As of July 21^st, our all-star database Summon has received an update resulting in a sparkling new interface and some helpful new features. (Don’t remember which database is Summon? It’s that big ol’ search box in the middle of the library home page.) Check out some of the changes below:

• Topic Explorer – Summon will automatically plug your search term into one of our reference databases and pull a relevant encyclopedia entry to provide a brief overview of the topic. This will be located in the top right hand corner of the page.

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• Increased item information – Whenever you hover over one of the items in your results, you’ll see expanded item information in the right hand column. This can include citation information, but can also include article abstracts and book summaries.

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• Suggested search terms – Not finding what you want and having some trouble thinking outside the box? Summon now has prominently displayed “Related Topics” that may help you formulate more effective search terms.

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• More easily navigable refinement tools – Now, you can simply select from the left hand side of the page whatever refinements you want to narrow down your search. No more “include” or “exclude”.

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• To infinity and beyond – Summon 2.0 uses an infinite scroll, so no more clicking through page by page.
• Folder Storage – The Saved Items folder is now more prominently displayed (it’s in the left hand corner.) Didn’t know you could save items to look at later? We hope the new larger icon will serve as a visual reminder.

Ready to take Summon for a test drive?

And don’t forget:

Summon searches ALL the holdings TU Libraries has access to—this means books, eBooks, journal articles, newspaper articles, magazine articles, videos, films, government documents, etc. If you have a specific research need and Summon isn’t helping, one of our subject specialist librarians will be happy to help you find what you’re looking for.

In an effort to gather information about use of the Temple University Libraries’ electronic resources, an occasional web-based survey will be launched on July 31. The survey form will appear when connecting to any electronic resource including journal databases, online encyclopedias, music libraries, electronic books, and other e-reources. The online web survey must be completed in order to gain access to the desired electronic resource. This four question survey, while creating a momentary disruption, will only be conducted for two consecutive hours per month throughout the academic year, running through June of 2015.  The survey will be presented only once in the two hour interval as long as the browser window is not closed.  The survey is anonymous and will coincide with short on-site surveys of a similar nature taking place at some campus libraries.

The University Administration has requested that we conduct this survey to gain more information about how institutional investment in electronic information resources contributes to our scholars’ and researchers’ capacity to perform research that leads to new discoveries. While this survey will create some minimal disruption in the short run, the data gathered has proven to be of great benefit to our institution in the long run. Therefore, we will greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation if and when you are asked to complete the survey form.

Should you have further questions, FAQ are appended to the online survey instrument. Further questions may be directed to the Controller’s Office, which is sponsoring the survey.

Celebrate National Library Week April 13-19, and see how lives change at your library. This year’s American Library Association theme emphasizes the variety of ways libraries can expand your horizons and create positive change in our communities. We’re demonstrating this with learning opportunities throughout the week and by hosting a Food for Fines food drive partnership with Philabundance.

Libraries are an Oasis for Learning

On Monday, April 14, at 2:30 PM in the Lecture Hall, the Libraries will welcome world-renowned sociologist Elijah Anderson to discuss his award-winning book, The Cosmopolitan Canopy: Race and Civility in Everyday Life (WW Norton, 2012).

On Tuesday, April 15, at 3:30 PM again in the Lecture Hall, join artist and Temple faculty member Peter d’Agostino for an interview with Reese Williams, founder of the influential Tanam Press. Over the course of five years, this influential press published LP recordings featuring talks by Buckminster Fuller and Susan Sontag, as well as lively individual and collaborative projects from writers and visual and media artists that utilize the page in innovative ways.

On Thursday, April 17, at 3:30 PM, the Libraries and the Center for the Humanities at Temple welcome anthropologist Paige West who has written about the linkages between environmental conservation and international development, the material and symbolic ways in which the natural world is understood and produced, the aesthetics and poetics of human social relations with nature, and the creation of commodities and practices of consumption.

Food for Fines

April 14-18 join Temple University Libraries as we team up with local food bank Philabundance to host the Food for Fines food drive. Stop by Paley Library’s circulation desk and we will waive $1 in library fines for each approved food item you donate.

We especially need your help collecting these high-priority items:

 Canned / shelf stable tuna

 Canned beef stew

 Canned chili

 Canned pasta / beef ravioli

 Peanut butter and jelly (plastic containers only)

 Macaroni & cheese

 Canned fruit cocktail

 Canned green beans

 Breakfast cereal or hot cereal

Please note: all food must be unopened and non-perishable