The University Libraries are your place for 24/7, "distraction-free" studying for finals. Use our spaces, our computers, our coffee shops, get help when you need it and take a break with our awesome activities. Our staplers will be waiting...

Building Hours for Libraries and SMART Learning Commons

Walter Library (East Bank):

• 2nd Floor Great Hall will be open 24/7 from May 3 to May 18
• Study Break:
  • Wii in media viewing room on Monday, May 13 (7-9pm)
  • Giant crossword puzzle, Legos, Origami, Coloring sheets, Jigsaw puzzles, Free book cart, Short videos
  • Social Media - "5 Days of Giveaways" through FourSquare and Facebook

Bio-Medical Library (Diehl Hall, East Bank):

• Will be open 24/7 from May 3 and ending May 18 (UCard required)
• Study Break:
• Bio-Med Library will be hosting its Stress Buster events on May 14-15, which includes a five-minute chair massage by a Boynton Health Service massage therapist from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.
• Cookies and beverages are offered from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
• Also offered are pet therapy opportunities with a registered service dog, Gabe the Husky, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. All events are outside the tunnel entry to the Bio-Med Library.

Magrath Library (St. Paul):

• Will be open extended hours:
  • Study Days May 11 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. and May 12 12:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
  • Finals Week May 13-17 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. and May 18 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Study Break: nurturing seeds of knowledge
• Monday, May 6 11:30 a.m. to 1p.m. Flowers planting to take home over summer break St. Paul Student Center or Magrath Library room 2 (rain back-up)
• Tuesday, May 7 11:30 a.m. Foraging trip across St. Paul campus to learn about what is edible; meet at Magrath Library room 2, and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., planting at Cornercopia Farm
• Wednesday, May 8 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Create aromatherapy sachets, St. Paul Student Center or Magrath Library room 2 (rain back-up)
• Thursday, May 9 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. planting at Cornercopia Farm
• Friday, May 10 Greenhouse planting 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Wilson Library (West Bank): Finals Week Space Jam

• Will be open 24/7 from May 10-May 18
• Study Break
• Monday, May 13, 2013 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Wilson Library Rooms S-30A: snacks, Star Trek, and space-themed coloring and puzzles,
• Giant crosswords puzzles throughout the building all week
• Board games available in the basement in the evenings

SMART Learning Commons:

• Math and Chemistry Exam Review workshops May 4 - May 11 is available
• Expanded tutoring hours, bookended by our first-ever TWO Exam Jam Saturdays:
• May 4, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., in Walter Library (hosted by the SMART Learning Commons)
• May 11, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., in 140 Appleby Hall (hosted by the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence)
• Take 5 to use your Top 5
• On May 4 during the afternoon tutoring hours at Walter, stop by the Strengths booth to get a Take 5 candy bar and 5 tips for how to use your top 5 Strengths to be successful during finals week!
• Tutor schedules and more details can be found at at smart.umn.edu

Posted by Mark Engebretson at 10:56 AM | Permalink

"In pulling together the event, I've been impressed with the amount of information and the role that protest has played here at the U throughout our history," Herther said.

For the April 17 event at Ferguson Hall, she's found enthusiastic collaborators, including University of Minnesota students and faculty members who will perform protest music and engage in discussions about the historical significance of protest music.

Mark Pedelty, an associate professor of communication studies, will perform with his band and lead a discussion of music as environmental protest.

"About half of the music and discussion will be directly about protest music in a larger sense," said Pedelty, who added that the event is "more of a teach-in on protest and environmental music." He has recruited University of Minnesota students to perform and participate in the discussions.

What: Teach in on Protest and Environmental Music
When: April 17, 4 to 5 p.m.
Where: 280 Ferguson Hall, West Bank Campus, University of Minnesota

Event Schedule
4:00 to 4:20 p.m.: The band, Lynhurst, featuring University of Minnesota students Jacob and Matt Abdo, will perform "Greenback Dollar" and "The Times They are a Changin'." A group of students from the freshmen seminar class in COMM 1901, Environmental Communication, will lead a discussion.

4:20 to 4:40 p.m.: Two students from COMM 1901 will perform two classical pieces, followed by a discussion on classical music as protest music.

4:40 to 5:00 p.m.: Mark Pedelty's band will perform "Dump the Bosses Off Your Back" and one original song. Included will be a discussion of music as environmental protest.

NOTE: A related exhibit on the history of protest music will run through April at Wilson Library. It features books and resources on protest music from the Civil War to the turbulent 1960s anti-Vietnam war movement to the Arab Spring.

Posted by Mark Engebretson at 9:05 AM | Permalink

Award-winning author Louise Erdrich will be the featured speaker May 8 at the Friends of the University of Minnesota Libraries Annual Dinner. The event takes place at McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak St. S.E., Minneapolis.

Erdrich is the author of 14 novels as well as volumes of poetry, short stories, children's books, and a memoir of early motherhood.

Her novel "Love Medicine" won the National Book Critics Circle Award. "The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse" was a finalist for the National Book Award. "The Plague of Doves" won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

Most recently, her novel, "The Round House," won the 2012 National Book Award for fiction.

The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with an awards presentation and reception, followed by dinner and the Friends of the Libraries business meeting at 6:15 p.m. Erdrich will speak at 8:00 p.m. An author signing will follow with books available for sale courtesy of Birchbark Books.

Ticket Information

Purchase tickets by May 1 at the University of Minnesota Tickets and Events office: 612-624-2345 or z.umn.edu/libtix.

The cost is $48 each for members of the Friends of the University of Minnesota Libraries, and $58 each for the general public (price includes dinner).

Parking and Directions

Information about parking and directions to the McNamara Alumni Center is available at mac-events.org/directions/.

About the Friends of the Libraries

Friends of the Libraries are advocates for advancing the University of Minnesota Libraries and for strengthening the Libraries as the vital center in scholarly life at the University of Minnesota. Friends of the Libraries have an enthusiasm for books and learning as well as an appreciation for the Libraries' importance to the University.

Posted by Mark Engebretson at 3:13 PM | Permalink

Fans of Sherlock Holmes have a special treat in store this summer: The conference, "Sherlock Holmes Through Time and Place," will take place Aug. 9-11 at the University of Minnesota's Elmer L. Andersen Library, home to the world's largest collection of Sherlock Holmes-related material.

The conference is sponsored by the Norwegian Explorers of Minnesota and the Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of Minnesota.

The conference will feature presentations by a stellar group of international Sherlockians, vendor tables, a silent auction of selected duplicate items from the collections, an exhibit of rare and unique materials from the collections, a dramatic performance by the Red-Throated League of the Norwegian Explorers, and the Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections.

The registration fee of $165 per person includes all presentations, Saturday lunch and banquet dinner, refreshments at breaks, and conference keepsakes. Additional Saturday evening banquet dinners for guests are $40 per person.

• Learn more/register

Posted by Mark Engebretson at 8:40 AM | Permalink

More information
Cecily Marcus
University of Minnesota Libraries
612-624-8812

Givens Collections of African American Literature

Download the Annotated Bibliophilia by Davu Seru (PDF)

The Archie Givens, Sr., Collection of African American Literature of the University of Minnesota Libraries honors Black History Month with an exhibit from February 1 to 26 in the Hennepin Gallery.

Many of the books on exhibit are rare first editions, some of which have been out of print for many years, and some have also been signed, inscribed, and/or illustrated by the authors. Others include striking covers designed by iconic artists. In this digital age, these books as objects take on new meaning, often carrying new stories told by the wear and tear from a journey across time and through many hands.

The Givens Collection also contains epistolary exchanges, manuscripts, ephemera, music and artworks that represent the heroic accomplishments of lay preservationists who have collected and cared for works as readers and bibliophiles, as well as an interest in documenting African American cultural life as a matter of public good.

The collection of over 8,000 books includes some of the most important literary achievements by African Americans dating back to 1773.

More information about the Givens Collection.

Gallery Hours and Location
The Hennepin Gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Hennepin County Government Center, A Level, 300. S. Sixth St., Minneapolis. The exhibit is sponsored by Hennepin County Administration. The Gallery is a project of Hennepin County Public Affairs.

