Gee…it must be nice to have an easy job.
Gee…it must be nice to be able to read at your job all day.
Gee…what do you do at work since everything is online?
These are but a few of the comments I hear from people when I mention I work in a library (I am sure many of you out there have heard the same things over and over again).
It makes me CRAZY!
Of course online catalogs are a wonderful. That doesn’t mean that there are people behind those catalogs.
I am a small part some major projects at my work. For instance, we have cataloging our print collection – we got an ILS (Sirsi) in 2005. The print books alone took 2 years to complete. Now we’re starting on our non-current print journals and we are estimating it will take 3 or so years to finish. It also took our librarians time to catalog our current print and online journals. I am responsible for linking our print and journal holdings into PubMed as well as Ovid. This takes time and changes on a constant basis. People have said “Oh look. PubMed linked everything for us!”
Without knowledgeable trained library staff people will not find quality information and material on the internet. We make it happen.
People take the computer/internet for granted. They think it “does” everything for them. They couldn’t be further from the truth.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Project 1 - Library visit
I visited the CSULB library. This was my first visit there since I graduated from CSULB 5 years ago.
If you have never been to this library it is located near the top of the hill on the CSULB campus at 1250 Bellflower Boulevard. The library’s main phone number is 562-985-8472. Their website is www.csulb.edu/library.
Give yourself some time to explore. The library is 5 stories tall. Well, actually 6 with the lower underground level. This link gives a detailed description of the library’s collection http://www.csulb.edu/library/guide/loc/index.html. They use the Library of Congress classification system.
If you need assistance ask one of the reference librarians. The reference collection is on the 1st floor. You can make a one-on-one appointment with one of the subject specialist librarians for more in-depth assistance. I took advantage of this as a student and it made my life easier in my upper division classes. This library also has distance assistance available 24/7 via a link on the library’s home page.
The CSULB library’s hours differ depending on the time of year and day of the week. For instance, in June to August the library is open from 8:00 am to 9:30 pm Mondays-Thursdays. Fridays they open at 8:00 am and close at 5:00 pm. Saturdays they have shorter hours – 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sundays they are closed. They are also closed on Independence Day.
When the fall 2009 semester start the library is open longer to accommodate the students, as would be expected. Starting August 31st the hours are Mondays to Thursdays 7:00 am to Midnight. Fridays are 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Saturdays are 9:30 am to 5:00 pm and Sundays are 12:30 pm to Midnight. They are closed on Thanksgiving Day.
The library’s OPAC is called COAST. You don’t have to be a current library user to access it. I did a simple search in COAST using “art history” as my search term and my search brought back over 5,000 results. I was able to see which books were available, which were checked out and when they were due, etc. They have a large collection.
I was excited to see that anyone with a computer can access close to 40 databases with links provided on the CSULB library’s site. Click on this link to see a list of the databases: http://csulb.edu/library/eref/alumni_databases.html. You may not be able to get the full text of articles, but you can request ILL articles.
I was curious to see if I could check items out. And I can - alumni can get a library card once they join the CSULB Alumni Association (I need to do that!).
Current community college students, such as those of us at Long Beach City College, can check out items as long as you have a current student ID card. I wish I had known that while working on my A.A. degree. Please click on this link to read the reciprocal borrowing agreements between LBCC and CSULB libraries http://csulb.edu/library/guide/LBCC_guide.pdf.
Even high school students can use the CSULB library. Library staff will issue them a special card. This applies ONLY to high school students in the Long Beach, Los Angeles and West Orange County students.
So please do yourself a favor and check out the CSULB library. I know I’ll be back.
If you have never been to this library it is located near the top of the hill on the CSULB campus at 1250 Bellflower Boulevard. The library’s main phone number is 562-985-8472. Their website is www.csulb.edu/library.
Give yourself some time to explore. The library is 5 stories tall. Well, actually 6 with the lower underground level. This link gives a detailed description of the library’s collection http://www.csulb.edu/library/guide/loc/index.html. They use the Library of Congress classification system.
