See your message in 'lites'

Do you have an event you want to advertise or a message you wish to share with others? Why not share your message on a giant Lite Brite? Over the summer term the library built the large 3 ft by 4 ft Lite Brite that now sits in front of the Info Desk. Since its placement there we have shared a variety of different messages including information about our textbooks on reserve, joining a reading group and a pirate message on Talk like a Pirate Day. We now invite you to create your own Lite Brite message design.

Please email your design to Jessie Long, longjh@muohio.edu. For best results aim for a message of five words or less.

SearchOhio: Even more books and DVDs!

You may have noticed the icon above in the OhioLINK Central Catalog when your searches carry you there.  SearchOhio is a group of 19 Ohio public libraries that have added the ability to borrow their collections to OhioLINK members (2 of those libraries are already part of OhioLINK).  That means that Miami library patrons can search these libraries collections and order materials from them just as you do with other OhioLINK libraries.

When you run a search in OhioLINK's catalog (or pass into the OhioLINK catalog by clicking on OhioLINK from a search in the MU catalog), you'll see the SearchOhio logo.  Click on that logo to run your search or look for the specific item you are viewing in SearchOhio.  Then request it.  We hope you will find this a useful addition of materials.

There's a library resource for that!

As part of our ongoing mission to get you to the information you need, the Gardner-Harvey Library staff is constantly adding new databases, books, DVDs, and other resources. 

In all the rush of preparing for International Talk Like a Pirate Day on Monday (September 19^th this year and every year), you may find yourself saying, “Wait a minute, how will I be able to learn to talk like a pirate in time?”  No worries, matey!

A new database is available to quickly teach you to talk like a pirate (or help you learn Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Mandarin Chinese, Greek, Italian, Russian and more).  It’s Mango Languages, and it’s available at http://www.lib.muohio.edu/indexes/redirect/835  Just click Start Learning, and you’ll be “Arrrrrr”-ing with the best of them before you know it.

We hope this information might be helpful to you.  If you still need a little practice on Monday, come on over to the library and say “Ahoy!”

New materials we added over the summer

The May through August new materials list is now available. We added 386 books, DVDs, and other items over those months, thanks to the impressive efforts of our faculty and staff selectors and the library staff. The list is sorted by call number, with items grouped roughly by subject area.

This list catches us up with the final additions that gave us 1312 new items in the collection during 2010-2011, and adds a few more items that came in during July and August.  We're ready to start adding items to the collection for 2011-2012 and meet the information needs of students, faculty, staff, and community borrowers.

Have a suggestion of something to order? Use our online request form, email one of our staff members or drop by the library with your request.

Thanks again for keeping our collection vibrant and people's  information needs met!

John

Citation Help

Need help citing sources for your papers and have no clue where to begin? The library can help. MLA or APA, we have the guides and tools to help you out. Check out our new Libguides for help creating bibliographies and in-text citations in MLA or APA style. For more help, you can also check out our updated Citing Sources page for help finding which online Citation Tool, such as EasyBib or BibMe, works best.

All this citation help makes our Citing Sources page the Resource of the Week.

The Fall Library Newsletter is here!

See what's happening this fall at the Gardner-Harvey Library by viewing our newsletter here.  Then come into the library to view the library's new mural, check out the largest Lite Brite in Butler County, and use our many comfortable study areas and helpful services.  Also, turn to the library website for new databases and all your old favorite information sources.  

Fall is here!  Let us know how we can be of help.

Middletown's African American History on Display

The library is hosting an exhibit provided by the Middletown African American Heritage and Cultural Center in our Group Study Area (on the lower floor of the library).

The exhibit profiles 17 individuals from Middletown's African American community and recounts their contributions.  There is also a timeline that displays events from the African American experience in Middletown, the United States, and the world from 1400-2010.

The exhibit was funded by a grant from the Middletown Community Foundation and is presented in cooperation with the Middletown Historical Society.  Sam Ashworth designed the exhibit.

