Library Newsletter May 1999

Plans are afoot!

The deplorable condition of the carpet in the Library has at last been recognized and something is going to be done about it. While we have not been given a definite timeline, the 2nd and 5th floors of the Library are slated to receive new carpeting.

Students may have already noticed the gradual introduction of matching chairs in the Library. We are having our existing chairs re-upholstered, and hope to eventually provide a visually pleasant – as well as functionally superior – library

Cabling in the library is also scheduled to occur before next semester. This project, long overdue, will bring the cabling requirements up to date and provide increased network connections to all floors of the building.

The funding behind a good deal of our planning is a program instituted by the State of California last year called the Telecommunications and Technology Infrastructure Program (TTIP). Along with our sister community colleges, Rio Hondo has received funds to upgrade many aspects of technology – from new computers to new online databases to video conferencing to the statewide 4CNet data network service.

The irony is, even though the money is available to improve access to technology and to provide greater service points for students and faculty, the building itself is our greatest obstacle.

Until the cabling is finished, we will not be able to provide additional computers. The HVAC (Heating and Air Conditioning) systems in the library are also a concern. Anyone who has been in the library on a really hot – or a really cold day – knows about that! Buildings are a part of the equation. How many students have wondered at the gaping holes in our ceilings and carpets and have not been affected by the sight?

The physical state of the campus IS a reflection of the care and pride of its members. How great a difference the painting of the Administration and Library buildings has made! The repairs to the
Wray Theatre are also a case in point.

We endorse the efforts to upgrade the campus facilities – they are long overdue!

New online databases

Rio Hondo students, staff and faculty now have on-campus and off-campus access to our newest databases:

This is a fantastic compilation of major Gale publications such as Contemporary Authors, Dictionary of Literary Biography, Contemporary Literary Criticism and others. You can search for critical analyses of individual works or authors. You can search by genre or time period. You can even search by theme.

SIRS Researcher is a database with thousands of full-text articles in the areas of social science, science, health, economics, business, political and global issues.

The databases are available from any computer on-campus or from home. Please call the Library for the userids and passwords: (562) 692-0921 ext. 3416 or 4110.

AOL users -- are you having trouble with WebCat?

If you attempt to access the library’s catalog on the Web using AOL’s native browser, you have probably wondered why it has not been successful. There is a technical explanation for this at Santa Monica Public Library’s site (http://www.smpl.org/library/). To work around the problem you need to launch Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator after you have connected to your AOL account. You should have the AOL software running minimized on your desktop, but you cannot use the browser
to access WebCat.

New library Web site
launched!

It was a case of here today, gone the next! On April 14, we pulled the plug on the old library Web site and launched the newly designed Web site that has been in the works for months. We want to give special thanks to Jim Hipolito of the Virtual College and Van Vuong of Technology & Information Services. The new site has been completely re-furbished and features "Rio colors" as well as a new navigation system. Librarian Adele Enright planned the site with help from Librarian Jan Coe and the part-time librarians. Much of the old content had to be re-formatted to make the change and Mary Walker in the Library did the bulk of that work.

The navigation bar on the left allows easy jumping to the major parts of the site. Check out our Online Databases, Guides and Tutorials, and Web Search Tools, to name just a few.

The Library Web site is dynamic and will feature new content and links on an on-going basis. Use it to start your research or just to learn more about the library. See the Library FAQs for answers to common questions about our library and services.

Subject Guides (Guides and Tutorials > Subject Guides) are now staples in most academic library Web sites. These guides provide a wealth of evaluated sites on many of the topics that students are assigned and can be a tremendous time-saver.

Book Sale a Success

If you missed this year’s book sale, don’t despair – this is an annual event at Rio Hondo. The sale this year was part of the festivities honoring National Library Week. The book sale helps keep the library’s collection current due to regular weeding (or "de-selection" as it is rather pompously known in the library world!).

Our other main event, the Library Readfest, was also a great success. Librarians Ron Rodriguez and Judy Sevilla-Marzona gathered together a spectacular lineup of readers from across the campus. The selections ranged from poems to excerpts from novels, short stories, children’s books, plays, and speeches.

We appreciate and salute those students, faculty, staff, and managers who took the time to participate. You’re great!

Did you know?

...that SIRS Researcher contains more than full-text articles? Check out the World Almanac excerpts and Maps of the World sections.

...that our automation system recently underwent a major upgrade? We are now running Sirsi Unicorn 98.2. This upgrade has enabled the library staff to work in a new interface called "WorkFlows". It is an icon-driven workspace rather than a command-driven one. Students and others will not notice any difference because the public access computers are not affected.

...that we have upgraded our HP 9000 to the latest operating system and it is now Y2K compliant.

..that you can expect a re-designed Reference floor when the cabling, painting, and carpeting is done. The Library staff is mulling over different configurations for the room. We want to make the best use of the space we have.

New Faces

The extended hours on Friday and Saturdays has meant that we have added several new part-time classified staff to the library. They are:

Emma Guerrero, Terrance Butcher and Louise Huizar. We will profile them in the next issue of the Library Newsletter.