Blog Updated

Original Blog Design and New Look

After many years of service, the Library Services Blog has updated its look. The blog will continue to function as a source for Library Services' achievements, history, services information, and updates. It will function in conjunction with our other current social media sites such as Facebook, Flickr, and Twitter.

We hope you like the new look and watch as we continue to layer additional services into the updated blog design.

Windows 7 & Upgraded Network Wiring

Library Services has always tried to take a leading roll in experimenting and implementing new technologies in the college. Over the past week Information Technology Department (ITS) has been upgrading our student computers with Windows 7.

For those people that were not fans of the Vista stations, we hope that you will be pleased with this implementation. The machines will continue to provide the Microsoft Office 2007 Professional suite of applications, Adobe Photoshop Elements, SMART Board and Classroom Performance System tools, and more.

Additionally, ITS and Pro Comm have been upgrading the network cables in the Vera Bracken Library, which should translate into a faster and smoother network experience on those computers.

There is more to come, so stay tuned as we continue to move forward and coordinate with ITS to enhance your computing experience in the libraries.

Stay United With Your Flash Drive!

Due to their small size, it is very easy to lose a flash drive. In some cases, it is the loss of the information that is more infuriating than the loss of the actual physical device.

Fortunately there are many Good Samaritans at Medicine Hat College and lost flash drives are regularly turned in to us. Library Services does try to reunite flash drives with their owners by identifying names in files and sending an email to *@mymhc.ca accounts.

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Basic File Naming &
Contact Information
(Click to enlarge.)

HELP US TO HELP YOU

Provide Contact Information

You can help us connect you to your lost drive by including a simple little text file (*.txt) that provides basic contact information. Your name and *@mymhc.ca should be sufficient information—never provide ID numbers or other confidential information.

Naming the Text File

When naming the text file with the contact information, give it an obvious/simple name. Some examples are: CONTACT INFORMATION, IF LOST CONTACT, OWNER INFO, etc.

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If you think your flash drive was lost in any place other than the library, please check with the Information Technology Help Desk (B223) or the Security office (F128)—both desks have lost & founds as well.

Please note that in cases where ownership of a flash drive is not obvious (e.g., numerous names in files), we do not send an email, so please check with any of the aforementioned service desks for assistance. Additionally, we do not send emails to accounts other than *@mymhc.ca.

Library Noise Zone Guidelines

One of the common concerns expressed by students in the Vera Bracken Library is the level of noise. As an academic institution, we encourage intellectual discourse; however, sometimes the conversations can carry. This does not always prove to be an environment that is conducive to the academic endeavours of other patrons.

To this end, Library Services has established guidelines for moderating conversations within the facility. There are four zones, which are:

• Green – Normal conversation.
  You can expect conversations to be carried out at a normal volume. These areas are group study and social areas within the library.
  
  
• Yellow – Quiet talking.
  Conversations are expected to be carried out in a discrete and quiet manner.
   
• Blue – Quiet study.
  These zones are for quiet studies and no social conversations will be allowed.
   
• Red – Silent.
  The expectation is that these areas are quiet study zones and there will be no conversations.

Vera Bracken Library Noise Zones [Click to enlarge.]

Library Services would like to maintain its policy of not “policing” the noise zones. Regardless of what zone you are in, please be considerate of your fellow students and other library patrons. If you do believe that noise is excessive in your area and you are not comfortable approaching those patrons, please contact the library’s Information Desk in-person, by e-mail (reference@mhc.ab.ca), instant messenger, or text message (403.866.5872).

Library Services is continuing to examine other means of dampening sound in the library to promote a healthy and productive academic environment for all patrons.

If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please contact us at the Information Desk in-person, by phone (403.504.3511), e-mail (reference@mhc.ab.ca), instant messenger, or text message (403.866.5872).

You can also discuss or share your opinions about the guidelines and defined noise zones via Facebook or Twitter.

"Southern Alberta Newspapers" Database Cancelled

Due to changing fee structures and low usage, Library Services has discontinued its subscription to the Southern Alberta Newspapers database.

