Congratulations to ENG 109 our Embedded Librarian Survey Winners!

Did you take a class that had an embedded librarian? If so, you probably received an email a few weeks ago asking you to fill out our online survey. The class who had the most completed surveys would receive either breakfast or lunch on us. With almost 60% completing our survey, ENG 109 were the winners and received lunch from the library during their final class last week.

Congratulations once again to our survey winning class and thank you to all of you who completed our survey. Your responses help us to keep growing and improving our embedded librarian program.

Metaliteracy

You know the Miami 2020 Plan is in place and guiding curriculum development and institutional priorities.  It highlights learning and discovery, inquiry-based experiential learning, immersion of faculty and students in research and creative scholarship, global engagement, and e-learning.

What may be news is that the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has a task force in place to revise its 2000 standards.  Discussion of the draft:  Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education  will continue at the American Library Association annual meeting, June 2014.  The revision shifts emphasis to metaliteracy and threshold concepts (knowledge practices or abilities).  Today’s students are creators and curators of information, expected by employers to collaborate in teams to produce digital projects.  Your Gardner-Harvey Librarians have the privilege of facilitating a Discussion Forum for the national membership of ACRL’s instruction section this June.  The new framework will be implemented in 2015. 

What does this mean for me and how will it impact the courses I teach? 

You may wish to redesign one or more of your course research assignments in the next year.  One of the Gardner-Harvey librarians would be pleased to assist you in this effort or provide metaliteracy instruction in a format that meets your students’ needs, whether first-generation, non-traditional, international…

Librarians are glad to offer in-class instruction or Learning Management System Embedded Librarianship or Research Consultations.  Simply start the conversation by contacting us this summer or next fall.  We are happy to collaborate with you to strengthen students’ understanding of issues and skills related to the complex information ecosystem.

Library materials added in April

To bring you up to date on what has recently been added to the collection, a new materials list is now available that reflects additions during April. We added 122 books, DVDs, and other items during that time, thanks to your selections and suggestions. The list is sorted by call number, with items grouped roughly by subject area.  

This tag will show you all of the prior lists of new materials, in reverse chronological order.

It is a pretty eclectic and interesting list, as always, but there's something missing from it.  What's missing?  The book or DVD or whatnot that you or our students need!  Is something missing from our collection that you or others might use?

If you have a suggestion of something to order, please use our online request form, email Jennifer Hicks or one of our other staff members, or drop by the library with your request.  We are closing out our requests for this fiscal year, but could order it once our new budget year begins in July.  We have added 856 items so far this year.

Thanks again for keeping our collection vibrant and your information needs met!

Coffee is coming (and tea, hot cocoa, and lemonade)!

The Library will offer free coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and lemonade all during finals week, starting on Monday, May 12th.  It will be set up in our entrance area from roughly 8:00am to 9:00pm, Monday through Thursday, and from 8:00am to 5:00pm on Friday.  Please drop on by and enjoy a cup!  

It's our way of making your last minute studying and paper/project preparation a bit more relaxing.  Thanks for being a part of our library community!

Celebrate Earth Day at the Library!

Tuesday, April 22nd is Earth Day and a celebration of trees and geological samples will be held on the Middletown campus from 11:30-1:00 in the Gardner-Harvey Library.

An exhibit featuring minerals, rocks, and local fossils collected by Middletown Geology students will be on display. It will be staffed by Geology students during that time, and then will be in place for the remainder of the week. The exhibit was curated by Dr. Tammie Gerke and is sponsored by the Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science.

Free tree seedlings will also be available, provided by the Miami Middletown Botany Club under the guidance of Dr. Carolyn Keiffer. There are 100 trees available, with some almost 5 feet tall! There are four varieties:

• Kousa Dogwood 
• Bur Oak 
• White Pine 
• Thornless Honey Locust 

Please come by to learn about the minerals, rocks, and fossils, to get a beautiful tree for your yard, and to peruse a display of library materials related to geology and earth science.

