Saturday Hours, Graduation, Follow Us!

The Library will be closed on the last two Saturdays in May, 5/18 and 5/25.  Saturday hours, 9-5, will resume in June.  View the Library calendar to check daily hours.

The Library faculty and staff would like to extend their hearty congratulations and best wishes to all graduating TOROS!  And, look forward to seeing soon-to-graduate TOROS next Fall!

Please, stay connected to the University Library through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Blogger, and Pinterest during the summer months.  You never know what great resources will be shared!

Enjoy your summer!

iPads & CSUDH

Last week a few librarians attended the iPad learning session, IPAD Basics and Course Application, hosted by the CSUDH Faculty Development Center along with Title V and Instructional Technology.  The session was quite informative as we learned how to make a movie using the iMovie app and link our iPad screens to classroom laptops so the tablet screen can be displayed on class projectors (Doceri and Reflector apps).  Other apps presented, or shared by attendees, included Notability, Good Reader, and CloudOn, along with those that keep track of our ever growing collection of online resources and documents such as Evernote or Dropbox.  These apps allow students and professors to easily integrate iPad features into course presentations or Blackboard posts.

iPads and other tablets are increasingly becoming more visible here at the University Library.  Students often have them out on desktops as they also work on their laptops or Library PCs.  Not only are tablets out, but smartphones are plugged in and calculators are visible.  As tablets become more common students will quickly discover the use and relevance of the many apps available.  To stay abreast of the literature on using iPads in the academic environment, be sure to search our Library databases for recent journal articles.  Use the Articles & E-Resources tab at the top of the search box on the Library homepage, inputting keywords such as iPad, teaching, faculty, or student to quickly get to relevant articles. The infographic  shown below provides an interesting synopsis on today's use of tablets.  

As students continue to interact with mobile and digital technology the University Library is working to expand access to digital materials.  Through the Affordable Learning Initiative of the Chancellor’s Office, the Library now has access to more than 150,000 eBooks accessible through EBSCOhost, Safari Books Online, and ebrary.  Many of these books are used as textbooks.  Students can not only read these materials on their desktop or laptop, but many can be downloaded to an iPad and a number of dedicated e-readers. 

And, to allow students to explore the many possibilities inherent in the applications of an iPad, the Library now loans out 30 iPad 2s for student use.  More information on the checkout program can be found here.  

Please feel free to post your comments on which iPad apps you find useful!  Let's start a conversation about what is working for you!


Click to see full size image
The infographic above was published on Aug. 21, 2012 as a blog post from OnlineUniversities.com.

Fast, Effective Research Help!

“Research is so frustrating!”  “I get thousands of hits when I search Google, but nothing is appropriate for my class assignment.”  “Can you help me find some scholarly journal articles?”

Librarians have noticed that studious TOROS are well into their search for scholarly resources for course assignments. Other than the friendly, personalized assistance you can find by speaking with a reference librarian, there are a number of available online research guides that can help TOROS easily navigate the research process. 

The guides have been developed by CSUDH librarians over the years and are either general subject guides or are specific to course sections. Guides cover a variety of topics including - 

• how to find a book in the library catalog 
• how to find scholarly articles 
• how to evaluate web sites 
• understanding plagiarism and citing sources, and
• tips and techniques for database searching.  

Feel free to take a look at a number of different guides to find the information you need. 

To find the guides, click on the link to Online Research Guides, found about ½ way down on the Library home page within the Research & Scholarly Assistance section.  Once on the page, you can select from General Subject Guides or Course Specific Guides by Department. 

If you have an idea for a research guide, please contact one of the University Librarians!  

If you would like additional help finding resources for your topic, contact a librarian at the Reference Desk or set up an appointment with a librarian for an individualized research session.  

GO TOROS!

Library Opens Longer Hours for Winter / Spring 2013

TOROS have spoken and the University Library has responded with longer hours for the Winter and Spring sessions.  Starting January 22, 2013 the library will remain open until 11:00 pm Monday through Thursday.  The 5:00 closing time will stay the same for Fridays and Saturdays.  We encourage you to take advantage of this extra time to get research papers and homework assignments completed during the quiet evening and night time hours.  The first three weeks in January the Library will keep daytime hours of 8 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday with a 9 am opening on Saturdays.  The Library is closed on Sundays and will be closed on Monday, the 21st in honor of the Martin Luther King holiday.

A complete Library calendar is available on the Library homepage. 

Here’s hoping all you TOROS are enjoying your winter break, are reading some good books, and taking advantage of the cool wintry weather surrounded by family and friends.

Have a safe, healthy and studious New Year 2013 and see you all back in the Library later this month!

High Activity in Computer Commons

The Library Computer Commons is seeing extremely high usage these days as Toros commit to completing final projects and papers, and gear up for final exams.  In the midst of all this activity, class instruction sessions are scheduled, printers crash, and the lost and found continues to collect items.

