Our laptop borrowing program has always been popular with students, so this year we thought we’d expand it! Now, students can borrow one of our three brand new iPad2s.
We want to help our students explore this new world of tablet computing, so we’ve made borrowing an iPad as easy as possible. To request an iPad, all you have to do is stop by our circulation desk. Our laptops can only be borrowed for a period of 3 hours, but when you check out an iPad, you’ll get to keep it for a whole day. And even better – unlike our laptops, which have to stay in the building, you can take your borrowed iPad out of the Library and use it where ever you like.
Give our iPads a whirl, and then let us know what you think of this new program! If we see the iPads getting a lot of use, we’ll look into purchasing more of them (or purchasing one or more Android tablets).
Each semester, the Weinberg Memorial Library and the Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence (CTLE) offer a faculty and staff advancement series called Technology on Your Own Terms. The series introduces University faculty and staff to emerging technologies in order to encourage innovation in the workplace and in the classroom. We’re continuing the series in Fall 2011 with two new workshops:
Changing Channels: The Next Generation of Television
Tuesday, October 18 from 12pm-1pm in WML305
In this workshop, we’ll look at new options in home entertainment and media, from HDTV and BluRay to streaming video. We’ll talk about what consumers should look for when purchasing new television screens and introduce new streaming services like Hulu Plus, Netflix, and Apple TV. A light lunch will be provided. (Taught by Jason Oakey, Office of Instructional Technology)
Tools for Tablets: Apps, Sites, and Widgets for Tablet Computers
Wednesday, November 16 from 12pm-1pm in WML305
This workshop will discuss programs that will enhance your use of personal tablets, like the iPad, so that you can get the most out of these devices. We will look at file storage options, word processing programs, as well as social networks and e-reader applications. A light lunch will be provided. (Taught by Sheli McHugh, Weinberg Memorial Library)
All faculty and staff members are welcome, but seats are limited, so please register for sessions you plan to attend at www.scranton.edu/ctleregistration (under Technology On Your Own Terms).
As every Scrantonian knows, the big excitement in town this weekend is Parade Day. Whether you’re planning to watch the parade or stay home and avoid the crowds, it’s also a nice weekend to reflect on St. Patrick and the history and traditions of Ireland.
Thanks to the Library’s Cataloging Department, finding new books has never been easier.
Now, if you want to see what new books have come in for a specific subject, then all you have to do is visit the Library’s Research Guides at www.scranton.edu/library/researchguides.
You would then pick a subject, for example “History.” In the History Research Guides page you will see useful links which direct you to helpful Databases, Reference Books, Websites, and contact information for the Librarian Subject Specialist; but now there is also a link to “New Library Books.” Clicking New Library Books will take you to the library’s Catalog and a display of all of the new books that the library has acquired for that specific Academic Department!
Image courtesy of goXunoReviews, under a Creative Commons license
Winter weather keeping you indoors? Well the e-book is celebrating its 40th birthday this year! Why not download a free e-book to your device (Nook, Kindle, Sony Reader, smartphone), or just download and read one right on your computer. You’ll first need to check to see which of the different available text formats are compatible with your device.
To help you get started, check out this list of some of the sites where you can download free e-books, along with an informational quote from each website:
“Its purposes include offering permanent access for researchers, historians, scholars, people with disabilities, and the general public to historical collections that exist in digital format.”
“PublicLiterature.org provides a user-friendly interface to read books online. Many tools are provided to explore and utilize this collection of public domain books, poetry, tutorials and audio.”
“Bookyards has a total of 17,008 books, 41,784 external web links, 4,197 news & blogs links, 384 videos, 32,963 Ebook links and access to hundreds of online libraries (800,000 Ebooks) for your reading pleasure.”
“We format and package books so that you can read them on a java enabled phone. Most phones sold today are java enabled – you probably have one in your pocket right now.”
“Standard memberships are FREE and allow members unlimited access to eBooks in the HTML format or access to 5 eBooks each and every month in the PDF and/or TXT formats.”
Our science, math and engineering book collection just got a whole lot bigger! We’ve added a large eBook collection (over 3000 titles!) to our resources! You may browse the Springer eBook Collection or simply search the catalog for “Springer eBook Collection.” You can also search for specific subjects, like “software engineering” and then limit the location the Electronic Access. This collection will add a lot of depth to our resources that we would not be able to provide in print resources and you will be able to access them from anywhere on campus any time of day.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding this new collection! Happy researching!
