New EBSCOhost Interface

EBSCOhost  has a new look.  When you research journal articles for a topic in EBSCOhost you will experience a new, simpler basic search screen, an enhanced result list, and several other exciting new features. A number of databases are available via EBSCOHost including Academic Search Premier, Business Source Premier, CINAHL Plus with Full-Text, EBSCO MegaFILE, Inspec, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, and MLA International Bibliography. If you have any questions or would like more information about this change ask at the information desk, by email, chat or phone (http://lib.sdstate.edu/askus.html).

Mary Caspers-Graper, Head of Technical Services

Did You Know …. Documents Databases Rock!

Did ya know? Do ya care? Of course you should. Yes indeed, the Information Highway can be a bit easier to navigate with government databases just a few keystrokes and clicks away. Federal government information is available not only from agency web sites, but also from a multitude of federally sponsored databases, or search engines. Interested in medicine? Try the National Library of Medicine! Search tools include MedlinePlus, Clinical Trials, DailyMed, and PubMed. Topics covered range from basic consumer information to scholarly scientific and medical research. And oh yes, much is available full text online. BONUS!!!!!!!!!!

If you’re interested in energy topics, try the Department of Energy’s Information Bridge. Scientific and technical information is at your fingertips. From 1991 forward, many full text documents and bibliographic citations of the Department of Energy’s research reports literature awaits your discovery.

For a number of federal databases related to the presidency, legislature, and judiciary, try GPO ACCESS! GPO Access is one stop shopping for the US Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, Core Documents of Democracy, Bills, Laws, the Catalog of Government Publications and much, much more.

Some government databases are only available in the library or on campus. Our most recent addition is the Homeland Security Digital Library. Want flood information? Check it out with your friendly Documents Librarian. Want technical reports, try the NTIS. The National Technical Information Service links to bibliographic records and full text (when available) to over 240,000 reports from 1961-2000. Ask for assistance in the Documents Office or at the Information Desk.

For more government search engines check out “Finding Government Information: Federal Databases“.

Happy Surfing! AND Rock On!

Vickie Mix, Documents Librarian

Blackwell Synergy Journals move to Wiley Interscience

Briggs Library subscribes to many journals through the publisher Blackwell. Blackwell is joining with another publisher, Wiley and Sons so the Blackwell journals will soon be available through the Wiley Interscience interface. Unfortunately, there will be a period during which these journals are not available electronically. Friday, June 27 at 8:00 p.m., the Blackwell electronic journals will not become available. Saturday, June 28 at 4:00 a.m. the Wiley journals will become unavailable as well. Sunday, June 24 at 8:00 p.m. both Wiley and Blackwell journals will be available again through the Wiley Interscience interface. We will be changing our links for Blackwell journals on Friday but these new links are not expected to work until Sunday at about 8:00 p.m. Wiley and Blackwell are looking forward to the integration of their journals and to taking the best of both systems to create one that is better than either. For more information on this move, go to http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/aboutus/wiley-blackwell/transition_end-users.html.

~Elizabeth Fox, Digital Information Services Librarian

Rain, rain go away! Flood and Disaster Resources in Documents

Wow! Two to four inches of rain has fallen in less than 24 hours in many South Dakota Counties. Some areas have received over 8 inches of rain in the last five days. Flood warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service for over twenty counties across the state and the fun may be just beginning.

Weather, flood and disaster resources are plentiful in the Documents Collection and through federal agencies. The National Oceanic and Atomospheric Administration’s  National Weather Service provides forecasts, issues warnings and advisories, maintains historical weather data, and shares valuable educational information through publications, products, web sites, and interactive tools. Check out weather for South Dakota, today (before it changes!).

The Documents Department in Briggs Library has also recently received a number of flood and disaster related materials on CD and DVD. These materials are available for check out. Visit the Documents Department for assistance in locating the following items:

• Flood Outreach Toolkit HS 5.120:F65/3
• Getting Ready for Disaster: One Family’s Experience HS 5.120:D 63/DVD
• National Flood Insurance Manual HS 5.120:F 65/2006/CD
• Reducing Damage from Localized Flooding HS 5.120:D 18/2/CD
• Selecting Appropriate Mitigation Measures for Floodprone Structures HS 5.120:St 8/CD

Enjoy all your library has to offer…even on those rainy days!

Vickie Mix, Documents Librarian

Current Contents Alert Service

Comment received from an SDSU faculty member on June 2, 2008:

I am a new SDSU faculty member. At my previous institution, we were able to set up our search preferences keywords with a research librarian and weekly or biweekly Current Contents digests in tagged format for import to reference software would be emailed to us. Is this a service that is available here? Would I be able to just transfer my search preferences from my previous university? Who would I need to meet with or speak to in order to get set up? Thanks.

Our Response:

This summer we are moving our Current Contents access from the SilverPlatter platform to the OvidSP platform. Both are owned by Ovid and they plan to discontinue the SilverPlatter platform in the future. We did not want to make this change in platforms during the fall or spring semesters. Therefore we choose to make the switch during the summer. We have asked Ovid technical support to make the switch for us, but it has not been accomplished yet. When the conversion is completed we will notify you.