This database permitted users partial access to digital content produced by the: The 40-Mile County Commentator, The Coaldale Sunny South News, The Lethbridge Herald, Medicine Hat News, The Prairie Post, The Prairie Post West, Taber Times, and The Vauxhall Advance newspapers.

If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please contact Library Services at: reference@mhc.ab.ca, or by telephone at: 403.504.3544.

New TVs in Group Study Rooms

In January, the Vera Bracken Library took receipt of 5 new HD (720p) televisions and DVD/VCR combo players for the Group Study Rooms. The new televisions feature a 32" panoramic display, which is a significant improvement over the the previous 19" CRT televisions.

The Group Study Rooms provide a convenient place for students to perform group projects in by giving them an environment that allows them to focus on the work at hand or have discussions.

ABOUT THE GROUP STUDY ROOMS:

• Faculty, staff, and students can book the Group Study Rooms.
  
  
• Rooms can be booked for as long as 2 hours.
  
  
• Access is granted on a first-come, first-serve basis—sign-up sheets for the current week are outside each room.
  
  
• Booking for subsequent weeks can be made at the Circulation Desk.
  
  
• Groups requiring a room take precedence over any one individual occupying any Group Study Room.
  
  
• If a group is 10 minutes late, the room goes to the next waiting group.
  
  
• The rooms also have access to basic cable television and whiteboards for collaboration—whiteboard erasers and markers can be checked-out from the Circulation Desk.
  

Lost Your USB Drive? Check @mymhc.ca E-mail

The Vera Bracken Library not only houses an excellent collection of audiovisual media, books, periodicals, and more, but it is also home to a large collection of a discarded or lost USB flash drives.

Currently the library has more than 65 USB flash drives that are unclaimed. Library Services staff do make an effort to reconnect the owners with their drives though. More than 90% of the owners have been contacted via their @mymhc.ca student e-mail accounts, but the drives still go unclaimed. Drives that are not claimed prior to the start of the subsequent semester will be reformatted and distributed to students that will make use of them.

So please, check your official college e-mail and see if your lost USB drive is waiting for you at the Vera Bracken Library's Information Desk.

If you think that you lost your USB drive anywhere else on-campus, please see the Information Technology Help Desk (second floor of B-wing) or the Security Office (F-128).

E-mail Information Services: Farewell AAQ, Hello to Us

After successfully participating in The Alberta Library's (TAL) Ask A Question (AAQ) e-mail information service for the more than 10 years, Medicine Hat College Library Services will be venturing out and launching its own in-house e-mail information service.

With our new submission form, we have streamlined the process to submit a question and users will also be able to submit a formatted e-mail message to us.

Despite the change in service delivery, patrons can still expect the same level of quality in the answers that they will receive. The Library Services Information Desk team will also be able to reply with formatted e-mails and provide attachments if necessary, both of which are helpful for APA and MLA citation questions.
ACCESSING THE SUBMISSION FORM

Patrons can locate the e-mail submission form by selecting the "ASK A QUESTION" link on the homepage or by selecting "E-mail Information Services" via the left-hand navigation menu on any Library Services page.

If you submit a question, please "white-list" the e-mail address: askus@mhc.ab.ca. Replies from the service will be delivered via this address and whatever e-mail service you employ might flag our reply as spam.

Patrons that want to use TAL's AAQ service can still do so, but Library Services' staff will not be replying.

Database Updates 2011

Every year libraries across the province of Alberta have to negotiate access to database resources, which are used to access journal, magazine, and newspaper articles. Fortunately organizations such as The Alberta Library (TAL) and the Lois Hole Campus Alberta Digital Library (LHCADL) make negotiations easier. Despite a relatively health economy, libraries are still feeling the effects of the latest economic recession.

Library Services' administration has tried to maximize the resources available through the aforementioned organizations, but we will still lose access to some databases. The databases that will no longer be available include:

• Agricola (EBSCO)
  
  
• Association Unlimited (Gale)
  
  
• Computers and Applied Sciences Complete (EBSCO)
  
  
• Film and Television Literature Index with Full Text (EBSCO)
  
  
• Gale Virtual Reference Library (Gale)
  
  
• Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition (EBSCO)
  
  
• International Bibliography of Theatre and Dane with Full Text (EBSCO)
  
  
• MEDLINE (EBSCO)

Agricola and MEDLINE are still free and searchable indexes (with some full-text content) that are made available by the United States' Departments of Agriculture, and Health and Human Services, respectively.

