Articles & Databases link missing on home page

The Articles & Databases link on the left side of the library home page is missing and it has been reported.
In the meantime, use the Articles link in the center and then click on "More article databases."

Best, Laura

EBSCO changes requirements for using search tags in command line searching

EBSCO reports:

Dear EBSCO Customer,

Please note that over the next few days, we will begin migrating toward a new command line search requirement that all search tags be entered in upper-case ONLY, from the current lower, mixed and upper-case options. Here are the details of this change:
Search Tag Changes
Effective with a software release due this week, EBSCO will treat a short list of command line search tags (when entered in lower or mixed case) as text. Only UPPER CASE instances of these tags will be treated as search tags. The tags that will undergo this change are: AN, AS, AU, BE, DE, DO, DR, GI, IN, IP, IS, LA, RN, SO.

The EBSCOhost search engine will place quotation marks around the tags listed above, whenever they are entered in lower or mixed case. Therefore, a user will see the quotes in search history and saved searches going forward.

For example: if the user enters an american tragedy, they will see "an" american tragedy in their search history.

Please note: While users must only enter these specific tags in UPPER CASE with this software release (so that they will be treated as tags and not text), we highly recommend that all users become accustomed to entering ALL command line search tags in UPPER CASE to accommodate future additions to the short list of affected tags. The current list of tags that will be changed is made up of tags that are not frequently used, to cause the least amount of impact on "super" users who are the most likely to employ command line searching.

CruzID manager web pg down tonight

The cruzID manager website (http://cruzid.ucsc.edu) will be unavailable from 10pm-midnight tonight.

Printing authentication will still work for patrons. Students will not be able to configure or change their CruzID Gold passwords. This is an urgent change from the IDM team.

-Frank Dang

New laptops/iPads/calculators/headphones checkout policy

Hi all,

In order to bring our laptop and other equipment lending policies in line with the iPad pilot we have made some changes effective this morning. All laptops, iPads, and calculators can now be checked out for 4 hours at a time. This equipment can be taken outside of the library and may be checked out overnight after 8:30pm. Headphones may also be checked out for 4 hours, but patrons may not take them outside of the library and they cannot be checked out overnight.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact me.

Nicole

Problem with public copiers - extra charges when using bypass tray

Frank Dang reports:

Public Services staff,

I wanted to alert you to an intermittent copier issue. McHenry Infocommons copiers and Cowell Room Copiers.

Sometimes when using the bypass the new copiers are double charging patrons. On Monday I tested this with the copier services staff and we were double charged. Pat True when back and tested it again with the copier technician and could not re-create the problem.

If you have a patron using the bypass tray on the new copiers in either building and they complain of double charging please notify ps_copiers@ucsc.edu and fdang@ucsc.edu with the time, date, copier number and a small explanation of problem.

If a patron is charged incorrectly the Circulation desks have refund forms, and the McHenry circ desk has cards for refunds.

Thanks,
-Frank

Update on Morton Marcus Poetry Reading tickets

McHenry Library's Circ desk is a distribution site for the free tickets to the 1st annual Morton Marcus Memorial Poetry Reading featuring Robert Hass on Nov. 6th. at the Cabrillo College Music Recital Hall.

Unfortunately, all the tickets have now been given out-- this is turning out to be a VERY popular event.

If those of you working at the Circ desk (or at other public service desks) end up with complaints about ticket availability please refer those folk to me. As of today noon there are still 20 tickets left at Bookshop Santa Cruz, and if there are cancellations it is possible there may be some at the door before the event.

Thanks for your assistance and patience .
-Christine Bunting

Zines for Community Studies 161 (Steiner)

If students from CMMU 161 come looking for two zines listed on their syllabus as "at McHenry Library", they are not available here. They are available on the web as free downloadable PDFs.
Here are the links:

Take Back Your Life: A Wimmin's Guide to Alternative Health Care
http://zinelibrary.info/files/takebackyrlife.pdf


Navigating the Space Between Brilliance and Madness
http://theicarusproject.net/files/navigating_the_space.pdf

I will contact the instructor and let her know.

October 18th-22nd desk schedule

Hi Deskers,

Next week's schedule has been posted on the staff portal page. We do not yet have a link on the main page, but I have submitted a request to WIT. In the meantime, login to the portal and then do a search in the top box for "reference". The schedule page will be the first link you see.

