Friday, November 6, 2009
6:30 p.m.
University Student Commons, Richmond Salons
907 Floyd Avenue, Richmond, VA
Virginia Commonwealth University welcomes the 2009 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award winner Deb Olin Unferth, her agent, David McCormick, and her editor at McSweeneys, Eli Horowitz, as they trace the journey of Unferths masterful Vacation from first draft to publication.
The reading and book discussion are free and open to the public. Parking is available for a fee in the West Main Street and West Cary Street parking decks. For more information call (804) 828-4640, or e-mail Sarah Amick or Dale Smith.
The VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, presented by the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program, is sponsored by the VCU Department of English, James Branch Cabell Library Associates, Friends of the Library, VCU Libraries, the VCU Honors College, and the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences.
The first international Open Access Week is intended to raise awareness of the benefits of free, open, online and immediate access to scholarly research. Celebrate by learning more about Open Access at the following sites:
Genesis: A Conversation with R. Crumb and Françoise Mouly
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
7:30 p.m.
Carpenter Theatre, Richmond CenterStage
A Modlin Downtown Event
Sponsored in part by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation
Presented in partnership with the Department of Art & Art History, University Museums, Velocity Comics and VCU Libraries Special Collections.
VCU students are encouraged to stop by the VCU Libraries Administration Office, 4th floor Cabell Library, to pick-up a limited number of vouchers redeemable for a reduced ticket price of $10. One voucher per person, first come, first serve beginning October 16, 2009. Students should call the Modlin Center Box Office at (804) 289-8980 to redeem the $10 voucher for an admission ticket.
VCU faculty, staff and alumni are eligible for a $10.00 discount off of the adult ticket price of $38 by entering the code CRUMB10 when purchasing tickets through Ticketmaster or at 1-800-745-3000.
Public Tickets: $19-$38 with discounts for seniors & children; through Ticketmaster or at 1-800-745-3000. Patrons requesting accessible seating should contact the Modlin Center Box Office at (804) 289-8980. Audience Advisory: Mature audiences only; contains sexual content. For more information is available from the Modlin Center.
R. Crumb, regarded as the founding father of underground comics, got his first taste of fame, as well as notoriety, during the 1960s - his "Zap Comix" rapidly attracted the attention of a fan base whose members dwelt well beyond the geographical parameters of San Francisco's Bay Area. Crumb, whose cartoons are controversial, funny, at times bizarre and always idiosyncratic, today occupies a place of honor in the world of high culture and art. His graphic narrative "Genesis", scheduled for release in the fall of 2009, has generated more-than-eager anticipation. For his Richmond engagement, one of only five appearances nation-wide, Crumb will participate in a conversation with Françoise Mouly, art editor for "The New Yorker" since 1993. She is also the founder, publisher, designer and co-editor along with her husband, cartoonist Art Spiegelman, of the avant-garde comics anthology "RAW."
You can learn more about R. Crumb at the VCU Libraries or through our Website.
An exhibit of R. Crumb's comics and other materials is located on the 4th floor of James Branch Cabell Library, 901 Park Avenue.
Mark your calendars for the VCU Friends of the Library Annual Book Sale! The sale takes place October 19-23, 2009, at James Branch Cabell Library, basement Room B-7.
All proceeds from the VCU Friends of the Library Book Sale help to fund VCU Libraries' programs, collections, and lectures.
Preview Sale for Friends of the Library
For more information about the Friends of the Library Book Sale, please contact the VCU Libraries Development Office at (804)-828-4640 or (804)-827-1165, e-mail seamick@vcu.edu or vassaram@vcu.edu, or visit our Web site.
The PsycINFO database, American Psychological Association's (APA) renowned resource for abstracts of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, books, and dissertations, is the largest resource devoted to peer-reviewed literature in behavioral science and mental health.
In this workshop, learn how to use advanced features enabling you to:
The VCUCard Office will be upgrading the campus-wide RamBucks system on Tuesday, October 6th, at 7:30 a.m. During the upgrade process, services such as printers, copiers, vending machines, and the RamBucks cash station will not be available. The upgrade should be completed by 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
The Jazz Music Library is now available from the VCU Libraries-- an online treasury of jazz recordings from the beginning of the art form to contemporary performances. Listeners can choose individual songs, or hear entire albums, as well as watch video clips of performances. Biographical essays, in full text, provide background information for understanding jazz artists in their own time.
With new albums and artists added monthly, Jazz Music Library will become the largest and most comprehensive collection of jazz available online. Thousands of recordings are represented, ranging from past greats to musicians performing today, including: Billy Strayhorn, Bix Beiderbecke, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Count Basie, Dave Brubeck, Dizzie Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Lester Young, Miles Davis, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughn, Stan Getz, Thelonius Monk, Wes Montgomery, and a long list of influential artists. Liner notes to all the albums represented are also included (in PDF format).
Jazz Music Library also enables users to create their own playlists -- recordings of personal favorites, or for class assignments. Playlists can be annotated, edited, copied, and shared by any user of the database.
Exciting new materials will be highlighted on the home page, and each month a large number of albums will be added. Entries include detailed instrumentation and performer information, and search options include date or place of recording, genre of jazz, instrument, record label, album or song title, and performer.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Office of Investigations has released the report: Investigation of Failure of the SEC to Uncover Bernard Madoff's Ponzi Scheme. In a written statement, SEC Chairman Mary L. Schapiro said, "Today we are releasing the Inspector General's 450-page report regarding the Bernard Madoff fraud and the many missed opportunities to discover it...it is a failure that we continue to regret, and one that has led us to reform in many ways how we regulate markets and protect investors."
