Author Archives: Steven Bell

Database Finder Debuts

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While it’s great that the Temple University Libraries have added so many new electronic databases, journals and book collections, our list of databases was getting extremely long. Finding the right database for a research project was becoming a challenge, and scrolling our A-Z list a bit cumbersome. To improve student and faculty access to our rich collection of e-resources we introduce Database Finder. It’s a completely new way to find the right database. Instead of scrolling through the databases from A to Z, or examining subject groupings, Database Finder is a search engine that locates electronic databases, journal and book collections based on the words in the name of the database or by broad subject category. In time, Database Finder will feature a more robust keyword search capability. Here is a glimpse of the search interface:

dbfinder.jpg Note that if you do prefer the old A-Z list or subject browse of the databases, those approaches are still available. But we hope you’ll prefer the ability to quickly access your database of choice by searching its name or finding several to choose from based on your subject. If you have more questions about Database Finder, please contact your departmental library liaison. We look forward to your feedback and comments.

Paley Adds Color Laser Printing

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A common question at the Paley Library reference desk is “Where can I print color pages from the computers?” and up till now the answer was “Not here.” That’s about to change. To respond to student requests for color laser printing in the library, Paley has recently added a color printer to its two black & white printer stations in the first floor computing area. Owing to the much higher cost of color laser prints it is necessary to charge a fee for the color prints, and the cost is $.50 per copy, the same fee charged in the TECH Center. The procedure to print to the color print station is the same as for the black & white printers, but students must specify that they want to send their print job to the color printer. Students must then swipe their identification card in order to pay the copy fee with Diamond Dollars. We are unable to accept cash or coin as payment for color prints. – Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian

MultiSearch Makes Your Library Research Easier and Faster

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Temple University Libraries offer nearly 400 different research databases, everything from the highly used and well known ones such as Academic Source Premier and LexisNexis to some niche products such as Mediamark Reporter or Women Writers Online. For many students and faculty a comprehensive research process often requires more than one database, and for some of our users just choosing the right database can be challenging. It can be time consuming to run a literature search in each selected database, and each search system may use a different search interface. MultiSearch, a new way to search library databases, changes everything.

MultiSearch is a collection of approximately 250 library databases, plus sources such as Google and Google Scholar. It allows library databases to be searched in any number of combinations, either those pre-determined by librarian subject specialists or those the searchers select themselves. The beauty of MultiSearch is that there is only one interface to use. You can now obtain results from multiple databases, all at once, with a single simple interface, and the search automatically deletes duplicate records.

Starting a MultiSearch is easy. Either choose one or more search subject categories or design your own combination of databases:

multisearch1.jpg Record results are displayed by default in a most recent to oldest order, and records from the different databases are interfiled. The results are also categorized in a number of ways: by subject content, by author, by database, and by journal. You can easily rearrange the results to meet your specific needs:

Thumbnail image for multisearch2.jpg Please give MultiSearch a try. We think you’ll like it. But whatever your reaction is, we want to know. This is just our first version of MultiSearch – and we will use your feedback to guide our future customizations. Please share your reactions and suggestions by adding a comment to this post or use our library suggestion page.

For more information see our “Introducing MultiSearch” page.

And if you’ve got a better name for this thing than MultiSearch, we’d like to hear from you.

New Phones For Help in the Paley Stacks

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Getting help while in the Paley Library stacks can sometimes be a challenge. If no library workers are immediately available, seeking assistance requires a trip to the first floor. That can mean a time-consuming walk down the main stairway or an elevator wait. To alleviate that situation and improve the availability of quick help when needed, four service phones have been added to the Paley stacks. The four beige phones are found on central columns, well marked with signs, on both the east and west sides of the second and third levels. phone2.JPG The phones directly dial one of five different numbers. The menu is as follows:

  1. Campus safety and security
  2. Locating books (call the access service desk)
  3. Reference & Research Assistance (calls the reference desk)
  4. Campus Computer Help Desk
  5. Library Hours

We encourage our library users to make use our new service phones to quickly call for help as needed from our library stacks.

– Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian

What Do You Think of Our Computer Workstation Prototype

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As part of a larger plan to upgrade and enhance the Paley Library first floor computing area, new types of computer workstations are being considered. One prototype of a new workstation is currently on display in Paley Library, located in the center of the first floor computer area. Here are photos of the prototype:

workstation1.JPG workstation2.JPG We urge our students to visit the Paley Library to give this prototype a personal use. Try it out. Then let us know what you think of it. Does it provide enough space? Is it comfortable to use? Is there enough privacy or too much? What do you think would work better? Share your feedback by adding a comment to this post or use our online suggestion box. We look forward to providing a variety of new furniture that will make this area a better workspace for our students.

– Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian

Quiet Please! A Guide To No-Noise Zones in the Library

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Looking for a quiet space at Paley Library? There are plenty of them. You just have to know where to look. We actually have several designated study spaces, and other spaces that are generally much quieter than others. If you are looking for a quiet study space the first place to avoid is the computer area on the west side of the first floor. It’s noisy, and that’s all right with us. However, we are promoting the east side of the first floor, with plenty of individual study carrels, as a quiet zone. Please respect those studying in this area.

Noisy Socializing – 1st Floor – West Side quietarea3.JPG
Quiet Study – 1st Floor – East Side quietarea2.JPG
We have also dedicated one entire side of the second and third levels to quite study. Those who want to generate more noise or work in groups should avoid these areas. Look for these signs as you head up to the upper levels.

quietarea1.JPG

You may also be unaware that since we moved the magazines and journals to the east side of the first floor the lower level area is currently being used as a study space and it’s one of the quietest spaces in the library. (Edit (9/23/08): Lower level is no longer available for studying as it is being transformed into the forthcoming media services area.)

quietzone4.JPG

And don’t forget that there are study rooms, available on a first come first serve basis, scattered all around the outer edges of the second and third floors. If you are in a no-noise zone and fellow students are creating some disturbance, we recommend that you politely ask them to respect the quiet areas of the library. If that doesn’t seem to work you are encouraged to seek assistance from a library staff member.

– Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian

New Carpet and Chairs Improve Study Spaces

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We hear you. You’ve told us you want better study spaces – and as much of it as we can provide. To better accommodate the needs of our library user community we’ve recently upgraded several spaces on the second and third floors of the Paley Library. These areas are all newly carpeted and new, comfortable chairs, many with tablet arms, are available in several of the improved study areas. Here are photos of two of the nine enhanced study spaces: Thumbnail image for studyarea2.JPGThumbnail image for Thumbnail image for studyarea1.JPG These new study spaces will be found on the far ends of both the second and third floors of Paley Library. Look for them in center and/or corners of these areas. We hope you enjoy these improved spaces. If you would like to provide feedback or suggestions for additional enhancements, please use our suggestion form.

– Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian

Professors Strike Back

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What do university faculty think about Rate My Professor and what their students are saying about them at that site? Well, the folks at MTVU recently gave a group of faculty members a chance to react – on camera – to comments their students posted about them at RMP. The videos found at “Professors Strike Back” make for compelling drama, entertainment and even a few “stop and think about that” moments.

Even better, two professors from Temple University are among those featured.Terence Oliva, of the Marketing Department, and Laura Shinn, of the Economics Department, share thoughtful comments about Rate My Professor. But I have to say that one of my favorites comes from Professor David Linton at Marymount Manhattan College. I’d like every student to spend 20 seconds to hear what he has to say about college. In short he says, it’s not about getting a degree – it’s about getting an education. If you approach it as a consumer experience, like buying a car, you are bound to be disappointed.

– Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian

Start Better Study Habits By Avoiding All-Nighters

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With the spring semester starting soon it may be a good time to share with students, and their instructors, some timely tips for better study habits. The Study Hacks blog recently featured a post titled “Five Bad Study Habits You Should Resolve to Avoid in 2008“. Well, it is the time of the year for resolutions. Their five bad habits to eliminate include: (1) studying without a plan; (2) skipping classes; (3) rote review; (4) studying after midnight; and (5) not taking notes while reading. Read the post for more details on how and why to eliminate these bad study habits.

And speaking of staying up late to study (item 4), particularly at exam time, a researcher at St. Lawrence University studied the correlation between student sleep time and their grade-point averages. Students reported that they had pulled at least one all-nighter during a semester and that those who did it regularly had lower GPAs. Sounds like avoiding all-nighters is a good way to begin improving study habits in 2008.

-Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian

Get Great Teaching Tips

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…from The Teaching Professor.

Rare is the instructor who hasn’t encountered a challenge in the classroom. Equally rare is the instructor who couldn’t benefit from proven techniques shared by colleagues who’ve discovered ways to enhance the teaching and learning process. Within higher education, a respected and popular source that faculty use to share their ideas and best practices in teaching and learning is a publication called The Teaching Professor. Published 10 times a year, it incorporates into 6-8 pages of fast reading tips and techniques for everything from better tests and quizzes to improved classroom discussions to effective technology integration.

Temple University Libraries has just made it easy for all University instructors to be up-to-date with every new issue of The Teaching Professor. The Libraries now offer institutional access to the electronic version of the publication, both on and off campus. There is also an audio MP3 version of each issue. You can directly access The Teaching Professor here.

There you can examine the latest issue, any issue in the archive, or you can search for articles on a particular topic (e.g., lectures, quizzes). The November 2007 issue features articles on engaging large science classes, dealing with students who participate too much, and making the syllabus more than a contract.

In addition, interested faculty and administrators can sign up to receive e-mail alerts of the latest issues. To do so, register using this account information:

Voucher code: TEMPLE
PIN Number: 2310

-Steven Bell, Associate University Librarian