USB monitor ports active

At the Reference Desk (standing and sitting) computers, Stephen has activated the USB ports on the left-hand side of the monitors. You should be able to plug in your USB memory sticks/drives without bending down to use the USB ports in the computer box.

Arts and Science Online Exams

From Sian, December 2009:

I've just introduced a new feature to the Library Resources feed [in Blackboard] for St.George Campus Faculty of Arts and Science courses -- for courses that have previous exams online, a link to the course's old exams now appears in the Library Resources feed ....

The collection so far includes Faculty of Arts and Science exams for the last three years (December 2006 - August 2009).

Finding NTIS Documents

You can search by accession number from the following NTIS database:
http://search3.scholarsportal.info/ids70/advanced_search.php?SID=bcc0d51ef3990af9dfd2947de5ca9b49

Sam-chin
---------------------------------------------
I just did a title search in WorldCat--sort of banking on someone cataloguing it. Two records appeared, one was a dissertation record (probably could get it, then, from DissFT, the other record had the direct link to the .mil site.

Sheril Hook
------------------------
google gets you there as well.

Cris Sewerin

Papers software page updated

At yesterday's WAG mtg, Marc said he recently updated the Papers software page: http://discover.library.utoronto.ca/services/computing-connecting/how-do-i-access-u-of-t-licensed-databases-through-the-mekentosj-papers-software

There are three routes to this page:

Gerstein home page - Faculty - Supporting research
Gerstein home page - Students - Accessing e-resources
Gerstein home page - Services - Accessing e-resources

Occassionally there are email questions (usually via ask.gerstein) about Papers.

Thanks, Heather
Feb 19, 2010

BioMed Central Cancellation Information

Occasionally questions have come in from faculty/researchers asking about U of T's subscription to Biomed Central.

UofT Libraries had a BMC supporter membership for a number of years. However, in 2009 financial pressures resulted in the library discontinuing its membership. The library continues to support open access publishing through its institutional repository, T-Space, and encourages all UofT authors, whether publishing in non-open access or open access scholarly journals to:

a) retain rights to their intellectual property by requesting that an author addendum be appended to the contract they sign with each journal (More info about this at http://carl-abrc.ca/en/scholarly-communications/resources-for-authors.htmlhttp://carl-abrc.ca/en/scholarly-communications/resources-for-authors.html) and
b) to deposit in T-Space via the Faculty of Medicine's Office of Research and International Relations: http://www.medresearch.utoronto.ca/

For more information please contact Sandra Langlands, Director of the Gerstein Science Information Centre, at s.langlands.melvin@utoronto.ca or 416.978.6370.

Cheers, Allison
Jan 28, 2010

ChEMBLdb - Open access drug discovery database launches

ChEMBL is a database of ca. 500,000 bioactive compounds, their quantitative properties and bioactivities (binding constants, pharmacology and ADMET, etc). The data is abstracted and curated from the primary scientific literature and the data made available due to funding by the Wellcome Trust.

Direct link to the database website:

http://www.ebi.ac.uk/chembldb/

The database is part of the ChEMBL resources at the EMBL-EBI (European Molecular Biology Laboratory's European Bioinformatics Institute).

Press release at: http://www.ebi.ac.uk/Information/News/pdf/Press18Jan10.pdf" "ChEMBLdb is a unique resource because of its focus on drug discovery and its size: information on an additional 100,000 compounds has been added to the database for its launch, taking the number of small molecules to over 520,000, and it contains over 2.4 million records of their effects on biological systems. The data include information about how small molecules bind to their targets, how these compounds affect cells and whole organisms, and information on the molecules' absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity."

This is a new resource and the creators invite feedback so that they can make future improvements.

Keep up to date with ChEMBL news and data releases by subscribing to the chembl-announce mailing list.

Gail Nichol
Jan 26, 2010

Visitor card - reason for refund

Very occasionally a user purchases a visitor card by mistake, usually
they think they are adding money to their TCard. Starting immediately
we will refund this money to them. Here is the process.

1.The user hands over the visitor card to the staff member.

