Beginners Guide to Business Research

The guide is now working at all computers.

Donated FASB publications available to students

Earlier this week I received 9 boxes of various accounting standards, including the FASB original pronouncements and the current text as of June 1, 2006 from Ernst & Young. (An E&Y partner, who attended the financial reporting conference that Prof. Norman Strauss organized last spring, asked me then if I would want their print copies when new copies are received.)

I've contacted Prof. Strauss, a retired E&Y partner, to offer them first to his students. They are to contact me to get them. So, if they come to the reference desk, please refer them to my office (room 232). If I am not in, they can email me to set up a time. The students might want to bring an empty bag or small box to carry the publications as they are in multiple volumes.

I plan to contact the other accounting professors next week. Whatever isn't claimed by accounting professors/students will go on the free book truck in several weeks.

I was out yesterday and I understand that some students asked for the publications at the reference desk last night. Sorry for any confusion.

Thanks, Rita

Beginner's Guide to Business Research still not working on 2nd floor PCs

I just tried logging in to the Beginner's Guide to Business Research on two-thirds of the standup PCs across from the reference desk and found that the tutorial wouldn't load on any of them. Each machine offered this error message:

You don't have the latest version of Macromedia Flash Player.

This web site makes use of Macromedia Flash software. You have an old version of Macromedia Flash Player that cannot play the content we've created.

Why not download and install the latest version now? It will only take a moment.

It was my understanding that some of the standup PCs had the Flash Player updated yesterday, but it's not clear to me why its not working.

New database: Mergent Horizon

We have added the Mergent Horizon praised by many of our librarians. There will be a training session on this sometime in September as well.

Suggestion for Searching the new LexisNexis

What is the best advice for students using the new LexisNexis? If they are familiar with the old interface, one suggestion is that they start by clicking on "NEWS" and then the check box that says "Terms and Connectors." They will then get a menu that looks very similar to the old interface and can use Boolean connectors, proximity and field searching.

Mike is working with LexisNexis to change our default from the easy search menu.

Question about message received when student is attempting to place a request via CUNY+'s My Account

This afternoon I helped a new student try to place requests for two books. He went to the circulation desk to establish a record and came back to the reference desk. When we tried to place the requests for the books, the message "Borrower expiry date has been reached." I didn't know what it meant. The student went back to the circ desk but I was then helping someone else and then the next shift came on. Could someone please explain what the message means? Thanks.

Access to the Business Tutorial

Students with the assignment to do the tutorial The Beginner's Guide to Business Research can use the computers in the BCTC labs. They have the latest version of Flash. Theresa is working on updating the library computer desktops so that students will have access in the library.

Syndetics Solutions

Pat Young announced that Syndetics Solutions (which provides book cover images in the catalog) is experiencing problems this morning and are working to resolve the problem.

More CUNY libraries in QuestionPoint

I'm pleased to announce that this fall two more libraries in CUNY will start sharing our subscription to QuestionPoint and be a part of the 24/7 Academic Reference Cooperative: John Jay College and the Borough of Manhattan Community College. I'm working with the QP administrators at those two schools to find time in the coming month or so for training. As soon as we can expect to see BMCC and John Jay patrons showing up in our chat queues, I'll let you know.

Problem with accessing Westlaw Campus Research via links through Serials Solution

In trying to help a new doctoral student locate some information about bankruptcies, I have tried to access several sources via Serials Solution, I am asked for a password and client ID for sources on Westlaw (which is referred to as Campus Research-Law in Serials Solutions). The password and client id are requested to access American Bankruptcy Journal, California Bankruptcy Journal, and Federal Bankruptcy cases. The links to bankruptcy materials available via Lexis-Nexis are working fine, no password information is required.

Rita

New Baruch site is up

Yay! See for yourself.

reference by ipod phone

This morning I ran into Holly Miller of the Rockefeller University library (she was a research scientist prior to her enrollment in library/information studies). She told, and showed me how she can receive and answer requests on her ipod phone while she is walking from the subway. She just started this yesterday. I thought I would let you know.

Do you know where the projector remote control for Room 135 is?

Hello Everyone.

