February 22, 2012
Do you know who directed Godzilla vs. King Kong? Have a question about climate change? Looking into how many children Thomas Jefferson had? Then check out the Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL), an interdisciplinary database containing information on subjects ranging from art to medicine to technology.
The database recently underwent a "face-lift" and the new interface will, according to its website, "encourage users to stay longer, search deeper and find what they need faster."
Navigation throughout the site is simple and intuitive. Content is arranged like books on a shelf. Once an eBook is selected, users may scroll through the book's table of contents or index to locate information. Keyword and advanced searches may also be conducted to find desired content. User features include the ability to bookmark and save articles and to review previous searches. Users may also print or download PDF articles to eReaders (which are available for borrowing from the Libraries' Media Room). You also have the option to listen to selected articles or view them in other languages.
According to the GVRL website, the user experience includes, but is not limited to:
Access GVRL through the Libraries website.
This article written by Libraries’ Practicum Student Stacie Peterson.
February 16, 2012
Do you think you might have a million dollar idea? Thinking of patenting that idea? Learn about U.S. Patents and the patent application process at a free program sponsored by the Dayton Metro Library. "An Introduction to Patenting Your Ideas" will be held 6-8 pm Tuesday, February 21, in the Main Library's auditorium, 215 E. Third Street.
Ran Raider, WSU Libraries' Patent & Trademark Reference Specialist, will talk about why and when to seek a patent, how to determine your invention's uniqueness, and also the Patent & Trademark Depository Library Program and how you can use it to do patent searches. For the past 13 years, Raider has been the local representative for the United States Patent and Trademark Office's Patent and Trademark Resource Center program. He conducts patent and trademark workshops throughout the year.
Fellow presenter David Siefert is Associate Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at Sinclair Community College, where he also coordinates Sinclair’s Entrepreneurship Program. He has over four decades of private sector experience in a wide range of industries and holds patents in such areas as knowledge management, artificial intelligence and continuous learning system.
Pat Newcomb from the Small Business Development Center at the Entrepreneur Center in Dayton is also scheduled to discuss their services and offer advice on how your patented idea might become a money-making business. She has been involved in the Dayton area small business development arena for 20 years as commercial lender, business banker, and business development consultant. Seven of those years have been spent as part of the Ohio Small Business Development Center program.
This program is free and open to the public. Advance registration is suggested but not required. Call the Dayton-Metro Library at 463-BOOK for more information or to register.
February 15, 2012
Do you suspect that Great Uncle Bob was a bootlegger during Prohibition but lack proof? Would you like to see the ship's manifest that brought your ancestors to the new world? Do you have a student with a genealogy project? Then check out Ancestry Library Edition (ALE).
Ancestry provides a wealth of genealogical information with access to 75,000 U.S. and international collections. These collections include birth, death, and marriage records; military records; and census statistics from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Australia. Users may also search for travel and immigration records, plus 1885-1940 Native American census records.
A variety of search options are available: basic searches using a name, date of birth, or residence; and advanced searches naming additional limiters such as events (birth, death or military service), known family members, gender or race, and nationality.
What to do with all the information you find? ALE provides several handy forms to help keep track of everything including an ancestral chart, research extract, correspondence chart, and blank copies of census records to make reading column headings easier (difficult to read on some censuses).
This new database is on trial at the Dayton and Lake Campuses only until the summer of 2012 (no off-campus access is available).
This article written by Libraries’ Practicum Student Stacie Peterson.
February 7, 2012
Have you ever wondered how the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library got its name? Or wanted to learn more about the poetry quoted on the walls behind the circulation desk? During February, the Dunbar Library joins with the Wright State University community in celebrating the life and legacy of Paul Laurence Dunbar by offering the opportunity to experience Dunbar through a variety of events.
Here in the University Libraries, the staff of Special Collections and Archives has created two new exhibits. In the first floor lobby, the Alumni Case showcases first-edition printings of Dunbar's books in poetry and fiction as well as photographs and documents highlighting Dunbar's life. On the fourth floor in the Archives, you will find a special exhibit containing a handwritten, unpublished poem written by Dunbar for a Dayton neighbor.