Though we have lost several resources, we have gained some World Book Encyclopedia resources. Those new World Book products include:

• Encyclopédie Découverte (French language)
  
  
• World Book Kids
  
  
• World Book Student

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ADDITIONAL CHANGES

Some additional changes to be aware of are:

• The "Nursing/Health Studies" section of the database directory has been renamed. It will now be titled "Health Studies/Nursing." The URL will remain the same, so there is no need to change your bookmark.
  
  
• The following headings have been removed from the database directory: "Career Development," "Media," and "Philosophy," because we no longer subscribe to specific databases related to these fields of study.
  
  Databases under the General/Multidisciplinary heading can be used for these subject areas.
  

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If you have concerns regarding these changes please contact the Library Services Information Desk at: reference@mhc.ab.ca, or by telephone: 403.504.3544.

New College (and Library Services) Website Launched

We are 24 hours into the new website and we hope you enjoy the new look of Medicine Hat College (and Library Services in particular). This project was a long time in the making and we genuinely hope you find navigating the site an easier and more enjoyable experience.

Some new features that Library Services has added include an arrangement of tabs that will allow you to perform a variety of searches directly from our homepage. The searches that you can perform include: print and audiovisual searches of the online catalogue, article search in EBSCOhost databases, print and electronic periodical title searches, and a Google Scholar search.

Critical resources and information such as hours of operation and contact information have been promoted to the homepage. Accessing assistance, how-to guides, and placing interlibrary loan requests has also been made easier. If you need assistance navigating the site, please see the Information Desk.

College Advancement and Information Technology Services oversaw the website redesign. You can read more about what was involved in completing the project by clicking here.

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NOTE: Older links in the blog might not be accessible because of new site deployment. If there is content that you wish to view, but the links are dead, please contact us.

Library Staff Complete Successful Lecture Circuit

Pictured (l-r): L. Li; J. Malinsky; J. MacDonald; L. Cunningham

Staff from the Vera Bracken Library has been busy on the library lecture circuit this spring. Working in teams, staffers have been presenting to professional (Alberta Association of College Librarians, 15 April 2010), provincial (Alberta Association of Library Technicians, 29 June 2010), and national (Canadian Library Association, 4 June 2010) organizations on the merits of using the short message service (SMS; a.k.a.; text messaging) as a remote information service.

During the course of their presentation, they shared their research, experience, and successes with the audiences. The presentation was always well received and is proving to be a model for other libraries as they consider launching their own services.

Medicine Hat College Library Services has demonstrated innovation and leadership in information services—being the first post-secondary institute in Alberta to offer this service to its patrons.

To learn more about our text messaging service information service, click here.

Library Online Services Disruption - 5 May 2010

On Wednesday, May 5, 2010, Library Services will experience a scheduled disruption of some online services from approximately 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. This disruption is a result of an incremental and planned upgrade to our library system in conjunction with our partners at the University of Lethbridge.

Our patrons will experience the follow disruptions to our online services during this time:

• Unable to use the library catalogue to search for book and audiovisual materials, and renew materials remotely.
  
  
• Unable to remotely log-on to databases to locate journal, magazine, or newspaper articles.

No other services will be disrupted during this time, so you will still be able to check materials in/out of the libraries, access databases from on campus, receive assistance from our online information services (Ask A Question, Online Agents (IM service), and text messaging (403-866-5872)), etc.

We apologize for the inconvenience this might cause.

Library Staff Complete Their Own Torch Relay

1 country, 25 participants, 106 days, 26,000 kilometres – Go!

In October of last year, 25 library staff members signed up to participate in the Library Services version of the Olympic Torch Relay. The challenge was to convert any physical activity into steps and as a team, to follow the real Olympic Torch across the land portion of its journey across Canada. 26,000 kilometres in 106 days!

