Meebo relaunches as FaceTwitSquare aggregator

Meebo has relaunched today as a new service that's apparently meant to be some sort of Facebook/Twitter/FourSquare aggregation service. However, the old Meebo Messenger service that we use for reference is still available on the web.

To get to the Meebo Messenger web site, ignore the prominent "Sign Up/Sign In" prompt on Meebo's home page. Instead, click the "Looking for Meebo Messenger?" button below the "Sign Up/Sign In" prompt. Here's what the button looks like:

You can also go directly to the old Meebo Messenger web site by using this URL: meebo.com/messenger.

Jon W.

FYI: Annual Reviews for Mobile Devices

Annual Reviews now has a site for mobile devices (iPhones, Android phones, etc.). Here's how their mobile site works:
First, patrons will need to connect to SWOSU's wireless network using wi-fi on their mobile device. Next, the patron must visit the Annual Reviews site. This action pairs the patron's device with the Al Harris Library's Annual Reviews subscription. Afterwards, the patron will be able to connect to Annual Reviews from anywhere. This pairing needs to be done every six months.

Click here for detailed information about mobile access to Annual Reviews.

Jon W.

Aleks browser plugin installation

Students in some math courses have homework that requires the Aleks browser plugin. See this entry in the LibAnswers knowledge base for instructions on installing the Aleks plugin.

Jon W.

(Updated) Public printer is back in service

Update (11/14/2011): The printer is working again.

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The Kyocera public printer is out of order, as of Wed., Nov. 9.

The service engineer is ordering a replacement part. He expects to install it on Friday. In the meantime, refer students to one of the campus labs (such as Stafford 127 and 128) for printing. We can also do limited printing at the Reference Desk for students who need to print papers for their instructors.

Jon W.

CQ Researcher is back

Update (11/7/2011): CQ Researcher is working again.

As of Thursday, Nov. 3, CQ Researcher is not working. It's currently showing a message that says "Your subscription has expired." We're looking into the problem.

Jon W.

Parker's Art Survey Research Assignment

His students are looking up the following artworks:

Giotto di Bondone (Italian), The Epiphany, c. 1320

Duccio di Buoninsegna (Italian), The Raising of Lazarus, c. 1310-11

Tommaso del Mazza (Italian), The Annunciation, c. 1390-95

Bernat Martorell (Spanish), Saint George Killing the Dragon, c. 1434-35

They already written on the visual analysis of the artwork (style, perspective, color, etc.). The research they need to be focusing on is the "content" of the artwork (subject matter, historical references, religious iconography, religious meaning, etc.)

Library Logins and the New Live@edu Student Webmail

Please take a look at the updated library login page and the ITS Live@edu email FAQ.

Here are a few key things to know when helping students with the switch to Live@edu email:

• Student email addresses are not changing.
• Students must use their full email address for their library login; the @student.swosu.edu part of the address is now mandatory. For example, doej@student.swosu.edu will work, but doej by itself will fail.
• Students will not be able to login to the library until they have successfully logged into their Live@edu account and changed their password. Their old passwords will not work.

Please let me know if you run into other problems helping the students get logged into the library's databases from off-campus using their Live@edu accounts.

Jon W.

3 Hole-Punch

Two days ago a punch bent for one of the smaller hole-punches. The second smaller hole-punch became locked up so that I couldn't get it unlocked. I turned them in to the administrative office for disposal. J.G. said she would order a tray to set the large hole punch in. Maybe that will help with the mess.

Heaters at the Ref Desk

Just a reminder -- please only use the panel heater under the Reference Desk when you're chilly. Don't plug extra heaters into the surge suppressor. Heaters will overload the surge suppressor and melt it.

(BTW, it's not a good idea to plug a second heater into the power pole, either. If you use the color laser and a high wattage heater at the same time, you're likely to trip the circuit breaker.)

Jon W.