View a slideshow

Posted by Mark Engebretson at 11:05 AM | Permalink

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (Nov. 26, 2012) -- The Minnesota Digital Library, a state-wide collaboration consisting of Minitex, the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical Society, and other key institutions, was chosen to be a key early contributor to the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). The groundbreaking project aims to make our nation's collections of significance to the study of American life digital, searchable, and accessible to the public.

With $2.8 million in funding, the DPLA will launch pilot projects in several states. Minnesota and state libraries and regional digital library collaboratives in Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Oregon, South Carolina, and Utah will participate as "service" hubs in the pilot effort.

Continue reading "Minnesota chosen for national digital library project" »

Posted by Mark Engebretson at 8:43 AM | Permalink

The University campus community can now access the Chronicle of Higher Education in three new ways -- at no cost to the individual.

1. From an iPad: Download the Chronicle's iPad editions. Download the Chronicle's iPad app.
   
2. Access the Chronicle using the Web browser of your smart phone or tablet device.
3. Get direct access to the Chronicle of Higher Education from any computer and any location in the world without having to go through a proxy server.

All that is required is for authorized users to have or create a free Chronicle account using their University of Minnesota email address.

Create your free Chronicle of Higher Education account.

Forgot your password? You may retrieve it by clicking here.

Posted by Mark Engebretson at 8:18 AM | Permalink

Program shifts focus from in-person to online

The former program provided comprehensive HIV prevention and sexual health education to men who seek men for sex (MSM) in Minnesota.

The program's nearly 20 years of education materials will be given to the Jean-Nickolaus Tretter Collection in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Studies at the University of Minnesota Libraries. The Tretter Collection is one of the largest LGBT archives in the world.

"At a time when HIV wasn't fully understood, Man-to-Man, and its successor Among Men, worked to educate men in Minnesota who were at risk of contracting HIV or were themselves HIV positive," said B. R. Simon Rosser, Ph.D., the program's principal investigator. "But to remain on the forefront of this area of education, we need to continue our shift to online programing in response to the changing way men seek men."

Rosser is also a professor and director of the HIV/STI Intervention and Prevention Studies (HIPS) Program in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Co- investigators are Michael Wilkerson, Ph.D. and Walter Bockting, Ph.D. (formerly of the U of M).

Preventive education needs to be online

Rosser said that when the program started in the mid 1980s, the University of Minnesota led the way by providing education directly to the community most infected and affected by HIV.

Now, men are increasingly turning to the Internet to find partners, which is where the preventative education needs to be, too.

"We live in an online world," said Rosser, whose research focuses on "next generation" HIV prevention interventions. "And it isn't just the homosexual or MSM community, everyone is online. It's also where people now go to gather health related information. Online is where we now need to be, and that's the direction we're taking our research."

To celebrate the transition, an event will be held Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012, from 4 to 7 p.m., at the Elmer L. Andersen Library to honor the valuable contribution the program's research materials provide to the Tretter Collection.

"The Tretter Collection is one of the largest LGBT archives in the world, and it is an honor to see our work among other historical pieces from this community," Rosser said.

Posted by Mark Engebretson at 2:46 PM | Permalink

Discover upcoming events and exhibits in Short Stacks, a monthly e-newslettter for Friends of the University Libraries and Supporters.

• "Roadshow" is an exciting new program to bring distinctive collections from the Libraries' Archives and Special Collections into the community.
• New exhibit featuring original illustrations and manuscripts from your childhood favorites--Poky Little Puppy, Bambi, Curious George, Snowy Day, Millions of Cats, Amelia Bedelia, Corduroy and many more.
• Minnesota tops the list in number of winners for the national competition for History Day. According to Tim Hoogland, Director of Education Outreach for Minnesota Historical Society, "...no other state has created a partnership that comes close to the MHS/U of M efforts to organize a support system for students and teachers." Last year, the Libraries' staff hosted nearly 3,000 middle school and high school students representing over 40 schools.

Read more: http://staff.lib.umn.edu/communications/email/fol_enews/aug2012/

Posted by katep at 8:23 AM | Permalink

First Place Video

created by Jon Dahlin, Nicholas Larkins Perez, Sarah Williams, Jenna Frankenfield, and Grant Sorenson.

Second Place Video

created by Joe Marino, Sean Lee, Ben Gavin, Andy Engstrom, and Chance Ovik.

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all the students who participated in our contest!

Watch all 14 videos now »

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 2:55 PM | Permalink

Visitors to the St. Paul campus libraries have noticed library materials being moved in preparation for the opening of the Natural Resources Library. Created by merging the Forestry and the Entomology, Fisheries and Wildlife (EFW) Libraries, the new library will be located in the current EFW Library space in Hodson Hall. The current Forestry Library space in Skok Hall will be reconfigured as a student study and group collaboration space.

The new Natural Resources Library will house high-use materials from both the Forestry and EFW collections. Remaining low-use print materials (most of which are available electronically) will be transferred to Magrath Library or another of the Libraries' facilities. In other words, while core print materials will be conveniently located in one place, students and faculty will continue to have access to the same breadth and depth of content as before, either by visiting Magrath Library or using the Get It delivery service.

A Natural Resources Library Grand Opening in Fall 2012 will showcase the library's collections and services, along with food and prize giveaways.

Questions about the move can be directed to Philip Herold at herol008@umn.edu.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 3:27 PM | Permalink

In partnership with librarians at the University of Minnesota, the University of Oregon and Cornell University, Purdue University Libraries received nearly $250,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to develop training programs for the next generation of scientists to enable them to find, organize, use and share data efficiently and effectively.

The University of Minnesota team, lead by co-PIs and assistant librarians Lisa Johnston and Jon Jeffryes, will work with professor of civil engineering Arturo Schultz to design a training program for his graduate students to better manage structural engineering data, such as structural health monitoring of bridges, including the new I-35W bridge. The resulting training program will build on the Libraries' expertise in digital data management best practices and their successful "Creating a Data Management Plan for your Grant Application" workshops that we have been offering to faculty since Dec 2010.

Read the full press release from Purdue University.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 2:32 PM | Permalink

Driven to Discover? Discover it Here.

Lights, Camera, Libraries! Channel your inner Spielberg and win an iPad! Just make a video that shows what you've discovered at the Libraries. Visit the contest website for more details.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 3:03 PM | Permalink

Need more time and space to study as the semester winds down? Select library locations will have extended hours, caffeine-fueled study breaks, and even Gabe the therapy dog to help you get through finals week. Details are listed below.

Bio-Med
Where: A portion of the 2nd floor in the Bio-Medical Library in Diehl Hall
When: Open 24/7 from December 7 until 6:00 p.m. on December 22
What's Available: study tables, group study rooms, public computers, wireless for laptops, self-service printer, self-service photocopier, print Reference collection
What's Not Available: circulation, reserve, reference, or IT support
Don't Miss: Stress Buster Station from Monday, December 12 through Wednesday, December 14. Daily activities include: cookies and cider from noon to 1:00 p.m.; pet therapy with Gabe, a registered therapy Husky dog, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.; and 5-minute chair massages from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Magrath
Where: Study area adjacent to the main Magrath entrance
When: Extended hours from December 15 through December 22: 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. Monday - Thursday; 7:00 a.m. - midnight Friday; 10:00 a.m. - midnight on Saturday; and noon - 2:00 a.m. on Sunday.
What's Available: study space
What's Not Available: circulation, reserve, reference, or IT support
Don't Miss: Study breaks on December 14 and 15 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Free coffee and pop along with some stress reliever games and activities for students to borrow.

Walter
Where: 2nd floor Great Hall
When: Open 24/7 from December 14 until 6:00 p.m. on December 22
What's Available: study space, the copy machines, and Value Port
What's Not Available: access to collections, services or Library workstations
Don't Miss: Study break on Thursday, December 15th at 7:00pm in the 2nd floor Great Hall. Free cookies and drinks, with a chance to win a free coffee drink from the Wise Owl cafe. You can also pick up a free, used book (donated by staff) for leisure reading over the break, watch videos in the Media Viewing Room, and play movie trivia.

