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

Library materials added in July

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 July (a quiet month from an acquisitions perspective). We added 29 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 still developing our acquisitions budget for the year, but we can start processing your requests now. 

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

The Gardner-Harvey Embedded Librarians Invite You

Embedded Librarian Service, 2013-2014

A student said this about the service:  “I found the link in our class page helpful, especially the APA guides and databases of nursing journals.  I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to access this terrific resource.”

One instructor said:  “…but the students who reached out were met with a quick response, direct answers and a supportive ‘go team’ tone.  invaluable!!”

As Fall 2013 draws closer, please consider collaborating with an embedded librarian to deepen student learning.  Just let us know of your interest to begin the process.

First you and your embedded librarian will discuss your research assignment(s) and priority information literacy skills you want students to develop.  After you add the embedded librarian to your Niikha courses, he/she will place course-specific content in them.

In this way, Miami University Libraries’ resources and services become readily visible and accessible to students learning to conduct scholarly research.  Students begin to expand upon the few sources they typically rely on (course readings and Google).  Your Niihka librarian might help your students by:

·         explaining how to navigate a complex university library system, including OhioLINK

·         troubleshooting technology issues like authentication when off-campus

·         minimizing frustration by explaining research jargon like Peer Review

·         guiding undergraduate researchers to discovery tools like OneSearch

·         linking discipline-specific databases, demonstrating how to apply various limiters as well as use the cite tool.

·         providing credible collections for background research

·         suggesting getting-started Websites like http://www.wordnik.com/ and topic brainstorming charts

·         locating time management tools like project calculators and citing help

·         teaching techniques to evaluate Google results

·         describing how to prevent plagiarism

Given sufficient time, your embedded librarian is also able:

·         to create custom tutorials/screencasts to demonstrate searching

·         to build a LibGuide or interactive subject guide for your course

·         to assist in redesigning research assignments to improve information literacy learning outcomes

The Gardner-Harvey librarians hope you choose to collaborate with us in 2013-2014!  We want your students to develop information fluency which aids academic achievement and is expected by employers.  Email us today:

Beth Tumbleson, tumbleb@miamioh.edu

Jessie Long, longjh@miamioh.edu

John Burke, burkejj@miamioh.edu

How was the library used in 2012-2013?

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, between July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013. 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 3,739 books, DVDs, and videos from us (1,675 from our local collection, 1,265 ordered from other MU libraries, and 799 items ordered from OhioLINK - that means that more than half of the items used by campus patrons came from libraries beyond GHL). That is a 15% decrease from 2011-2012. We also received 29 articles, books, and audiovisual items from libraries worldwide. 

- The GHL collection registered 4,506 checkouts (that's the 1,675 items checked out by Middletown patrons above, plus 1701 items sent to OhioLINK users, and 1,130 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 16% decrease from 2011-2012. We also sent 275 articles, books, and audiovisual items to libraries worldwide. 

- GHL patrons checked out 2,594 reserve items from us (this includes faculty-placed course reserves, textbooks on reserve, laptops, iPads, Wii games, and other equipment). That is an 24% decrease from 2011-2012. 

- In addition to the printed or physical materials above, Middletown patrons downloaded 3,108 e-books from the OhioLINK E-Book Center. That is a 66% decrease from 2011-2012.

- In terms of building up our collection, Middletown faculty and staff ordered 1,311 items to add to our collection this year. That is a 23% increase from 2011-2012.  That total includes 80 e-books.

- We registered a total of 7,141 checkouts of items in our collection (reserves and circulating materials). The circulating items at GHL number 24,477, so each item in the collection circulated 0.29 times this year (our total number of items is 28,894). 

- One additional item of interest on item checkouts that happen at our library is the number of items checked our to patrons of other OhioLINK libraries.  We had 226 items sent from OhioLINK libraries checked out at GHL by patrons from other OhioLINK institutions (using our Pickup Anywhere service).  We also had 41 of our items borrowed by these OhioLINK patrons in person.

The Quest for Information
- Middletown patrons downloaded 1,886 full-text articles from Ebsco databases provided to us by . This reflects a new way of measuring your search activity, mainly due to the addition of our OneSearch service in the fall of 2012.  Since that service searches multiple databases at once, our number of searches was multiplied by the number of databases.  So, we'll stick with article downloads and search sessions (2065 in 2012-2013).

- On their way to these databases, 47 people visit our web site every day. That's a total of 17,146 visits for the year, by 5,392 unique individuals. Visits and visitors are down about 7% from 2011-2012.

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

- We average 191 visitors per day, for a total of 55,459 visits this year.  This reflects a 34% decrease from 2010-2011, but we lost all of our gate counters from July through the middle of September, and then one counter was out of operation for much of the end of fall and beginning of spring (we also lost our stats entirely for 2011-2012).

- We regularly schedule the library learning lab (GRD 111) for single class sessions. We also had 12 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.  COMPASS testing ended in GRD 111 in July 2013 with the creation of a new lab in Johnston Hall.

- Our two STAR Lounges have been checked out 200 times this year. 

Helping You Find What You Need
- We logged a total of 1382 questions that we answered from our InfoDesk during the year, which averages out to nearly 5 per day.  We do not log every question,we answered, nor every time we check books out, but we try to capture all lengthy interactions with you.  39% of those questions involved technology questions, 34% focused on circulation procedures or policies, 15% were directing people to locations or resources in the library or on campus, and 12% were research-related.  73% of all questions were asked in-person at the desk, while 20% were by phone, 4% by text or instant messaging, and 3% came through email.  Below is an image of the most common words that the questions involved.

- Inside and outside of the library, we gave library instruction presentations in 87 classes this year, reaching 1599 students (a decrease of 6% from 2011-2012). The courses represented were from 17 different departments.

- Our Embedded Librarian program reached students from 67 course sections in their Niihka course sites during the academic year (that is an 8% increase over 2011-2012). We helped over 1611 students with their information needs through the program.

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 have also lost meaningful data for on-campus use from some of our OhioLINK full-text resources.

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

- 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:

- checks nearly three items out from the library in a year (reserves and local/MU/OhioLINK collection items)
- downloads about one full-text article each year.
- accesses the library web site seven times per year.
- views more than one e-book each year.
- participates in a library instruction session or an embedded librarian course 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!