On February 16, our Spring 2011 Technology on Your Own Terms workshops will begin with The Insider’s Guide to Smartphones, to be held from 12pm-1pm in WML305.
In this workshop, digital services librarian Kristen Yarmey and technology services analyst Diane Jachimowicz will discuss some of the technology behind smartphones like iPhones, Androids, and Blackberries. We’ll talk about what terms like 3G, 4G, tethering, and jailbreaking mean in plain English, what sensors like accelerometers and compasses mean for average users, how operating systems like iOS and Android differ, and what phone features to look out for in 2011 and beyond. A light lunch will be provided during the discussion.
All faculty and staff members are welcome, but seats are limited, so please register at www.scranton.edu/ctleregistration (under Technology On Your Own Terms).
Great news for scientists on campus – the Weinberg now has online subscriptions to the journals Science and Nature, available from anywhere for our University of Scranton faculty, staff, and students!
Nature is available in Nature Journals Online from the November 4, 2010 issue to the present. You can find older issues (1990 to one year ago) in our Proquest Central database.
Science is available from January 1997 to the present in Science Magazine. As with Nature, you can find older issues of Science (1988 to 2005) in our Proquest Central database.
Remember, these are subscriptions, so if you’re not on campus be sure to log in to my.scranton in order to access full-text articles. To all of our science faculty and students, happy searching!
Each semester, the Weinberg Memorial Library and the Center for Teaching & Learning Excellence (CTLE) offer a faculty and staff advancement series called Technology on Your Own Terms. The series introduces University faculty and staff to emerging technologies in order to encourage innovation in the workplace and in the classroom. We’re continuing the series in Spring 2011 with three new workshops, all of which will be held in the Library.
The Insider’s Guide to Smartphones
Wednesday, February 16 from 12pm-1pm in WML305
In this session, librarian Kristen Yarmey and technology services analyst Diane Jachimowicz will discuss some of the technology behind smartphones like iPhones, Androids, and Blackberries. We’ll talk about what terms like 3G, 4G, tethering, and jailbreaking mean in plain English, what sensors like accelerometers and compasses mean for average users, how operating systems like iOS and Android differ, and what phone features to look out for in 2011 and beyond. A light lunch will be provided during the discussion. (Taught by Kristen Yarmey, Weinberg Memorial Library, and Diane Jachimowicz, IT Services)
The Changing Face of Facebook
Wednesday, March 9 from 1pm-2pm in WML305
If you are a Facebook user, you have probably asked yourself at least once, “Why does Facebook make so many changes to its site?” In this session, librarian Donna Mazziotti will present an overview of the latest wave of changes made to the Facebook user interface. She will also offer a rationale for why Facebook is an ever-evolving tool, as well as reasons why users should embrace Facebook’s mission to always improve its product. After this session, attendees will grow from passive to proactive Facebook users, able to educate themselves about changes made to Facebook as the changes occur. A light lunch will be provided during the discussion. (Taught by Donna Mazziotti, Weinberg Memorial Library)
E-Readers: The Hype and the Facts
Wednesday, April 6 from 11am-3pm in WML305
Nook, Sony, Kindle, iPad, etc. There are so many e-readers and tablet computers available that it’s getting harder to know which product to choose to fill a certain need. Want some answers? Drop in any time during a four hour showcase of e-readers and tablet computers at the Weinberg Memorial Library. Best Buy will have many products on display and provide knowledgeable staff to answer your questions. You will learn about the Weinberg Memorial Library e-books available for download as well as where you can find free ebooks and how to convert regular documents to ereader formats. Light refreshments will be served. (With representatives from Best Buy, the Weinberg Memorial Library, and the CTLE)
All faculty and staff members are welcome, but seats are limited, so please register for sessions you plan to attend at www.scranton.edu/ctleregistration (under Technology On Your Own Terms).
If you are enjoying the Technology On Your Own Terms series this fall or if you just want to learn more about Google, you can view the DVD Google World, a new addition to the Media Resources Collection. This film scrutinizes Google’s history, corporate culture, business practices and ambitions. Check for its availability by searching our Library catalog at http://wml.scranton.edu/search.