Wilson
Where: Basement level
When: Open 24/7 from December 14 until 6:00 p.m. on December 22
What's Available: public computers, self-service printing and copying, microfilm scanners, group study rooms, individual study tables; limited access to collections between midnight and 8:00 a.m.
What's Not Available: circulation, reserve, reference, or IT support

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 9:57 AM | Permalink

Nine students and faculty members from institutions around the world have been named this year's Andersen Research Scholars. Each will receive between $500 and $2000 to support travel, housing, and other related costs for research in various special collections in Andersen Library over the coming year. Named for former governor and University of Minnesota regent Elmer L. Andersen, the program honors the Governor's passion for collecting and for expanding the use of the collections. The following 2012 scholars will complete their research by December 31, 2012 and deposit the product of their research with the University of Minnesota Libraries.

Britt Aamodt
Minnesota journalist
Aamodt will produce a feature-length radio documentary on science fiction writer Clifford Simak using Simak's papers in the Upper Midwest Literary Archives.

Stephani Hinnershitz
PhD candidate in history, University of Maryland-College Park
Hinnershitz will use the Kautz Family YMCA Archives for her dissertation, "Building the Cultural Bridge: Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese Students and West Coast Civil Rights, 1915-1968."

Jonathan Weier
PhD candidate in history, University of Western Ontario
Weier will use the Kautz Family YMCA Archives for his dissertation and two conference papers pertaining to the YMCA's involvement with conflict and with the US military from 1861 to the present.

Maura Ives
Associate professor, Texas A&M University
Ives will use the Ellen Raskin papers in the Children's Literature Research Collections to publish a book relating to the publishing history of Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market.

Courtney Kisat
PhD candidate in history, Southern Illinois University
Kisat will use several collections in the Social Welfare History Archives to inform her dissertation about women in the Great Depression.

Paul Knepper
Professor, University of Sheffield (England)
Knepper will use the Social Welfare History Archives, specifically the American Social Health Association records, for a book on traffic in women during the interwar period.

Charles Parker
Professor, Saint Louis University
Parker will use the James Ford Bell Library's collection in Dutch ethnographic and travel literature from the 17th century to produce a book focusing on Calvinist engagement with non-European, non-Christian societies around the world.

Karin Roffman
Associate professor of English and philosophy, West Point
Roffman will use the Robert Bly papers in the Upper Midwest Literary Archives for a biography of the early life of American poet John Ashbery.

Sara Schwebel
Professor of English, University of South Carolina
Schwebel will use the Kerlan Collection in the Children's Literature Research Collections to research Scott O'Dell's Island of the Blue Dolphins to produce the first scholarly, critical edition of O'Dell's landmark novel.

Several of these scholars have visited Andersen Library previously, only to find that our holdings were too rich and extensive for a single research trip. We are very pleased to be able to bring them back to further their research.

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 11:23 AM | Permalink

The University of Minnesota Libraries and its formal partner, the Penumbra Theatre Company, have been awarded a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for a 12-month collaborative planning project, "Designing a Comprehensive Theatrical Records Management Program." Using the framework already in place for maintaining the archives of the Minnesota Orchestra at the University of Minnesota's Performing Arts Archives, and in concert with key regional theaters, e.g., the Tony Award-winning Guthrie Theater, Southern Theatre, as well as theaters of color nationally, project directors will assess the barriers to building a theater's comprehensive archive and identify processes that can be adapted by theaters of widely varying sizes and configurations to ensure the long term preservation of and access to its creative heritage.

Serving as partner and test theater during the planning grant is Penumbra Theatre, the nation's preeminent African American theater that has been producing art for social change through main stage productions in St. Paul, Minnesota since 1976, in addition to traveling productions in more than a dozen cities in the U.S. including Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. National collaborating partners include American Theater Archiving Project, Theatre Library Association, and Apollo Theatre Project (NYC).

At the conclusion of the planning cycle, project directors anticipate having the following outcomes:

• A comprehensive records management program specifically for performing arts institutions that can serve as a national model which can be adopted immediately for current and future productions.
• A process to locate and acquire scattered records from past productions.
• A framework for a theatrical community collaboration for audio/visual preservation.
• A set of best practices that addresses Actor's Equity rights and the fair use of audio/visual material for research purposes.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 9:06 AM | Permalink

The Peer Research Consultants (PRCs) are here! The PRCs provide one-on-one help to students on the library and academic research strategies needed to write an excellent research paper. We have drop-in hours at Wilson, Walter, or Appleby or NEW by appointment. The program is a partnership of U Libraries, the Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence, and SMART Learning Commons. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, see the PRC website.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 11:18 AM | Permalink

Professor Karen Nelson Hoyle, curator of the Children's Literature Research Collections, will be recognized by the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art at the 2011 Carle Honors ceremony, held September 22, 2011 in New York City. Hoyle will receive the Bridge award, which recognizes individuals who have found inspired ways to bring the art of the picture book to larger audiences through work in other fields. Others to receive awards this year include Caldecott Honor winning author and illustrator Lois Ehlert.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 2:44 PM | Permalink

Although many University of Minnesota Libraries systems will be down along with other university-wide systems during the October 1-2 IT service disruption, a minimal Libraries web site will maintain access to a small number of services. Please see our Library Systems Downtime page for a list of library services expected to be available.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 10:09 AM | Permalink

The Elmer L. Andersen Research Scholars Program supports scholarly research projects using materials from the Libraries' rare and special collections. Named for former governor and University of Minnesota regent Elmer L. Andersen, the new program honors the Governor's passion for collecting and for expanding the use of the collections. The Research Scholars program is available to scholars including faculty, graduate, postgraduate, and independent researchers using the collections in the Department of Archives and Special Collections. This program is not available to currently enrolled University of Minnesota graduate or undergraduate students.

The program will provide annual support for up to two research projects that require use of one or more of the collections. Awards range from $500 to $2,000 and provide funds for travel, housing and other research related costs. The final research product (e.g., journal article, documentary film) must acknowledge the Libraries' support and be deposited with the University Libraries.

Applications should include the following:

• Cover letter that provides a detailed project description, placing the project in the context of its larger field of study and describing the anticipated result of the project (e.g. journal article, book, edited volume, etc.). The narrative should articulate the anticipated use of the University Libraries collections with reference to specific collections to be used and their relevance to the project.
• The applicant's curriculum vitae.
• Two letters of recommendation.
• A budget with estimates of related costs.

Application deadline: September 30, 2011
Award announcement: November 14, 2011
Research must be completed: December 30, 2012

Send application to:
Director of Archives and Special Collections
University of Minnesota Libraries
305 Elmer L. Andersen Library
222 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455

About the collections:
The University of Minnesota Libraries Archives and Special Collections contain diverse holdings from clay tablets to documentation of the history of information technology, from children's literature to University records, from the literary and performing arts to gay and lesbian culture. Complete description of the collecting areas at special.lib.umn.edu.

Download a printable flier (PDF)

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 8:54 AM | Permalink

The new issue of continuum, the magazine of the University Libraries, is now available online. "The Lifecycle of Knowledge" (issue 9), as well as all past issues, are at http://www.lib.umn.edu/continuum/.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 8:46 AM | Permalink

RefWorks is a simple-to-use online citation manager that captures, organizes, stores, shares, cites, and manipulates information generated by multiple sources.

RefWorks 2.0 is a new, user-friendly interface that functions the same way as the current iteration (now branded as "RefWorks Classic").

When you log into your RefWorks account, you'll notice that a new RefWorks 2.0 button/link has been added to the main toolbar:

If you currently have a RefWorks account, you have the option to upgrade your account to the new 2.0 version by clicking the link in the upper-right corner of your RefWorks page that you see illustrated above.

All RefWorks accounts will default to the 2.0 interface by the start of the fall semester.

Another new features is RefShare, which allows you to share your RefWorks folders with collaborators both inside and outside of the University.

Select the Share tab from the main RefWorks 2.0 page to start sharing your folders.

For more information on using RefWorks 2.0, please see these resources:

Tutorials from RefWorks
Handouts from University Libraries (requires logging in to Moodle)
Upcoming workshops from University Libraries

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 8:44 AM | Permalink

The University Libraries' Plant Information Online, one of the world's largest resources for botanical and horticultural information, has been selected as one of the MARS Best Free Reference Web Sites of 2011. MARS is the "MARS: Emerging Technologies in Reference" section of the Reference and User Services Association of the American Library Association (ALA).

Voted for by member librarians from around the United States, Plant Information Online is one of 25 web pages to be recognized by MARS this year as an outstanding site for reference information and is included in the list of MARS Best of Free Reference Web Sites of 2011.