Here's what we said: library goals for 2014

After posting the survey results, my staff reminded me that I should post the library goals that we came up with in December 2013 for our 2014 calendar year.  It is perhaps no surprise that some of the needs we identified overlap so closely with the most common areas for improvement from the survey.  Here is what we're working on this year:

2014 Goals

• Study rooms/offices/closed storage
• Digital media lab/makerspace
• Door repairs
• Artist/mural
• Regular library programming/new workshops

Thanks again for your interest in the library and our shared commitment to meet the needs of the campus!

That's What They Said: One-Minute Survey Results

Here is a short summary of results from the the Library's One-Minute Survey.  The survey was available on the web and in print from February 4 through March 10, 2014.  It simply asked respondents to self-identify by their connection to the University, and to offer one way that they would improve the library.  83 individuals responded to the survey.  38 (46%) were students, 27 (33%) were faculty members, 11 (13%) were staff members, 4 (5%) were community borrowers, and the final 3 (4%) identified themselves as "Miami Alumni" in the "other" blank.

Respondents offered many thoughtful comments and suggestions on library services and the library building itself .  The most popular categories for comments were the following, including samples from each:

• Thanking the library staff (16, or 19% of respondents)

• "I would not change a thing; this library is very efficient and full of resources." (Student)
•  "Fill it with people: students, faculty, community. You are already doing a great job at getting this to happen." (Faculty)

• More study rooms (15, or 18% of respondents)

• "Private and silent reading rooms where power outlets are provided for students to connect their computers." (Student)
• "More quiet study rooms or table space to look at the books you select before checking them out." (Staff)
• "Add more classrooms and study rooms." (Faculty)

• Technology additions (13, or 16% of respondents)

• "Capability to quickly create student online access to media content in various formats (e.g., VHS, DVD, CD, Audio Cassette, 35MM, etc) that would be easily accessible from off campus computers with either Windows or Mac operating systems." (Faculty)
• "A Go-Pro video camera." (Student) 
• "One suggestion is to have hot spots for check out for faculty and staff traveling etc." (Staff/Faculty) 

• Library building issues (9, or 11% of respondents)

• "If I could make one improvement, it would honestly be the front doors. They are old, hard to push, and loud." (Student)
•  "More modern architecture and furniture.  Update as much as possible." (Student)
• "Bigger elevator." (Community borrower) 

• Changes to to improve the library's environment (9, or 11% of respondents)

• "The building would be as calm as possible with little clutter and noise. There would be a sense of privacy and comfort within the walls." (Student)
•  "Fishtanks, terrariums, etc. . . . They could provide interesting "distractions" or "attractions" to students, faculty, etc.  They could also be opportunities for academic engagement." (Faculty)
•  "Sometimes other students are not quiet and it's distracting." (Student)

• Changes to library furniture (9, or 11% of respondents)

• "More secluded areas to study that have comfortable couches and comfortable chairs (the blue ones)." (Student)
•  "Modernize the bookshelves so it does not look so dated." (Student)
•  "Large and solid desks have been replaced by cheaper units with wheels." (Student)

As you can see, respondents had many interesting suggestions for improving the library, and we haven't even mentioned the "covered walkway between buildings" or the "free coffee and pizza."  While those are unlikely additions, we are considering other suggestions, such as checking out magazines, creating "a doodle wall to simulate creativity," and adding locally made art work, in addition to the requests in the most common categories above.

We were heartened to see that we've already met some of the requests, but realize that we need to market these services better: "a small section of children's books" is already available in our Juvenile section, and we just added a number of award-winning 2013 books to that collection, and the above suggestion to give students online access to media content is already in place in our Video on Demand service (though it can be improved).  We also encourage those who wished us to add more books or DVDs to the collection to just let us know the titles you would like, and we'll add them.

One other item bears mentioning here:  five respondents (6%) asked that the library add weekend hours.  Based on our experience in offering those hours for many years with declining visits, and the handful of requests we've received about it during this academic year, we are unlikely to add weekend hours without a clearer mandate.  Instead, our energies will go toward making other improvements and additions to our service.