The OvidSP platform enables researchers to establish their own “OvidSP Auto Alerts” to keep up to date on research topics. We can help you set that up after the switch is complete. - Clark Hallman, Head of Public Services

Summer Library Research Services Available

HM Briggs Information Services Librarians are available during the summer months to provide a variety of services to SDSU faculty and students:

Library Instruction (for more information or to book a session call (605)688-5570 or e-mail: laura.wight@sdstate.edu

• Individual or group tour/orientation to the library. Orientation for online research via the library is also available to support distance students/courses.
• Course-integrated instruction session designed to meet the library research requirements of a particular course or to assist with a special research assignment.
• General research concepts session: instruction on general research skills, such as finding magazine/journal articles, citing resources, evaluating information/critical thinking.

Research consultation– Individual research consultation is available for faculty, students and staff. Need a refresher on which databases the library offers in your field and how to effectively and efficiently search? Developing a research proposal and wondering about the scope of library resources available to support your research? Contact a librarian at the Library Information Desk: (605)688-5570, or fill out the online request form at: http://lib.sdstate.edu/forms/consultlibreq.html

Librarians are available to consult with teaching faculty in the preparation of course-specific library assignments.

Ask Us! The Library Information Desk is staffed in person and virtually (via chat reference) regularly during the summer sessions. For hours and contact information see: http://lib.sdstate.edu/askus.html

Please also keep these services in mind when planning course curriculum for the Fall semester. We look forward to working with you !

Science Podcasts

Do you enjoy reading Science, the world’s leading journal of original scientific research, global news, and commentary?  You might be interested in trying Science’s podcasts which highlight selected interesting stories in the journal. You can listen to these audiocasts on your computer or download the files for syncing to portable audio devices (http://www.sciencemag.org/about/podcast.dtl). You can also subscribe to the podcasts through iTunes or Juice.   Hilton M. Briggs Library subscribes to Science online so you can read the articles described in the podcasts.

Mary Caspers-Graper, Head of Technical Services

Mary Lou Berry Retiring this Week

Mary Lou Berry will process her last interlibrary loan request for us on May 2, when she retires from employment at SDSU. Ms Berry has been resource sharing with other libraries since June 2000 and during that time has processed nearly 58,000 requests–over 7,000 every year! (For a photo of Mary Lou with one of the more unique items she was able to find for a patron, click on the Interlibrary Loan under ”Categories” on the right.) 

She has done an outstanding job and helped build a strong, positive reputation for Briggs Library. As one recent graduate and frequent interlibrary loan user described us: ”…the most student friendly, most helpful, most professional entity on campus!” Others have recognized the importance of Ms Berry’s work to their own research: “I have requested quite a number of interlibrary loan items for my research, teaching and other scholarly activities,” wrote one faculty member. “I can also tell you that these interlibrary loan items contributed significantly to my successful winning of two grants…” Another wrote that he has “co-authored 4 conference papers, one journal article, two proposal drafts and many teaching support materials…these would be impossible to achieve without university ILL support and Mary’s hard work.”   She’ll be greatly missed by her co-workers and by many students, faculty, and researchers across campus. We wish her the best of times and a long, happy retirement.

Earth Week Resources: Documents

April 22, 1970 marked the first “Earth Day” in America. 20 million people participated in recognizing the need to protect our planet from environmental destruction. Numerous government agencies are involved in environmental issues. Check out just a few state and federal resources for your Earth Day/Week pleasure.

• EarthDay.gov
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Library of Congress America Today in History: Earth Day
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• National Park Service
• Natural Resources Conservation Service
• South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources
• South Dakota Game Fish and Parks
• US Department of Energy
• US Department of State Global Issues
• White House Focus on the Environment

Vickie Mix, Documents Librarian

Cell Phone Use in the Library

Comment from an SDSU graduate student received on April 15 2008:

I was studying at a table in book stacks this morning, 1000am to 1230pm, and during this time 14 students talking at full volume on their cells phones walked past me. I think it would be reasonable to wholly ban cell phone use in the library. If a student or library employee, as the book reshelvers use them too, needs to be in conversation with someone, they should go to the Union or anywhere else on campus. There is no reason whatsoever to allow cell phone use in Briggs–not even in the lobby. The world will not end if someone is forced to cease use of their phone, and the library should be a place where one can get away from the noise.

Our response:

I’m sorry you were disturbed by people talking on their cell phones this morning.  Actually Briggs Library has had a policy regarding the use of cell phones for several years.  That policy states:

Cellular Phones, Pagers, or Other Audible Electronic Devices

It is essential that an environment conducive to serious study and research be maintained in the library. 

Cellular phones, pagers, and other audible electronic devices that could inhibit the concentration of library researchers must not be used in most areas of Briggs Library.  These devices should be turned off to prevent potential distractions. 

Cellular phones may be used discreetly only in the following areas: 

• The Library Vestibule (main floor, between the two sets of doors)
• The Library Lobby (main floor, between the entry doors and the reference area)
• Group Study Rooms (when no one in the group objects)
• Individual Study Rooms

Laptop or notebook computers may be used in the library, but the sound should be muted.

 

Exception: Library employees may need to use audible electronic devices in the course of their assigned duties.  Such use should only occur to the extent necessary. 

 

This policy should be posted throughout the building and we will check to make sure those policy statements are still posted and replace them if necessary.  When we notice someone using a cell phone we try to inform them of the policy.  I will forward your suggestion to the Dean of Libraries for his consideration.

  

Again, I’m sorry for the inconvenience. - Clark Hallman, Head of Public Services