OhioLINK Central Catalog Downtime

The OhioLINK Central Catalog will go down today at 12:15pm to migrate to a new server.  The process should take 6-8 hours.  In that time period, you will still be able to search the MU catalog and request books from other MU campuses, but OhioLINK searching will be unavailable.  Thank you for your patience with the upgrade.

How was the library used in 2010-2011?

With the fiscal year just ending, here are the full annual stats for several of the Gardner-Harvey Library's (GHL) services. I hope you will find them useful to see how people use the library. How do you compare to the average GHL user?

These stats reflect what's happened this year, running from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. Some stats we keep locally, others we pull from university-wide or OhioLINK-wide systems, and some are provided by database vendors. 

Both a Borrower and a Lender Be
- GHL patrons checked out 5,045 books, DVDs, and videos from us (2,335 from our local collection, 1,756 ordered from other MU libraries, and 954 items ordered from OhioLINK - that means that well more than half of the items used by campus patrons came from libraries beyond GHL).  That is a 3.9% increase over 2009-2010.  We also received 68 articles, books, and audiovisual items from libraries worldwide.

- The GHL collection registered 5,986 checkouts (that's the 2,335 items checked out by Middletown patrons above, plus 2,037 items sent to OhioLINK users, and 1,614 sent to other MU libraries - that means that more than 60% of the uses of our materials came from libraries beyond GHL).  That is a 3.9% increase over 2009-2010.  We also sent 270 articles, books, and audiovisual items to libraries worldwide.

- GHL patrons checked out 4,168 reserve items from us (this includes faculty-placed course reserves, textbooks on reserve, laptops, Wii games, and other equipment).  That is an 8.2% increase over 2009-2010.

- In addition to the printed or physical materials above, Middletown patrons have downloaded 10,026 e-books from the OhioLINK E-Book Center.  That is a 45.4% increase over 2009-2010.

- In terms of building up our collection, Middletown faculty and staff ordered 1,312 items to add to our collection this year.  That is a 22.3% decrease from 2009-2010, due to our mid-year budget reduction.


- We registered a total of 10,154 checkouts of items in our collection (reserves and circulating materials).  The circulating items at GHL number 41,308, so each item in the collection circulated 0.24 times this year.

The Quest for Information
- Middletown patrons have performed 51,435 searches in databases provided to us by Ebsco and those hosted by OhioLINK. That is a 2.9% decrease from 2009-2010 (possibly due to more library users searching from off-campus, which are not tallied in our campus-specific statistics).  36% of our Ebsco database searches are done in Academic Search Complete (ASC), which is lower than the statewide average of 50% of Ebsco searches occurring in ASC among OhioLINK institutions.  79% of our searches in other OhioLINK databases happen in PsycINFO.


- Middletown patrons downloaded 24,365 full-text articles from the Electronic Journal Center. That is a 19.8% increase over 2009-2010.  This is in addition to full-text articles found right within Ebsco or other databases.

- As part of getting to these databases, 51 people visit our web site every day. That's a total of 18,645 visits for the year, by 5,061 unique individuals.  Visits and visitors are down about 6% from 2009-2010.

A Place for Work, Study, and Remove from the World
- GHL is open 65 hours per week.

- We average 286 visitors per day, for a total of 82,958 visits this year.  This reflects a 10% increase over 2009-2010.

- We regularly schedule the library learning lab (GRD 111) for occasional class sessions. We also had 13 classes meet there weekly during fall semester and 9 met there during this spring. With some breaks in the early parts of the fall and spring semesters, we have been scheduling COMPASS placement testing sessions in the lab on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays for incoming Middletown students since March 2009.

- Our two STAR Lounges have been checked out 239 times this year. STAR Lounge 2 was also used for several weeks in the last half of the semester by two classes for their class meetings in both the fall and spring semesters.

Helping You Find What You Need
- Inside and outside of the library, we gave library instruction presentations in 82 classes this year, reaching 1854 students (an increase of 36% over 2009-2010).  The courses represented were from 17 different departments.

- Our Blackboard Embedded Librarian program reached students in 60 course sections during the academic year (that is a 39% increase over 2009-2010). We reached over 1250 students through the program and helped them with their information needs.