Thank you for taking the time to participate in the survey!

Library materials added in March

To bring you up to date on what has recently been added to the collection, a new materials list is now available that reflects additions during March. We added 91 books, DVDs, and other items during that time, thanks to your selections and suggestions. The list is sorted by call number, with items grouped roughly by subject area.  

This tag will show you all of the prior lists of new materials, in reverse chronological order.

It is a pretty eclectic and interesting list, as always, but there's something missing from it.  What's missing?  The book or DVD or whatnot that you or our students need!  Is something missing from our collection that you or others might use?

If you have a suggestion of something to order for the 2013/14 fiscal year, please use our online request form, email Jennifer Hicks or one of our other staff members, or drop by the library with your request.  We would like to close out our request period on Friday, April 11.

We are working to spend our acquisitions budget for the year, and we need your requests to make that happen.  We have added 729 items so far this year, and we have the budget to add a few more. What do you need?  Let us know.

Thanks again for keeping our collection vibrant and your information needs met!

Library materials added in February

To bring you up to date on what has recently been added to the collection, a new materials list is now available that reflects additions during February. We added 101 books, DVDs, and other items during that time, thanks to your selections and suggestions. The list is sorted by call number, with items grouped roughly by subject area.  

This tag will show you all of the prior lists of new materials.  

Is something missing from this list?  Or missing from our collection?

If you have a suggestion of something to order for the 2013/14 fiscal year, please use our online request form, email Jennifer Hicks or one of our other staff members, or drop by the library with your request at any time.  We are working to spend our acquisitions budget for the year, and we need your requests to make that happen.  What do you need?  Let us know.

Thanks again for keeping our collection vibrant and your information needs met!

How do I find out if the Library has the textbook I need?

Good question!  Finding a textbook can be simple or involved.  This is the process.  

Best case scenario:  the Gardner-Harvey Library has a copy of the textbook you want on Reserve for your course.  The Gardner-Harvey Library buys textbooks for about 30 Miami Plan courses.  In other words, we have many, but not all textbooks.  (Still the library is not the bookstore.  Just because the bookstore is selling or renting the 2014 print or electronic edition, it does not mean the library will have it too.)

At the Gardner-Harvey Library, all Textbooks on Reserve are listed by Course Number and Title so you can easily check.  In these cases, you may usually borrow the item for 2 hours.  You can keep it longer if you check the item out 2 hours before closing.  Then you may have it overnight and return it by 9 a.m. the next day the library is open.

If the textbook is not on reserve, search Books & More (the Miami University Libraries online catalog) to see whether any Miami library owns the title.  Search by Title or Author/Editor.  Sometimes the exact title and edition you want is in the collection!  Then you only need to find it in the stacks or click the Request Item button and enter your Miami ID and Password and Pickup location so that it can be shipped free by van to the nearest library.  You will receive a Miami email notification when it is ready for pickup.  Sometimes the library owns an older edition of the title and it is available.  If you are satisfied with this version, just request it as above.

If the textbook is unavailable at Miami University Libraries, then click the OhioLINK link displayed in your search results or go directly to the OhioLINK Library Catalog.  This allows you to check whether any of the 90 academic libraries in OhioLINK have a copy they are able to lend for several weeks with options to renew.  However, it is unlikely you will be able to keep the textbook for the entire semester.

 

To request an OhioLINK textbook, click the green Request button, Miami, and enter your Miami ID, Password, and Pickup location so the available item can be shipped in 3-5 days.  Sometimes you will find the exact edition you want; at other times you will only see older editions.  It is your decision.  If you see Due Date, Local Use Only, or Missing, the item is not available.  You may choose to pursue another option. 

Other options include:
Finding an eBook of the title, in one of Miami's databases or electronic collections
Checking to see whether a local public library might have the title you want
Going to the bookstore to buy or rent a copy
Buying the textbook online

Library materials added in December and January

To bring you up to date on what has recently been added to the collection, a new materials list is now available that reflects additions during December and January. We added 172 books, DVDs, and other items during that time, thanks to your selections and suggestions. The list is sorted by call number, with items grouped roughly by subject area.  