This morning when I went to start the projector in Room 135 I could not locate the remote control that is to be kept in the basket in the closet in Room 135. I looked around and didn't see it in the room, or the closed. I borrowed, and returned, the projector remote control, from Room 130. If by chance you have the control, or know anything about it, will you please let others know? It will be needed for classes and workshops. If no one has it or knows anything about it, I think we will have to assume that it is missing and will need to be replaced.
Fast.

Thanks, Rita

Remote access to LexisNexis Academic restored

I just checked from home and see that LexisNexis is working fine. Users are now connected to the new search interface.

Elvis Presley at 155 East 25th Street

In the Sunday Times, August 19, 2007 in the City Section, one of the questions posed to F.Y.I. was where did Elvis Presley record "Hound Dog"? As has been rumored in Baruch College history it was at 155 East 25th Street, home of the library before we moved to our present location.

"On July 2, 1956, in a grueling seven-hour session at the RCA Studios at 155 East 24th Street, Elvis recorded "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel" and "Any Way You Want Me," according to Elvis Presley," by Pamela Clarke Keogh. Steve Sholes was the engineer."( p.2)

Wikiscanner

An NPR story, Scanner Tracks Who's Changing What on Wikipedia, discusses a ...
"database called the Wikipedia Scanner, a search tool that traces the comments and edits on Wikipedia entries back to their source IP address. The once-anonymous writers behind the entries are no longer quite so anonymous." You can also read the NYT's front page article from Sunday, Aug. 19th, Lifting Corporate Fingerprints From the Editing of Wikipedia.

The NPR article has an interesting demo as to how someone from a Wal-Mart computer changed a Wikipedia entry discussing Wal-Mart wages. The NYT articles focuses on insider editing and corporate revisions.

You can search edits by organization name, location, and IP address (if you know it). You can add IP addresses as well. You can also browse the "Editor's Picks" of edits.

-Linda

Link to LexisNexis not working

A student logged in to chat today and discovered that the link to LexisNexis doesn't work (at least from off campus, but probably on campus too). I am at home now (Saturday AM) and tried the link. After getting past EZ Proxy, I a LexisNexis page asking for an ID and password. I suspect that we got a new link for the new interface and just need to update the links to LexisNexis on our database.

Web Design Laboratory

For a brief "puff" but interesting piece this week only about the role of a design laboratory in web site creation go to http://einside.kent.edu/?type=ci&id=5163. When you get to the page look on the right side for the link to the short, approximately 3.5 minute webcast.

The Kent State University SLIS has a lab, which is working as a consultant to EBSCO, in the design of its subscription databases.

Elsevier and the Heat of Competition

Elsevier is beginning to feel the results of competition more and more as noted below copied and pasted from a science listserv:

Subject: AIHP also leaving Elsevier
It appears Annales de l’Institut Henri Poincaré (B) Probability and
Statistics is also leaving Elsevier to be distributed by the Institute
of Mathematical Statistics, and according to the news blurb in the
September IMS Bulletin (see link below) "Subscribers can expect to see the price for AIHP fall significantly in 2008."

students arriving at reference desk for transfer advisement

While on the reference desk 10-12 today, I received a telephone call and an in-person request by a transfer student who said they were directed to the second floor of the library for transfer advicement and analysis of their credits. The student was insistent that he was told to come to the library, and he might have been. However, I called the undergraduate advisement and the correct office is on the fifth floor of the vertical campus. The student headed that way.

Another student reported loosing the last $12 in her account for printing when nothing came out.

NAXOS -- new database

We now have a subscription to NAXOS. It is on our list of databases. As with the trial, professors have the option of creating playlists, and getting static URLs to give to their students. I have included the instructions and password to that function on the wiki. Please let me know if they are not clear or you have any questions. And please note that this function is for Baruch faculty only.

Front reference desk computers--problem resolved

Teresa has resolved this problem.

I have had trouble logging onto the two main reference desk computers. The one to the left has the screen saver and nothing else. The other says no signal. I have submitted a help desk request and called. It is 9:50.

Preliminary A-Z list for titles included in the new Lexis-Nexis Academic has been posted

I'm not sure how many others received this notice, but Alistar Morrison posted the following message last Friday.


