ebrary gets new interface

As previously announced, ebrary launched its new interface today.

Here's a flash demo to get to the details of the new interface:
http://www.ebrary.com/corp/collateral/flash/UIplugind/UIplugind.html

Let me know if you have any comments.

Locked Drawer Problem with Student Printers

Hi,

This morning, as I was replenishing the new student printer paper supplies, I noticed that both machine #2 and #3 drawers (both drawer no. 3) cannot be locked. You can easily open them.

I placed a Systems Helpdesk request, job #3201.

Alfredo

Problem with copy machine and printer problem reported by student

On Saturday, a student reported he lost a $1.00 bill in the first photocopy machine (nearest the door) in Room 309. He said that the machine is accepting coins without problems.

In Room 309 and the second floor student printer room there are no envelopes for students to request refunds for losses. Could we please get some?

A Baruch student reported that she was able to print without problem some word documents using the student printers in the library, but when she sent some jpeg files to the printer, she received the notice that they were sent to printer HPLG 950. Paul and I were unable to locate where this printer is located. Is there a printer with this number, or was this an error. (The student said that the jpeg files had personal information about she and her family, including Social Security numbers. I told her that if the printouts are located, they will be destroyed.)

I will alert Annette about the copycard problems and the need for envelopes and I will ask Saad about the printer problem.

Known-item searches and acquisitions

I'd like to thank Lisa and a few other folks who periodically let me know of specific books in my subject areas (English and philosophy) that students asked for in reference interactions and that we were unable to find in our collections. If you can pass along to me the details on those known-item searches that yield no results or where the item is marked as lost or reported missing, I can look into buying copies of those books.

Would anyone else want to participate in this kind of a reference/acquisitions feedback loop for their subject areas?

Charlie Rose interviews outgoing Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott

Last night Charlie Rose interviewed outgoing Wal-Mart President & CEO Lee Scott, who is reducing his time with Wal-Mart over the next two years. Since Wal-mart is frequently researched by our students this interview might be recommended to them as many issues relating to Wal-Mart and being an executive of a major corporation are discussed. Sustainability and how Wal-Mart and retailing have changed are among the topics covered.

One moment in the interview provides an example of what information is required to be reported by a public company and what isn't. Rose asked Scott how many stores Wal-Mart had in China and he replied, "about 200." Rose then asked, "And they generate how much revenue?, to which Scott quickly replied, "I don't believe we report that....but good try."

New Student Printers Paper Drawer Keys

Hi,

Today, Systems placed two more HP Laserjet M4345 MFP printers, that will replace the current student printers.

One machine is operational, Pharos #2. Students can login their username and password to print their jobs. This machine has a yellow instruction sheet on how to print. There is another yellow instruction sheet on the bulletin board, near it.

All new machines have locked paper drawers. The key to open them is available at the Reference Desk locked drawer, in the wooden key ring. Another one is in the Reference office in a key ring in at desk drawer opposite my desk.

The key number is W-23. The key is small and silver colored.

Any questions let me know.
Alfredo

Bookmarks, guest logins, and the Firefox browser

If you ever log in to a computer at the reference desk and the bookmarks are missing from Firefox or you find that the guest logins print out weirdly from Firefox, you'll want to install two different add-ons for Firefox. I've added detailed instructions in the wiki about how to get these two add-ons and how to configure them:

• Foxmarks (this is the add-on you need to install and set up so that you get the standard set of bookmarks across all four PCs at the desk)
• IE Tab (this is the add-on you need so that the guest logins you print out come out clearly)

If there are steps missing from the wiki pages detailing installation of these add-ons, I encourage you to edit the pages and help improve them.

Weeding of accounting and tax collections and a question about the collection of RMA, Troy and D&B business ratio books

I have started weeding the accounting and tax collections in reference. Please don't disturb green or white paper slips inside the books. (Green means see if a new edition is available and white means keeps but move upstairs.)

I was wondering about the collection of "financial ratio" books published by RMA (Risk Management Associates now, but formerly Robert Morris Associates ), D& B and Troy. We have all years of each series in reference. I would like to suggest keeping the most recent five years in reference and moving the remaining years to noncirculating in the stacks. From my experience here, the accounting students, among those who have assignments to use these resources, are frequently asked to compare a company over the past five years. The older copies might be consulted by graduate students doing more detailed research.

