I am sad...Musetta passed away!

Yesterday, Musetta made a mad dash across 4th Street---not a good plan for any creature, not matter how fast they think they are!-- and was hit by a car and killed instantly. The driver felt so bad and at first, I was very concerned that he was comforted than the actual loss of Musetta. He was a student of mine a few years ago, a sweetheart, and is a sensitive young man. After hugs and assurances that he did the right thing and that we appreciated that he was not hurt and that he actually stopped to console us (amazing!), he drove off, evening ruined, I am sure. We were then left with the grief and the task of burial. We buried her at the other side of my favorite bench, opposite G. Thanks who died almost a year ago. It is comforting to have those creatures' still nearby when we are outside reading on that bench.

Musetta was a hard cat to cozy to. A bit irascible and cantankerous, she never sought you out. You always had to foist love on her. She mellowed a BIT over the last ten years but would growl if you loved on here a second too long in her count. We have set up a memorial page here: http://www.ilovedmypet.com/view.asp?id=28801 If you have lost a pet, I would appreciate hearing about it there.

Best wishes for a happier day!

ERC Printer being poopy!

Help is on the way! Koby is coming back today with a part that has been on order and we should be printing with nary a problem SOON!

BTW...the high schoolers will be gone in a few days and you will have the resources all to yourselves again. They will be back to their library that has tons of resources (lots of databases and reference works) but no librarian and no microform readers. We have enjoyed them here this year. They are polite and mannerly. Hope to see them soon at EOU next fall!

Naxos Music LIbrary----neato!

Don't know Stravinsky from Strauss? An mbira from an akadinda? Check out the streaming audio found at the Naxos Library database found at: http://eou.naxosmusiclibrary.com/default.asp
and access an incredibly deep database of jazz, contemporary instrumental, classical, world, and pop rock music!

Portable Apps and Open Office

Ever been caught trying to finish a paper and there is no Word on a public computer in the cafe where you are sipping coffee? Have no fear. A little pre-planning will save the day. Download the portable version o Open Office to a thumb drive, iPod, any portable device that acts as a hard drive and then plug it into the public computer. Then....you have instant access to your favorite Office application software. This site also includes Mozilla and many other useful applications. Best part? FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's the site for the portable Office suite: http://portableapps.com/support/openoffice_portable#installing

The main site, listing other apps is found at:
http://portableapps.com/

Easier than I thought--printing PDF

Last night, a student had a pdf file to print from Blackboard but it looked unusual in that there was no print icon on the pdf document's toolbar. When we tried to print using the File menu, nothing was being sent to the printer. Jamie just walked over, right-clicked on the document, and that was that! Easy as pie! (which I do not think is too easy--where did that expression come from?)

Cell phones%^*&!!@#%- You can only put up so many signs!

Check this out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyLTqBARFt8&feature=related

Okay---I even bought Tiki torches!

Last night, I bought Tiki torches for the backyard to appease the gods of spring! It is still snowing. Anybody have other ideas?

The BIG READ display at Pierce Library

Come in and check out the display of Chinese objects and supplementary materials to support our town reading The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Watch the newspapers and posters around town for the schedule of events to celebrate and magnify the themes of this book.

There is a trunk show from the Kam Wah Chung Museum on May 11th at 2 PM , a presentation 'The Chinese in Early La Grande" at 11 am on May 3rd, and a discussion led by our own Dean Levine on May 17th at 2 PM of the Joy Luck Club, all free programs and held at the Public Library downtown La Grande. It is not too late to read the book and get in on the activities! All of our free copies have been distributed but the bookstore in La Grande stocks the title or you can get a copy through interlibrary loan. Stop in and we will show you how to do that!

Welcome to Spring Term!

Ignore the snow, but it IS Spring Term! Welcome back and a hearty welcome to new students. I am finally catching the cold that everyone spread around before Spring Break and feel pretty punky-- but cheery in spirit!

Things are already back to normal. TONS of Powerpoint presentations being printed with black backgrounds and LOADS of pages being printed from slides. One student started out with an inch of paper and just kept feeding the printer. Wow! We made an impact on professors' habits, didn't we? (Wry smile.) I hope that Powerpoint is not in the Afterlife.

Set loose on an ice floe

Those of us left to work next week on campus are warned to be prepared. There is no food service on campus unless you count the snack machines which I do not!) and no coffee service in the library or Mac's Grill. Rumours abound that Aramark will leave out a pump pot for those of us who forget to bring a thermos of java from home. Woe! Cruel and unusual punishment! Waaaa!

Happy Spring Break!

