I just wanted to let you all that I've had a few tweaks done to Encore.
The LOCATIONS facet now lists many more discreet locations . One of these locations that people may find particularly useful is the INTERNET location...this allows people to limit their search to items available online.
The other enhancement is the addition of the Worldcat Local database link on the right-hand side of the screen from the search results screen. Although not immediately apparent due to the generic Worldcat Local image, this is the link to Next Gen MELVYL. I would have liked to use an image that reflected this, but unfortunately, Encore doesn't support changing this image yet. :( You'll see once you've done a search in Encore, the Worldcat Local link appears on the right with the numbers of items that match your search. Clicking on that takes you to MELVYL's search results. This link only appears from the results list. It will not appear when you've clicked through to a specific title. This is an enhancement we are eagerly awaiting.
David
Thursday, December 16, 2010
New music research guide
Many thanks to Paul Machlis for his new guide, How to Find Music in the Library.
It's a great review for helping patrons find music sources on the desk.
It's a great review for helping patrons find music sources on the desk.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Phone books
Laura's recent post on pay phones pushed the notion of phones to the front of my reference brain so my attention was quickly captured by Leah Garchik's December 13th column in the San Francisco Chronicle highlighting a unique reference work:
In his new "The Phone Book: The Curious History of the Book That Everyone Uses But No One Reads," historian Ammon Shea writes that for a few decades at the end of the 19th century and start of the 20th, there was a hand-lettered Chinese phone book in San Francisco. This was for Chinese customers of Pacific Bell who used the only foreign-language phone exchange in the country.
Chinatown's first phone, in a Bush Street office, was in operation in the 1880s, and was much used by "farmers selling produce or looking for laborers." Beginning in 1890, residents had access to a public phone in the offices of a Chinese-language newspaper. By 1894, a Chinatown switchboard linked 37 phones; in 1898, they became part of Pacific Telephone and Telegraph.
Because Chinese characters are based on ideas rather than letters, the "directory" system was not alphabetic, and most operators would spend a great deal of their first months on the job trying to memorize phone numbers.
UCSC doesn't have The Phone Book: The Curious History of the Book that Everyone Used but No One Reads, but the section describing this distinctive San Francisco phone directory in more detail is included in the Google Books preview here.
In his new "The Phone Book: The Curious History of the Book That Everyone Uses But No One Reads," historian Ammon Shea writes that for a few decades at the end of the 19th century and start of the 20th, there was a hand-lettered Chinese phone book in San Francisco. This was for Chinese customers of Pacific Bell who used the only foreign-language phone exchange in the country.
Chinatown's first phone, in a Bush Street office, was in operation in the 1880s, and was much used by "farmers selling produce or looking for laborers." Beginning in 1890, residents had access to a public phone in the offices of a Chinese-language newspaper. By 1894, a Chinatown switchboard linked 37 phones; in 1898, they became part of Pacific Telephone and Telegraph.
Because Chinese characters are based on ideas rather than letters, the "directory" system was not alphabetic, and most operators would spend a great deal of their first months on the job trying to memorize phone numbers.
While Santa Cruz may not have such a distinctive history of telephone directories our Special Collections Department does have a small collection of phone directories from as far back as 1918. The collection is in NRLF and more details about its scope can be found here.
Other historical directories more readily available include Polk and Haines directories which can be found in Cruzcat. A detailed list of historical collections of local telephone directories held in various repositories throughout the county can be found on page 65 of Every Structure Tells a Story: How to Research the History of a Property in Santa Cruz County.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Pay Phones at UCSC
We have a list of pay phones on campus, but it is dated 2007. They may still be there, but this is unverified. I will update this entry if I get around to them to see if they are still operational.
Two closest to McHenry Library: Bay Tree Bookstore and Theater Arts ticket booth
Closest to Science & Engineering Library: Health Center
Complete list (**with TDD):
Bay Tree Bookstore 831-425-9245**
Performing Arts (ticket booth, near bldg 3) 831-425-9877
Health Center (back lobby near rear door) 831-425-9241
Kresge Town Hall (in front of the coffee house) 831-425-9073
College 9/10 (under stairwell of College 9) 831-425-9320
College 8 (entry porch DL building) 831-425-9403
College 8 (apt bldg 6 outside) 831-425-9846
College 8 (apt bldg 2 outside) 831-425-9849
Crown College (admin bldg gatehouse) 831-425-9645
Porter College (bldg C, outside dining hall) 831-425-9295**
The map below does incorrectly say UCSF, but it isn't. ;)
Two closest to McHenry Library: Bay Tree Bookstore and Theater Arts ticket booth
Closest to Science & Engineering Library: Health Center
Complete list (**with TDD):
Bay Tree Bookstore 831-425-9245**
Performing Arts (ticket booth, near bldg 3) 831-425-9877
Health Center (back lobby near rear door) 831-425-9241
Kresge Town Hall (in front of the coffee house) 831-425-9073
College 9/10 (under stairwell of College 9) 831-425-9320
College 8 (entry porch DL building) 831-425-9403
College 8 (apt bldg 6 outside) 831-425-9846
College 8 (apt bldg 2 outside) 831-425-9849
Crown College (admin bldg gatehouse) 831-425-9645
Porter College (bldg C, outside dining hall) 831-425-9295**
The map below does incorrectly say UCSF, but it isn't. ;)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