Plant Information Online offers a collection of databases of interest to plant and gardening enthusiasts and students, as well as professional botanists, horticulturists, and researchers. Some of the databases have been available in print since 1979 and online through paid subscription since 1997. The whole site is now available free to the general public.

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 11:57 AM | Permalink

Need more time and space to study as the semester winds down? Select library locations will have extended hours to help you get through finals week. Magrath Library will be hosting therapy dogs on Monday and Tuesday, May 9 & 10. Details below.

Bio-Med
Where: A portion of the 2nd floor in the Bio-Medical Library in Diehl Hall
When: Open 24/7 from April 29 until 6:00 p.m. on May 14
What's Available: study tables, group study rooms, public computers, wireless for laptops, self-service printer, self-service photocopier, print Reference collection
What's Not Available: circulation, reserve, reference, or IT support

Magrath
Where: Study area adjacent to the main Magrath entrance
When: Extended hours from May 7 through May 13: 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m. Monday - Thursday; 7:00 a.m. - midnight Friday; 10:00 a.m. - midnight on Saturday, May 7; and noon - 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 8.
What's Available: study space, group study rooms, wireless for laptops
What's Not Available: circulation, reserve, reference, or IT support
Don't Miss: Take a few minutes to visit with Maggie and Gopher, two therapy dogs visiting Magrath Library on Monday and Tuesday, May 9 & 10, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Time spent with certified therapy dogs has been shown to relieve stress, decrease heart rate and blood pressure, and to increase a general sense of well-being.

Walter
Where: 2nd floor Great Hall
When: Open 24/7 from May 8 until 6:00 p.m. on May 14
What's Available: study space, the copy machines, and Value Port
What's Not Available: access to collections, services or Library workstations
Don't Miss: Exam Jam from 1:00 to 5 p.m. in the SMART Learning Commons (204 Walter Library)

Wilson
Where: Basement level
When: Open 24/7 from 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 8 through 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 14
What's Available: public computers, self-service printing and copying, microfilm scanners, group study rooms, individual study tables; limited access to collections between midnight and 8:00 a.m.
What's Not Available: circulation, reserve, reference, or IT support

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 2:05 PM | Permalink

Research services librarian Lisa Johnston has been named the first recipient of the annual Academic Innovators Award, given by the Academic and Research Libraries Division (ARLD) of the Minnesota Library Association.

The award recognizes outstanding recent contributions to advance the mission of an academic library in Minnesota through an innovative project, program, or service. Johnston will accept her award, which includes a $300 prize, at the 2011 ARLD Day conference, held April 29 in Chanhassen.

The ARLD chose Johnston from a field of strong candidates. Her project, a campus-wide data management program that grew out of her work with the Minnesota Geological Survey and the Universal Digital Conservancy, has become a model for other universities around the country. The workshops and consulting services developed by Johnston and her colleagues help researchers from a wide range of disciplines meet the National Science Foundation's recent requirement that all grant proposals include a data-management plan.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 9:22 AM | Permalink

The University of Minnesota's AgEcon Search has been selected as the 2011 recipient of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Science and Technology Section (STS) Innovation in Science and Technology Librarianship Award.

The $3,000 cash award, donated by IEEE, will be presented at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 26 at the STS All Members Breakfast during the 2011 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans.

"AgEcon Search is the trusted national and international repository for open access to agricultural economic research valued by disciplinary researchers the world over," said award co-chairs, Marianne Stowell Bracke of Purdue University and Lutishoor Salisbury at the University of Arkansas. "Since its inception in 1995, it has changed continuously as technology has evolved, finding innovative solutions to indexing, archiving and delivering these materials."

AgEcon Search is a free, open access repository of full-text scholarly literature in agricultural and applied economics, including working papers, conference papers and journal articles.

AgEcon Search is coordinated by Louise Letnes, librarian in the University of Minnesota Department of Applied Economics, and Julie Kelly, science librarian at Magrath Library. Letnes along with Patricia Rodkewich, who retired in 2002, started the project in 1994, and Kelly joined the effort in 2003.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 2:21 PM | Permalink

Virginia R. Donovan, Department of French at University of Wisconsin-Superior, has been named the first James Ford Bell Library Research Fellow. The $1000 fellowship facilitates research in the Bell Library's premier collection of rare books, maps, manuscripts, and archival collections documenting the history and impact of international trade prior to ca. 1800.

Professor Donovan's research centers on French and French colonial history during the period 1661-1830. Her recent work on the Quebec corsair Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville led to the project she will be pursuing at the Bell Library, a literary comparison of d'Iberville's writing with the Bell's French corsair archive. Professor Donovan intends to make available a textual analysis and translation of selected French corsair manuscripts for use by other scholars as part of her project.

The selection committee for the 2011 award included U of M professor emeritus Mary Louise Fellows (Law School and Friends of the Libraries Board), professor Kathryn L. Reyerson (History/Director, Center for Medieval Studies/Advisory Board, Center for Early Modern History); and Arvid Nelsen (Head of Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Minnesota Libraries).

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 4:10 PM | Permalink

Minnesota middle and high school students preparing History Day projects will attend the first-ever Gopherbaloo at Wilson Library on Saturday, January 15, 2011 from noon to 6 p.m. This is an opportunity for young researchers to experience Minnesota's largest research library while studious Gophers are still on break!

Like other History Day Hullabaloo events (held at Hennepin County Library, Central), students who attend the Wilson Library Gopherbaloo will have the opportunity to take advantage of:

• One-on-one mentor support with University of Minnesota graduate students;
• Mini lessons offered by Minnesota Historical Society program staff and others on various History Day topics;
• Enhanced research support from librarians--staff will help students navigate the Libraries' fantastic print and electronic resources; and
• Sample projects so students can learn how to create a winning video, poster, written paper, and more.

Other advantages for young researchers who attend the Gopherbaloo:

• Access to the largest collection of resources in the state of Minnesota;
• Lessons on using primary sources offered by Government Publications Librarian Kirsten Clark;
• Inexpensive ($6/day) off-peak parking in the 21st Avenue Ramp;
• Free copies;
• A parent lounge with refreshments; and
• Research fun and raffle drawings!

Learn more about History Day or browse the Libraries' student and teacher resource pages.

This event is sponsored in collaboration with the Minnesota Historical Society, U of MN History Department History Day program, Minitex, and the University of Minnesota Libraries. As with other History Day school visits, Legacy Fund dollars support youth and teacher participation in the Gopherbaloo.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 1:25 PM | Permalink

Strategic Priorities for the University Libraries

The Libraries have recently completed a planning process to ensure that resources are aligned to meet the changing needs of our users.

The budget is not the only part of the landscape to shift in recent years. Digital content abounds, new forms of information access are emerging, and tools for communication and exchange are multiplying rapidly. As this digital context changes how faculty and students discover and manage their research resources, create new knowledge, and share their work, the Libraries are challenged to support them throughout the overlapping and iterative phases of the knowledge lifecycle.

Read more about these strategic priorities, or download the full report (830kb PDF).

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 2:35 PM | Permalink

While the University of Minnesota Libraries will be closed along with the rest of the campus from December 24, 2010 through January 2, 2011, some services will continue to be available. These include:

• E-resources, including article databases and online journals, will remain available to the campus community through the Libraries website.
• Users will be able to search for and request print materials in the MNCAT catalog during the closure, however GetIt and recall requests will not be processed until January 3.
• Although due dates have been set to not fall within the closure period, users will be able to view their account and renew materials using the "My Account" feature.
• Books from any U library can be returned at book drops in Magrath, Walter, and Wilson.
• Chat reference will be available, but service will be provided by staff from the national consortium of which the Libraries is a member.
• Because the Academic Health Center will keep certain clinics open during the closure period, the Bio-Med Library will have staff available to respond to questions coming in through the MedRef email service.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 11:24 AM | Permalink

Need more time and space to study as the semester winds down? Select library locations will have extended hours to help you get through finals week.