Sniff! Well, I will be here holding the fort but don't let that stop you from having a refreshing break in the fun spot of your choosing! From what I witnessed thus far this week....you deserve it! Be safe, have a great time, and we await your return with some interesting stories to share with us.

Free online citation software

Though I can't claim that I have had success with all of these, they ARE free and will get you in the ballpark of citation accuracy! Check with your profs' requirements, however. What is said on the syllabus is the gospel!



Name/URL: Son of Citation Machine / http://citationmachine.net/
Formats: MLA, APA, Turabian, Chicago

Name/URL: Noodle Tools / http://www.noodletools.com/
Formats: MLA, APA

Name/URL: Easy Bib / http://www.easybib.com/
Formats: MLA, APA

Name/URL: Bib Me / http://www.bibme.org/
Formats: MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian

Name/URL: Zotero (Firefox Extension) / http://www.zotero.org/
Formats: MLA, APA, Chicago

Name/URL: Otto Bib / http://ottobib.com/
Formats: MLA, APA, Chicago/Turabian, BibTeX, Wikipedia

Name/URL: Knight Cite / http://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/
Formats: MLA, APA, Chicago

Name/URL: Internet Citation Maker /
http://www.interaction-design.org/citation-maker/
Formats: APA, MLA, BibTex, Refer

Name/URL: Source Aid / http://www.sourceaid.com/
Formats: MLA, APA, Chicago, CSE

Databases are NOT the Internet!

Using our databases is not using the internet. Some students are so fearful, saying that their professors will not let them use the internet for research, or limit internet resources. Our databases are delivered electronically but they are not the internet. Often, journals in our databases are just electronic copies of our paper journals. Sometimes, our databases have journals that are "born digital"....that is, never were conceived as paper journals. Some of our databases have journals that we only buy in electronic form. These decisions are driven my money (or lack thereof) and access benefits.

Don't worry! Using our databases is not using the internet (deep breath! sigh of relief)

We are hiring-Student LIbrary Assistants!

We are hiring now for student library positions for Fall 2008. Pick up an application at any service desk at Pierce Library or click on this link for an online copy. Pierce Library has a range of positions open and those positions are listed on the reverse of the application form. Read them over and see what position "speaks to you!" The deadline for applications is March 10th, a Monday. If you have any questions, blog me! Call me 963.3780, IM me: erc_pierce...talk to me!

New Printer!

Hallelujah! We have a new printer int he ERC. It is not a Brother as shown here but a Lanier! It does a great job. Come by and run her through her paces!

Powerpoint SUCKS...Ink!

We are asking faculty who are passing the printing of Powerpoint presentations and class notes off to students to stop using black and dark colors as backgrounds for the slides. Some printers allow the suppression of the background but often the printer drivers do not allow that to be done, sucking the ink reservoirs down faster than a soda in the Sahara. It also ties up the printer queues in the library and labs across the campus. Often students run out of time and just leave, allowing a Powerpoint presentation to continue printing. It takes a long time for us to clear that print job causing students to have to wait--or give up in frustration.

Be kind to the budget and our students' time.....print out the presentation for the students on a COPY machine, or at the very least, use white backgrounds!

Email IN....no email out

Here's the scenario...you bring your laptop into the library and are working away. You check your email over the wireless network here at Pierce and here comes the assignment from Professor X. You need to ask a clarifying question and BAM! the email cannot be sent. What's with that?

Well, it is all about security. The scenario can get ugly if email COULD be sent from the wireless system in the library. A bad spammer person could enter our facility and spam anonymously using our infrastructure. Not going to happen!

So, while it may be annoying to have Outlook (PC) or Mail (Mac) just collect your OUT emails and not send them, it is for the common good. Of course, if you use the internal web-based email system, the email will go through.

Quick Search

Our webpage has a new look! And a new function that should speed you on your way to locating materials here at Pierce Library. It is called QuickSearch and the keyword(s) you enter searches a subset of our databases and the online library catalog to deliver quick results. It is not meant to return a comprehensive list of our holdings but...in a hurry...Go for it!

Like out of Tolstoy!

I thought I would not get here through the drifts today. Being too cheap to buy a parking pass and having a difficult time with the environmental impact of driving when I live two blocks, sometimes those two blocks feel like two miles. This is especially burdensome when people do not shovel their walks- a violation of city ordinance. So rude! Maybe the city can sound a siren to get people out of bed and to the shovels! I wonder if our students from Wallowa and Baker counties will get here today. Drive safely all!

Caldecott and Newbery Awards announced!

Why would I be concerned about children's book awards? Well, you don't set aside 30 years of being a youth librarian!

Here is a link to the announcement:
http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/?p=193.