HR Office/Insurance Folks

SWOSU HR will be using the Southwestern Room and Group Study Rooms 1-3 for the week. If students ask or complain why they can't use these areas after 5:00pm, please inform them that computers and other company materials are being left in the room for the next day's appointments. Signs have been placed on the doors.

ADA PC: New monitor and screen magnification software

The ADA PC has been given these updates to assist patrons who are vision impaired:

• a larger monitor,
• a shortcut on the Windows desktop for DesktopZoom (a screen magnification program), and
• a desktop shortcut for Windows Magnifier.

Jon W.

P.S. Windows Magnifier is available on all of the library's PC and laptops. From the Start menu, go to Programs > Accessories > Accessibility > Magnifier. Patrons who need DesktopZoom may download and install it from here.

Fiche Reader

The Director has temporarily repaired the Microfiche reader. He said we do not have a current maintenance agreement. It can be used now.

Microfilm/microfiche reader/printer is out of order

The microfilm carrier on the microfilm/microfiche reader/printer is broken. I've posted an out-of-order sign on the machine and asked Janet. G. to call the service technician.

Jon W.

P.S. The microfiche carrier may still be operable, but I recommend that we leave the machine as-is until a technician can look at it.

Public Printer Out of Order

The public printer went down this morning. A "Call Maintenance" w/ a numeric code appeared and would not allow printing. I turned off the printer and alerted Janet G. and she is calling the maintenance company. In the meantime, I've posted signs near the printer, directing patrons to use the Stafford Lab for printing.

Films on Demand: Updated interface and now iPad compatible

Read about the changes here ...

Try the new interface here ...

Jon W.

APA Journals Assignment Update

Please refer to American Psychologist and Journal of Abnormal Psychology as examples of APA journals.

(Click here for a list of all of our full-text APA journals.)

When to ask Janet G. to call the printer service technician

I've posted a short (and not necessarily comprehensive) list of public printer problems that need to be looked at by a service technician.

You can read the list in the LibAnswers knowledgebase …

When these problems crop up, please let Janet G. know so that she can make a service call.

Jon W.

How do I troubleshoot Internet connection problems at the hexagon table?

See these suggestions in the LibAnswers knowledgebase …

Jon W.

APA Journal Assignment is in da House

It's the time of year again - two common titles: American Psychologist & American Journal of Psychology.

( I stole the title and content from Jason's Post last semester......)

Cheers,

Tips for printing PDFs, PowerPoints, etc. from D2L

Update (8/24/2011): These tips have been added to the LibAnswers knowledgebase.

Here are a couple of tips for helping students print files from D2L:

• Be sure to click in the browser frame that contains the document you want to print. If another part of the browser window has the focus, the patron is likely to get a blank page instead of his/her document.
• When printing PDFs, be sure to use the Adobe Reader toolbar that floats over the bottom of the document. Don't use the browser's File > Print menu.
• Sometimes the only way to get a document to print is to save the document to the Windows desktop first. Then open the document in Acrobat Reader, PowerPoint, etc. and print it.

Jon W.


P.S. How's the new blog template? :-)

Graphic Novels and DVDs

The library purchased a graphic novel displayer (located in the newsroom) and a DVD displayer (located by the public printer) that will house the new graphic novels and DVDs. Also, because of space issues, some of the graphic novels are being kept behind the circ desk temporarily. Please remember to help students find these or remind them when looking for these particular materials that they may be located in these special locations.

First Research temporarily only available on campus

Due to some changes First Research made on their server, this business database doesn’t currently work from off-campus. It works fine from any PC that’s connected to the SWOSU campus network. I'll post an update when off-campus access to First Research is available again.

Jon W.

Wireless printing guide updated

I've updated the guide for setting up printing from Windows 7/Vista laptops.

Because of the complexity of installing the Kyocera drivers, I've added a "read me" introduction to the guide that will (I hope) dissuade our less tech-savvy students from attempting the installation.

