SciFinder Scholar for Windows is here

SciFinder Scholar for Windows is ready. The installation instructions have been revised and SciFinder Scholar has been installed on the Reference Desk PC.

Faculty who wish to install SciFinder Scholar for Windows should follow the instructions on the SciFinder Scholar for Windows Installation page. There are links to the instructions from our Math and Science page and the Databases A-Z list. (SciFinder isn't currently on the library's public PCs, but patrons can use the instructions to install it themselves.)

Some key points for SciFinder users ...

• SciFinder Scholar is only available on-campus at this time. It'll be available in the Fall for off-campus use through SciFinder Scholar Web.
  


• SciFinder Scholar is limited to one user at a time. The message "Login failed: Too many concurrent sessions for this login id." means that another SciFinder Scholar user is logged on. Wait and try SciFinder Scholar again in a few minutes.
  


• SciFinder will retrieve articles in full text from the American Chemical Society Archives and our EBSCO full-text databases. SciFinder Scholar also links to many publishers' pay-per-use sites. Patrons should use interlibrary loan for any pay-per-use article; in most cases we'll be able to get the article for the patron at no charge.
  


• The SciFinder Scholar Support Site (http://www.cas.org/support/academic/sf/) is the primary place to find help on SciFinder searching.

KCDLonline Update: 27th Edition Is Complete

The complete 27th Edition of the Kraus Curriculum Development Library is now available online at KCDLonline.com. With 400 new documents, the KCDL database now contains nearly 7,500 curricula, frameworks, and standards from 1983 through 2008. New titles for the 28th Edition will be added this August and updating will continue on a monthly basis. In total, there are now nearly 3,500 records with full-text documents. KCDL Online is available on our Education resources page. For complete detailed information about KCDL see this page.

New: Pop Culture Universe

This database includes more than 250 volumes of reviewed, published material that offer thousands of overviews of pop culture from the 1920's through the present, including TV shows, awards, fads, fashions, and news.

Pop Culture Universe available on the library's General Topics and Social Sciences pages.

For complete detailed information about Pop Culture Universe see this page.

D2L

A question that has already been asked at the Reference Desk on more than one occasion relates to using the D2L dropbox for document submission. In order for a student to submit a document through the use of the dropbox, the professor must have created assignment folders for the course. If there are no folders, then an assignment cannot be placed in the dropbox. If this is the case, the student must use e-mail for electronic submission.

Desire2Learn Student Guide

The D2Learn Student Guide is in the flip folder on the desk. We can anticipate a fair number of questions from the students as the new system goes live, so I printed out a copy for all to peruse.

New: North American Indian Thought and Culture

North American Indian Thought and Culture is now available on the Social Sciences page and the Databases A-Z list.

NAITC integrates writings, images, and oral histories to cover the entire history of North America; from 17th century accounts of the first encounters involving Indians and European colonists to the stories of aboriginals living in a 21st century world. The database is dedicated to telling the life stories of both the well-known historical figures such as Pocahontas and Sitting Bull, and also the lesser-known men and women whose day-to-day experiences give an equally valuable portrayal of Indian culture.

Detailed information about NAITC is available on the publisher's web site.

Updated resource: Cochrane Collection Plus replaces Cochrane Library

The Cochrane Library databases on the Pharmacy page and the Nursing and Allied Health page have been replaced by the Cochrane Collection Plus (CCP). CCP contains the databases found in the original Cochrane Library, plus the NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED) and Health Technology Assessments (HTA). I've created links that allow patrons to search the entire CCP collection at once or to search each CCP database individually.

For detailed information about CCP see this EBSCO page.

Jing screen recorder installed on Ref Desk

Jing is now installed on the Reference Desk PC. Jing is a small program that lets you capture screen images and record simple tutorials. You activate Jing by clicking on the yellow ball at the top of the screen. Jing recordings can be uploaded to Screencast.com and shared with anyone by using the link provided by Screencast.

For a quick guide to using Jing, watch Jing's video tour.

The Screencast.com username and password are the same as Meebo.

Color laser printer: What to do when it won't print

The color laser printer will sometimes lose its connection to the PC and fail to print. To fix this unplug the USB cable from the right side of the printer, wait a couple of seconds, and then plug the cable back in.

HP has released a printer firmware update that may fix the problem. The procedure for installing the new firmware is, umm ... convoluted (to say the least), but I'll get it done ASAP.

Jon W.

Update (4/25/08): I've installed the firmware update. Let me know if the printer continues to lose its connection to the PC.

Jon W.

Periodicals List

There have been a few differences found between the periodicals list and the library's actual holdings (either location, format or whether we have it at all). If you find any of these errors, please report it on the Reference Desk Statistics sheet so that it can be corrected. Thanks!