Even this late in the semester professors continue to request instruction sessions in research strategies and library services for their classes.  Upcoming sessions, held in the computer labs, will close one lab on Thursday, Nov. 29th from 8:00 am until 11:30 am and then again from 3:45 pm until 5:30 pm.  You can keep abreast of any additional closures on our Twitter feed, @CSUDHLib, or Facebook and Google+ pages at CSU Dominguez Hills Library. 

When the labs are closed, check for available desktop computers on the 3^rd floor of Library South, the 1^st floor of Library North in the Instructional Media Center and, of course, on the ground floor of Welch Hall, room 160.  You may also borrow laptops or iPads from the Laptop Loan Office.  The Laptop Loan Office, located on the 3^rd floor of Library South behind the elevators, serves current students in good standing and requires registration to participate in the loan program. 

With the increase in printing, printers occasionally jam or experience coin confusion.  Librarians and Library Services Specialists, located at the Information/Reference Desk, can handle most print issues and call upon Information Technology Specialists to assist when needed.  See the staff in the Laptop Loan Office to rectify issues with the 3^rd floor printer. 

Our lost and found collection is bulging with flash drives, glasses, clothing, keys, and more.  Stop by the Information/Reference Desk with your campus ID to check for and retrieve lost items.  And, make sure to grab all your belongings before leaving the Library.  Found items are turned over to campus police on a monthly basis.

Remember to keep calm, carry on, and give yourself extra time for study and library activities as we move towards finals week.  Go Toros!

EBooks Expand Our Collection by 150,000+

You may have noticed a large number of ebooks appearing on the results screen when you search the Library catalog for books.  The Library is building its online collection through ebrary, Safari Books Online, and EBSCO e-books and currently has more than 150,000 titles available!  Students and faculty like the convenience and immediate access to these books which are accessible 24/7 from your computer, laptop, and mobile devices.  Recently, one book had 1,112 hits with 45, 818 pages viewed!  Students are not only taking advantage of this new resource as a research tool, but also are finding that the features inherent with online resources are very helpful for completing assignments. 

Ebooks are quite easy to use.  When you search the Library catalog on a topic, the results screen will show ebooks along with print books that we hold in our collection.  Click on the title of the ‘electronic resource’ to see detailed catalog information about the book and to find the link to open the ebook.  If you click on the ‘This title has an electronic version’ hyperlink the ebrary book will open while the EBSCO record will open for an EBSCO ebook, and the table of contents will display for Safari Books Online. 

Ebrary

All ebrary books can be read on any device that can access an internet browser including smart phones and tablets.  You also have the choice of using a mobile app for iOS or Android based systems.  Once you open the online book you can turn pages with the forward/back arrows, jump to particular sections by clicking on a link on the table of contents, search the text for specific terms, copy, and print.  If you create an ebrary account (using the sign-in link at the right top on the menu bar) you have the ability to highlight text, take notes and “check-out” the book by downloading specific chapters or the whole book.  You also have the ability to save the link to the book, complete with your highlights and notes, on your personal bookshelf. 

EBSCO ebooks

When the EBSCO ebook detailed record screen opens you have the option to read the book online through the eBook Full Text option or download the book to read it offline on your computer or other electronic device.  Reading it offline will require you to create an EBSCO user account (see the Sign In tab on the top right menu bar) and download and use Adobe Digital Editions.  Once you have downloaded the book you can keep notes and get direct access to the Oxford American College Dictionary.  EBSCO ebooks also can be accessed on smart phones and tablets.

Safari Online Books

Safari books are primarily related to technology subject areas.  When you open the link to a Safari Online Book, the table of contents will appear as hyperlinks to the text.  You can also choose to read an overview of the book or search within the book.  Clicking on the ‘Start Reading’ icon will open the ebook and you will have the option to read it in HTML format or as it was printed.   

In the event that an ebook does not open, it is most likely in use by another party.  Just as we check out print books for a single user, ebooks that are downloaded are also checked out for a period of time thus making them unavailable to others until they are “returned.”  Don’t get frustrated, but continue to check the title as, often, the book is available within a few hours or a few days.

Don't be afraid to try these great online resources for your assignments, or encourage your professors to use them instead of costly textbooks, and let us know what you think!  

Election Guide 2012 -- VOTE TOROS!

Obama. Romney.  Who are these guys?  What’s Proposition 30? How come the Electoral College overrides the popular vote?

Although the process of voting can be pretty simple, the time and preparation needed to understand the process and cast a responsible vote can be quite daunting.  Reference Librarian Vivian Linderman has put together an online Election Guide to help you understand and navigate through Campaign 2012.

The guide includes numerous links to online resources related to voting and the election process, the candidates, the issues, and the California propositions.  You also will find links to information on the upcoming presidential debates, fact checkers (Pants on Fire!) and how to track the Red State / Blue State Electoral College votes.   As an added bonus, she’s added some fun sites to enjoy the antics of popular comedians, political spoofs, and cartoons.

Get out the vote TOROS!