As part of this celebration, the University Libraries is proud to announce the complete redesign and relaunch of the Paul Laurence Dunbar website. The newly updated information contains more than 400 of his published poems and a new gallery of images from collections here in the Archives and the Ohio Historical Society. Be sure to check out the expanded biography, explore his books of poetry, and learn about places of interest you can visit in the Dayton area. If you are writing a paper or doing a project about Dunbar, the Selected Resources section offers information about available primary and secondary sources.
The exhibits and Dunbar website are just a few of the exciting events happening during the month of February here at Wright State:
For a full listing of Paul Laurence Dunbar activities going on around Dayton in February, see http://webapp2.wright.edu/web1/newsroom/2012/02/05/paul-laurence-dunbar-black-history-month-celebrated-all-month-at-wright-state/.
Please join the University Libraries and Wright State University this February and "Experience Paul Laurence Dunbar" in a whole new way.
February 7, 2012
Due to changes in OhioLINK's statewide delivery system, delivery of OhioLINK items will be delayed during early March. If you still need OhioLINK materials for use this quarter, they must be ordered by the end of February to avoid potential delay in receiving them.
We appreciate your cooperation. Please contact us with any questions at (937) 775-2525. You can order your OhioLINK items through the OhioLINK catalog.
January 31, 2012
When a snow day keeps you home, Libraries' help remains at-hand through Instant Messaging (IM) and email reference service. Humanities Librarian Erica Clay offered to continue IM and email services from her home computer during a snow day in early 2011. It was a hit and the Libraries now offer IM and email help during its regular open hours even if the campus is unexpectedly closed for a calamity day.
Students can also text questions from their cell phones or chat with the Libraries on Facebook or through our Ask a Librarian page.
IM questions are quickly outnumbering email and telephone contacts. Most IMs involve helping students to find particular books and databases, or to select specific search terms. Librarians follow-up inquiries with emails if additional information or research is needed before providing answers.
Some recent IM queries include:
Requests vary with the time of year - the first week of a quarter draws requests asking for books and course reserves, while mid-quarter requests are frequently for finding journal articles, and finals week brings questions about our open hours.
Try out our many ways of reference help to get answers when you need them.
January 12, 2012
The Libraries remind students using public computer workstations to save your files to a flash drive, external hard drive, or your RaiderMail SkyDrive only. 4GB flash drives are available at the Libraries' Circulation Desk (1st floor) and Media Desk (2nd floor) for $5.00 (plus sales tax).
As of November 22, the campus H:\ drive is no longer the default setting on public computers. All campus public computer default settings now save files to that particular computer's hard drive. Personal files on these hard drives are automatically deleted once that computer is restarted (daily). It is now imperative to save your files to a storage device such as a flash drive, external hard drive, or your SkyDrive (available through RaiderMail).
Neither the Libraries nor Campus Telecommunications Services (CaTS) can recover files from a public computer's hard drive after they are deleted.
Also keep in mind that beginning March 1, 2012, access to your campus H:\ drive will no longer be available. Copy any files stored on this drive to another device or location, such as a flash drive or external hard drive. But you may also want to try out Skydrive, Microsoft's online cloud storage solution. As a WSU student, you get your own 25GB SkyDrive after you sign up for RaiderMail, WSU's new email service for students.
To learn more about using SkyDrive and to find help on moving your files from your campus H:\ drive to SkyDrive, please visit: http://www.wright.edu/cats/raidermail/skydrive/. If you have any questions concerning this change, please contact the CaTS Help Desk at (937) 775-4827 or 1-888-775-4827. To learn more about the RaiderMail service, please visit http://www.wright.edu/cats/raidermail/. There is also a CaTS Help Desk on the Dunbar Library 2nd floor.
November 9, 2011
Mango Language Learning Center and LearningExpress Library are two databases in the Wright State University Libraries' collections that provide unique opportunities for WSU students, faculty and programs.
Mango is an OhioLINK online language-learning system that can help students learn Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, German, Mandarin Chinese, Greek, Italian, Russian and even Pirate. Mango also offers English lessons if English is not your first language.