What don't we know about how the library is used?

- One key part missing from these figures is off-campus use of library resources: all off-campus use is tallied as MU-wide use, so we do not know how many Middletown patrons are using databases from home.

 - We don't have stats for all database searches - we're missing uses of Lexis-Nexis and other databases.

 - We did run a survey this year to gather suggestions from the campus population at large on what we can do to improve the library.  We hope you'll continue to let us know what you think about the library, what you need from us, and what materials we should order for the collection.

On Average
Taking these numbers and guesstimating a total Middletown community of 2500 students, faculty and staff members (and including community patrons), here's what can be said about the average person on campus. She:

- visits the library nearly every nine days.
- checks four items out from the library in a year (reserves and local/MU/OhioLINK collection items)
- performs 20 database searches per year.
- accesses the library web site seven times per year.
- views four e-books each year.
- participates in a library instruction session just less than once per year (if she is a student).

Thanks to everyone for making the library and its resources a vital part of your academic lives!

Embedded Librarians Want To Collaborate with You in Fall 2011!

The on-going Embedded Librarian Program is entering its 6th semester. It is an online solution to improving students’ research assignment outcomes. Last spring 2011, 15 instructors teaching 32 sections to more than 630 students in 100 to 400 level courses in ATH, BIS, CHM, CSE, ENG, HST, MUS, NSG, and PSY collaborated with an embedded librarian.

Would you like the Gardner-Harvey Library to deliver information literacy resources and skills to your Niihka course(s) to strengthen your students’ course-related research efforts?

Email Beth Tumbleson (tumbleb@muohio.edu) if interested. Preferably before August 8, 2011!

Name:

Course(s):

Description of Research Assignment(s):

This starts a conversation that leads to your embedded librarian designing customized content within your Niihka courses to the extent you designate:

· with a start-up research guide

· assistance during the research project period

· research service throughout the semester

We are prepared to:

· explain the research process in plain English

· identify tools to simplify tasks such as managing time, narrowing topics, identifying search terms, citing sources

· suggest a few relevant research databases from among the hundreds Miami University Libraries offers

· save you time. How? As publishers continue to upgrade their electronic resources’ content and interfaces, librarians stay current by attending webinars and reading the professional literature. Then you may focus on developments in your discipline.

Whether you teach online, hybrid, or traditional courses – lower or upper division courses, consider requesting the embedded librarian service for your students this Fall 2011.

Embedded librarians are already building content in Niihka, creating screencasts, and building subject specific LibGuides for the LMS.

GHL Closing at 6pm

The library will change its evening closing hour (Monday through Thursday) to 6:00pm. We will continue to open at 8:00am from Monday through Friday, and to close at 5:00pm on Friday.

The new hours will start on July 5th and last through August 5th, when the library begins its Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm schedule prior to the start of classes.

Summer Pages

At Miami University Summer 2011 is a time for thinking and tinkering.

Technology is the steamroller that moves us to change, painful as it may be. Yes there is help to be had, but there is also the need to own up to the job of overhauling your Blackboard course content into the new, improved Niihka. Of course you can do this! You are bold and brave and persevering!

Then there's the thinking part. This is code for reading. Summer's pace slows and there is time to sit, read, and reflect deeply. This launches tinkering with course content as well as new conversations and commitments.

What's on your book shelf? Here are a few titles on mine.

Okay for Now. Gary D. Schmidt is an English Professor, Newberry Honor winning author, and observer of the human condition, especially in classroom settings. In this 2011 novel, 8th grader Doug is dealing with cruel forces and creative, caring individuals. Why did you become an educator? Read and remember the transformative pain. Yes YA literature matters. Schmidt mixes humor, art (James Audubon) and literature (public libraries) into small town life in upstate New York during the sixties.

Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life. Karen Armstrong is a big picture person who writes about the place world religions and spiritual practices have held in our lives throughout the centuries. Beliefs drive behavior. So how do you get close to people in your world or classroom who are so very different from yourself? Compassion.