Each participant was handed a pair of Olympic red mittens, a pedometer and the encouragement to go ‘swifter, higher, stronger’. We totaled our step counts for walking, cycling, running and climbing stairs. We calculated our minutes of aquasize, swimming, weight lifting and yoga. We tallied dog walks, dancing, grocery shopping and vacuuming. A large map of the relay route was posted as motivation and as a visual representation of our efforts. A record was kept of each person’s activity and the number of steps they contributed. While this might have discouraged some of the non-competitors in our group, in reality it had the opposite effect. We encouraged each other in our physical activities, we discussed what people did in their spare time and admittedly it did generate a little bit of friendly competition.

So, did we manage to finish the relay in time for the opening ceremonies on February 12th? Yes we did, with a few hours to spare. But perhaps the bigger achievement was the sense of community and teamwork that developed as a result of the challenge. And isn’t that what the Olympics are meant to inspire in all of us?

Laptops to Loan . . .

Occasionally students might find that they need to do a little mobile computing around campus, but do not have a computer where they want to work. To this end, Library Services now provides laptops to students that need some mobile computing power where and when they need it. Internet services can be easily accessed using the laptops' built-in wireless cards and our wireless network.

Students can borrow and schedule laptops from the Vera Bracken Library for use on campus only. A laptop can be borrowed for 4 hours and renewed for an additional 4 hours if there are no holds on it. See the Audio Visual Desk in the library for additional details.

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The laptops' software profiles are as follows:

• Microsoft Office XP (SP3)
  
• Microsoft Office 2007 Professional (Access, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc.)
• Classroom Performance System (CPS)
• SMART Notebook 10
• CD/DVD burning application and more

Some quick hardware specifications include:

• 17" screen (great for collaboration)
  
• 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
• 250 GB hard drive
  
• 3GB RAM
  
• Wireless network card & Bluetooth
• Built-in Web-cam and microphone
• CD/DVD player
• SD card reader
• Firewire (1394a)
• USB 2.0

Library Online Services Disruption - 12 January 2010

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, Library Services will experience a scheduled disruption of some online services from approximately 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. This disruption is a result of incremental and planned upgrades to our library system.

Our patrons will experience the follow disruptions to our online services during this time:

• Unable to use the library catalogue to search for book and audiovisual materials, and renew materials remotely.
  
  
• Unable to remotely log-on to databases to locate journal, magazine, or newspaper articles.

No other services will be disrupted during this time, so you will still be able to check materials in/out of the libraries, access databases from on campus, receive assistance from our online information services (Ask A Question, Online Agents (IM service), and text messaging (403-866-5872)), etc.

We apologize for the inconvenience this might cause.

Streaming Media Restrictions Lifted

As many on campus experienced for the last several months, there were restrictions to using certain streaming media services on campus—most notably, but not exclusively, Google Videos, YouTube, etc. These restrictions have now been lifted and streaming media has returned to Medicine Hat College.

Information Technology Services (ITS) would, however, ask that you try and use some prudence when accessing these types of resources. Bandwidth is still an extremely precious and costly resource. We would like to maximize availability and speed to all Internet services and streaming media can be taxing on our current, though vastly improved, resources. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.

It should also be noted that despite the lifting of restrictions to streaming media, the college will still be employing Websense Web filtering services. This service is designed to maximize network integrity by filtering potentially malicious or offensive content from being accessed via the Web.

Click here to read more about this.

IMPORTANT: Database Updates!

With hard economic times, come hard economic realities that libraries must face. Due to provincial cutbacks in funding to the Lois Hole Campus Alberta Digital Library (LHCADL), Medicine Hat College Library Services will no longer have access to certain database resources that allow our patrons to access journal, magazine, and newspaper articles.