Dear Colleagues,
I have just posted a preliminary A-Z List for the titles included in the new LexisNexis Academic to our website at
http://www.lexisnexis.com/academicmigration/viewpage.asp?p=5

This preliminary list gives the sources from the old version of the product that have been successfully added to the new product. I have not listed new titles that have been added, but will do so in the next list. The linking URLs used to search within a particular source now have the new base URL from the URL API, and we have constructed search logic to get to titles contained within 3rd-party databases.

I am happy to report that we have resolved most of the missing source issues.
-Accounting literature
-John Wiley publications
-Federal & State Codes and Statutes
-Tax Law
-Tax Analyst publications
-Patents
-International Sources from the Country Analysis Module
--Business News Americas - English
--Global Insight
--Interfax News Agency
--Business Monitor News
--Media Contact Market News
--The PRS Group Political Risk Service
--The PRS Group International Country Risk Guide
--Country Briefings
--Country Reports
The major sources that are still missing are SEC reports, which I expect to fix next week, and the Contemporary Women’s Issues database, which cannot be added until September.
Best regards,
Alistair
Alistair Morrison Product Manager, LexisNexis Academic
LexisNexis, 7500 Old Georgetown Road, Suite 1300, Bethesda MD 20814
Telephone: 301-951-4529 Switchboard: 800-638-8380 Fax: 301-652-1273
Email: alistair.morrison@lexisnexis.com


Rita

Credo Reference: new database added

We have added Credo Reference (formerly Xrefer) to our list of databases. This lets us access and cross-search 276 titles. It includes an image and sound search as well.

Possible sources for eucalyptus wood prices

Yesterday Brian Ross and I tried to help a student who was looking for 10 years of prices for eucalyptus wood on the "international" market. He said he had asked in the Subotnick Center but the person working was unable to help him. Brian and I tried a number of web sources, and we found an association of eucalyptus growers that we thought might be able to provide some information. Some of the web resources we found were fee based. We found a number of articles about the market in Factiva and Pulp & Wood.

I offered to contact a librarian I know who works a lot with commodity prices, and that librarian provided the following answer, which appears below, and which is shared for the information he provides:


As for Eucalyptus prices...."international" is a vague word. Is he looking for South America or Asian? Also, is he looking for lumber or pulp prices? In the pulp world, eucalyptus falls into the BHK (bleached hardwood kraft) sector. I'm attaching the last 5 years of BHK prices from Forestweb (US and EU).

I think your best bet might be RISI for information. ....I know they cover most wood and pulp products as well. They also have bought out most of the other forest product services (sort of like the Thomson of the wood world!)

For historical prices that go that far back, they're the source. You should be able to purchase a price series from them. The website is http://www.risiinfo.com.

The other option is to see if Bloomberg has a series that far back, but I'm not sure they do.

Informaworld maintenance on August 4th and 5th

Taylor and Francis has alerted us that they will perform maintenance on their platform (called Informaworld) during the weekend of August 4th and 5th, which may cause time delays or loss of connectivity. We have full-text access to some of their journals on that platform.

Redesign of Lexis-Nexis

To follow up on Linda's and Stephen's earlier posts, in case you haven't had a chance to look, Lexis-Nexis has prepared a number brochures and information about the new redesign. We might be able to post on the library's web site or put on e-reserve or otherwise make available. Perhaps we could ask for questions from our users about the newly redesigned Lexis-Nexis rather than "do you like the redesign," which, although it is a good question, is not something that we can control, although I imagine Lexis-Nexis will be looking for feedback.

Wilson databases: upgraded

CUNY (via ERAC) has upgraded 5 of our Wilson databases to full-text. They are:
General Science Full text
Humanities Full text
Social Sciences Full text
Readers' Guide Full text
Library Literature Full text
Biography Reference Bank

Enjoy!

Lexis Nexis redesign notice

The website for the libraries at the University at Buffalo highlights the Lexis Nexis redesign in their "featured resource" section. Should we do something similar? They also have a poll asking "Do you like the redesigned version of LexisNexis Academic?"

-Linda