The Heart of Higher Education a Call to Renewal: Transforming the Academy through Collegial Conversation. Parker J. Palmer & Arthur Zajonc believe in the value of experiential learning, lingering conversations, and crossing boundaries in the university. When spirituality matters to so many undergraduates, how can academics address such issues of meaning, purpose, and value within their disciplines? Academics who connect with the inner life over and above facts and information, shape lives and motivate students to stay the course and create solutions.

Citation Help

Confused on how to use parenthetical references or how to create a Works Cited page? Are you unsure what the difference is between MLA and APA styles? The library can help. Check out our new and improved Citing Sources page. With a comparison chart for finding the best citation tool to suit your needs, useful how-to guides, and links to citing sources in different databases, it is a one stop shop for all your citation needs.

Memorial Day

The library will be closed on Monday, May 30th for Memorial Day. We hope everyone has a safe holiday!

And the winner is...

Congratulations to Allison Singhoffer for winning the Gardner-Harvey Library Mural Painting Competition. Allison is a graduate of Miami University and has previous experience designing and painting murals. Keep your eyes open for her finished work this summer.

Race to Nowhere screening

Gardner-Harvey Library is sponsoring a screening of the documentary "Race to Nowhere" on Tuesday, April 26th from 4:30-6:30 PM in Johnston Hall Rm 115. Admission is free and open to faculty, staff and students, as well as members of the general public. You are also invited to stay after the film has finished to have an open discussion about the state of education today.

Short Synopsis of the film:
A concerned mother turned filmmaker aims her camera at the high-stakes, high-pressure culture that has invaded our schools and our children’s lives.

This remarkable new film shines a light on the price young people pay for this “race to nowhere.” High-stakes testing has replaced meaningful teaching and learning.

Cheating is commonplace. Stress-related
illness, depression and burnout are rampant. Many young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.

For more information about the film, please check out www.racetonowhere.com

New materials added in March and April

The March and April (through April 19) new materials list is now available. We added 222 books, DVDs, and other items over those months, thanks to the impressive efforts of our faculty and staff selectors and the library staff. The list is sorted by call number, with items grouped roughly by subject area.

We’ve added a total of 914 items to the collection in this academic year. We're still waiting on a number of items to arrive, and completing a large number of orders as well. We'll keep posting new item lists through the end of the fiscal year on our blog (this tag will show you all of the prior lists).

Have a suggestion of something to order? Use our online request form, email one of our staff members or drop by the library with your request. While our deadline for ordering this year is already past, we usually have some unspent funds available over the next month to buy a few more items right away (and failing that, we will start ordering again on July 1).

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

John

Research-a-palooza

Do you have a research paper or final project due soon? Are you confused as to where to find resources for your paper, how to narrow down your topic, or even what to write about? Stop by the library from noon - 2 pm on Tuesday, April 12th or Wednesday, April 13th and participate in our Research-a-palooza. You can get personalized help from one of our three knowledgeable librarians. Individuals and groups are welcome to stop by for help with quick questions or detailed consultations.

Unable to make it on Tuesday or Wednesday? Never fear! You can request a research consultation to meet with one of our librarians anytime from 8 am – 4:30 pm Monday through Friday. Simply fill out the request form.

United States Manual Goes Online

The United States Government Manual is an annual federal government directory filled with current office holders, descriptions of agencies, and more.

When you want to know who is currently holding office or in charge of programs of interest to you, you may now consult the online version instantly, rather than running to the print reference collection @ your library.

Every citizen plays a part in our democratic society; check out this long-standing government document.

Limited Access to Some Collections

The Good News: From April 8 through August 8, 2011 Miami University's Science Library as well as the Business and Psychology Collections currently housed in King Library will move into a newly renovated facility.

Bad News: Monographs and serials in these collections will not be available for circulation during these months. Specific call numbers affected include:

King Library: BF1-1156 , and HB-HJ

Science Library: G69-GE , all Q’s, all R’s, all S’s, all T’s

Workarounds: Use eBooks, Research Databases, OhioLINK, or Local Libraries.