Monthly Archive Index for KSL News Blog

Additional Open Forum Added for Campus...

Kelvin Smith Library has added another Open Forum for the campus community to talk about the KSL Draft Strategic Plan. Your comments and feedback are welcomed on Wednesday, March 30 from 2-3 pm in KSL's Dampeer Room.

• Read a copy of the Draft Strategic Document and join others at the Forum on Wednesday.

• Let KSL know how the draft vision and goals matches your research needs and scholarship, now and for the near future. The campus comment period concludes March 31.

• Email feedback is welcome:
Arnold Hirshon, Associate Provost and University Librarian (axh374@case.edu)
Mary Quinn Griffin, Chair, Faculty Senate Committee on University Libraries (mtg2@case.edu)

Open Forum:
Wednesday, March 31st 2:00-3:00 pm
KSL Dampeer Room, 2nd floor

Key Check Out for Group Study Room

Keys make it easy to borrow a Group Study Room and keep it for 3 hours, especially when you want a mini-break so you can go and get drinks and snacks in the Cramelot cafe. When you check out a Group Study Room key, you keep the room for 3 hours, and can lock your study materials in the room while you get some food.

Make sure your group takes advantage of a KSL room that was designed for 4-6 people to work together by checking out one of the nine rooms. Details about the pilot project for checking out a Group Study Room are available on the Library Services section of the KSL homepage.

CheckOut A Locker Today @KSL

When you need a short term place to keep your things while you go to a meeting or have to go across campus but want to leave your study things at KSL, now you can borrow a locker. You'll need your student ID card for Case, CIM, CIA and a Case library account in good standing. Return the keys before the end of the day, and the use of the locker is free!

Lockers are small at 10"W x11 1/2" H by 16" D, but can really help you out on a busy day. Check out a short-term locker if you only need it for a few hours. Read about the KSL Lockers (now on the Lower Level) and check one out today!

Long term needs?
Ask about KSL lockers for semester loan. Case (only) students can use a long term locker on a first-come basis, starting the 2nd week of Fall and Spring semesters.
• The KSL Lockers page tells you about both types of lockers & gives you a link for more information.
• Requirements and Locker Policy explains the specifics & requirements about each loan type.

Read about the Locker Policy & then talk with library staff at the KSL Main Service Desk—staff can help you decide which kind best suits your needs.

QuickFlicks DVD & Game Rental Kiosk

Get a QuickFlicks DVD the next time you come into KSL! This new local start-up venture reaches out to a new marketplace with recent DVDs and games for $2 & $1 per night rentals, and inventory that will be restocked according to preferences of KSL customers. The QuickFlicks self-serve kiosk brings a new service to campus by combining trend data from the entertainment industry, self-service technology, and user behavior.

How It Works:
• Touch screen: browse image thumbnails.
• Genre: select, sort by drama, comedy, action films, & more.
• Up|Down arrows: change display screen, see what's new.
• Select: Summary explains movie, suggests similar items.
• Rent icon with your credit card: choose item, swipe your card to rent.
• Rent & Return: do it all at the kiosk, get an email receipt.

How Many & What It Costs:
• Rentals: up to 3 items at a time.
• New release DVDs & Games: $2 first night, then $1 per night.
• All other DVDs: $1 per night.

What's In It:
• Games: XBox, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3
• New release DVDs (within 28 days of release)
• March 2011: approx. 250-300 items in the kiosk

Email & telephone support information is on the kiosk, and a browsable/searchable web page is expected soon.

QuickFlicks is conveniently located in the KSL lobby, on your right as you enter.

The result of a 2009 project by John Carroll University interns and Bowden Manufacturing, QuickFlicks Entertainment is a locally owned and operated business that currently has several kiosks in northern Ohio.

A New Quiet Study Space @KSL

A beautiful place to study opens up at KSL...when you'd like a special quiet space to read & study, come to the Special Collections room on the 2nd floor. Similar to the Mather Room, Special Collections has a lovely and comfortable ambience like a fine home, with paneled walls, lamps, art displays, comfortable seats & tables, and lots of natural light.

Now that the 2nd floor Mather Room is a Faculty and Graduate Research Commons-style room, if you used to study in there, you'll find the Special Collections room to be an identical space that also has furnishings different from other KSL public spaces.

Special Collections does have a no food/drink policy since it maintains our special materials—the room is otherwise available for contemplative work...enjoy!

Classes occasionally meet in here to use the collections within, but a sign outside the door always alerts you to others who might be coming in, and when.

