Reference Desk Computer

If you are working on an individual project while at the reference desk, please put your documents in your own folder inside the My Documents folder that is located on the desk top. I went through a long list of stray documents today and attempted to assign them to individual folders. If I could not identify a document, I trashed it. I created new folders for a few of you, so all of us who work the desk have a place to keep our materials.

With an individual folder, it is easy to keep track of your own documents and projects, and it is easier to find an application or program that we need. Documents that relate to reference functions are located in the folder titled Reference Desk.

Ebrary requires current Java version

This afternoon a student came to the ref desk and said he could not access Ebrary with his personal laptop. The problem turned out to be that he had an old version of Java.

Whenever anyone is having trouble with Ebrary - be sure to ask them to download the latest edtion of Java first, and then try Ebrary again. (From JW: read my comment below.) Click on title to link to free Java download. Thanks.

Curriculum Collection Reorganization

Acquisitions has just started a curriculum reorganization project. We are rearranging the curriculum collection so that it is arranged by subject and then grade rather than grade and then subject.

For the next few weeks, we'll be moving and shifting the items in the collection so patrons may have a difficult time finding what they need. Linda and I would be happy to answer any questions about the collection so please let us know if a patron needs assistance.

Ebrary down for off-campus patrons (on-campus is OK)

Update (March 1, 2009): This issue has been fixed with the latest Ebrary record reload. All Ebrary titles will work from any on or off campus PC with Java 1.6 or later installed.

- Jon W.

Due to an apparent communication breakdown either here or at Ebrary, our Ebrary titles now require the use of the Java Ebrary reader. Unfortunately, the Java reader doesn’t work for off-campus patrons. The Java client will install on off-campus PCs, but patrons will see this error message when they try to open an Ebrary book: "Expired or invalid session. You may need to refresh this web page."

Clicking "OK" causes the error to appear once more; another click on "OK" clears the error. Clicking the blue Ebrary reader button a second time in IE 7 causes this IE error message to pop up: "There was an error opening your document [code: 45]. Session unavailable. Please this page and try again."

This issue only affects off-campus patrons; the Java Ebrary reader works correctly for on-campus patrons. I’m working with Ebrary on a fix, but there’s no workaround for off-campus patrons at this time.

Jon W.

ADA PC is back -- with updates

The ADA PC is working again.

To use the scanner, first open Paint.NET.

Click File > Acquire > From scanner or camera, and select the Epson scanner.

Other updates to the ADA PC:

• Microsoft Office 2007
• A memory upgrade from a wholly inadequate 256MB to an almost tolerable 512MB. ;-)
• A DVD drive
• Updates and security fixes to Firefox, Windows, DeepFreeze, and Acrobat
• Inkscape and Audacity software added
  
• New wallpaper (woot!)

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Jon W.

Hayden's World History class

FYI

The student who was working last night (Sunday 11/9) wrote this in the comments for the day:

"Hayden's World History class is looking for reference books. I had quite a few ask. Some of the books are named differently in the catalog."