Odum Library Blog

Log into Anywhere Access to get the current GALILEO password and to access the databases from off-campus.

How do you log into Anywhere Access?

• Go to the Library’s home page at http://www.valdosta.edu/library/
• Click on the Anywhere Access link in the red left margin
• Log in with your BlazeVIEW username and password

Your BlazeVIEW username and password are not the same as your new email username and password.

If your email is mlibrarian@valdosta.edu, then your BlazeVIEW username is mlibrarian.

The passwords are completely unrelated, although you can choose to use the same password for both email and BlazeVIEW.

Librarians do Gaga!

VSU has a new email system!

The next time you visit the BlazeNet page it will instruct you to go here and give you instructions for logging into your new email account.

You need to login to the new email system with your new username and password.

In our example,  Marion O. Librarian needs to know her

• Year of birth: 1966
• Initials, capitalized: ML
• VSU ID#: XXXXX1234  X

The first time she logs in she will use

• her new username: mlibrarian@valdosta.edu
• her first time use password: 1966ML1234

The first time she logs in the password is her year of birth, followed by her capitalized initials and then the last four digits of her VSU ID number. The system will immediately ask her to create a new password.

If you have questions you can always contact the IT Help Desk.

What’s on your TBR (to be read) pile?

The Browsing Collection has greatly increased the height of my TBR pile.

The distinguished (and recently Knighted) stage actor Sir Patrick Stewart (Caption Picard of the USS Enterprise) can be seen here in rehearsal as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, and discussing the role here.

You can find vintage performance and documentary footage at Theatre in Video— for instance an interview with Sean O’Casey, or Meryl Streep in a full-length 1981 performance of Elizabeth Swados’ Alice at the Palace.

Reading Sex and the City is a collection of essays about the popular TV show.

“The book covers a wide array of topics, such as the symbiotic relationship between fashion and costume, and historical representations (by Woody Allen and Theodore Dreiser, among others) of single New York women. Some writers criticize the show’s image of men and the instances of lesbian homoeroticism, claiming both detract from the celebration of women, sex and gay life. Others enjoy walking in Carrie’s Manolo Blahniks.”–Publishers Weekly

The Library will be closing at midnight on Sunday, May 30, 2010 and will reopen Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at 8:00 AM for the Memorial Day Holiday.

Odum Library hours this weekend:

• Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
• Sunday noon – midnight
• Monday Closed
• Tuesday normal hours, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.

Over the past month, we have been collecting and analyzing data from our Spring 2010 Reference Services Satisfaction Survey.

The statements on this survey are the same ones we asked in the previous three surveys, and Reference Services users rated us on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being “strongly disagree”, 5 being “strongly agree”).   The four statements are:

1. I got the information I needed.
2. I have a better understanding of how to find information.
3. I have a better understanding of how to evaluate information.
4. I am satisfied with the service I received.

The survey results showed that users were once again very satisfied with their experience!

User comments were all very positive, and included:

• The librarian who assisted me was very nice.
• Very helpful with finding info that I would not have been able to obtain myself.
• I received great assistance.  I was able to receive information on a topic that I really wanted to research, when I thouht there wasn’t any information out there.
• The help was efficient and led to some great sources.
• Thank you!! (smiley face)

31 out of 32 users that responded were undergraduate students, and one user responded as “other.”

We also evaluated ourselves on our interactions at the Reference Desk:

The data shows that we are mostly satisfied with how we help you overall (statement 4).

From the results for question 3, the data shows that many of us wish we had more time at the desk with users to help them evaluate the information they find.  Determining the value and quality of information you find is extremely important, and librarians are ready and willing to help you bring up those evaluation skills!  Please ask us if you need help with this.

75% of the provider surveys were completed by librarians, 18.75% by peer reference counselors, and 6.25% by interns.

Here is a user satisfaction summary of the past two school years, from Fall 2008 to Spring 2010:

This year’s user satisfaction ranks as the 2nd highest on the list, and all four surveys had very positive results, never dropping below an average score of 4.

We are always looking for new ways to improve our service here at Odum Reference, and we’re also looking into improving how we evaluate our service.  Please post a comment on the blog or Facebook if you have any ideas of how we could either serve you better or find out more about how we’re doing!

. . . We are women!

Brontë fans will enjoy this short film featuring action figures based on the Brontë sisters, from Phil Lord and Chris Miller of FineMustaches.

You may be inspired to peruse

The Cambridge Companion to the Brontës

A Brontë Encyclopedia (online – Blazenet username and password required)

or some of our more vintage books about the Brontës:

The Brontës’ Web of Childhood (Fannie Ratchford, 1964)

The Brontës (Phyllis Eleanor Bentley, 1947)

The Brontës, Charlotte and Emily (Laura L. Hinkley, 1945)

Derby Day and Other Adventures (Edward Newton, 1934 – the last two chapters are about visiting Haworth and “Brontë country”)

The Young Brontes, Charlotte and Emily, Branwell and Anne (Mary Louise Jarden, 1938 – a chapter book for younger readers)