At the beginning of Spring Semester 2007, the Gardner-Harvey Library will change its policy on the lending of audiovisual materials (videos, DVDs, and other media items). While these materials will continue to be available to all Miami University students, faculty, and staff, they will now also be available to all patrons of OhioLINK libraries.
This change is in keeping with the OhioLINK philosophy of shared collections which benefits each of us when the combined libraries of Miami University lack an item we need. We hope that our materials will be used more widely, and, in turn, that as more libraries open up to lending audiovisual items through OhioLINK, there will be many more items available to our library's patrons.
Opening our collection to a wider audience does mean that our audiovisual items may not be on hand when needed. We have five tools at our disposal to help avoid or address these situations:
(1) Individuals may request that items in our collection be held for them at the circulation desk. Using the "Request Item" option in the MU Library Catalog, MU students, faculty, and staff may request that an item be placed on the Gardner-Harvey Library hold shelf. Materials may be requested at any time, and will be held on the shelf for ten days.
(2) Faculty may place items on reserve for class use. Before or at any time during a semester, faculty members may request that an item be placed on reserve for a specific course. These reserve items may not be requested by patrons of OhioLINK libraries.
(3) Items may be "booked" for future use. Faculty members may request that a specific item be booked for use on a certain date or range of dates during the semester. Items that are entered into the booking system and are then checked out must return by the start of the booking period.
(4) Loans of audiovisual items to OhioLINK library patrons are limited to one week with no renewals. This should ensure relatively quick turnaround times for items that leave and are then needed for class use.
(5) Another OhioLINK library may own the needed item. If so, the item may be requested through the OhioLINK catalog, and will be on our hold shelf in 3-4 business days.
Careful preparation for expected needs for audiovisual items will help this process work well. If our library staff can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. Again, we look forward to expanded use of OhioLINK materials for all of us, and we thank you for taking this step with us.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
More Computers and Pimp My Bookcart Contest
The close of the semester brings two tremendous announcements regarding library services and activities to you:
(1) With the much appreciated assistance of the Technology Services and Physical Facilities departments, the Library classroom (GRD 111) is now equipped with 16 computers. This space is not only useful for library instruction sessions and other classes which require computer access, but it also provides 16 more public access computers to our patrons when classes are not using the room. That gives us 31 public machines; more than doubling our capacity. The increased computer seating should be helpful to students during these busy weeks.
(2) Inspired by the comic strip Unshelved (see http://www.overduemedia.com/archive.aspx?strip=20060929 for the cartoon in question), the Gardner-Harvey Library is calling for customizers and augmenters of all kinds to submit their ideas for how we can "Pimp My Bookcart." We have an old bookcart that is in need of some help. Come over to the library, grab an entry form, and give us your ideas on some extra things we can add on to fix up this old cart. The deadline is Friday, December 15.
Help pass the word along to students or enter on your own. The provider of the winning entry in the contest will win a "Pimp My Bookcart" t-shirt, and then the Gardner-Harvey Library mechanics will bring his or her dream to reality. We will then enter the finished product in an international version of the contest.
Best of luck to all as we close out the semester and head into the holidays!
(1) With the much appreciated assistance of the Technology Services and Physical Facilities departments, the Library classroom (GRD 111) is now equipped with 16 computers. This space is not only useful for library instruction sessions and other classes which require computer access, but it also provides 16 more public access computers to our patrons when classes are not using the room. That gives us 31 public machines; more than doubling our capacity. The increased computer seating should be helpful to students during these busy weeks.
(2) Inspired by the comic strip Unshelved (see http://www.overduemedia.com/archive.aspx?strip=20060929 for the cartoon in question), the Gardner-Harvey Library is calling for customizers and augmenters of all kinds to submit their ideas for how we can "Pimp My Bookcart." We have an old bookcart that is in need of some help. Come over to the library, grab an entry form, and give us your ideas on some extra things we can add on to fix up this old cart. The deadline is Friday, December 15.
Help pass the word along to students or enter on your own. The provider of the winning entry in the contest will win a "Pimp My Bookcart" t-shirt, and then the Gardner-Harvey Library mechanics will bring his or her dream to reality. We will then enter the finished product in an international version of the contest.
Best of luck to all as we close out the semester and head into the holidays!
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