Think outside of the box!

We have all heard that phrase used when the person speaking is trying to get us to try something new or come up with a new idea. And, that is what the Texas Library Association was doing when they instituted the idea of Library Snapshot Day in 2010.
When it was announced that it was to be held this year and that a library could pick any day in the month of October of 2010, the Steen Research and Instructional Services Librarians decided to bring the idea to the SFASU campus and the Ralph W. Steen Library.  


 
Disposable cameras were placed at service desk throughout the library, with signs asking users to “take a picture, and leave the camera.” 








Some of the Library staff got in the act using digital cameras.


 

 
 

 

There were over 150 photos taken with the 10 disposable cameras.



















 Library users were shown using the computers in the lobby and LINC,




 


sleeping on the new furniture in the New Books area,







attending a Library Instructional session,























 





 getting tutoring in the AARC, etc.




 






 





        

So, on October 21 , 2010, we created a “snapshot” of a day in the life of Steen Library.


 

 
  If you did not participate, don’t worry!

 










 

We hope to make this an annual event!

 

Hunt for tech books on Safari

Safari Books Online is the premier on-demand digital library providing technology, digital media, business books, and videos online. Safari Books Online, is paid for and licensed by Steen library. Currently a Custom Safari Books Online Library that contains a specially-tailored subset of 115 titles available through Steen library's website and increasingly through the catalog SteenFind. Now when searching for books about Windows 7, your Smartphone, or on more technical topics, you will find the latest titles available online in full-text. For a more thorough search of the tittles, and to search the full text of these books go directly to Safari.

If there is a computer science book you would like to see the library purchase or a specific topic represented feel free to contact Phil Reynolds. New titles both online and in print are acquired by the library on an ongoing basis. Suggestions for the Computer Science Subject Guide are also welcome.

R. Philip Reynolds preynolds (AT) sfasu.edu rm. 202b 936.468.1453 Subjects - Computer Science, Military Science, Philosophy, Religion, Political Science, Geography, Kinesiology

Welcome Freshman

Welcome to new freshman and welcome back to our returning students. Here at Steen Library the research librarians are here to help you with your resource needs. The Ask-A-Librarian desk located on the 1^st floor in the Research Room (Steen Library Map) is great for walk-in research help and the phone number is 468-7299. You can also use the Ask-A-Librarian form to get help online. Subject specialty assistance is as easy as contacting your liaison contact. We are here to help you have a great and successful semester!

There is a new and easier way to find books at Steen Library.

On Monday, July 12^th, the library rolled out a new library catalog called SteenFind. SteenFind will allow faculty, staff and students to search for books and other library materials faster and easier than before by combining the advantages of the traditional structure of library catalogs with the ease of search engines.

Check out the new catalog at http://library.sfasu.edu/find/.

SteenFind will feature patron empowerment services and we believe will greatly enhance your search for materials. Please contact me or any of the Research librarians if you have any questions or comments.

It's Not "What's New" but "Who's New"

In February, as a result of reorganization in the Steen Library, I was made the Instruction Coordinator for the Research and Instructional Services (RIS) department. Every member of the RIS faculty has expertise in an academic field, as well as in library and information science. While I am not a librarian, I am an educator, with a very strong background in curriculum development and research. These skills are complimentary to RIS’s mission, and I have been incorporated into several of the primary areas of the department's mission. The RIS department is eager to help provide research assistance for the SFASU community, either through an individual consultation, through library orientation and research or information literacy instruction for a class, or by answering individual questions at the Ask A Librarian desk.

As the university begins to implement its Quality Enhancement Plan for high impact student learning, RIS has begun examining its own programs which support this plan. It has had programs in place for decades to teach library skills, called by a variety of names including information literacy and research skills, but the focus has expanded to embrace changes in technology that have occurred during the last two decades. It is also changing to include a focus on the first year experience, with the goal of perhaps serving as a bridge between the freshmen high school research skills and experiences (or lack thereof) and the expectations and needs of their college professors. Over the course of the next several months, we will be researching the actual needs of our main audiences - the students and faculty of SFASU. This phase will be followed with the development and implementation of curriculum based on the results of this research.

If you need help with your research project, please contact a member of the RIS faculty.

Rhonda W. Williams Instruction Coordinator Research and Instructional Services Email: williamsrw@sfasu.edu Office: 202H Steen Library Phone: 936-468-7260

You are now entering "The Quiet Zone"

A new Quiet Zone hits the fourth floor of Steen Library. Looking for a quiet study space away from the bustling crowds? Check out the entire fourth floor of the Steen Library which is now reserved for quiet study, free from the distractions of service desks, study groups, and cell phone conversations. Students can find a peaceful oasis with tables, study rooms, and study carrels throughout the floor. Last fall a library survey was conducted which revealed library users were unhappy with the ongoing noise levels in the library and other distracting activities that are counterproductive to individual study.

The Twilight Zone themed “Quiet Zone” was a design created by Ms. Devon Skinner a senior from Dallas, enrolled in the Illustration class taught by Aloma Marquis last fall. Quiet Zone signage will be placed on the fourth floor and furniture will be arranged in a manner conducive to individual study.

The second and third floors are available for group studying.