This tag will show you all of the prior lists of new materials.  

Is something missing from this list?  Or missing from our collection?

If you have a suggestion of something to order for the 2013/14 fiscal year, please use our online request form, email Jennifer Hicks or one of our other staff members, or drop by the library with your request at any time.  We are working to spend our acquisitions budget for the year, and we need your requests to make that happen.  What do you need?  Let us know.

Thanks again for keeping our collection vibrant and your information needs met!

The Loving Story: Freedom and Equality in America

A couple marries.  It seems an ordinary event, one to celebrate. But in this instance it was fraught with fear.  It led to their arrest.  It unfolded in legal battles, all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.  Virginia in 1958 was a very different place than it is today.  State law banned the marriage between persons of different races.   Mildred and Richard Loving's story is powerful and personal.  Preview this clip from The Loving Story.

Please join us for a screening and discussion of this 2011 documentary, facilitated by Dr. Brian Domino., on Thursday February 13, 2014 in CCC 142 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM.  It promises to be a memorable evening with you there.  Free and open to the public.

Created Equal: American's Civil Rights Struggle is part of the Bridging Cultures initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities, produced in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.  This is the first of four 2014 Created Equal programs to be held in Middletown, hosted by the Gardner-Harvey Library.

Documentaries & Discussions

The Gardner-Harvey Library has been awarded a grant in the last year by the National Endowment of the Humanities and The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.  The Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle grant (http://createdequal.neh.gov/ ) will make possible four public screenings and discussions of documentaries, facilitated by a Miami scholar. 

Dr. Brian Domino will launch the series with The Loving Story which explores the legislative ban of interracial marriage until one couple’s story reached the U.S. Supreme Court, on Thursday 2/13/14 from 6-7:30 PM, CCC 142. 

Then Dr. Caryn Neumann will facilitate Freedom Riders, the second documentary which explores the story of volunteers who challenged interracial segregation practices on interstate travel in 1961 by sitting where they pleased on buses traveling to the Deep South, on Thursday 4/3/14, from 7-9 PM, CCC 142. 

Please join us for these and additional programs in 2014, sponsored by the Gardner-Harvey Library.  If you would like to screen all 4 documentaries in abbreviated form, please watch these clips, with total running time of 43 minutes:  http://createdequal.neh.gov/community/excerpt-reel

Free Journal Articles?

The ways of publishing affect your searching.  All you want is to find a complete (full-text) article.  Your go-to search strategy is Google, the search engine...

Problem:  But wait one minute; that approach won't work.  Why??  Publishers are in business to make money; they are providing a service but not for FREE.  The academic journals with full-text articles that you need for your research project are only available for a price and are sold to academic libraries who are willing to pay big money for access.  Miami University Libraries negotiates electronic journal and eBook deals with publishers like Elsevier, Oxford, Sage, Wiley .  OhioLINK at the state level negotiates deals with publishers.  These prices go up yearly while library budgets flatten or decrease so maintaining access is a big deal.  Actual journal titles you may access change with changing rights and deals.

But wait, what about open access where everyone has free access to everything.  Not a reality, yet.  Yes, the publishing world is in transition and more content is available online free at various sites and using Google Scholar.   But NOT everything.  And often Google Scholar links back to Miami University Libraries' holdings for full-text access!

Solution:  To get the complete journal article, go to The Gardner-Harvey Library website.  Search one ore more library databases in Databases A-Z or use Articles & More (EBSCO Discovery Service), funded by Miami Libraries, to make access available to you.

Once you locate the journal articles you need, click the HTML or PDF full-text link which takes you magically to the complete article in that database or in another one via a "link resolver."  All you do is enter your Miami ID and Password, when prompted, in order to search the library database and get the full-text article. Yes, these electronic resources are password-protected when you are off-campus, because these electronic resources are not free, as you now know.  Google is no help at all here, sad but true.