The databases that we will lose access to include:

• Catholic Periodical and Literature Index (EBSCO)
  
  
• Child Development & Adolescent Studies (EBSCO)
  
  
• Communication and Mass Media Complete (EBSCO)
  
  
• Family & Society Studies Worldwide (EBSCO)
  
  
• Garden, Landscape & Horticulture Index (EBSCO)
  
  
• Gender Studies Database (EBSCO)
  
  
• Health and Wellness Resource Center (EBSCO)
  
  
• Hospitality & Tourism Complete (EBSCO)
  
  
• International Political Science Abstracts (EBSCO)
  
  
• LGBT Life with Full Text (EBSCO)
  
  
• Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text (EBSCO)
  
  
• Literature Online (LION; ProQuest)
  
  
• New Testament Abstracts Online (EBSCO)
  
  
• Old Testament Abstracts Online (EBSCO)
  
  
• OmniFile Full Text, Mega Edition (H. W. Wilson)
  
  
• Professional Development Collection (EBSCO)
  
  
• ProQuest Education Journals (ProQuest)
  
  
• ProQuest Science Journals (ProQuest)
  
  
• Religion & Philosophy Collection (EBSCO)
  
  
• Sociological Collection (EBSCO)
  
  
• Vocational & Career Collection (EBSCO)
  
  
• Wildlife & Ecology Studies Worldwide (EBSCO)
  
  
• World History Collection (EBSCO)

Thanks to the college’s membership with The Alberta Library (TAL) which allows access to a number of databases in common with other libraries in the province, and with the databases that the library purchases on its own, the college will still have a wide range of databases that cover the programs taught at Medicine Hat College.

Databases that we will add to supplement our content include:

• Education Full Text (H. W. Wilson)
  
  
• General Science Full Text (H. W. Wilson)
  
  
• Humanities Full Text (H. W. Wilson)
  
  
• Index to Legal Periodicals Full Text (H. W. Wilson)
  
  
• Library Literature & Information Science Full Text (H. W. Wilson)
  
  
• OmniFile Full Text, Select Edition (H. W. Wilson)
  
  
• Political Science Complete (EBSCO)
  
  
• Readers' Guide Full Text (H. W. Wilson)
  
  
• Social Sciences Full Text (H. W. Wilson)
  
  
• Wilson Business Full Text (H. W. Wilson)

These changes will be effective January 1, 2010.

Though there is a net loss of resources that might seem somewhat drastic, MHC Library Services’ administration has worked to ensure that the most comprehensive and critical resources are maintained to maximize the quality and quantity of academic literature that is available to our patrons. Despite the losses, you can still expect the same level of professionalism and service provided by the staff of Library Services as we move forward in the current economic environment.

If you have concerns regarding these matters, please contact Keith Walker (Director, Library Services) at: kwalker@mhc.ab.ca, or by telephone at: 403-529-3867.

IM & Text Services - Seasonal Closures

The Library Online Agents instant messaging service and the text messaging service will be unavailable from December 24, 2009 until January 3, 2010. Both of these services will return to operation on January 4, 2010 for the Winter Semester.

We thank our patrons that have made these online services a success over the past semesters, and we look forward to serving you in the new year.

(Yule) Fire in the Library!

We would like to remind you that the library is a good place to study during the exam time. If nothing else, it is a good place to get out of the cold and relax with your classmates. The staff are always warm and inviting, not to mention out virtual Yule Fire.

APA Update: Wikis & Corrections

WIKI ENTRY UPDATE

The APA has clarified how to cite a wiki entry. Our APA Style Guide cited a wiki entry to conform to the online community standard. It has now been changed to conform to the method that is used for an online reference book.

Previous our entry looked like this (click image to enlarge):




Now it will be more correctly displayed as (click image to enlarge):



To cite the previous example in-text, it would appear as follows:

• . . . ("APA Style," 2009). OR
• The "APA Style" (2009) article suggests . . . .
  

If a single author is given, order your entry as follows:

• author > date of posting/update > article title (sentence case, normal font) > wiki name (sentence case, italicized; preceded by "In"--using a plain font) > date of retrieval and URL.

If no single author is given:

• Article title (sentence case, normal font) > date of posting/update > wiki name (sentence case, italicized; preceded by "In"--using a plain font) > date of retrieval and URL.

The corrected version of the guide will carry the revision date of: October 2009 [Rev. A]. To view the revised style guide, click here.

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GENERAL UPDATE TO PUBLICATION MANUAL

The APA has also posted its first list of corrections and clarifications to the 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Click here to view the list.

Header and margin boundaries are still poorly defined by the manual and are inconsistently displayed in the sample papers. These concerns have not been addressed by the APA, so we continue to rely on the more clearly defined 5th edition header and margin boundaries.