2.The staff member fills out a TCard claim form.
Where the form says Reason for Refund in the Notes field on the right
say "card purchased in error"
HAVE THE USER SIGN THE FORM. It doesn't matter where

3.Attach the visitor card to the TCard claim form and give it to Peter
or Renata

4.Give the user $5 _from the float of $5 bills_

5.Peter or Renata will leave a note on the $5 float, alerting staff that
the float will not be $100.
Peter or Renata will send the TCard claim form and the card to Julian
and who will return the funds to Peter or Renata.

WE DO NOT REFUND MONEY IF TOO MUCH VALUE WAS ADDED TO A VISITOR OR TCARD

Renata, Jan 8, 2010.

NEJM Videos in Clinical Medicine

NEJM Videos in Clinical Medicine
Link to the videos through the EIR: http://main.library.utoronto.ca/eir/EIRdetail.cfm?Resources__ID=893655&T=M&FID

They are also available via the Highwire version of the NEJM, they are easy to find by typing 'videos' in the search box at top of the page.

About this title: Since April 13, 2006 the New England Journal of Medicine added a new journal feature, Videos in Clinical Medicine. The Journal's table of contents includes this new type of article. For optimal viewing, the instructional videos will be displayed as streaming video in a version that includes chaptering and captions. The videos will also be available both in a downloadable file (of about 20 MB) and in a version compatible with handheld digital devices.

Each video will be from five to eight minutes long and will be accompanied online by a printable summary to supplement the video. Access to the Videos in Clinical Medicine is limited to subscribers, including all those who access the Web site with institutional subscriptions such as UofT.

Receipts for adding money to print cards/student cards

If a patron requires a receipt for adding money to their card and/or purchasing a visitor card, loan services desk staff can issue one after the funds have been added.

Refworks Alumni Program

RefWorks is pleased to announce that the Alumni Program will now be offered as a standard feature of RefWorks, providing lifelong access to users that are alumni of subscribing institutions. As long as an institution subscribes to RefWorks, alumni will have access, allowing them to continue using their personal research databases for future professional and academic endeavors.
Lifelong access to RefWorks will be an added benefit for alumni, and help academic institutions maintain the healthy alumni relationships that are so essential for donations, rankings and other ongoing involvement.
To learn more about the Alumni Program, please click here.

Direct Borrower Fees - exception for Ryerson & McMaster

Direct borrowers from Ryerson ( and McMaster) will have their charge paid for by their University. However, this will not change the procedure of sending people to Robarts Reader Registration for their renewal.

It may be that over time other institutions follow suit. In this regard, when sending direct borrowers to Robarts it might be prudent not to get into the discussion of charges at all. This is best negotiated by the staff of Reader Registration, who may determine, for example, that a person is eligible for an alumni card for a lesser sum than the direct borrower card.

Bonnie
Oct 13

iClickers at U of T

“Clickers,” or Classroom Response Systems, are a type of polling system seen on some game shows like “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” In an academic context, they have been used very successfully to engage students in large classes....

All three UofT campuses offer i-clicker (www.iclicker.com) as their centrally supported Classroom Response System. The system will work for classes as large as those in Convocation Hall and on Macs or PCs. The main benefit of selecting one vendor is that students will only be asked to purchase one unit, and it will work in all their classes that use a Classroom Response System.

More information here: http://content.library.utoronto.ca/rcat/services/clickers/

Regis Library relocation/construction delay

The Regis library remains closed due to construction and will not be re-opening on Sept 14th as previously planned. I apologize for any inconvenience this delay may cause. The date of re-opening is not yet finalized. Our deepest gratitude goes to the staff at the Kelly library for running our short term loan service out of their library for the interim. When plans for re-opening have been confirmed I will post to the list again.

Teresa Helik
Sept 11, 2009

Racer - request form issue with publication date

Sometimes, when filling out the RACER request form for a book loan, patrons may be prompted for a publication date - BUT THERE IS NOWHERE TO ENTER IT!

In this case, enter it in the 'DATE PUBLISHED' field, under 'PART DETAILS'.