The system is divided into modules providing clear goals related to conversation and pronunciation. Mango uses a variety of teaching methods including flashcards, repetition, and cultural notes, plus contains a translation feature. Once at the dabase, click the "Start Learning" button to try it out, or create a free Mango profile to log in and track your progress. (You will need Java and Flash to use Mango).
Students interested in practice tests and test preparation may appreciate LearningExpress Library. This database provides unlimited, 24/7 access to targeted skill-building interactive courses in math, reading, and writing, as well as hundreds of online interactive practice tests to prepare for several types of exams including the GRE, GMAT, MCAT, LSAT, CBEST, Praxis, U.S. Citizenship, and civil service positions.
Please note that you have to be on-campus to set up an account the first time using LearningExpress; afterward it's accessible from any internet connection.
Explore our databases to find other gems for your scholarly and personal pursuits. Find an alphabetic list of the Libraries' databases.
For help using these and other resources, please contact the Information Desk at (937) 775-2925 or use Ask-a-Librarian.
November 7, 2011
The Wright State University Libraries reach far into the community through partnership with Dayton's seven major teaching hospitals and the WSU Educational Resource Center. What are collectively known as our Affiliate Libraries are open to Wright State students and faculty, and contribute information on their library and media collections to the WSU and Affiliates Library Catalog.
Our Affiliate Libraries are located in Children's Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital, Grandview Hospital, Kettering College, Kettering Medical Center, Miami Valley Hospital, the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, and the Charles and Renate Frydman Educational Resource Center.
The Affiliate Libraries participate in OhioLINK, borrowing and lending thousands of books per month supporting programs here and across Ohio. They also borrow and lend articles via Interlibrary Loan and essentially provide the same services as the WSU Libraries but with a much smaller, dedicated staff.
Each Affiliate Library provides public computers for student/patron use and access to the array of online resources available through the University Libraries' website. The librarians at each hospital support WSU's teaching program through invaluable instruction about online medical resources to Boonshoft School of Medicine students who serve rotations in the hospitals.
The Charles and Renate Frydman Educational Resource Center (ERC) in Allyn Hall serves the College of Education & Human Services. The ERC promotes technology in preparing future teaching professionals and features an Instructional Materials Center and Media Production Lab.
The origin of the Affiliates' collaboration was a Dayton-area library consortium, the Cooperative Online Library System (COLS), that included regional hospital and college libraries supporting Wright State students. This affiliation helped the WSU Libraries to eventually test and become a founding member of OhioLINK in 1992. The Wright State University Libraries are grateful for and indebted to the support and cooperation of our Affiliate Libraries to ensure the widest coverage of services and research help for WSU students and faculty.
October 24, 2011
The Libraries' Special Collections and Archives is home to the largest Wright Brothers Collection in the world. And it just got a little bigger this fall. We recently received new materials for the Wright Brothers Collection from Marianne Miller Hudec, great niece to Wilbur and Orville. Marianne is the daughter of Wilbur and Orville's niece, Ivonette Wright Miller, who was instrumental in bringing the Wright collection to Wright State in 1975.
The new additions include some fascinating items such as: postcards written by Wilbur Wright in 1908 while he was in Le Mans, France, demonstrating the airplane; original photographs of the brothers, their father Milton Wright, and sister Katharine Wright; and Orville Wright's National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics membership card.
Probably the most exciting item in these new materials is a photograph album compiled by French photographer L. Callizo. The album contains nearly 50 original prints, labeled and signed by Callizo, documenting Wilbur's flights at Pau, France, in the winter of 1909. The album is inscribed inside the front cover to Wilbur Wright as a special gift to him from the photographer. While prints of many of the images in the album are already in our Wright Brothers Collection, there are others that we have never seen before. The fact that this album was assembled with original prints developed and mounted by the photographer, and presented to Wilbur Wright as a personal gift, makes it a unique and valuable treasure.
Find these and more Wright family materials in the Special Collections & Archives located on the Dunbar Library 4th floor. Visit the Archives' website for open hours and more information about its collections, www.libraries.wright.edu/special, or call 775-2092.
3640 Colonel Glenn Highway, Dayton, Ohio 45435. Phone: (937) 775-2525
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