Jon W.

eBooks on EBSCOhost Tutorials

I would recommend that everyone take a couple of minutes to review the tutorials provided by Ebsco:

http://support.ebsco.com/ebooks/

eBooks on EBSCOhost has replaced NetLibrary

eBooks on EBSCOhost is now live. I've updated our ebooks page and the Databases A-Z list to reflect the change from NetLibrary to eBooks on EBSCOhost.

Jon W.

Public PCs updated

I've finished installing an updated image on the public PCs (LIB100A-LIB100W). Some of the changes include new versions of Firefox and the Respondus browser; updated browser plugins, and many, many Windows security updates.

 Jon W.

P.S. As always, any changes made to the public PCs by patrons are removed when the PC reboots, except for files saved in the My Documents folder. Files in My Documents are retained between reboots.

Public Fax Machine

The new public fax machine located adjacent to the Circulation Desk is not currently operable.

Lynda.com is no longer available

Lynda.com is no longer available on the library's web site. We did not renew our subscription because of a substantial increase in Lynda.com's subscription fee.

Jon W.

Respondus Lockdown Browser

Update: The Respondus Browser is working again. There was an expiration date glitch in the browser that was causing it to fail campus-wide. ITS has fixed the problem.

Jon W.
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The Respondus Lockdown browser is not allowing access on the public computers. A popup indicates that it needs a version update. Please refer students to the Stafford Lab in the meantime. I have alerted Jon and Brandon of the issue.

Histology PowerPoint on Ref Desk PC

I've saved a copy of Sue Ball's histology PowerPoint on the Ref Desk PC. It's likely there will be more students who want to print this PowerPoint out in color. Look for the "Shortcut to Histology.ppt" on the Windows desktop. (If the shortcut is gone, you can find Histology.ppt in the My Documents folder.)

Jon W.

Public printer: All systems are go ...

Tim from RK Black was here on Wednesday afternoon. He's repaired the printer, and it's working normally again.

Jon W.

Public Printer Repair

The Public Printer has been partially repaired. The RK Black technician worked on the printer Friday morning. He said that the grey is gone, but there are still a few minor (Read 4, small) scratch marks on print jobs.

The new drum is still on order and hopefully all the troubles in Japan won't delay it too much. (The good news is that we may be able to see the new drum in the dark!)

Waste Toner & Disposal

Because of the current problem with the printer, we are using an inordinate amount of toner, and all of the plastic containers that hold the waste toner have been used. Jon W. emptied a waste toner container so that we can use it again. It is located on top of the small wooden cabinet behind the Ref Desk. If the waste toner needs to be emptied during your shift, do not throw the container away. It can be emptied into the waste basket at the Ref Desk.

Off Campus Access

Just a reminder when people ask for help in accessing our materials from off-campus, please check to see if he/she is currently enrolled.

A former student was attempting to gain access to our databases from off-campus but she is not currently enrolled. Just keep the procedure in mind.

Public PC E in Systems for repairs

Public PC E is in the Systems Office for repairs. I'll have it back in service as soon as possible.

Jon W.

Public Printer

The printer has been fixed. Unfortunately, the printer drum sustained damage. The company will be replacing this part on their time & dime. Print jobs will now show a grey discolored area on the left-hand side.

If students need a "clean" copy of a research paper or printed assignment, recommend that he/she go to one of the other computer labs.

Public Printer is out of order

The public computer is out of order. The machine rollers became loud. When I opened the door a piece with two gears came out. I have contacted Janet Grabeal. She has called for a mechanic to fix it.

Public printer "Install MK" message

The 1st floor public printer is showing the message "Install MK."

This is simply a reminder that it's time for the printer's periodic service. The printer will continue to print normally. I've emailed Janet G. to let her know that it's time for a printer service call from RK Black.

Jon W.

Cart of Poetry Reference Materials at RefDesk

This cart of materials has been pulled for Dr. Collins's three sections of English Comp II. The cart will remain at the Ref Desk until the end of this week while his classes work on their research assignment. The only time the cart will not be at the Reference Desk is during their instruction sessions.