It's a beautiful, quiet room for you to use and an upholstered chair is waiting for you..the door's open, come on in!

Monday-Friday, 8:30 am - 5 pm, unless class is in session.
KSL Special Collections, 2nd floor

Open Forum, KSL Draft Strategic Plan, Fri. March 25

Join others on campus on Friday, March 25 for the 3rd of KSL's Open Forums that share the library's Draft Strategic Plan. Your comments and feedback about the role of the library in fostering academic excellence are welcomed during the final Open Forum, or via other options.

The Draft Strategic Plan document is open to the campus, with feedback via office appointments as time permits, and email to:
• Arnold Hirshon, Associate Provost and University Librarian axh374@case.edu
• Mary Quinn Griffin, Chair, Faculty Senate Committee on University Libraries mtg2@case.edu

Kelvin Smith Library puts its future open for discussion. Share your voice, join others:
Friday, March 25
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Nord, Room 310

ADDED: Additional Open Forum for campus feedback on Wed., March 30.
KSL Dampeer Room 2nd floor, 2-3 pm

2nd Open Forum, KSL Strategic Plan Tues. March 22

Plan to come to the 2nd Open Forum to see and hear about the Draft Strategic Plan document of the Kelvin Smith Library. Join others on Tuesday, March 22nd for the new focus on KSL's efforts and future. Include your research future by joining in with your voice about the library and its role in your information discovery & services that you'll need for your work.

Your conversation & feedback are valued, as is the transparency in sharing the Draft Strategic Plan document with the campus. Read more about the 2 remaining Open Forums and various methods of feedback.

2nd Open Forum, Tuesday, March 22
9:00 am - 10:30 am
Allen Memorial Library, Herrick Room (first floor)

The open comment period continues through March 25th

The last Open Forum is Fri. March 25, 11:00 am-12:30 pm (Nord, Room 310)

New Group Study Room Policy @KSL

A new KSL pilot project gives students who need a Group Study Room more assurance that they'll be able to get one. Comments about individuals using them all day when a group needed space to work together prompted a new policy: now students can check out a room key for a Group Study Room.

KSL Group Study Rooms have large tables and 4-6-8 chairs and were designed with groups in mind. With over 900 seats for individuals, the 9 Group Study Rooms are always in high demand for group use. Check them out from library staff at the Main Service Desk and your group is assured a 3 hour study session.

Read more about the pilot project (with link to full policy) that will check out more rooms to more students.

KSL is developing an online advance reservation service, too–watch for news about it later this semester. Staff is always ready to suggest quiet spaces to individuals, too!

KSL Cafe Opens...

Cramelot is now open--come in and enjoy coffee, food, snacks, soups, energy drinks, and more! A crowd gathered for the 11 am Grand Opening & everyone enjoyed free coffee & food.

Undergraduate Biology student Ryan Haskins receives $100 and other gifts & prizes, as Arnold Hirshon (Associate Provost and University Librarian) reveals that Ryan's suggestion of Cramelot is the wining name for the cafe. Paul Taylor, Executive Chef, Bon Appetit is in the background, ready to start the cafe festivities.

Cramelot became the newest campus & KSL space with the ribbon-cutting by Ryan Haskins (contest winner), Jim O'Brien (Bon Appetit District Manager), Arnold Hirshon (Associate Provost and University Librarian), Richard Jamieson (Vice President Campus Services), Lynn Singer (Deputy Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs), and W.A. "Bud" Baeslack (Provost and Executive Vice President.

In the CPL@Case-KSL leisure reading area adjacent to Cramelot, Arnold Hirshon talks with Charles Rozek, Vice President and Dean of Graduate Affairs, and Christine Ash, Case Vice President for Planning.

Amidst the opening crowd sampling the coffee and food, Kathleen Carrick, Director of the Judge Ben C. Green Law Library and Associate Professor of Law talks with Naomi Visser, Visiting South African Fellow at KSL.

KSL newspapers & magazines are adjacent to Cramelot, where Lynn Singer talks with Virginia Saha, Director of the Cleveland Health Sciences Library, and Elizabeth Nochomovitz, Director of Auxiliary Services.

We'll see you soon at Cramelot in KSL:
• Monday-Thursday: 11 am - 9 pm
• Friday: 11 am - 4 pm
• Saturday: closed
• Sunday: 2 pm - 9 pm

Ars Poetica Performance @KSL's Cramelot Cafe--17th

The first public performance in KSL's newly opened Cramelot cafe takes place this week. Ars Poetica, a new organization on campus, holds a poetry slam & everyone is invited.