I will still distribute a paper copy to those who have asked for one.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Best,

Laura

Biomolecular Engineering/Computer Engineering 123A class

Hi all,

In case you get questions for the Biomolecular Engineering/Computer Engineering 123A class, we have a class guide to help students do research for their engineering design project. This is a 2 quarter class, so the page will likely be up for both fall and winter quarters:

http://library.ucsc.edu/course-guides/biomolecular-engineering-computer-engineering-123a

The class page has links to recommended article databases (Inspec, Compendex, Pubmed, etc.), plus other sources such as patents, application notes, and protocols. Please let us know if you have are any questions.

Christy H. and I are also willing to take questions directly from students.

-Ann

Bio 80A Life in the Sea

In case you encounter students from Bio 80A, Life in the Sea - courtesy of the S&E Ref blog.

Tips for Life in the Sea Classes

Many ref books that we tend to use for this class are out for Google Scanning.

Using the Gale Virtual Reference Library has helped. Shortcut: Search "GVRL" in cruzcat.

Searching for the species in Google Books can work too. They can then see if we own the book. Or sometimes they can view enough of the book to use it as a source from within Google Books.

I've had *some* success in Academic Search Complete. You can narrow to publication type = encyclopedia.

Updated policy regarding double-sided copying

There is no duplex copy support on the Copier services copiers here in the library, automated or manual. This will be fixed when the campus goes to a new copier and payment system, which there is currently a RFP in progress. Duplex will be available again when the new system goes in.

When using the bypass as a manual duplexer more jams will happen. Copier services had to turn off the automated duplex functionality on these copiers due to a compatibility issue between the payment systems and the copiers. Regarding the duplex issue some of the reasons duplex was turned off was because of the impact of support of having jams frequently, the payment issues, reliability and stability.

Elizabeth Cowell is the library contact to work through service issues with Campus Copier and Print services.
Omar will educate the Library ITS students on copier duplexing.

-Frank Dang

IT Help Desk updated schedule

Staffing hours for the McHenry IT Help Desk through 12/10/10:

9/25/10-10/8/10:
Mon: 12pm-midnight
Tues: 2pm-4pm, 9pm-midnight
Wed: 12pm-midnight
Thurs: 2pm-4pm, 9pm-midnight
Fri: 12pm-8pm
Sat: 12pm-7pm
Sun: 12pm-midnight

10/9/10-12/10/10:
Mon-Thurs: 12pm-midnight
Fri: 12pm-8pm
Sat: 12pm-7pm
Sun: 12pm-midnight

The first schedule through 10/8/10 allows for the new students to be trained. The second schedule reflects full staffing.

The main library hours page now lists these hours, as well as the staffing at S & E: http://library.ucsc.edu/hours

Double-sided copying in InfoCommons (revised)

The copier repair person had to disable double-sided (or duplex) copying as it was jamming the copiers. It jammed repeatedly when the person only had money to copy one side but it was set on duplex. The only remedy was to disable the function. So, if someone tries to use that setting, the paper trays will be grayed out (unavailable).

There is a workaround (and two students just asked this very question today):

Make a copy on the glass with the book or paper in the normal position. Then take that copy and put it in the bypass tray (on the right side of the copier), face-up with the printing facing towards you. Then place the next copy to be made from a book or piece of paper on the glass, and choose "Bypass Tray" on the control panel. That's how the copier will know to use that piece of paper and not paper from the lower regular trays. It has to be done one sheet at a time.
(Troubleshooting tip: if the paper edge is at all curled it may jam or feed at an angle, so make sure the paper is straight)

Rodent problem update on 2nd floor

The custodians are working to clean up the rodent mess. Most of the affected sections have been cleaned in the Ref stacks, but there are still some areas that need attention. The sections that need to cleaned still have the small, discreet signs attached. The signs are being removed once the cleaning is completed.

There are two compact shelving sections next to each other in the Ref Z's that have extensive droppings that need to be cleaned. The handles for these sections are tied together to prevent patrons from opening them. This section is in the middle section of compact shelving, and not visible from the InfoCommons.

If you encounter a patron who needs material from this section over the weekend, please let them know the items need to be cleaned and they should be available Monday morning.

Please stay vigilant for signs of rodents when you are in the stacks. Preservation is placing yellow streamers in books that need cleaning. Notify Preservation if you notice more signs of rodent damage. Of course, Preservation would be grateful if you would place streamers in books that need attention. More of these streamers are at the Ref desk, in the cubby under the 3rd Mac.

thank you,

Lucia