lessons about the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements in America.”
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/clips/2008/02/08/AmistadAMSTERDAM.pdf
(NEW YORK, February 12, 2008) The Amistad Digital Resource, a joint venture between Columbia University’s Center for Digital Research and Scholarship (CDRS) and the Center for Contemporary Black History (CCBH), was recently launched. For more information, visit the Columbia University News page or view the press release.
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
“Amistad Digital Resource: Multimedia website is right on time”
February 7, 2008
BYLINE: MISANI
“The Amistad Digital Resource is a progressive idea that is right on time. Launched on February 1, the multimedia African American history website, richly enhances the 2008 commemoration of Black history Month by providing an innovative research tool that will help to educate both teachers and students about contemporary Black History. Created by Columbia University’s Center for Contemporary Black History (CCBH), and the Electronic Publishing Initiative at Columbia (EPIC), the engaging and user-friendly website, www.AmistadResource.org will serve to assist teachers throughout the nation in planning lessons about the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements in America.”
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/clips/2008/02/08/AmistadAMSTERDAM.pdf
Labels: african-american studies, CUL, EPIC, web resources
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
CDRS and Copyright added to Libraries Website
We're happy to announce that the new websites-in-progress for the Center for Digital Research and Scholarship and Copyright Advisory Office are now linked on the Libraries home page. For the present they appear on the "Libraries and Collections" drop-down submenu. At some point soon LibraryWeb Steering and other stakeholders will be working toward a better overall Web presentation of the different components of the new Libraries / Information Services organization.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
e-reserves shopping over spring 08
The "shopping period" for e-reserves has now passed.
Access control files have been generated that restrict access to scanned e-reserves to the following people:
Access control files have been generated that restrict access to scanned e-reserves to the following people:
- cul staff involved in uploading and processing this material
- those students and instructors registered for the class either as students or instructors (this includes some TAs)
- others who have requested and been granted access to the Courseworks pages of a given class.
- request access to the courseworks page for the course; we receive a daily feed from Courseworks and process it on receipt. This is the best option for TAs who find that they do not have access to electronic reserves for the course for which they are TAing.
- ask for assistance at appropriate reserves desk
Labels: courseworks, CUL, e-reserves
Thursday, January 03, 2008
semester circulation for everyone
As of 1/2/08, "CIRC" items circulate for a semester for "REG" patrons.
Barnard Library and HSL (which do not circulate any material for a semester) are excepted from this policy change.
Barnard Library and HSL (which do not circulate any material for a semester) are excepted from this policy change.
Labels: circulation, CUL
University Archives
After a successful move from Low Library in October and some settling in, the University Archives reading room is now open to researchers.
The UArchives is located on the 6th floor of Butler in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library. The UArchives is open on Monday 9:00 am - 8:00 pm; Tuesday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. For more information, please call the UArchives' main reference line: 212.854.3786.
Thank you for your patience during this time of transition.
Susan
UArchives: Your Source for University History
--
Susan G. Hamson
Curator of Manuscripts and University Archivist
Columbia University | Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Butler Library, 6th Floor
The UArchives is located on the 6th floor of Butler in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library. The UArchives is open on Monday 9:00 am - 8:00 pm; Tuesday - Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. For more information, please call the UArchives' main reference line: 212.854.3786.
Thank you for your patience during this time of transition.
Susan
UArchives: Your Source for University History
--
Susan G. Hamson
Curator of Manuscripts and University Archivist
Columbia University | Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Butler Library, 6th Floor
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Journalism Library opens
The Journalism Library re-opens tomorrow, Thursday 11/29, in its new location, 204A Journalism (within the new Stabile Student Center). The library phone numbers remain the same (4-0390 for circulation and reserves, 4-3916 for the librarian). Our hours remain the same, and will be posted on the CUL website shortly.
Labels: CUL, journalismlibrary
Friday, November 09, 2007
CLIO RECORDS IN ALL UPPER CASE CHARACTERS
Posted to CUL Notes by Ilona Bicsak:
Staff and patrons may begin to see brief records in CLIO in all upper case characters representing recently published materials. As an example, please see “VISUAL OBJECT OF DESIRE IN LATE MEDIEVAL ENGLAND (Bib ID 6326362)
These are brief bibliographic records for recently ordered monographs using GOBI - the ordering database of our new primary domestic monograph vendor, YBP.
Sometimes referred to as EOCR’s (Electronic Order Confirmation Records) they are batch loaded into CLIO and will be replaced by standard cataloging records (mostly supplied by YBP) when the ordered book is received at Columbia. These records should not be confused with the OTF (On the Fly) or unlinked item records created for circulation purposes when we used NOTIS.
Please feel free to contact any MPS supervisor for questions related to these order records.
Staff and patrons may begin to see brief records in CLIO in all upper case characters representing recently published materials. As an example, please see “VISUAL OBJECT OF DESIRE IN LATE MEDIEVAL ENGLAND (Bib ID 6326362)
These are brief bibliographic records for recently ordered monographs using GOBI - the ordering database of our new primary domestic monograph vendor, YBP.
Sometimes referred to as EOCR’s (Electronic Order Confirmation Records) they are batch loaded into CLIO and will be replaced by standard cataloging records (mostly supplied by YBP) when the ordered book is received at Columbia. These records should not be confused with the OTF (On the Fly) or unlinked item records created for circulation purposes when we used NOTIS.
Please feel free to contact any MPS supervisor for questions related to these order records.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
e-resource statistics spreadsheet
This is really kind of fascinating...
From Colleen Major, the NER librarian at Columbia:
Greetings. This is just a reminder there is a Electronic Resource Usage Statistics spreadsheet posted at: https://www1.columbia.edu/sec/cu/libraries/staffweb/units/tsad/nerlinks.html
This is usually up-to-date, depending on when vendors make their statistics available. It has a frozen pane, so all of the data is at the end of the spreadsheet. If you are looking for title level stats, usernames and password for vendor statistics are in Meridian.
If you find we are not tracking one of your resources, please let us know.
From Colleen Major, the NER librarian at Columbia:
Greetings. This is just a reminder there is a Electronic Resource Usage Statistics spreadsheet posted at: https://www1.columbia.edu/sec/cu/libraries/staffweb/units/tsad/nerlinks.html
This is usually up-to-date, depending on when vendors make their statistics available. It has a frozen pane, so all of the data is at the end of the spreadsheet. If you are looking for title level stats, usernames and password for vendor statistics are in Meridian.
If you find we are not tracking one of your resources, please let us know.
Labels: CUL, databases, statistics