Bio-Med
Where: A portion of the 2nd floor in the Bio-Medical Library in Diehl Hall
When: Open 24/7 from December 8 until 11:00 p.m. on December 22
What's Available: study tables, group study rooms, public computers, wireless for laptops, self-service printer, self-service photocopier, print Reference collection
What's Not Available: circulation, reserve, reference, or IT support

Magrath
Where: Study area adjacent to the main Magrath entrance
When: Extended hours from December 16 through December 22: 7:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. Monday - Thursday; 7:00 p.m. - midnight Friday; 10:00 a.m. - midnight on Saturday; and noon - 2:00 a.m. on Sunday.
What's Available: study space
What's Not Available: circulation, reserve, reference, or IT support

Walter
Where: 2nd floor Great Hall
When: Open 24/7 from December 16 until 6:00 p.m. on December 22
What's Available: study space, the copy machines, and Value Port
What's Not Available: access to collections, services or Library workstations
Don't Miss: Study break on Wednesday, December 15th, 7:00pm - 7:30pm in the 1st Floor Lobby. Free soda and cookies, free books for fun reading over Winter Break, snacks from the Wise Owl Cafe, and the chance to win prizes in our trivia challenge.

Wilson
Where: Basement level
When: Open 24/7 from December 16 until 6:00 p.m. on December 22
What's Available: public computers, self-service printing and copying, microfilm scanners, group study rooms, individual study tables; limited access to collections between midnight and 8:00 a.m.
What's Not Available: circulation, reserve, reference, or IT support

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 8:23 AM | Permalink

Five students and faculty members from institutions around the world have been named the inaugural Andersen Research Scholars. Each will receive between $500 and $2000 to support travel, housing, and other related costs for research in various special collections in Andersen Library over the coming year. Named for former governor and University of Minnesota regent Elmer L. Andersen, the program honors the Governor's passion for collecting and for expanding the use of the collections. The following 2011 scholars will complete their research by December 31, 2011 and deposit the product of their research with the University of Minnesota Libraries.

Dr. Samuel Zebulon Baker
Department of History, Georgia Southern University
Dr. Baker will conduct research in University Archives for his book Fields of Contest: Race, Religion, and College Football in the U.S. South, 1945-1975.

J. Edmund Heavens
Graduate student, St. John's College, Cambridge, England
Heavens will use records in the Kautz Family YMCA Archives for his dissertation on the Robert R. Service family's efforts to establish a YMCA presence in Sichuan, China.

Professor Paul Kemeny
Department of Religion and Humanities, Grove City College
Professor Kemeny's research is for a book, The First Moral Majority: The New England Watch and Ward Society and Moral Reform Politics in Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth-Century America, using Social Welfare History Archives.

Olga Pantelidou
Graduate student, National Technical University of Athens (Greece)
Pantelidou will be conducting research at the Charles Babbage Institute for her dissertation on the effects of Electronic Recording Machine-Accounting on the banking industry.

Michelle Phillips
Graduate student, Rutgers University
Phillips will use the Children's Literature Research Collections for her dissertation, 'The Child in the Midst': Modernism and the Problem of Childhood Interiority.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 9:29 AM | Permalink

Since May, we've been working to redesign the University Libraries web presence, with the focus on you, the user.

Our goal has been to improve search functionality and enhance personalization, and throughout the redesign process we received ideas from many users. As of August 15, our new homepage is live, with highlights including:

• A central, tabbed search function, giving you ready access to the various catalogs and databases available to find books, articles, video, music, maps, and more.
• Course resources tab featuring the new Library Course Pages, which are dynamically generated for each course to bring together relevant resources tailored for specific subjects, including reserve readings.
• Login feature that displays your checked out books, saved journals and databases, recommended resources, and current course pages on their respective tabs (see image at right for example).
• Ask a Librarian tab, with multiple options to connect with us, including live chat and contact information for the librarian in your discipline.
• Today's building hours listed prominently, along with a link to all hours and locations.

Surveys and usability testing have generated positive early reviews, including:

"It does a good job of focusing on the things that are important."

"Easier to navigate than the old system. The hours and location feature is perfect."

"Love the new homepage!!! Much more user friendly and efficient! Thanks!"

"I really like the tabs."

"I did notice there was a lot of effort to give me some people that I could address. As soon as I logged into horticulture, there was Julie, my librarian. I felt encouraged to contact her."

Additional developments are planned, including enhancements to the MNCAT catalog (read more about these upgraded features). We hope you'll help us continue to improve the site by completing a brief survey to share your feedback.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 4:25 PM | Permalink

The University of Minnesota Libraries are pleased to announce the completion of their seventh biennial Minnesota Institute for Early Career Librarians from Traditionally Underrepresented Groups. Held from July 10 to July 16, the 2010 Institute brought together 24 high-potential academic librarians from across the United States for a unique and intensive leadership-building opportunity. Throughout the week, the group participated in a curriculum focused on identifying personal strengths and fostering leadership skills, developing grant-writing skills, and emphasizing the importance of mentorship throughout a career in librarianship.

The group expands an active cohort of more than 150 graduates of the Institute, who maintain a strong, supportive professional network across North America. The U of M Libraries are proud to promote a standard of innovation and cultural inclusivity in academic librarianship through the legacy of the Institute and its visionary alumni, who are the future of field. For more information, visit http://www.lib.umn.edu/sed/institute/

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 3:36 PM | Permalink

As mobile devices have become the primary means of Internet access for more and more of our users, we have been busy designing a robust version of our Web site optimized for the small screens of smartphones. On-the-go users can now:

• Search for books, videos, maps, and music, and more using the library catalog.
• Find magazine and journal articles using library databases.
• E-mail citations of the resources you find.
• Browse for article databases that have mobile interfaces.
• Check library building and collection hours.
• Contact librarians by e-mail or phone.
• Look up when your checked out items are due.

The first time you browse to www.lib.umn.edu from your handheld device, you will be given the option to automatically be sent to the mobile site for all future visits. Those without Internet-enabled phones can view the mobile site from any computer at www.lib.umn.edu/mobile/.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 9:56 AM | Permalink

The University of Minnesota Libraries have opened registration for the 7th Biennial Minnesota Institute for Early Career Librarians from Traditionally Underrepresented Groups from July 10 through 16, 2010 on the Twin Cities campus. The Institute brings together a cohort of high potential academic librarians from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups in the first three years of their professional career for a unique leadership development experience. The intense week-long Institute provides training in leadership skills, organizational behavior, and practical grant writing skills. In addition, Institute participants join an active community of 140 previous graduates that provides support as they continue their professional careers.

Institute faculty DeEtta Jones Young (DeEtta Jones and Associates) and Kathryn Deiss (Association of College and Research Libraries) are experienced organizational leadership development consultants and trainers who have led the professional and personal development component of the Institute since it began in 1998. Lori-Anne Williams, a successful independent grant writing consultant and frequent instructor at the University of Minnesota and nationally, will present a two-day session on grant writing.

Participants pay a modest $750 fee that includes housing in a hotel adjacent to the campus, lunches, opening and concluding dinner, and a midweek reception. Participants are responsible for travel arrangements, approval from their home institutions for the time commitment to participate in the Institute, and other expenses such as meals other than those noted above and local transportation during the Institute.

Participants are selected through a competitive application process. More information about the Institute and the application process is available at www.lib.umn.edu/sed/institute/ or potential applicants may contact Linda DeBeau-Melting, Associate University Librarian for Organizational Development or Peggy Johnson, Association University Librarian for Access Services.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 11:09 AM | Permalink

The new issue of continuum, the magazine of the University Libraries, is now available online. Issue 8, as well as all past issues, can be downloaded at http://www.lib.umn.edu/continuum/.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 2:45 PM | Permalink

The Peer Research Consultant (PRC) program is now available to give students peer help on their research questions. PRCs can help students narrow a topic, find articles and books, select academic sources, and more. Students looking for additional help or feeling overwhelmed by their research papers will be good candidates for the program. The PRCs will also refer students to subject librarians if needed.

For the fall 2009 pilot phase, the program will concentrate on supporting First Year Writing and SEAM (Student Excellence in Academics and Multiculturalism).

Fall 2009 Walk-in Hours
Monday: 10:30 to 1:30 (Walter Library-SMART Commons)
Tuesday: 1:30 to 4:30 (Wilson Library-SMART Commons)
Wednesday: 1:30 to 3:00 (Walter Library-SMART Commons) and 1:30 to 2:30 (MCAE in Appleby Hall)
Thursday: 12:00 to 2:00 (MCAE in Appleby Hall)
Friday: 1:30 to 4:00 (Wilson Library-SMART Commons) and 1:30 to 4:30 (Walter Library-SMART Commons)

For more information, visit http://www.lib.umn.edu/services/prc or contact Jody Gray at grayjl@umn.edu.

