“So many books…so little time.” I’ve seen plenty of librarians sporting T-shirts with this catchy little phrase on it. Right now I have five library books at home that I’m reading (or at least browsing.) One I’ve checked out from the UWRF library, two are from the River Falls Public Library, one came to me on a van from the UW-Rock County library, and one came all the way from the University of Houston. We make it easy for library users (including myself!) to access library materials, whether they are located physically in our library or across the country.
But faculty and students have clearly let us know that we need to provide more immediate access to journals that support academic research. This past year, we worked with students to acquire additional online journals through differential tuition funding. In January, all of our new subscriptions became active. Have you taken a look at the new journal packages that we’ve added? And do you know how to browse a list of all the journals that we provide for your discipline? Read our tip to learn more.
We’ve begun a new program for faculty this semester to purchase copies of articles from document suppliers. With funding from UW System, we now acquire individual articles for faculty directly from two well known scholarly publishers, Elsevier ScienceDirect and Wiley InterScience. We are using these suppliers in addition to two others that we’ve already been working with, the British Library and the Canadian Institute for Scientific and Technical Information. Articles arrive very quickly from these suppliers, often on the same day. By using these sources in addition to our many library partners, we can obtain necessary research materials that we don’t own with speed and efficiency.
But across the UW System, we know that we need to do more to provide materials that support research. The UW Library Directors are leading an initiative to request additional state funding during the 2009-11 biennium to expand access across the System to electronic research resources. With the support of Provosts and Chancellors, UW System has selected this initiative as a priority to advance to the Board of Regents. UW-River Falls faculty have voiced their support of this initiative as well, unanimously passing a resolution in support of it at the April 9 Faculty Senate meeting. I will continue to work actively over the coming months to garner support and to help advance this very important budget initiative. |
See You in a Hundred Years: Four Seasons in Forgotten America by Logan Ward. Could you live without electricity, running water, your cell phone and computer, a car, and grocery store food? Read about Logan and Heather Ward who, along with their two-year-old son, moved from New York City to a farm in Virginia and recreated their lives as if it were the year 1900. Recommended by Valerie Malzacher, Library Director.
Jar City: A Reykjavik Thriller by Arnaldur Indridason, A very cold case of murder set in Reykjavik, Iceland. Recommended by Tom Smisek, Reference.
Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley. Remove clutter one "27 Fling Boogie" and "Hot Spot Fire Drill" at a time! With FlyLady’s system of working in Zones you never have to spring clean again. Quotations, humor, and inspiring testimonials guide the reader toward peace in their busy, chaotic homes and lives. Recommended by Melissa Barbey, UWRF Archives and Area Research Center.
The Rising Tide: A Novel of World War II by Jeff Shaara. Shaara who has written critically acclaimed historical war novels evokes the agony of desert warfare, the utter chaos of an airborne assault and the challenges of command in this first novel in a planned trilogy. Recommended by Heidi Southworth, Cataloging.
Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany
by Bill Buford. Buford, the former fiction editor of The New Yorker allows readers to go behind the scenes into Mario Batali's famed kitchen. Recommended by Brad Gee, Reference Department.
The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs by Patricia B. McConnell. This book studies the different perceptions and behaviors of humans and is frequently used as a training accessory. Recommended by Toni Canfield, Stacks and Reserve.
The Parables of Dr. Seuss by Robert L. Short. This book brings the reader on a charming escapade into the spirituality of the stories of Theodore "Dr. Seuss" Geisel. Recommended by Jane Betz, Acquisitions.
Song of the Crow by Layne Maheu. A fable about Noah building his ark told from the point of view of a crow who is watching nearby. Recommended by Ann Welniak, Interlibrary Loan.
Michele McKnelly, Head of Technical Services/Government Information Specialist, is reading the newly revised Federal Depository Library Handbook. However she does not recommend the title unless you are a GPO/FDLP wonk.
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, is one of the selections from this season’s Lion’s Paw Book Club. Persepolis is a powerful graphic novel told from the perspective of a young girl living through the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Visit the Lion’s Paw Book Club page for more information.
Briana Fiandt joined the Chalmer Davee Library staff this month. Briana graduated from UM-Duluth and UW-Milwaukee. Briana was most recently living and working in Superior, Wisconsin at the Richard I. Bong WWII Heritage Center and is now the new night supervisor in the Circulation Department. Welcome Briana!
Toni Canfield, who has been employed at the Chalmer Davee Library for fifteen years, has accepted a position as an Assistant Librarian at Argosy University Twin Cities campus in Eagan. Toni began her employment here as a student assistant in Reference, later working in the Government Documents Department. Most recently she held a dual position in Reserve and Stacks Maintenance. Good luck Toni!
Heidi Southworth is once again the annual Chalmer Davee Library Peep Diorama contest champion. Congratulations again, Heidi! This year's entry, entitled Peeping on the Neighbors, won her first prize for the third year running.
Library Comment Form to give us your comments about this issue of Library Link or to offer suggestions for future issues. |
LibQUAL+ Survey
Throughout the month of April the Chalmer Davee Library is conducting a LibQUAL+ online survey to measure perceptions and expectations of users' overall library experience. Campus-wide feedback is very important and will be used to improve the quality of services and resources offered by the library. The library first participated in the LibQUAL+ survey in the spring of 2004 (View 2004 overview; View 2004 full report.) The current survey will monitor the progress of strategic initiatives developed in 2004, some of which include:
 increased efforts to collaborate with other Wisconsin libraries to maximize book and journal resources despite budget restraints
the introduction of new software including Find It, which simplifies the process of locating full-text articles and SuperSearch, which allows the user to search multiple databases and library catalogs in a single search
preserving quiet study space for individuals while allowing for public group study [See also: Quiet Study Space ]
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The library’s goal is to obtain at least 1,000 completed surveys. Students, faculty, staff and community patrons are all encouraged to participate.
Take the Survey!
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You spoke. Our patrons tell us that their number one priority is quiet study space. To address the needs of our users, the library has recently been rezoned. The upper level is now designated as QUIET STUDY SPACE. Groups are asked to remain on the main level or use the designated group study rooms which are located on both the main and upper floors. All patrons are asked to keep their cell phones muted and to take calls in the lobby. [View noise policy.]
Textbook Services has moved out of the library building and into a newly renovated, larger space on the lower level of Hagestad Hall. The move was completed on April 17, 2008. A grand opening is scheduled for May 1st.
The library is serving as home base for the Higher Learning Commission of the
North Central Association
accreditation team who are visiting campus April 21-23, 2008. The Cooklock Room on the main level has been transformed into the Resource Room which accreditation team members will use as they process UWRF's reaccreditation.
Database usage continues to climb at impressive rates. Recent analysis of usage data from the fall 2007 semester reveals an increase of 29% over spring 2006 and an incredible 48% increase over the fall 2006 semester.
The top twenty most-used databases and the number of searches performed in the previous semsester:
Academic Search Premier 70,075
PsychInfo 8,760
ERIC 8,548
Sociological Abstracts CSA 6,910
LexisNexis Academic 6,166
JSTOR 5,382
Criminal Justice Periodicals Index ProQuest 5,127
Agricola 4,448
ABI/Inform 4,625
Wisconsin Newstand 4,533
Proquest Newspapers 4,364
Professional Development Collection. 4,332
Medline 4,213
OmniFile Full Text 3,860
CINAHL 3,735
PsychArticles 3,276
Health Source Consumer Edition2,801
Education FT 2,753
Business Source Elite 2,340
Newspaper Source 2,250
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