Add an embedded librarian to Niihka for Winter Term or Spring Semester

Would you like, in one of more of your classes, to participate in the Embedded Librarian service in Niihka in Winter Term or Spring Semester 2014?  Whether you are teaching face to face, hybrid, or online courses, you may collaborate with a learning management system (LMS) embedded librarian:

•          To strengthen your students’ online research skills
•          To enlarge their understanding of the resources and services available through Miami University Libraries
•          To provide learning objects like screencasts or planning and citation tools to aid students at various stages of the research process

As you know, students feel overwhelmed with research which entails so many starting points and long lists of results.  They struggle getting started as well as knowing how to navigate a complex university library system.  As one economics student working on a group project admitted:

"This assignment was very difficult for us as a group. I had a hard time finding state specific research so for the first time I utilized the online librarian through Niihka. What a great service. The librarian helped to find me more specific and updated information, as I had found some data but felt it wasn’t recent enough to use. "

Students appreciate working with an accessible librarian who “gets” the assignment and research landscape, offers help in framing a research question as well as suggesting databases and search terms. After an email exchange, one relieved family studies and social work student shared:

“This is beyond excellent! I thank you so much for your help.”

The Gardner-Harvey embedded librarians were embedded in 42 course sections in Fall Semester 2013, collaborating with 22 instructors, reaching 1,000 students.  To see what embedded librarianship looks like, visit http://tinyurl.com/embeddedsandwich to watch brief video introductions by the librarians and view sample pages of resources placed in Niihka courses.

These partnerships also lead to:

•          information literacy sessions in the classroom
•          individual research consultations
•         creating customized learning objects for the class
•          keeping current with the libraries’ latest databases, acquisitions, and discovery service

To get started with an embedded librarian in 2014, please reply to this email with the following information:

•          Name
•          Course Section(s)
•          Research Assignment Described/Attached
•         Concepts/Skills to Teach:  (See suggestions from the Information Literacy Menu)
•         Time:  Startup Only, Research Period, Full Semester

Your embedded librarian will be in touch to talk with you about creating requested content and interacting with your students.

John Burke burkejj@miamioh.edu

Jessie Long longjh@miamioh.edu

Beth Tumbleson tumbleb@miamioh.edu

Coffee is coming! (and tea and cocoa)

The Library will offer free coffee, tea, and hot cocoa all during finals week, starting on Monday, December 9th.  It will be set up in our entrance area from roughly 8:00am to 9:00pm, Monday through Thursday, and from 8:00am to 5:00pm on Friday.  Please drop on by and enjoy a cup!  

It's our way of making your last minute studying and paper/project preparation a bit more relaxing.  Thanks for being a part of our library community!

Library materials added in November

To bring you up to date on what has recently been added to the collection, a new materials list is now available that reflects additions during November. We added 46 books, DVDs, and other items during that time, thanks to your selections and suggestions. The list is sorted by call number, with items grouped roughly by subject area.  

This tag will show you all of the prior lists of new materials.  

Is something missing from this list?  Or missing from our collection?

If you have a suggestion of something to order for the 2013/14 fiscal year, please use our online request form, email Jennifer Hicks or one of our other staff members, or drop by the library with your request at any time.  We are working to spend our acquisitions budget for the year, and we need your requests to make that happen.  What do you need?  Let us know.

Thanks again for keeping our collection vibrant and your information needs met!

What, exactly, does Articles & More search?

We've been answering this question for people, even before they ask it, in a pretty vague way for a while.  We'll say that Articles & More searches "most of our databases" or"65-70 databases."  This has been particularly true in library instruction sessions, but it also comes up in some form at the InfoDesk or out among the computers.  Now it's time to get more specific.

Articles & More (which is also known as OneSearch once you run a search in it, and is actually a product called Ebsco Discovery Service, or EDS) searches 92 different databases or catalogs - all of our Ebsco databases (here's a sampling of them) and the OhioLINK Central Catalog, which includes books, ebooks, DVDs, and more owned by the 91 member institutions of OhioLINK.