Success will be determined by the self-disciplined actions of library users, but any of the library service point, like the Circulation or InfoDesk, can be told about abuses. We are encouraging all library users to enjoy this new space especially during the stressful weeks ahead before finals.

Let us know what you think about the Quiet Floor or suggestions to make it better.

Susan Clarke Head of Research and Instructional Services sclarke@sfasu.edu rm. 202g (936) 468-1459

Argue like a Pro with "Opposing Viewpoints"

Opposing Viewpoints is a database that presents both sides of controversial issues. It is a good starting point for choosing a topic, getting an overview, and finding related material. The series can be useful for writing speeches and debating. "Opposing Viewpoints" links to recommended websites, so it provides some “quality control” for the Web.

To get to it, click on the Databases A - Z on the Library home page. Scroll down to the O section and click on Opposing Viewpoints.

R. Philip Reynolds preynolds (AT) sfasu.edu rm. 202b 936.468.1453 Subjects - Computer Science, Military Science, Philosophy, Religion, Political Science, Geography, Kinesiology

Love is in the air.

Well, at least in the décor. It is estimated that one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine’s Day the second-largest card-selling holiday (after Christmas). But was Valentine’s Day really invented by the greeting card companies to take advantage of the love and/or friendship between two people?

Actually, Valentine’s Day was established at around 496 AD by Pope Gelasius I who named the holiday after a (some speculate several) Christian martyr named Valentine or Valentinus. No one really knows for sure who Valentine was or what he did but February was a month of romance long before the pope declared the 14^th the big day. Lupercalia, an ancient Roman fertility festival, was celebrated in mid-February.

The commercial holiday that we recognize today first began in Great Britain in the seventeenth century. By the middle of the eighteenth century, it was common practice to exchange small gifts or handwritten poems on Valentine’s Day. Improvements in printing technology led to printed greeting cards in the late 1700s. By this time, the holiday had become popular in the United States. In the 1840s, Esther Howland (now known as the Mother of the Valentine) began selling the first mass-produced valentines in the country. Since then, a number of other countries in the world have created their own Valentine’s Day traditions. In Japan, it is customary for women to buy chocolates for men (usually co-workers). One month later, the men who received chocolates are expected to return the favor. In Norfolk, England “Jack” Valentine leaves treats for children on the back step of the house. In Finland and Estonia the holiday is more about celebrating friends rather than lovers.

How do you spend your Valentine’s Day? Some people use this opportunity to show their loved ones how much they care; others use it to show how much they’re willing to spend. Some people go out and have a romantic dinner; others go on a romantic weekend getaway. But if you’re like me, you prefer to spend the day relaxing at home without roses, heart-shaped boxes, and pink teddy bears. While I do intend to spend some quality time with my significant other, I plan on spending the greater part of the day the same way I spend every Sunday – cozily bundled up in blankets with a good read. Incidentally, the book I’ll be reading this Sunday is the seventh installment of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series – a series about love that transcends time.

But Erica, shouldn’t you be doing more on Valentine’s Day to show that special someone how much you care? Well, what can I say? At the risk of sounding ooey-gooey, I must say that I hardly feel the need for a big to-do this Sunday. After all, every day is Valentine’s Day in our home.

Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon
At a whopping 656 pages, Outlander may appear daunting at first but if you’re into adventure, historical fiction, and love stories, the time will fly.

https://rwsteen2.sfasu.edu/uhtbin/cgisirsi/0/0/0/5?searchdata1=9780440212560

Research Library Liaison - Erica Lopez

Email: z_lopezer@titan.sfasu.edu
Phone: (936) 468-6270
Office: 202j

Tech Talk -- Bullet Points, Begone!!!!!

A great website about using technology in producing assignments for classes is http://libtechtalk.wordpress.com/ created by librarians at the University of Michigan. One of the tips they offer is how to get rid of boring bulletpoints in Powerpoint presentations even though you want to make sure your important points are noticed by the Prof.

I also found this trick simply by mistake as I was playing around with Microsoft features. After I created what I wanted, then I forgot how I did it! Here are the steps that will help you.

"Now, thanks to the help of PowerPoint’s “SmartArt Graphics”, you can easily turn your mundane bullet points into visually stunning gems of knowledge.

Here’s how…
1. Make your list, like you always do. (Go ahead, admit it.) Check out my mundane slide in Figure 1 if you need inspiration.

2. Select the text box that contains your bullet points.

3. Click the SmartArt icon in the “Paragraph” section of the “Home” ribbon.

4. Choose your preferred SmartArt graphic (hint: hovering over a particular SmartArt graphic will give you a preview of your transformed bullet points).

It’s better, but you’re not done yet!
Next, with the SmartArt version of your bullet points selected (make sure you choose the whole graphic rather than just part of it), click on the “Design” ribbon.


From here, you can change the colors and the style of your SmartArt graphic. Your B&W bullet points seem light years away now!"

Thank you Librarytechtalk.

	Marthea Turnage mturnage@sfasu.edu rm. 202c 936.468.1896 Subjects - Accounting, Criminal Justice, Economics and Finance, General Business, Law, Management/Marketing/International Business, Nursing, Psychology