This works.
Helen
Sept 10, 2009

Reader Registration - change in hours of service

Reader Registration is now open on Sundays as well as their usual Mon-Sat 9-5 hours.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further to my recent e-mail concerning the issuing of Direct Borrower
cards at the Reader Registration Desk, Robarts Library, please note
that, effective Sunday, Sept. 13, the Reader Registration Desk service
hours will be changed to:

Monday - Saturday - 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday - 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Thank you,
Lari Langford
Sept 10, 2009

Fees for Research Readers and Direct Borrowers

To Access and Information Staff and members of the Circ Services Committee,

In order to maintain our acquisitions and provide services to all researchers, we are announcing changes in the fees for library privileges extended to external borrowers, as of October 1, 2009. Graduate students, staff, and faculty borrowers from Canadian (i.e. Direct Borrowers) and other universities will be charged the same rates as Research Readers, which will be:

12 mos. - $200.00
6 mos. - $150.00
3 mos. - $75.00
Seniors (12 mos.) - $95.00

Direct Borrower cards will be issued from or renewed at the Reader Registration Desk at Robarts Library, only, now that fees will be charged. Please refer all eligible patrons to this service desk. The hours of service at Reader Registration are: Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Please note that Direct Borrower loan privileges will be changed to be consistent with the Research Reader privileges: 14 day loan, with 2 renewals and a charge limit of 100 books.

Web-pages and brochures will be updated as soon as possible.

Please direct any questions to Lari Langford.


Thank you.

Lari
Sept 8, 2009

Changes in Media Commons Location and Service

Due to the renovations that are scheduled for the Media Commons in the coming year the following changes have been made.

Room changes:
The AV circulation desk is now located in Robarts Room 3058.
A limited number of microform printers and AV viewing stations are located in the 3rd floor atrium.
Brock Silversides’office and AV view classrooms are in Robarts, Room 14045.
Acquisitions and Booking is now in Robarts, Room 3012. Please email or phone Charlotte Jacobs or Joan Links before you come to see them so we can open the doors for you.

Phone numbers and email addresses:
All phone numbers and email addresses will remain the same.
Phones to the Acquisitions and Book office are currently active.
The phones to the circulation desk will be activated some time next week.

Circulation:
During the renovations there will be normal access to the AV collection.
There will be limited and restricted access to the microform collections.

Hours for AV/Microform Circulation Desk:
Tuesday, Sept 8 to Thursday, Sept. 10: 8:30 am to 8:00 pm.
Friday, Sept. 11: 8:30 am. to 6:00 pm.
Sept. 12 – 13: Closed.
Fall/Winter hours may begin on Monday, Sept. 14. Further notification of the Fall/Winter hours schedule will be sent out on Friday Sept. 11.

Microform retrieval:
Sept. 8 to 11: Retrieval will be at 10 am., 12 pm., 2 pm., and 4 pm.
This is a tentative schedule and will change depending on new workflow patterns. We hope to have a revised Fall/Winter schedule for microform retrieval on Friday, Sept. 11.

Joan Links
Sept 4, 2009

Robarts Renovations - map collection & govpubs

Due to renovations on the 5th floor of the Robarts Library, the map collection will not be accessible Fri. 7 August - Sun. 16 August.

The government publications area will be closed Tues. 11 August - Sun. 16 August.

There will be no access to the 5th floor during this period.


Gabriela Bravo
Aug 7, 2009

Closest Fax Machines/Copy Centers

There is a Fax for student use in the UTSC building (old observatory on Hart House Circle).

There is a copy center at University and College in the Hydro building lower level, a Kinkos further south on University (505 University Ave, Toronto, ON), and an Alicos at College and St. George (203A College Street Toronto, ON).

Search Procedure for Missing Items

A few modifications have been made to the procedures that staff
follow when searching for an item, so I thought a recap of the process
would be helpful. I hope that this will allow staff to explain the
procedure clearly to the requester so that they know what to expect.

Once a search card is taken it is placed on Kelly's desk. During the
next week it will be searched for on two occasions. The following areas
are checked: sorting shelves, stacks, STL, mending shelves and
Meredith's binding shelves. In addition we will search for variations
on the call number i.e. QA123 B4 would be checked in Q123, QB123, QC123, and so on.

After the second search the status of the item will be changed to "searching". In the case of a journal issue a note will be put in the catalogue record.

The requester will be contacted and told that we were
unable to find their item. Once the status is "searching" the requester
can ask for Inter Campus Delivery or request it from another institution.

The items will be searched monthly until November. In November their
status will be changed to "missing_utl".

If you have any questions please ask Renata.