April 2008 Archives
Change the VCU Libraries in 10 Minutes!
Tell us what you think and you may win a prize.
From April 1st through 30th, VCU Libraries is conducting an online survey of VCU students, faculty, and staff on library service quality called LibQual+. Survey respondents provide essential information to VCU Libraries to use in meeting user needs for resources and services. Your help is greatly appreciated and a great prize could be won in return!
VCU students, faculty, and staff may take the survey now or anytime throughout the month of April. It takes about 10 minutes to complete the survey.
Participation in the LibQual+ survey is voluntary. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate in the survey. All responses are confidential.
45 prizes will be awarded to VCU survey takers. To win, complete the survey and enter an email address at the end of the survey. Winners will be selected by a drawing at the end of the survey period. Prizes include a Nintendo Wii and 9 iPod nanos. View the complete list of prizes and rules for winning online.
Learn more about the LibQual+ 2008 survey at VCU in the LibQual+ 2008 FAQ. Results from our 2006 LibQual+ Survey are available.
For information and/or assistance, contact Susanna Pathak, Planning & Assessment Librarian, at (804) 827-1164.
National Library Week
April 13-19th, 2008
50th Anniversary of National Library Week
From the American Library Association(ALA):
What is National Library Week?
First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support.
In the mid-1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments. Concerned that Americans were reading less, the ALA and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit citizens organization called the National Book Committee in 1954. The committee's goals were ambitious. They ranged from "encouraging people to read in their increasing leisure time" to "improving incomes and health" and "developing strong and happy family life."
In 1957, the committee developed a plan for National Library Week based on the idea that once people were motivated to read, they would support and use libraries. With the cooperation of ALA and with help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme "Wake Up and Read!"
National Library Week was observed again in 1959, and the ALA Council voted to continue the annual celebration. When the National Book Committee disbanded in 1974, ALA assumed full sponsorship.
Library Lite All Nite
24/5 Hours
April 20 - May 9, 2008
James Branch Cabell Library
The James Branch Cabell Library on the Monroe Park Campus will be open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week during exams. This expanded service is called Library Lite All Nite.
From Sunday, April 20 through Friday, May 9, Cabell doors will open at 11:00 a.m. each Sunday and remain open until our regular Friday evening closing time at 9pm. Saturday hours will remain unchanged during Library Lite All Nite - 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
This service will provide 24/5 access to the library building and offer Circulation and Information services, individual study on the 3rd and 4th floors, group study in designated areas, and computerized resources including the library catalog, databases, Internet access, and Microsoft Office applications. The B-8 Computer Lab will also be open during the 24/5 hours.
Sunday through Thursday nights, all patrons entering James Branch Cabell Library after 10 p.m. are required to show VCUCards to gain admittance. A complete listing of operational hours for Cabell Library and Tompkins-McCaw Library is available online.
For more information about Library Lite All Nite and for a complete listing of available services, please visit this Web site.
VCU Libraries is honored to present these rare examples of the incomparable art work of the late Will Eisner. In an effort to encourage soldiers to keep better care of their equipment, the US Army hired Eisner's American Visuals Corporation to do a digest-sized publication focusing on preventive maintenance. Each issue consisted of a color comic book style cover; eight pages of four color comic continuity story in the middle; and a wealth of technical, safety, and policy information printed in two color. Eisner drew and was artistic editor for PS Magazine from its inception in 1951 until 1972. Presented here are complete scans for 145 regular issues, 3 special issues, and 14 index issues.
The 2008 ICPSR Summer Program is currently accepting applications. The program emphasizes integration of methods and quantitative analysis within a broader context of substantive social research. Instruction is reinforced by hands-on data analysis using high-end, networked computers.
Students may take courses from three days to eight weeks in length. All ICPSR Summer Program courses are available on a non-credit basis, and many four-week courses are available for graduate credit. Courses on Bayesian modeling and game theory are now available.
The program is reasonably priced, and fees are reduced for scholars affiliated with an ICPSR Member Institution, including VCU students. The deadline for applying to the program is April 28, 2008. For more information about the program, including the full course catalog, costs, and online application, please see the Summer Program Website. Print brochures are also available in the VCU Libraries main lobby area (under the plasma monitor near the book drop). You may also contact the VCU ICPSR Official Representative, Jennifer Darragh for more information.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has formally requested input from the community regarding the Policy on Enhancing Public Access to Archived Publications Resulting From NIH-Funded Research (NIH Public Access Policy). The Policy requires that all peer-reviewed articles arising from NIH funding be deposited into PubMed Central, the National Library of Medicine's public digital archive. The mandate takes effect April 7, 2008 and applies to articles based on work directly funded by an NIH grant or cooperative agreement active in Fiscal Year 2008 (Oct. 1, 2007 - Sept. 30, 2008). The notice asks for comments from all stakeholders regarding the implementation, monitoring and training for compliance with the Policy. Comments are due by May 31, 2008.
For additional information, see the VCU Libraries guide to Navigating the New NIH Mandatory Public Access Policy or the VCU Office of Research page on compliance.
Submit a Comment to NIH
View Comments Received
Federal Register Notice
Change the VCU Libraries in 10 Minutes!
Tell us what you think and you may win a prize.
From April 1st through 30th, VCU Libraries is conducting an online survey of VCU students, faculty, and staff on library service quality called LibQual+. Survey respondents provide essential information to VCU Libraries to use in meeting user needs for resources and services. Your help is greatly appreciated and a great prize could be won in return!
VCU students, faculty, and staff may take the survey now or anytime throughout the month of April. It takes about 10 minutes to complete the survey.
Participation in the LibQual+ survey is voluntary. You must be 18 years of age or older to participate in the survey. All responses are confidential.
45 prizes will be awarded to VCU survey takers. To win, complete the survey and enter an email address at the end of the survey. Winners will be selected by a drawing at the end of the survey period. Prizes include a Nintendo Wii and 9 iPod nanos. View the complete list of prizes and rules for winning online.
Learn more about the LibQual+ 2008 survey at VCU in the LibQual+ 2008 FAQ. Results from our 2006 LibQual+ Survey are available.
For information and/or assistance, contact Susanna Pathak, Planning & Assessment Librarian, at (804) 827-1164.