The Peer Research Consultant program was developed in partnership with the University Libraries, MCAE: Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence, and the SMART Learning Commons.

Posted by lanha007 at 2:31 PM | Permalink

A new online exhibit provides a sneak peek at the Robert Bly papers held at the University of Minnesota Libraries. Featured in the exhibit are correspondence from members of the literary world, including James Dickey, George Plimpton, James Wright, Lewis Hyde, Andrei Voznesensky, Joyce Carol Oates, and Donald Hall. Other notable correspondents include Jimmy Carter, John Densmore, Mark Rylance, and Sigurd Olson.

Other highlights of the exhibit include:

• photographs from Bly's childhood trip to Mount Rushmore


• a selection of Bly's high school, navy, wedding, and family pictures


• a video clip of Bly reading one of his poems


• a handmade, wooden-covered book of poetry edited by Bly in high school


• original manuscripts of Bly's poetry and translations


• personal journal entries documenting early struggles with his career


• the entire June 2008 issue of the literary magazine Shokaran, published in Tehran and devoted to translating Bly's poetry into Persian


• the envelope containing Bly's personal effects when he was incarcerated for protesting the Vietnam War


• Bly's acceptance speech for his National Book Award in poetry, during which he hand over his $1,000 prize to the Vietnam War Resistance

These unique materials combine to showcase the influential career of the translator, founder of the Mythopoetic Men's Movement, and Minnesota's first poet laureate.

Visit the online archive at http://digital.lib.umn.edu/pachyderm/robertbly/.

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 2:47 PM | Permalink

The University of Minnesota Libraries will host the 7th Biennial Minnesota Institute for Early Career Librarians from Traditionally Underrepresented Groups from July 10 through 16, 2010 on the Twin Cities campus. The Institute brings together a cohort of high potential academic librarians from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups in the first three years of their professional career for a unique leadership development experience. The intense week-long Institute provides training in leadership skills, organizational behavior, and practical grant writing skills. In addition, Institute participants join an active community of 140 previous graduates that provides support as they continue their professional careers.

Institute faculty DeEtta Jones Young (DeEtta Jones and Associates) and Kathryn Deiss (Association of College and Research Libraries) are experienced organizational leaderships development consultants and trainers who have led the professional and personal development component of the Institute since it began in 1998. Lori-Anne Williams, a successful independent grant writing consultant and frequent instructor at the University of Minnesota and nationally, will present a two-day session on grant writing.

Participants pay a modest $750 fee that includes housing in a hotel adjacent to the campus, lunches, opening and concluding dinner, and a midweek reception. Participants are responsible for travel arrangements, approval from their home institutions for the time commitment to participate in the Institute, and other expenses such as meals other than those noted above and local transportation during the Institute.

Participants are selected through a competitive application process. More information about the Institute and the application process will be available at www.lib.umn.edu/sed/institute/ or potential applicants may contact Linda DeBeau-Melting, Associate University Libraries for Organization Development or Peggy Johnson, Association University Librarian for Access Services.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 11:07 AM | Permalink

The new issue of continuum, the magazine of the University Libraries, is now available online. Issue 7, as well as all past issues, can be downloaded at http://www.lib.umn.edu/continuum/.

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 11:55 AM | Permalink

Start making room on your bookshelves!

The Wilson Library Fall Book Sale
Thursday, November 13 - Friday, November 14 • 2008
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Wilson Library Basement

Thousands of used books for sale:
every subject from mineralogy to Mamie Eisenhower (whose 112th birthday is November 14!).

Prices on Thursday: $2 per book
Prices on Friday: $1 per book (until 1 p.m.)
Bag sale after 1 p.m. on Friday ($5 per bag)

For more information, contact Mark Desrosiers at desro004@umn.edu.

See you there!

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 1:50 PM | Permalink

For the past several months we've been testing a new interface for searching our catalog, and today we're pleased to announce its official launch.

As of July 31, 2008, you will notice new features when using MNCAT Plus, a tool that allows you to easily find print and electronic books and journals, audio and video materials, databases and indexes, and the articles within them.

Highlights include:

• Google-style searching. Simply type a search term or two and click "Go."
• Relevant results. The items that best match your search terms will rise to the top of your results list.
• Powerful filters. Start with a broad search and refine your results with the links on the right-hand side of the screen.
• Real-time availability information. See at a glance whether materials are available online or at one of our libraries.
• Familiar functions. Features like Did You Mean? suggestions and links to Google Books and WorldCat make it easier for you to find what you need. When available, cover images of books will be displayed.
• Social networking features. Reviews and tagging allow you to make your own contributions to the experience of others.
• Save and gather your citations. Push citations for materials you want to use or share to RefWorks and del.icio.us.
• Integrated access and delivery. Search MNCAT Plus and then move directly to online versions of items or request delivery of physical items with the "Get It" link.

Early reviews are tremendously positive, with users commenting:

"It's extremely thorough--I can't imagine needing something more than this right here."

"It's like Google for MNCAT: limits everything without dumbing it down."

"Genius."

We hope you'll help us continue to improve MNCAT Plus. Please use the "Comments" form on the right-hand side of any MNCAT Plus page to tell us what you think.

Posted by Marlo Welshons at 3:45 PM | Permalink

Need a Book from Our Collections? Now it's so easy!

Students, Staff, and Faculty:
Getting a book from our Libraries is as simple as clicking Get It!

Look for the Get It! button in the library catalog at mncat.lib.umn.edu

For more information, visit www.lib.umn.edu/site/getit.phtml

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 2:05 PM | Permalink

NIH funded? Ready to Publish? Here's what you need to know.

The new NIH Public Access Policy now requires researchers to submit any articles which arise from NIH funding to NIH's PubMed Central, where they will be freely and permanently accessible to all so that they might better advance science and improve health. Before that, however, researchers will need to make sure they don't sign away the necessary rights in the journal's author agreement. The University Libraries and the Sponsored Projects Administration are prepared to help. Questions from University faculty and staff about the policy can be sent to nihpublicaccess@umn.edu. We can help ensure you have the necessary rights, guide you through the submission process, and help you understand how to cite your articles in future applications and progress reports. For more information, go to: http://www.lib.umn.edu/scholcom/NIHaccess.phtml

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tell us about your special collection of books, media, maps, or other published works and you can win.

Contest details: www.lib.umn.edu/site/sbcc/phtml

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 9:08 AM | Permalink

The University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics in partnership with the University of Minnesota Libraries and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering has been awarded a $517,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to develop and pilot "EthicShare," an online Web site and bibliographic database for ethics scholars to discover and share high quality digital articles and other materials--scholarly and popular press articles, multimedia objects, pre-prints, and archival documents.

During the pilot phase, the EthicShare team will develop features for users to rate, comment on, and vet content, allowing EthicShare to establish new forms of editorial control and community participation in the growth and future of the Web site.

"EthicShare is a groundbreaking opportunity for scholars to work together to create a new approach to identifying and sharing the best materials in ethics," says Jeffrey Kahn, Director of the University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics and one of the project's principal investigators. "The technologies we are putting to work will allow for detailed searching, including the ability to use reviews and quality ratings by colleagues as a way to find and select scholarly materials. EthicShare will also create a way for scholars to share works in progress and collaborate on new ideas."

The EthicShare pilot is a continuation of an earlier grant awarded to the University of Minnesota by the Council of Libraries and Information Resources (CLIR) with funds from the Mellon Foundation. EthicShare grows out of a planning partnership with Indiana University-Bloomington; Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis; the University of Virginia; and Georgetown University. This phase of EthicShare is bolstered by newly established relationships with the National Library of Medicine (NLM), OCLC, and others.

EthicShare is part of a larger trend towards discipline-specific online communities that support the humanities, social sciences, and the sciences--all fields that play a role in practical ethics scholarship. Recent priorities of American Council of Learned Societies, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation, as well as the University of Minnesota, have included strategies to build community and support collaborative exchange among scholars distributed across the globe.

As a partnership between the Center for Bioethics, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and the University Libraries, EthicShare is a unique interdisciplinary collaboration that brings together a diverse but deep commitment to innovation in the areas of information discovery, scholarly exchange, and dissemination. Wendy Pradt Lougee, University Librarian, and Computer Science and Engineering professor John Riedl, both co-principal investigators along with Professor Kahn, are leaders in the fields of digital library development, and social networking and collaborative filtering, respectively.