Join us for entertainment from the group & perhaps an open mike for the audience!

• Thursday March 17th, 5:00-7:30 pm
• Kelvin Smith Library, Cramelot (main floor)

1st KSL Strategic Plan Open Forum Wed. 16th Afternoon

Today, Wed. March 16th is the first of three KSL Open Forums to share the draft of the Kelvin Smith Library new Strategic Plan. Join others on campus to discuss the draft plan and its opportunities for enhancing research and community at CWRU.

Campus feedback is important, and you're invited to see the brief document that shares the vision and engagement KSL plans for the future. Details are available about the Open Forums and various methods of feedback, plus the Draft Strategic Plan document for your review.

Open Forum: 3:30-5:00 pm, Wed. March 16th
3rd Floor Thwing Center, Spartan Room

The 2nd Open Forum is March 22nd, 9-10:30 am in the Herrick Room (1st floor) at Allen Memorial Library. The open comment period concludes March 25th.

Report Your File Download Problems...

Are you experiencing unexpected or unusual results when you download or view a file from a library database and/or journal? If you can't get the file to download, it won't open, or has an error message & is corrupted, the library wants to hear from you.

The Problem:
ITS has determined that downloaded .PDF files may contain worms & viruses that aren't detected by anti-virus software. The infected files can corrupt campus computers.

What's Happening:
.PDF files may be blocked at the firewall due to ITS detection & prevention screening for problems.

What You Can Do:
• Report your download problem to the Library.
• Give KSL specific information on the database, journal, or file name where you were downloading.
• If your database or journal source offers both HTML &.PDF versions, choose HTML until this is resolved.
• Versions of .PDFs earlier than 9.2.x are vulnerable. Upgrade Adobe products to the latest version.

We know how you depend on databases & journals that Case Libraries license for you, and how important the downloaded files are to your research. We'll pass along problem information to ITS for further investigation and solution.

Report file download problems via email to nofile@case.edu
Case Libraries' reference librarians may be able to get your documents without external downloads. Talk to your library for help.

Keeping America Informed: Government Docs

KSL Government Documents cover a wide range of subjects, from presidential papers to miniature copies of the Constitution. You'll find unusual resources plus help from the Government Documents staff!

"It's one of the most interesting collections with things like style manuals, art from the Smithsonian & Library of Congress, or literature, business, and society," says Karen Thornton, Head of Government Documents. "You'll find alcohol & substance abuse reports from Health and Human Services. Schizoprenia Bulletin in the Case Catalog is now in the EJC."

Favorite: Hearings, a cross-section of Americans "...dating back to the 30s, rich in history with unusal people, anyone who has testified like writers in the blacklist era, actors for environmental issues."

Favorites: Cheryl Burden, Government Documents Assistant likes "topics from the Library of Congress, crime stats, food & drug recalls, Department of Homeland Security—there's so much!" She notes that KSL also receives unusual things: children's puzzles & coloring books, 3-D Pocket Viewfinder from the NASA exploration space program, and documents in print, microfiche, DVD/CD's and electronic formats.

Government Document staff suggests:
• USA.gov A-Z Departments & Agency resources, Statistics, Sci-Tech, Business, History, World Maps & more...
• Economic Report of the President KSL QuickReference (HC106.5A272), online via GPO
• Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, KSL (Hoover 1930 - G. W. Bush 2005) & online via GPO
• NASA Technical Reports
• Study for U.S. Citizen test with KSL's Civics Flash Cards & test information, Citizenship & Immigration resources.

Selected Government Sources, Case Libraries' Research Databases:

• Access UN 1966-2010, via NewsBank. Premier index to thousands of United Nations Official Records, draft resolutions, meeting records, UN Treaty Series citations, full-text UN documents, & more.
• Statistical Abstract of the United States KSL QuickReference HA202.U5 and online.
• Homeland Security Digital Library Policy, strategy, management (U.S. & internationl governments, nonprofits & private entities.)
• HeinOnline, U.S. Supreme Court Library, U.S. Presidential Library, U.S. Congressional Documents, U.N. Law Collection, pre-1981 coverage U.S. Federal Register, & more.

Kelvin Smith Library of Case Western Reserve University has been a congressionally designated federal depository for United States Government publications since 1913. KSL is also a mirror site for the 2000 & 2010 Census.