If you need assistance ask one of the reference librarians. The reference collection is on the 1st floor. You can make a one-on-one appointment with one of the subject specialist librarians for more in-depth assistance. I took advantage of this as a student and it made my life easier in my upper division classes. This library also has distance assistance available 24/7 via a link on the library’s home page.
The CSULB library’s hours differ depending on the time of year and day of the week. For instance, in June to August the library is open from 8:00 am to 9:30 pm Mondays-Thursdays. Fridays they open at 8:00 am and close at 5:00 pm. Saturdays they have shorter hours – 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sundays they are closed. They are also closed on Independence Day.
When the fall 2009 semester start the library is open longer to accommodate the students, as would be expected. Starting August 31st the hours are Mondays to Thursdays 7:00 am to Midnight. Fridays are 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Saturdays are 9:30 am to 5:00 pm and Sundays are 12:30 pm to Midnight. They are closed on Thanksgiving Day.
The library’s OPAC is called COAST. You don’t have to be a current library user to access it. I did a simple search in COAST using “art history” as my search term and my search brought back over 5,000 results. I was able to see which books were available, which were checked out and when they were due, etc. They have a large collection.
I was excited to see that anyone with a computer can access close to 40 databases with links provided on the CSULB library’s site. Click on this link to see a list of the databases: http://csulb.edu/library/eref/alumni_databases.html. You may not be able to get the full text of articles, but you can request ILL articles.
I was curious to see if I could check items out. And I can - alumni can get a library card once they join the CSULB Alumni Association (I need to do that!).
Current community college students, such as those of us at Long Beach City College, can check out items as long as you have a current student ID card. I wish I had known that while working on my A.A. degree. Please click on this link to read the reciprocal borrowing agreements between LBCC and CSULB libraries http://csulb.edu/library/guide/LBCC_guide.pdf.
Even high school students can use the CSULB library. Library staff will issue them a special card. This applies ONLY to high school students in the Long Beach, Los Angeles and West Orange County students.
So please do yourself a favor and check out the CSULB library. I know I’ll be back.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Blog Reflection 1
As I mentioned before this is my 2nd online course and I am enjoying it this one as much as my 1st one.
I have already recommended online courses to many people – family, friends, and co-workers. My hubby is considering getting his Master’s degree and I have told him “make sure you can do most of it through online courses!” I’m only (half) joking. He is very computer literate/savvy so I know he would have no problem but there are some people in my life that I told to stay away from online classes. These are the people with zero to little computer skills.
You definitely need to be more self motivated for online courses – for instance, you don’t have a professor in your face reminding you of when assignments are due.
My hubby’s sister-in-law is a professor and in the fall she will be teaching a hybrid online course. This is her first one and she asked me for input. I told her how much I love never having to miss work to attend class; or fighting traffic to get to school; or fighting for a parking spot or having to give yourself 15 or 20 minutes to walk from your car to class. Of course, she will have to deal with the technical aspects of teaching an online class.
In review online classes are a big YES for me.
I have already recommended online courses to many people – family, friends, and co-workers. My hubby is considering getting his Master’s degree and I have told him “make sure you can do most of it through online courses!” I’m only (half) joking. He is very computer literate/savvy so I know he would have no problem but there are some people in my life that I told to stay away from online classes. These are the people with zero to little computer skills.
You definitely need to be more self motivated for online courses – for instance, you don’t have a professor in your face reminding you of when assignments are due.
My hubby’s sister-in-law is a professor and in the fall she will be teaching a hybrid online course. This is her first one and she asked me for input. I told her how much I love never having to miss work to attend class; or fighting traffic to get to school; or fighting for a parking spot or having to give yourself 15 or 20 minutes to walk from your car to class. Of course, she will have to deal with the technical aspects of teaching an online class.
In review online classes are a big YES for me.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Hello to everyone in LIB 3
This is my 1st blog. I created it for a previous online course I took in 2008.
I haven't posted anything to it in six months and I realized I missed my blog! :-)
I haven't posted anything to it in six months and I realized I missed my blog! :-)
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