October 2009 Archives

I'll be teaching an EndNote Basics Class next week at Walter Library.

The class is Tuesday, November 3 from 1:30-2:30 in Room 310

You can register here

In the class I'll cover the basics of using EndNote (importing citations, linking to full text, formatting in-text citations and bibliographies, etc.) We'll be using EndNote X3, so if you're interested to see what this newest version has to offer this class would be a great opportunity to learn more.

If you can 't make it to the workshop, I've also put together an online version.

We're offering a new workshop at Walter Library next week, RefWorks: Advanced.

If you've taken our RefWorks:Basics class or are self-taught on using the online citation manager then this class might be for you.

We let the class decide what gets covered in the class...to get an idea of the types of topics that we'll demonstrate visit the RefWorks: Advanced website.

If you're only interested in one of the suggested topics then you might not want to come to the full workshop...just email me and I can answer your question directly.

But if the topics look intriguing please register for the class here.

Here's all the info

RefWorks: Advanced
Tuesday, October 27
1:00-2:00
Walter Library 310

If you're a SciFinder user than you know that in the past you've had to download client software onto your desktop to search SciFinder's database and use VPN if you wanted to access it off-campus.

Now SciFinder has recently made an online version available to UMN Library users.

To use SciFinder online you'll have to set up a SciFinder Account...here's the steps that our Chemistry Librarian, Meghan Lafferty sent out:

- Log in to https://www.lib.umn.edu/user/x500.
- Click on http://www.lib.umn.edu/get/16109 (or paste it into the address bar in your browser).
- If you come to an Access Denied page, click on the "Please login..." link.
- Use your umn.edu e-mail address when filling out the registration form, .
- Because only current University of Minnesota students, faculty, and staff are permitted to use SciFinder Scholar, please do not share registration/log-in information.

For those of you who currently use the client software, it will continue to work...but they are planning on phasing it out in late 2010.

We only have a limited number of SciFinder seats so please make sure to log out when you are finished using it.

Just a heads up that there is going to be a major systems downtime this weekend. The downtime is needed for "a necessary upgrade to the utility and emergency power provided to the University's WBOB Data Center."

To find out which library services will be affected please check out the downtime website.

You'll want to plan accordingly if you were planning to use affected library resources this weekend.

Sorry for the inconvenience. Please pass along the information to colleagues and students.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

MNCat User Survey

The Libraries would like your feedback on our online catalog MNCat! If you've used this resource to find out book or journal information please take a minute or two to let us know what you think.

You can take the survey here.

Open Access Week 2009

October 19-23 is Open Access Week 2009. To find out more about open access, your rights as an author, and how we're celebrating visit our website.

The Libraries are always happy to talk with you about your rights as an author and how you can go about retaining those rights. If you have any questions about open access feel free to send me an email and I can talk to you or put you in touch with our experts!

Formatting You Dissertation in Word 2007: The Online Experience

Engineering Librarian Jan Fransen offers a popular workshop on formatting your dissertation--it often fills up very quickly. To help make the information more widely available Jan has put recordings of the class online. You can access the recordings here. Jan has also written the class up in Moodle.

Please note that we have many workshops available in an online format. If you'd like to see a tutorial on a topic that isn't currently represented--we'd like to know what you're interested in learning more about.

We're offering a lot library workshops next week...here's info on those workshops that still have open spaces:

Unravel 3

I wrote about the Unravel Program in an earlier post this week. Unravel 3 covers more advanced search tips...useful to those who are in the beginning stages of a literature review.

Unravel 3: Advanced Searching
Monday, October 19
10:00-11:15
Walter 310

Getting Published: How to Publish Your Science Research Article

This workshop is aimed at graduate students and beginning faculty who are just entering the publication world. This workshop demonstrates ways of finding the best journal for your article and will give you a primer on retaining your rights as an author.

Getting Published
Monday, October 19
1:30-2:30
Walter 310

Grant Funding - Search Tools and Resources

This image is from AMagill via Flickr. CC.

Looking for funding for your big research project? Librarians will show you the ins and outs of major grant databases--allowing you to find relevant grants quickly.

Grant Funding
Tuesday, October 20
3:00-4:15
Walter 310

You can register for all of these workshops here.

Unravel the Libraries is introductory series of workshops that introduces the basics of research to University of Minnesota students. You can learn skills like brainstorming keywords, locating relevant databases, and evaluating search results.

This class may be especially useful if you're returning to research after a hiatus in your studies or if you're starting research at an American university for the first time. Also if you're an instructor or TA for a class of undergraduates, you may want to make them aware of this resource as well.

Unravel 2 and 3 will probably be the most useful. If you're interested in learning more you visit these websites, Unravel 2 and Unravel 3, to get a more complete description and register for a class (I'll be teaching an Unravel 2 session at Walter Library on Wednesday, October 28 from 3:00-4:15).

Unravel 2 is also available completely online if the workshops don't work with your schedule.

We've got a lot of workshops coming up next week. Workshops to help you maximize your searching as well as workshops to help you organize your research. Keep reading to learn more details.

Monday, October 12

Web of Science: Research Made Easy
1:30-2:30 (Walter 310)

Geology/Astronomy/Physics Librarian Lisa Johnston will show you the ins and outs of searching this powerful science database. A great workshop if you've got a research project that you're working on!

Tuesday, October 13

Zotero Basics
11:15-12:15 (Walter 310)

Engineering Librarian Jan Fransen and I will teach you the basics of using Zotero, a *free* citation manager Firefox plug-in. Zotero makes capturing citations extremely easy and convenient.

Wednesday, October 14

EndNote Basics
1:30-2:30 (Walter 310)

I'll be teaching this class. I'll show the basics of using EndNote...capturing and storing citations. Formatting bibliographies and in-text citations. We'll be using version X3...so if you're interested to see what's new in EndNote feel free to sign up.

Introduction to SciFinder Scholar
3:30-4:30 (Walter 310)

Chemistry and Materials Science Librarian Meghan Lafferty will provide a guided tour of this great resource for chemical substances and literature from chemistry and a wide variety of related fields including food science, geochemistry, materials science, medicine. She'll show you tips and tricks to make the most of your searching.

To register for any of these courses visit our website. Seats are limited!

Here's a selection of books that we've recently purchased for our collection at the Physical Sciences and Engineering Library. If there's a book that you'd like the library to purchase please feel free to send me an email. I'm happy to take recommendations under consideration.

Nanobiotechnology and Nanobiosciences

By Claudio Nicolini
TP248.25.N35 N53 2009
Check Availability.

The Ethics of Protocells: Moral and Social Implications of Creating Life in the Laboratory

Edited by Mark A. Bedau and Emily C. Parke
TP248.23 .E862 2009
Check Availability.

Career Development in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

Edited by Guruprasad Madhavan, Barbara Oakley, and Luis Kun
TA164 .C37 2008
Check Availability

Essentials of Biotechnology

By R.C. Sobti and Suparna S. Pachouri
TP248.2 .S63 2009
Check Availability.