KSL Issues Strategic Plan Draft for Campus Comment

The Kelvin Smith Library invites the campus to read the draft of the library's new Strategic Plan, and welcomes campus comments. Copies of the draft plan are available for download, and comments & feedback are welcomed in a variety of ways:

Open Forums

• Wed. March 16, 3:30-5:00 pm (Thwing Center, Spartan Room 3rd floor)
• Tue. March 22, 9:00-10:30 am (Allen Memorial Library, Herrick Room, 1st floor)
• Fri. March 25, 11:00 am-12:30 pm (Nord, Room 310)
• Added: March 30th, 2-3 pm, KSL Dampeer Room, 2nd floor

Appointments for departmental faculty, as schedules permit

• Arnold Hirshon, Associate Provost and University Librarian
• Mary Quinn Griffin, Chair, Faculty Senate Committee on University Libraries

Email

• Arnold Hirshon axh374@case.edu
• Mary Quinn Griffin mtg2@case.edu

The comment period runs through March 31st, 2011.

We hope to see you at one of the Open Forums and hear your comments about our vision and values for the future, pllus more about how KSL impacts campus life & scholarship as it connects with today's and tomorrow's researchers.

The KSL Draft Strategic Plan is available at http://library.case.edu/ksl/plan/ ksl-plan-draft-3-4-11-distrib.pdf

Save the Date: KSL Cafe Opening Ceremony Monday March 14!

Celebrate the Cafe Opening! Be there at 11 am Monday March 14th for the official opening of the KSL Cafe. Arnold Hirshon, Associate Provost and University Librarian, hosts a ribbon-cutting ceremony and will be joined by Lynn Singer, Deputy Provost and Vice President for Academic Programs, plus other campus officials.

Also part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony is the undergraduate student who submitted the winning name. The Big Reveal will show off the finishing touches on the cafe, and the name of the newest KSL space.

Join us for some fun...sample Seattle coffee and check out the refrigerated display case. Get a snack or expand your lunch options with paninis, espresso, salads, & much more.

Opening festivities happen from 11 am to Noon—stop in and join the crowd!

Spring Break Hours@KSL

KSL Hours adjust to Spring Break, too, opening one hour later M-F & staying open to 8:30 Monday-Thursday.

24x7 takes a break, too. 24x7 returns when classes resume on Monday March 14.

• Sat. 5th: 9-5:30 pm
• Sun. 6th: Closed
• Mon.-Thu. 7-10th: 9-8:30 pm
• Fri.-Sat. 11-12th: 9-5:30 pm
• Sun. 13th: Noon-Midnight

Regular hours resume on Monday 14th (8 am-Midnight) and 24x7 resumes at the close of Monday night's Regular Business Hours.

TRY IBZ Database

IBZ online, the International Bibliography of Periodical Literature in the Humanities and Social Sciences, has been the leading interdisciplinary reference tool for international academic literature in the humanities and social sciences for over 100 years.

Indexing the most recent scientific articles, IBZ focuses on German and international publications where there is an intersection of humanities, social science, and natural sciences. Subject headings and subject fields help researchers refine their searches, which can be entered either in German or English. Keyword searches easily identify articles in Spanish, Italian, French, Polish, Norwegian and other languages.

IBZ indexes over 3.3 million journal articles from 11,500 journals and now includes abstracts. Questions & Comments about IBZ are welcome!

Find IBZ on the Research Database list. Remote or wireless access for Case individuals requires an activated VPN connection.

National Women's History Month, KSL Research Spotlight

March is National Women's History Month and celebrates women's historic achievements throughout the country's history. KSL's March Research Spotlight features the project and offers Case information resources for further gender, social, and women's studies.

On the NWHM site you'll discover that U.S. Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins witnessed a tragic factory fire in 1911 and when appointed to the Cabinet in 1933 instituted important labor legislation. The Labor Movement began as early as 1765 with the first society of working women. Women participated in the Suffrage Movement, Civil Rights, Women's Rights, and the Environmental Movement to improve society.

The Research Spotlight Resource Center leads you to biographies, speeches, organizations, and a quick History Quiz. You can also get highlights and test your women's history IQ from the 2011 brochure.

Explore the KSL March 2011 Research Spotlight, National Women's History Month.

USG Study Break@KSL Tues & Wed

Make sure you get some snacks at KSL: Tuesday night February 28th & Wednesday night, March 1st. USG is offering treats to keep you going during those long hours while you're studying for Spring mid-term exams.

You'll find USG & the treats in the Kelvin Smith Library lobby. Stop in and say hello 7 pm - 9 pm...or until the food runs out!

USG MidTerm Study Break is a KSL pre-approved event.