We have around 200 databases available to use, and it's valuable to remember that while Articles & More picks up much of the literature on a given topic, there are other databases to check.  We would tend to recommend the Electronic Journal Center (EJC) and Web of Science for exclusively scholarly materials, and Lexis-Nexis for more full-text news sources and legal sources.

Be sure to watch our tutorial on searching Articles & More, or contact our staff for more assistance.

Library closes at 5pm on Wednesday

. . . and we will not reopen until 8am on Monday morning, December 2.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

iPads, Muslim Journeys, and Civil Rights programs!

Be sure to read this wonderful overview of our technology and cultural programming grants in the Miami Regionals Alumni E-News.

Library materials added in September and October

To bring you up to date on what has recently been added to the collection, a new materials list is now available that reflects additions during September and October. We added 149 books, DVDs, and other items during that time, thanks to your selections and suggestions. The list is sorted by call number, with items grouped roughly by subject area.  

This tag will show you all of the prior lists of new materials.  

Have a suggestion of something to order for the 2013/14 fiscal year? Use our online request form, email Jennifer Hicks or one of our other staff members, or drop by the library with your request at any time.  We are starting to spend our acquisitions budget for the year, and we need your requests to make that happen.  What do you need?  Let us know.

Thanks again for keeping our collection vibrant and your information needs met!

Who can help me with research?

So you thought you knew how the library worked...
Library Myth #8

The Gardner-Harvey Library Website is open 24/7.  Whether you are on-campus or off-campus, you can find immediate research help via online, interactive Subject Guides created by Miami librarians.

 Here is a shortlist of subject guides to help you get started with your research.  Library databases, resources, and services are linked under appropriate tabs.   For example, see:  Integrative Studies, Criminal Justice, Health Information Technology, Nursing, E-Learning, APA Citation Style Guide, MLA Citation Style Guide

Another way to find help on the website is to watch Tutorials that demonstrate online searching, explain research concepts, etc.

You can also:

• Call GHL@  513-727-3222 when the Library is open.
• Text GHL @ 513-273-5360 when the library is open.
•  IM askghl when the library is open.
•  email GHL anytime and receive a reply when the library is open.
•  Schedule a Research Consultation  and meet with a librarian within 24 hours.
•  Drop by the InfoDesk and ask your question in person during business hours. 

The GHL library staff is ready to assist you with your research, just talk with us.

Is there a way to simplify library research? It seems so confusing.

So you thought you knew how the library worked...

Library Myth #7

     Well, research is exploration and that takes time.  But the usual Google search delivers too  much information, sometimes off-topic and often with the hassle of having to look for the complete article but without paying for it!  That's when Miami Universities Libraries shine because the library has a cool search tool and provides access to the full-text at no charge!

Here's where you want to start your research:  Articles & More.  This is EBSCO's discovery service that leads to Miami University Libraries' articles, books, and media all in one search and one results list.  For a refresher on using this discovery service, also called OneSearch, watch this 4 minute tutorial. 

When you want to checkout the research landscape, do a little pre-searching using Articles & More.  Yes, you will find articles from journals, newspapers, magazines, books, eBooks, DVDs, and government documents in a single results list.  Apply limiters like date, subject, scholarly, etc. and use the cite and email tools.   The best news is that most of these library materials are available in Miami University Libraries’ collection!  Just click the gold Find It! button to locate the complete article if the HTML or PDF is not already linked in that database.  

Talk with a librarian if you have more questions getting started with research.

Government Shutdown Research Work-around

If you rely on federal government data and information, you may find you cannot access some agencies' websites due to the partial federal government shutdown, which began on October 1, 2013.    In some instances you will find splash pages that indicate websites are temporarily unavailable or are not being updated. Here's a short list:  American Factfinder, Data.gov, Library of Congress, United States Census Bureau, United States Department of Education, ERIC.ed.gov, National Center for Education Statistics, United States Geological Survey (USGS), The National Map, The National Park Service, etc.