What do you think of this suggestion?

Updated wiki page on fax machines

I updated the wiki page for "fax machine" to include the area codes that faxes may be sent to (the machine does not allow faxes to be sent to it, though).

Information re how NFL teams do financially

The online BNET has posted a story on the business behind the NFL teams which includes financial information about the teams.

Printing

When I was at the desk this afternoon, a few students taking winter classes were having problems with their printing accounts. They could login to the system but the printer wouldn't recognize the print jobs they sent. If they call the help desk, they can get their account fixed and will be able to print.

New Reference Titles

Audit Bureau of Circulation. Magazine Trend Report (REF PN4888 .C59M33 2008)
Circulation, paid subscriptions, renewals, price data and advertising rates for individual magazines. Data covers the five-year period from 2003 to 2007.

Bond’s Franchise Guide (REF HF5429.235 .U5S66 2008)
Profiles of over 2,400 U.S. and Canadian franchisers. Provides data on geographic distribution, projected business growth, capital requirements and fees, and training and support for new franchisees.

Encyclopedia of Psychology and Law (REF K346 .E53 2008)
Two volume encyclopedia devoted to this new area of study. Some of the key themes are the death penalty, divorce and child custody, eyewitness memory, juvenile offenders, mental health law, trial processes, and victim reactions to crime.

Trade and Development Report, 2008 (REF HF1008 .T7 2008)
This annual report from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development focuses on a trade-related theme each year. For 2008, the theme is “Commodity prices, capital flows and the financing of investment.” Chapter II examines how commodity price hikes especially food prices affect the world economy. Chapter IV covers sources of finance through banks and capital markets in emerging market countries.

Who’s Buying Series
This series from New Strategist publishers provides market share data and demographic profiles of the buyers of various products and services. Individual reports cover spending for health care, groceries, travel, pets, entertainment, information products and services, apparel, alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, household furnishings and restaurants and take-outs. Additional reports cover who’s buying by age and by race and Hispanic origin. All the data is based on analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey.

WSJ Financial Meltdown Video

The Wall Street Journal just put up a three-part video series about the 2008 financial crisis: The End of Wall Street: An Oral History.

SimNet Enterprise CD installation question

If students ask for help regarding the SimNet CD (Microsoft Excel Skills test), please refer them to the BCTC Help Desk.

Please note that the Help Desk may not be able to answer all questions related to the installation of the SimNet CD. So, please provide the SimNet customer support phone number as well. The number is 1.800.331.5094.

A student contacted chat reference regarding problems with installation (needed a subdomain). I called BCTC, and they stated there could be a problem with the CD itself or another issue and advised me to have the student contact SimNet directly since BCTC has not encountered this problem before.

Weeding reference books in the Ps

Chris Tuthill and I are taking a look at reference titles in the Ps to see if anything might be withdrawn from the collection. If you see green or yellow sheets of paper sticking out of books in this area, please leave them in, as they are part of a system Chris and I set up to notify each other of our thoughts about specific titles as we independently review the collection.

Turkish Literature Collection

You may have noticed that the Turkish literature books are now on display in the reading room. Mike and I put them up earlier today, and Mike is going to have their location set as 'New Books' in the catalog. I wanted to make sure everyone at the desk knew in case students are asking about them.

Vendor printer not working

I submitted a help desk request (#3174) to report that the vendor card printing system is not working properly. Students are able to send their jobs to the vendor printer and see them listed in the print release station in the printing room, but when they try to actually print out those jobs, their copy cards are debited for the job but nothing ever comes out of the printer.

Laptops distributed from circulation desk in January

Until the spring semester begins, laptops will not be distributed from the 3rd floor desk. Instead, students should stop by the circulation desk.

No more daily reference statistics

Today is the first day that we won't be collecting daily reference statistics. There is no longer a need to open the desk by getting out a clean statistics sheet and making tally marks all day. As you may recall, we'll soon be collecting statistics during selected, representative weeks a couple of times a year.

Winter Session Printing Accounts

Students taking classes during winter session (January 2 - 23) have activated printing accounts with $30 credit. Students not enrolled for winter session will have to use the vendor printer during this time. They will be able to log on to their student accounts on the library computers but the student printer will not recognize their log on.