Together with Professor Kahn, Lougee and Riedl hope to develop a virtual community for scholars that serves as a model for scholarly research for fields beyond practical ethics.

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 8:41 AM | Permalink

myLibrary is an interactive library page where you can help shape the information provided to you. myLibrary features librarian based suggestions for resources and libraries, easy access to the materials you may have checked out from the University Libraries, and spaces where you can save your favorite library resources like databases and e-journals.

myLibrary can be accessed at the URL:

https://www.lib.umn.edu/mylibrary/

or in the toolbar of the University Libraries main web site.

Currently, the page features seven content areas:

• Search and Find -- a search box that provides access to three of our most popular tools: MNCAT, E-Journals, and OneSearch.
• Search Key Resources -- Librarian recommendations for your subject or discipline.
• Subject Libraries -- Visit a library covering your subject area.
• My Saved E-Journals -- Save your favorite e-journals for easy access.
• My Saved Databases -- Got any favorite databases or indexes? Save them here.
• Checked Out Items -- Easily find the due dates for items you have checked out from the library.
• Use Statistics -- How myLibrary is being used and what is being saved.

In the coming months we hope to expand and enhance myLibrary to include more search options, allow you to rearrange the layout and add or subtract options, and even take your data and content to other services such as iGoogle. Also, the more people that use myLibrary the better our statistics and suggestions for resources become.

Be assured that it is the policy of the University Libraries to respect and maintain the privacy of its users. The University Libraries follow the guidelines set forth in the University of Minnesota Online Privacy Statement .

The services on myLibrary are also available on MyU.

Do you have any questions, comments, or suggestions concerning myLibrary? Leave a comment below!

Posted by Timothy Cronin at 2:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

TXT-U is the University of Minnesota’s emergency notification text messaging system. Students, faculty, and staff can stay informed about critical campus safety information by registering to receive TXT-U messages.

Only University of Minnesota students, faculty, and staff can register for TXT-U. However, you can add more than one mobile device to your account, registering your parents, family, friends, or others.

TXT-U will be used infrequently and specifically for real emergency situations.

Be prepared. Register today for TXT-U.

Posted by Christopher James at 10:07 AM | Permalink

The Archives and Special Collections (ASC) reading room in Elmer L. Andersen Library and the James Ford Bell Library reading room in Wilson Library are now open Thursday evenings until 8:00 p.m.. If you'd like to use these collections on Thursday evenings, please make arrangements with individual ASC units to have materials paged in advance, as retrieval of materials will be limited during evening hours.

Posted by Christopher James at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Wondering where to order the best marigold seeds? Need gardening information to help your favorite plant survive and thrive? Want to locate a photo of the latest rose you just heard about or a drawing of the heirloom tomato variety your grandma grew in her garden?

Start your search with Plant Information Online, one of the world's largest resources for botanical and horticultural information. Managed by the University of Minnesota Libraries, Plant Information Online is a collection of databases of interest to plant and gardening enthusiasts as well as professional botanists, horticulturists, and plant scholars. Best of all, it's freely available to the public.

Plant Information Online offers a range of resources, including:

• Information on where to purchase plants and seeds, with shipping sources for more than 100,000 plants from nearly 1,000 North American plant suppliers (the largest listing of currently cultivated plants in North America)


• Contact information and links for over 2,000 North American retail and wholesale seed and nursery firms


• Bibliographic details for more than 300,000 images of wild and cultivated plants from around the world in botanical and horticultural books and magazines from 1982 to the present


• Links to expert-selected sites on growing plants in all regions of Canada and the U.S.

Plant Information Online began in 1970 as an unpublished collection of printed resources. It was first published in print form in 1976 and moved to a web-based format in 1997 with access available only to subscribers. The service is now free and available to anyone with access to the Internet.

"We want to make this important resource available to the widest audience possible," said librarian Kathy Allen, editor of the service. "Previous subscribers have found Plant Information Online to be an invaluable tool to find information on many of the world’s plants."

Posted by Christopher James at 3:55 PM | Permalink

Frustrated by complicated search tools? Ever wish you could search the University Libraries’ rich collection with a tool as simple as Google?

Good news: you can. We’re proud to introduce Library Search, a new information discovery tool that lets you search the Libraries’ online catalogs or for journal articles. Over time, we’ll add more resources like locally-created digital collections.

Some key features of LibrarySearch:

• Google-like searching. Just enter a keyword or two and hit Go to get started


• Relevance ranking for results (or re-sort results by publication date).


• Faceted browsing to narrow your search results. Once your search has returned results, review and click the facets on the right side of the screen to limit your results


• Direct access to free online materials and access to restricted online materials via FindIt


• The ability to post reviews of items you’ve used or tag items for later retrieval

Posted by Christopher James at 2:15 PM | Permalink

The University Libraries announce the launch of the University Digital Conservancy, a freely-accessible online repository for the University community.

The UDC supports capture, long-term stewardship, and open access to digital assets including:

• preprints and post prints
• proceedings
• working papers
• technical reports
• other research in a variety of digital formats

The UDC provides:

• Increased visibility of your work through higher rankings in search engines
• Compliance and accountability for publicly-funded faculty research
• More functionality than personal websites can provide
• Long-term digital preservation (no more broken links!)
• Full-text searching across your body of work
• Free, open access to university digital works
• Expert consultation on copyright, digital formats, and author's rights

Posted by Christopher James at 11:39 AM | Permalink

The University of Minnesota, along with the 11 other leading Midwest universities in the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), have entered into a ground-breaking collective agreement with Google to digitize up to 10 million bound volumes, nearly doubling the number of universities participating in the Google Books Library Project.

The U of M and the CIC announced the agreement today, June 6. The agreement allows Google to digitize significant portions from CIC library general collections. In addition, collection areas of particular strength and distinction will be contributed from each university. The distinctive collections the U of M will have digitized could include, for example, Scandinavian history, literature and culture; forestry; bee-keeping; medicine, including oncology, radiology and pediatrics.

Read more.

Posted by Christopher James at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Bill DeJohn, director of the MINITEX Library Information Network, has been named one of 12 recipients of the 2007 President's Award for Outstanding Service by University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks.

The University of Minnesota President's Award for Outstanding Service was established in 1997 to recognize faculty and staff who have provided exceptional service to the University. This award is presented each year to honor active or retired faculty or staff members who have demonstrated an unusual commitment to the University community. Ten to fifteen faculty and staff receive the award each year.

Since 1984, DeJohn has been director of MINITEX Library Information Network, a publicly supported network of academic, public, state government, and special libraries working cooperatively to improve library service for their users. Funded by the Minnesota Legislature, MINITEX is a program of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education and the University of Minnesota. Its programs are coordinated by MINITEX staff located at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Libraries.

MINITEX enables libraries in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota to share materials, including collections and electronic resources, bibliographic records, and reference services. Each year, MINITEX fills more than a quarter-million requests from library users throughout the region for library material and transports over 800,000 items to meet these requests. The program serves over 2,200 individual libraries. MINITEX is the OCLC Regional Service Provider for libraries in Minnesota and the Dakotas and is a member of NISO, CNI, ICOLC, and Project COUNTER.

Due to MINITEX’s services, the University of Minnesota Libraries have consistently ranked as the top lending library within the 114-member Association of Research Libraries for volume of loans external to the University.

Continue reading "DeJohn Wins President's Award for Outstanding Service" »

Posted by Christopher James at 4:18 PM | Permalink

In response to requests for additional options for safe and comfortable study spaces, the Bio-Medical Library and Academic Health Center deans will conduct a pilot project to provide extended 24/7 access to a portion of the second (tunnel) level of the library in Diehl Hall.

Beginning May 5, after the library’s usual closing time, an area of the second floor will be accessible to those who present a UCard. This area encompasses the public computers, some study tables, the small group study rooms, the casual seating near the entrance, and the rest rooms. Library services, such as photocopying, printing, circulation, and reference assistance, will not be provided during these extended hours. The print collection of journals and books in the stacks will also be inaccessible during these extended hours. Access control will be provided by a University security monitor stationed at the entrance to the second level. The library is also in the process of adding security cameras (expected installation date: summer 2007).