Recommended Strategy:  Begin research @ The Gardner-Harvey Library Website to find online full-text articles and eBooks as well as digital media.  Begin online research at Articles & More which searches all these source types via the EBSCO discovery service called OneSearch.  Or search a specific subject database, listed in Databases A-Z.

I've got time between classes; does the library have somewhere I can work?

So you thought you knew how the library worked...
Library Myth #6

So glad you chose to visit the library!  Yes, the library offers various study spaces, depending on what you want.  If you have online research to do, a paper to write, a presentation to create, or downtime to catch up with Facebook friends, then work at a new Dell desktop computer.  If you prefer a comfortable chair for online work, check out an iPad or laptop instead at the Info Desk.

 

If this is not the time for electronic distractions, seek out quiet study space along the library walls/perimeter. 

If you are looking for a spot to do group work and need a whiteboard, you have options.  Group study space is available downstairs in the Group Area, complete with vending machines.  There are also several collaboration stations with whiteboards around the library’s main floor.  If your group needs to watch a DVD together or practice a presentation, then reserving a STAR Lounge could be your ideal space.  Each STAR Lounge is equipped with a large monitor, computer, and cable. You could work there solo to record an interview or foreign language assignment too.   

So drop by the library when you are looking for space to get your coursework done, relax, or just read.  And yes, food and drink are allowed in the library.

So when is the Gardner-Harvey Library open, anyway?

So you thought you knew how the library worked...
Library Myth #5

Come to the Gardner-Harvey Library for computers & Internet,working on group projects, study space, printing, and the like.  We are here for you: Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays 8 a.m to 5 p.m.

At all other times, visit us online!   "The virtual library" is open 24/7 via the Gardner-Harvey Library Website or the Libraries tab in Niihka.

Miami University Libraries subscribe to many research databases, eBook collections, digital media collections, and search tools to make finding information easier.  We offer you point of need help via short Tutorials on research strategies and using search tools and Subject Guides to get you started, found on our Library Website. 

 When you are off-campus, go to to the Gardner-Harvey Library Website , click on an electronic resource, and enter your Miami Unique ID and Password when prompted. Then you will have immediate access to search these electronic journals, books, and media.  When you need books and media start at Books and More.  When you need journal and newspaper articles start at Articles and More.

Can I keep OhioLINK stuff like textbooks for the whole semester?

So you thought you knew how the library worked...
Library Myth #4

Unfortunately OhioLINK loans don’t last a semester.  Loan period varies depending upon the library policy in effect.  The length of the loan depends upon (1) the borrower’s status:  undergraduate, graduate student or faculty/staff, (2) the item type such as print or media (DVDs, etc.), (3) holds by users of the library that owns the item have priority over others.  

      The loan period for OhioLINK media items is always 1 week. The loan period for OhioLINK books:

• 3 weeks for undergraduate and graduate students 
• 6 weeks for faculty/staff

The good news is that renewals are often possible, if there are no other holds.  The best time to request a renewal of an OhioLINK item is during the 7 days before the item is due.  If someone else has requested that item, the renewal request will be denied and the item must be returned. OhioLINK books may be renewed up to six times. OhioLINK media items may not be renewed.

      Please know there are overdue fines for OhioLINK items. Overdue charges on OhioLINK items is $0.50 per day to a maximum of $15.00, plus an additional late fee of $35.00 added to all items which are returned more than 30 days late.  Replacement cost for OhioLINK items is $100.00 (minimum) per item, plus a $15.00 processing fee.  To keep track of what you have checked out and when each item is due use  MyLibraryAccount    

Library screencasts - watch and learn quickly!

If you're looking for quick guidance on how to find library resources or how to understand research concepts, you might want to look at our collection of library screencasts:  http://www.mid.miamioh.edu/library/tutorials.htm.  

Beth, Jessie, and I have either built or collected these screencasts, which range from 2-9 minutes.  They are an easy way to get answers to common research questions.