The assignment is unchanged. Students connect three poems to a central theme (e.g., passage of time) and write about the poems' imagery. Students have to use one poem by Kilmer and another by Dickinson (both provided by Dr. Collins). The third poem they have to find. For each poem, students will need a secondary source. To help them in their search, resources and information have been placed on this LibGuide.

If you have questions, please ask me. If you are unable to help the student, refer them to me.

The ADA PC is back

I've replaced the ADA PC. The instructions for using the scanner are now on the ADA PC's desktop wallpaper.

Let me know if you have any problems using the new PC.

Jon W.

Value Line

Listed below is our institutional temporary password enabling you to review the Value Line Investment Survey Online or the Research Center at:

http://www3.valueline.com/secure/vlispdf/stk5000/index.aspx


This user trial will be good for the following three weeks. Please feel free to distribute this password to others, if necessary.

User Name: istrial2
Password: pitch

ADA PC is being replaced

The old ADA PC attached to the scanner has died. I'm getting a spare PC set up to replace it. In the meantime, please direct students to the scanner in the Media Creation Room.

Jon W.

Value Line Investment Survey

Nancy Penner has assigned her investments class to look at the Value Line Investment Survey. We do not subscribe to that resource anymore so it is not available in our library.

Dr. Sparks has discussed the situation with her and recommended resources that we do have for the assignment. N.P. will be looking at those resources this afternoon and get back to us about what can be used for her students.

Computer L

Computer "L" is having virus/bug problems. I've tried restarting the machine, hoping that the deep freeze would take care of the problem with no luck. I've put an out of order sign on it and notified Jon Woltz via email.

Update (2/15/2011): L is working again. -- Jon W.

Seminar in Biology Class

The topic for the Seminar in Biology class this semester is “The Biological Importance of Water”. There are 12 students in the class, and they will be using BIOSIS Previews for most of their searching. I don’t think they will have any problems with using it, but I just want you to be aware of the assignment. Once they begin to choose their topics, you may likely get a few questions. Just remember that although an article may say it’s available in full-text, it will likely not be free full-text access. I emphasized that in class, but they may forget. Let me know if you have any questions.

Autorun disabled on Ref Desk PC

I've disabled Windows autorun on the Reference Desk PC. This is the part of Windows that offers to automatically open programs for you when you plug in a USB flash drive or put a disc into the DVD drive. This change means that you'll need to open the directory on your flash drive and double-click any programs that you wish to run from your flash drive.

I've disabled autorun to prevent flash drives infected with malware from infecting the Ref Desk PC. These malware programs take advantage of Windows' autorun to automatically infect any PC that the flash drive is plugged into (more info here). 

Jon W.

P.S. If you'd like to disable autorun on your own PC (which I recommend), download and install this Microsoft Fix It. See this Microsoft KB article for more information.

(Updated) OPAC/Voyager Down

FYI - The OPAC is down this morning. I have notified Jon Woltz and Dr. Sparks as of 8:20 this morning.

Update from Jon W.: Voyager is working again.

FYI: Problems w/ Lockdown Browser on Computer L

This issue has been reported to Jon W.

Troubleshooting the Reference Desk Phone

If the phone at the Reference Desk isn't working, following these steps may fix the probem:

- First, remove the handset from the base.
- Next, unplug the power cord from the phone base.
- Wait about 10 seconds and then plug the power back in.
- Put the handset back into the base.
- Can you get a a dial tone? If not, be sure that the phone line is plugged into the base and to the outlet on the pole.

If these troubleshooting steps don't solve the problem, let me know and I'll investigate further.

Jon W.

Canton School History Day Research

Dora Fuqua from the Canton Public School District will be bringing in 3- 5 students on Tuesday January 18 around 4-5 pm. They are beginning to research their Oklahoma History Day projects and want to use our resources.

I would direct them to America: History and Life with Full Text; Oklahoma State Univesity: Electronic Publishing Center; Oklahoma History and Culture; Oklahoma Chronicles

Thanks,

F