Theater Arts 61A "Ancient & Medieval Drama" assignment

Here are a few Cruzcat subject headings for an assignment for Theater Arts 61A "Ancient & Medieval Drama". They have to find a medieval play (500-1500) and then a modern production of it. It would probably be helpful for them to have some context for the medieval version.

• Drama, Medieval
• Theater--History--Medieval, 500-1500
• Theater--England--History--Medieval, 500-1500
• English drama--to 1500 (there is one subheading for "modernized versions"
• Christian drama, Latin (Medieval and Modern)
• Theater and society--England--to 1500

Reference material:

A companion to the medieval theatre
McH Ref PN2152.C66 1989

McHenry Roving Information Student schedule: FALL 2012

McHenry Library Roving Information Student schedule through Friday, December 7th
(also posted behind the Circ Desk and included online in the Library Ref Desk calendar):

Monday:
5-7pm Alejandra
7-9pm Brandon

Tuesday:
6-8pm Pati
8-10pm Brandon

Wednesday:
4-6pm Alejandra
7-9pm Brandon

Thursday:
6-7pm Pati
7-8pm Alejandra

Friday:
4-5pm Pati & Alejandra
5-6pm Pati
6-8pm Brandon

Sunday:
3-5pm Brandon

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Laura

Netflix "watch instantly" issue using Firefox on Macs

From Fish Phipps, IT:

For those who may not be aware, 'watch instantly' on Netflix does not work well in Firefox on the iMacs. This is an issue that can generate a lot of patron complaints so here's the 411:

Short version: If Netflix doesn't work on the Macs you have two options: Reboot and/or use Safari.

Long version: Netflix uses MS Silverlight for it's DRM and it seems that when parental controls are enabled on the macs (we use parental controls to control patron access to applications) that Silverlight and Firefox do not play well together. What usually happens is that when we are creating a new master image for all the machines we make sure that all the plugins are working but there are almost always issues with Firefox and Silverlight that, sooner or later, requires a reboot. Add the fact that after some random number of days/weeks later watching Netflix becomes totally broken in Firefox. This is due to changes made by either Netflix or MS on the server end as nothing has been changed on the machines. I am running some updates on a master image right now for the media center and it looks like I can't get Netflix to work at all in the latest version of Ffirefox. Point people to Safari if they wish to watch Netflix.

"Recently Returned" status in Cruzcat

Here are the definitions of "Recently Returned" status in the Cruzcat catalog:

McHenry Reserves: 45 minutes
S&E Reserves: 15 minutes
S&E laptops: 15 minutes
everything else: 24 hours

Quick guide to finding film reviews

This post is not an exhaustive guide, but provides a couple of tips and quick strategies to get you out of a jam with a question.

Search tips:  

• A "contemporary" film review is one that was published around the film's release date.
• If you don't know a film's release date, Wikipedia is quick and handy for this task.
• Always put the title of your film in quotes to keep the words together.
• If the film title was also a book, add the word "film" or your keyword search.

Here are two quick strategies using the film "American Graffiti" (released: August 1973) as an example:

Academic Search Complete:

• in the top search box type: "american graffiti"
• in the 2nd search box type: review
• leave it on "Select a field" for largest search
• limit the published date from "1973" to "1974"
• results: 13 
• click on UC-eLinks if no PDF or full text link is present (click here for how-to guide)

Cruzcat, for reviews in print:

• do a title search for "Film Review" (McH Stacks PN1993.F624)
• we have volumes for 1944-1992, so this is good for older films
• look up the title of the film in the index
• patron can photocopy or scan pages

For more film review sources, go to the Film & Digital Media Research Guide, and click on the articles tab, and use the search tips above.

How to use the photocopiers

• Copiers are on the south end of the 2nd floor of McHenry, inside half-wall area
• Color copying is available on 3rd and 4th floor machines for 25 cents per page
• Students pay 8 cents per page for black and white
• Guests pay 15 per page for black and white
• Everyone pays 25 cents per page for color

Student photocopying:

1. Students charging their account pay 8 cents per page for black and white (and 25 cents per page for color, only on 3rd and 4th floors)
2. Touch the screen on the copier (no need to use the kiosk)
3. Username = their CruzID (first part of email address)
4. Password = last 4 digits of their University ID (in the middle between the dashes)
5. Hit OK
6. Click on "charging student account"
7. Hit the "Copy" button to the left of the touchscreen
8. Now patron has access to the control panel
9. When finished, press the "Other Function" button on the left of the touchscreen, then "logout on the touchscreen
10. Important: if student does not logout, someone else can make copies charged to them

Faculty and staff photocopying (or see guest also):

1. Same steps as above but a FOAPAL must be entered to charge
2. Otherwise, use the Guests pass kiosk

Guests/visitors/community/any student not wishing to charge their account (though it will cost students 7 cents more per page this way):

1. Guests pay 15 cents per page for black and white (and 25 cents per page for color, only on 3rd and 4th floors)
2. Follow the instructions on the kiosk to obtain a passcode; only accepts bills, no coins, no charge cards
3. Once code is obtained, touch the copier screen
4. Hit the "Copy" button to the left of the touchscreen
5. Now patron has access to the control panel
6. When finished, press the "Other functions" button on the left of the touchscreen, then "logout on the touchscreen
7. Important: if patron does not logout, someone else can make copies charged to their code

Theater Arts: Finding play production reviews

An assignment this quarter for a Theater Arts class dealt with searching for production reviews and for a modern production of an ancient play (for example, "Medea"). Here are some strategies for dealing with this question (and more comments are welcome!):

• The best thing to show them is the Theater Arts Research Guide (home page > research guides > arts > theater arts)
• On that guide direct them to the International Index to the Performing Arts database. It's right on the front of the guide.
• Once in that database, they can try searching for the name of the play and "production review" and perhaps a geographic location if there were many places the play was produced. This should give them some full-text results they can look through.
• The other thing they may ask for is "Theatre World." Look that up as a title in Cruzcat, choose the first record in the results, and you see that the current volume is in Ref and the previous volumes are upstairs on 4th in the PNs. They'll determine which volume could help them by the year of the production of their play. 
• There are other resources they can try on the Theater Arts Research Guide as well.

Refilling paper in public copiers

The paper is refilled in all of the public copiers (2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors) by our IT staff and students, not the Campus Copier Program. Report copier service problems to the Campus Copier Program by calling 459-5799.

Laptops and iPads update

McHenry laptops are now stored are now stored in the same way as the S&E laptops: each bag contains a laptop and charger of the same number, and can be found in the green cabinet behind the Circ Desk.  The new bags only zip across the top.  We will no longer recharge laptops, but they do come with a charger (that has its own barcode and is checked out also).   iPads are also in the same green cabinet, and will be charged (you'll see a powerstrip next to them inside the cabinet).

Tally of Education/Math/HAVC/classrooms directions 9/28-10/9

We have been asked to keep a tally of directions we give to Education, Mathematics, HAVC, and related classrooms from Friday, September 28th through Tuesday, October 9th to assess the effectiveness of new signage. I have placed the tally sheet on a clipboard that will be stowed under the desk on the right-hand side. I will give the stat sheet to Sarah after the 9th. Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Laura