The pilot project will run through Fall 2007 finals, with progress evaluations of the project after Spring finals, May Session, Summer Session and Fall finals.

Posted by Christopher James at 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Got a project to finish? Want help from an expert in a particular discipline? Need to use technology to enhance your work? You can do it all in one place: the University's SMART Learning Commons,a new way of conceiving and offering academic services.

The SMART Commons brings together an array of academic support services under one roof: course support, information literacy, writing support, technology support, and more. Peer Learning Consultants offer one-on-one assistance as well as group support for help in mathematics, sciences, statistics, economics, writing, German, Spanish, and library research. The SMART Commons also hosts short introductory workshops in Excel, PowerPoint, academic services, and library resources.

A SMART Commons has existed in Wilson Library since 2004, and SMART's newest location in Magrath Library celebrated its grand opening on April 25. Plans are in the works for a future Commons space in Walter Library.

Posted by Christopher James at 1:17 PM | Permalink

Install the U of M Libraries Toolbar

The U of M Libraries toolbar gives you easy access to a variety of library tools such as search access to MNCAT, E-Journals, and OneSearch, plus links to popular services and web pages like Your Account, Library Hours, Indexes and Databases, library news, library events and more.

Firefox instructions

Install the U of Libraries Toolbar

Install MNCAT search into Firefox and Internet Explorer 7

The Firefox search box, and the Internet Explorer 7 search box, gives you easy access to your favorite search engines including Google, Yahoo, and now MNCAT, the University Libraries catalog.

To install, simply visit the University Libraries web site, click the magnifying glass icon in the Firefox search box at the top of this window, and choose "Add U of M Libraries Catalog." That's it! We will be adding E-Journals and OneSearch soon.

Add MNCAT Lookup to Amazon Searches

Have you ever searched MNCAT looking for books you found in Amazon? This MNCAT Lookup tool will help streamline that process by showing in your Amazon search whether or not a book can be found in the U of M Libraries. The Lookup tool requires the Firefox browser and the Firefox extension Greasemonkey.

If an Amazon title is not located in the U of M Libraries a link will be provided to search for other editions of the book in MNCAT, the U of M Libraries catalog. Interested? To install this new (and free!) tool just follow these instructions:

Posted by Shane at 12:59 PM | Permalink

The MyLibrary view on the University's portal--a new initiative spearheaded by the University Libraries--changes the way users look at libraries. Read the UMNnews article.

Posted by Christopher James at 4:49 PM | Permalink

The hectic pace of academic life can be stressful--and what better way to refresh and renew than to enjoy a beverage and a bit of light reading? The Popular Reading Collection in the Wise Owl Café is a circulating collection of popular fiction and nonfiction. The collection is accessible anytime the library is open.

Planning a trip to the Wise Owl? Curious to know in advance what's available in the Popular Reading Collection? Go here to browse and search titles. Collection materials rotate quarterly, and new titles are added monthly.

Posted by Christopher James at 10:44 AM | Permalink

University of Minnesota students, faculty, and staff - as well as the general public - now have access to the world's largest archive of visual histories of the Holocaust. In February 2007, the University Libraries launched public access to a two-terabyte digital media cache of testimonies from the USC Shoah Foundation Institute’s Visual History Archive. The University of Minnesota is among six universities worldwide that currently provide access to the Institute's archive.

The archive, which is accessible from workstations on the U's Twin Cities campus, includes nearly 52,000 video testimonies of Holocaust survivors and other witnesses. These histories, in 32 languages and from 56 countries, were collected by the Shoah Foundation. The vast majority of the interviews—about 90 percent—are with Jewish survivors of Nazi persecution; however, political prisoners, Roma and Sinti (Gypsy) survivors, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and liberators, witnesses, rescuers, and aid providers are also represented in the Archive.

Continue reading "Remembering the Holocaust" »

Posted by Christopher James at 7:44 AM | Permalink

Copyright is a federal law with defined parameters and expectations, and it has a significant impact on the activities of the academy. Copyright law mediates between the rights of creators (writers, researchers, and publishers) and users (teachers, students, readers, and the public). As members of both groups, academics must grapple with copyright in their regular work life. But copyright can be difficult to understand, even for legal scholars.

That's where the University Libraries can help. The Libraries' Copyright Education and Information Initiative informs and educates the University community on copyright and its application in teaching, research, and scholarship. The initiative promotes awareness throughout the academic community with information resources, workshops, presentations, and consultation services. The Initative's website offers background, examples of copyright applications in the academy, an FAQ, and a Fair Use Analysis Tool to help you determine if your practices meet the parameters of copyright law.

Posted by Christopher James at 9:57 AM | Permalink

The University of Minnesota Libraries have received a gift of stills, scripts, press books, posters, autographed photographs, articles and other memorabilia related to comedy film greats Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. The collection is a gift from university alumni Drs. David and Minette Ponick and is considered to be the largest single known collection of Laurel and Hardy memorabilia. It will be housed in Elmer L. Andersen Library on the university's west bank campus and available for all to see and use.

Continue reading "Funny Men" »

Posted by Christopher James at 12:33 PM | Permalink

Is your nonprofit organization looking for a little free cash? The University Libraries now brings you access to a dynamic research tool that offers the latest intelligence on U.S. grantmakers and their grants.

The Foundation Directory Online offers full-text search capability across a comprehensive array of documents and data about U.S. grantmaking. Over 80,000 unique funder profiles organize the latest foundation news, RFPs, job openings, publications and key staff affiliations. Program details and guidelines for funding applications are provided, as well as links to foundation websites. A fully-searchable database gives access to more than a quarter-million Form 990s. Over 500,000 grants are listed, and users create custom charts showing grant distribution by subject, geographic and demographic focus.

Posted by Christopher James at 4:15 PM | Permalink

Want to share your research with fellow students, faculty, and the rest of the University community? The U's Undergraduate Symposium is the place to do just that! The annual symposium takes place on April 26 in Coffman Great Hall. Whether you're finishing a research project or are mid-way through, describing your research in a poster presentation is a valuable learning experience. Presenters from past years say the symposium provided them with insights, ideas, and inspiration through discussions with the scientists, colleagues, and guests who stopped by to view their posters. The symposium is co-sponsored by a number of colleges across the University. Pre-registration is required. For more information, visit the Undergraduate Symposium home page.

Posted by Christopher James at 1:22 PM | Permalink

The University Libraries offer a $200 prize to a student in a composition course for an outstanding paper that shows evidence of use of the library for research.

The contest invites papers from Fall and Spring semesters. Many types of papers can show evidence of use of the library, and different kinds of assignments require different kinds of library resources. Students don't necessarily need to use rare or obscure sources. The judges will look for evidence and its documentation. Types and currency of sources; varieties of sources; suitability of sources relative to the problem; these characteristics all play a part when a research paper succeeds.

Instructors of University Writing and Critical Reading courses, EngC 1011, 1011H, 1012, 1012H, 1013, 1013H, 1014, 1015 and 1016, are invited to nominate one paper from each section they teach. Nominations are due by 12:00 noon April 13, 2006. Instructors are asked to submit the original paper (with the instructor’s comments on it), to Marcia Pankake, 170B Wilson Library. Instructors should specify the class, section, and semester, include a copy of the assignment, and include their e-mail addresses and telephone numbers.

The criteria for the award are:

1. the paper meets the criteria specified by the instructor for the course, by virtue of the instructor’s nomination of the paper
2. the paper shows evidence of the student’s systematic and effective use of the University Libraries for research, appropriate to the argument of the paper.

A committee of library staff, with assistance from the Composition Program, will select the winning paper from those nominated by the composition teachers.

The winner will be announced by May 5, 2006. The teacher of the student who writes the winning paper will receive a $50 gift certificate good at the University Bookstores.

Questions? Call Marcia Pankake 624-7099, or e-mail m-pank@umn.edu.

Posted by Shane at 3:38 PM | Permalink

The Friends of the University of Minnesota Libraries are pleased to announce the 6th Annual Student Book Collection Contest. We want to celebrate University students who are excited about reading and collecting books and give them an opportunity to meet other book collectors. Describe your book collection in a short essay and win a cash prize. Separate prizes will be given to undergraduate and graduate student book collectors this year.

For more information visit the Student Book Collection Contest 2006 web site.

Posted by Shane at 10:09 AM | Permalink