I need a Bible commentary ... !

Of course you need Bible commentaries. But some students seem to be under the impression that the small number of commentary series in the Reference Room are all that we have. Wrong! We keep just a few of the most heavily-used commentary series in the Ref Room for convenience, so that there will always be copies available that have not been checked out. But the vast majority of commentaries are in the open stacks, where you can borrow them.

There are 213 scholarly commentaries in our collection on the book of Genesis alone. Plus, there are 332 works of criticism and interpretation on the book of Genesis. These works contain very important analysis and exegesis of the text beyond the traditional chapter-and-verse commentary format. How do I know this? Did I go downstairs and count them? No, I did an accurate search in our Morton Library catalog for this information. To learn how to do this type of search, consult our tutorial.

Please remember, too, that other people in your class are also trying to use this material, and be considerate. Don't monopolize more books than you need at a given time. You may take reference works to the photocopiers, but then please bring them back and leave them on the metal book truck to be reshelved (don't reshelve them yourself). And please do not take reference books to other parts of the building -- that just makes it harder for the next person to find them.

Do unto others, people. And when you need help, ask.

Paula

Why is that?

Several patrons have asked why we have books in the stacks that have been placed on their spine and extend out from the shelf. Our Circulation staff uses this method of shelving to increase accuracy as we re-shelve books. This process of re-shelving and double checking the book placement ensures minimal searching for "lost" books which have been mis-shelved.

As always, please let us know if you can't find a book that should be on the shelf.

Rachel

Research Resistance

[Curtis by Ray Billingsley. Used by permission of King Features Syndicate.]

All of us feel like this sometimes, don't we?

Paula

Cleaning Service

We won't clean your apartment or dorm room, but we do have a wonderful machine in the IRC that will make your scratched DVDs and compact discs as good as new! We've had great success in removing even the worst scratches from our own collection on disc so that they play skip-free again, and we're glad to offer this same service to students, staff and faculty at Union-PSCE and BTSR. We'll be doing the cleaning on Monday afternoons and the cost will be $.50/disc. This pays for the cleaning pads and other supplies that are used in the process.

You can drop your items off in the IRC anytime and we'll contact you by email when they are ready, or just stop by and pick them up on Monday afternoons around 4:00 p.m.

Ann

Printing Options

There are two printing options available to you while in the library. If you are using the research computers in the Reference room you may send your document (using a file name and password) to the network copier located just outside of the Reference room, under the stairs. The directions for this printing option are found at each workstation in the Reference room. As a reminder, the computers in the Reference room are for research only, not for writing papers or checking email.

Another printing option is to use the computer/printer in the computer lab downstairs (lower level). The computer lab is available for you to write papers, check email, or print from your jump drive.

Rachel

Training sessions now under way

Friends, please don't forget the demonstrations and hands-on workshops available now! Mondays at lunchtime in Lower Lingle, and Tuesday evenings in the Library Multimedia Classroom, we are offering basic training in use of the Library's catalog and databases.

Don't miss this opportunity to equip yourself ! Here is the full training schedule.

Paula

Media Reserves Again..

I wrote about this back in May, but the start of school is finding so many videos and DVDs on reserve in the IRC that I wanted to remind students that reserve media is found upstairs on the second floor. As you come into the IRC, there is a cabinet directly to the left of the stairs up to my office that houses all visual media on reserve. The reserves are located by professor name and course number - not by call number.

The media reserve shelf is never locked, so feel free to access that cabinet any time the Library is open. And like all reserves, you can borrow this media material two hours before the Library closes, and return it by 9:30 a.m. the next day.

Ann

Reading Reserve Room

Course reserve materials are placed in the Reserve Reading Room, next to the Circulation desk. Additional course reserves may be on 'Restricted Reserve', located at the Circulation desk.

Materials on reserve must be used in the Reserve Reading room except for photocopying. Also, two books per patron may be checked out 2 hours before the library closes. Such items must be returned by 9:30am the following morning.

Please let us know if you need help locating Reserve items.

Rachel

Tutorials are fixed!

We're happy to report that the audio problems that were affecting the recordings on our Tutorials page have been fixed! There was an incompatibility between the recordings and the newer releases of Adobe Flash, which is used to play back the files. We were able to download a patch and to apply it to our recordings. So you should be able to use the video tutorials again. If you do experience any problems, please let us know!

What are these videos for? Well, we realize that teaching yourself from a text tutorial can be a pretty deadly business ... a lot of people prefer to learn by watching and listening instead of reading a manual. So we created these little recordings to teach you the basic techniques for using our Library catalog and the ATLA Religion Database.

Each video is less than two minutes long, and is meant to answer one specific question. You can use them to pick up a lot of help without much time and effort. Sounds good, doesn't it?

Paula

Reserving DVDs and Videos

Did you know that you can make a reservation for a DVD or video in our collection up to a year in advance? Because many items are reserved in advance, a last minute visit to the IRC might not always provide what you need or want. So as you do your internships or plan for a class or study for the ordination exams with our theology overview videos, you might want to be aware of this service. The staff in the IRC can help you, but you can also do this yourself by logging into your library account. The instructions for advanced booking can be found here.

When you have reserved a visual media item, it will be down at the circulation desk by 8:30 a.m. on the morning that you requested, and you will receive an email reminder that your booking is ready.

Ann

Audio problems on our recorded Tutorials

We want you to know that the very popular video recordings on our Tutorials page have developed sound problems (having to do with the new release of Adobe Flash). These are the video tutorials showing you how to use our Library catalog and the ATLA Religion Database. We are working on this problem and hope to have it corrected soon.

Paula

Labor Day

This is it -- summer's over, and the new academic year is about to start. We are always happy to welcome you to the Library, especially the new BTSR and Union-PSCE students. Some of you might be feeling a little apprehensive about the programs you have joined and the demands that will be placed on you. Please be aware that we are here to help, and we'll do everything we can to ensure that you succeed.

The first thing you can do to help yourself is come to the Library orientation and workshops. Orientation will introduce you to the staff, to our collections and services, and to our building. The workshops, demonstrations and training sessions will show you how to use our most essential research tools and instruments. For the Fall Term training schedule, click HERE.

Remember, your instructors will assume that you are able to find what you need in our Library, but they are not going to show you how to do it. For that, you need us!

Paula