Recent additions to the list include:

• Finding Books & Media
• One Search & More (just recently changed to "Articles & More" on our library sites)
• How to Access Your M: drive (AKA Your NetDisk)
• Let computers do the searching for you by creating search alerts in EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, and Google
• Evaluating Web Sites Using the CRAAP Test

Do you wish you had a screencast on a topic not represented on our page?  Let us know and we'll put one together.

Do I go to OhioLINK for everything I can't find at the Gardner-Harvey Library?

So you thought you knew how the library worked...
Library Myth #3

·         The reality is that you can request items from the Hamilton and Oxford campus Miami University Libraries by clicking "Request Item" if it is in our library system but not at the Gardner-Harvey Library.  Inter-campus requests usually take 1 business day.  You are emailed when the item is ready for pickup.   

• If Miami Libraries do not have an available copy, your next step is to click OhioLINK and search for the item you want by author or title.  Then click the green button: Request, Miami U, enter your Miami ID and Password and pickup location when prompted.  The item is then shipped from the OhioLINK academic library that owns the item to Miami, usually in 3-5 business days.  You are emailed when it has arrived and is ready for pickup.

•    Finally the Gardner-Harvey Library staff will fill Inter-library loan (ILL) requests, if the item is neither available at Miami nor through OhioLINK.  You simply complete the online ILL form and submit the request.  Once it arrives, you are emailed.

• By the way, all these services are free!  Ohio students, staff,and faculty work in a state that shares resources among library consortia members.  This simplifies the learning, teaching, and research process for you.

Does it matter when I return this to the Gardner-Harvey Library?

So you thought you knew how the library worked...
Library Myth #2

 Well, yes, it does matter to the hundreds of other students on the Miami Middletown campus, taking courses just like you and sharing the same library resources.   Some items like iPads, laptops, digital cameras, and textbooks on reserve are in high demand, thus the short loan period.  

      When library items are not returned on time, you will receive overdue emails via your Miami gmail account and are eventually fined overdue charges.  If you ignore the multiple Miami Libraries’ overdue reminders, you will be charged a replacement fee, which can be expensive depending on the item you have borrowed.  You may even lose technology borrowing privileges for multiple late returns of equipment.  

      Why is this happening to me?  Libraries look out for the interests of everybody!

  

       How can I prevent this problem?  You can always check when your library items are due by logging into My Library Account where you can renew certain library items online.  You may also call the Info Desk at 513-727-3222 or drop in to review due dates and possible renewals.

Library materials added in August

To bring you up to date on what has recently been added to the collection, a new materials list is now available that reflects additions during August. We added 79 books during that time, thanks to your selections and suggestions. The list is sorted by call number, with items grouped roughly by subject area.  

This tag will show you all of the prior lists of new materials.  

Have a suggestion of something to order for the 2013/14 fiscal year? Use our online request form, email Jennifer Hicks or one of our other staff members, or drop by the library with your request at any time.  We are ready to plunge into our acquisitions budget for the year, and we need your requests to make that happen.  What do you need?  Let us know.

Thanks again for keeping our collection vibrant and your information needs met!

What is the library up to this Fall?

Check out our Fall Newsletter

Curious about what will be happening this Fall at the Gardner-Harvey Library? Check out our newsletter here. You can learn about alternatives to the traditional textbook and read about how to take part in The Big Read for The Things They Carried. Interested in a training session for our new iPads, let us know. And, don't forget to turn to the library website for new databases and all your old favorite information sources.

Fall is in the air!  Let us know how we can be of help.

The Gardner-Harvey Library rents stuff, right?

So you thought you knew how the library worked...  Library Myth #1

1  The Gardner-Harvey Library (GHL) rents stuff, like the campus bookstore?

• No need to put cash on the counter!  Actually your tuition covers library costs so you have borrowing privileges without paying for print and physical materials like books, textbooks on reserve, journal articles, and DVDs in the library collection.
• Your Miami ID is your library card!  
• When you are off-campus, your Miami Unique ID and Password enable you to logon, search Miami's databases and eBook collections, and read or view the ones you like.

      More  Myths in Coming Weeks