In June of 2009, Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison after pleading guilty in federal district court in New York to perpetrating a massive Ponzi scheme since the early 1990s that victimized thousands of investors. Madoff pleaded guilty to 11 criminal counts including securities fraud, and providing false documents and testimony to the SEC. The SEC has developed the Post-Madoff Reforms to prevent fraud and to promote its detection in the future.
Learn more about VCU Libraries' government documents collections. For assistance, call the Cabell Library reference desk at 828-1101.
The Presentation Rehearsal Studio at Cabell Library provides VCU students, faculty, and staff with the space and technology resources to practice, record, and develop presentations as well as to refine public speaking skills. Presentations may be recorded and then archived to a flash drive.
The Studio features a podium, ceiling-mounted projector, microphone, a motorized viewing screen, and a wall-mounted camera to record presentations.
To reserve The Studio, login to the VCU Libraries Catalog with your eID. For more information, contact the reference desk at 828-1101.
ARTstor is a nonprofit digital library of more than one million images in the arts, architecture, humanities, and social sciences with a suite of software tools to view, present, and manage images for research and
pedagogical purposes. The community-built collections comprise contributions from outstanding museums, photographers, libraries, scholars, photo archives, and artists and artists' estates. In this workshop, teaching faculty will learn how to: The Teaching with ARTstor Workshop is open to faculty, staff, and graduate students. It will be held in in the third floor classroom in Cabell Library on October 9th, from 10:00am-11:30 a.m.
Please contact Kristina Keogh at (804) 828-6339 for more information or special accommodations.
The VCU Libraries is pleased to announce the availability of more than 150 electronic health sciences books from multiple publishers through the new R2 Digital Library. The new collection provides access to digital books from the fields of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and allied health. In addition, each individual title is cataloged and linked from the VCU Libraries Catalog. The R2 Web site can be browsed by category or discipline, and keyword searches can be performed across the entire collection of books. Users can create a personal account to save images, searches, references, and other files. Bibliographic citations can be exported to RefWorks and titles can be linked from Blackboard courses. Other features include a drug index of concise information from mobilePDR and the ability to e-mail sections of content. Titles from key health science publishers are available, including American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychiatric Publishing, F.A. Davis, McGraw-Hill, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Springer, and many others. Electronic book collections such as the R2 Digital Library are indicative of future publishing trends in Science, Technology and Medicine disciplines.
The R2 Digital Library will be celebrated as the 2,000,001st addition to the VCU Libraries during VCU's 2,000,000th volume ceremonies on October 2, beginning at 2 p.m. in Cabell Library. The event will be simulcast at Tompkins-McCaw Library on the MCV Campus.
The VCU Libraries is delighted to announce the release of a new addition to the VCU Libraries Digital Collections: the Edward H. Peeples Prince Edward County (Va.) Public Schools Collection. From 1959 to 1964, Prince Edward County, Virginia, chose to close its public schools rather than integrate them. Through photographs, documents, and maps, this collection explores the history of Prince Edward County segregation in the 1950s and 1960s. Dr. Edward H. Peeples, Emeritus professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, photographed over 100 images of schools in the county and environs in 1962 and 1963, documenting the disparity between African American and white facilities. Also included are contemporary images of the schools and events surrounding the anniversary of the 1951 student strike and other occasions, as well as additional published and unpublished materials on the topic.
The Edward Peeples Collection will be celebrated as the 1,999,999th addition to the VCU Libraries during VCU's 2,000,000th volume ceremonies on October 2, beginning at 2 p.m. in Cabell Library. The event will be simulcast at Tompkins-McCaw Library on the MCV Campus.
Visit more projects at the VCU Libraries Digital Collections.
VCU Libraries will celebrate the acquisition of its two millionth volume at 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2. In just 16 years, the VCU Libraries' collection, including books, journals, media and electronic resources, has doubled in size. To mark this milestone, the VCU Libraries will recognize the 1,999,999th, 2,000,000th and 2,000,001st additions to the collection in ceremonies at Cabell and Tompkins-McCaw libraries. Details will be announced soon.
VCU Libraries has compiled a page of resources on H1N1 influenza from a variety of sources. You will find links to government and other official Web sites around the world, as well medical journals, news sources and articles, maps, and reputable medical blogs. Professional and consumer resources are included.
Hispanic Heritage Month is a month long observance (September 15 - Oct. 15) when America celebrates the culture and traditions of U.S. residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America, and the Latin Caribbean. VCU Libraries is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by hosting a special exhibit on resources in our collections relating to Hispanic history and culture. On display on the fourth floor of the James Branch Cabell Library are a sample of the many books, films, and music recordings the library houses on Latin American society.
Also on display are two of the first Spanish language newspapers to be published in Virginia. Complete runs of the newspapers El Eco de Virginia and El Sol were donated to VCU Libraries in 2006. The issues were microfilmed and added to the Virginia State Newspaper Project. The newspapers can be accessed in the library's Special Collections and Archives department or on microfilm on the third floor of the library.
Hispanic Heritage Month began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded to a 30-day period under President Ronald Reagan in 1988. September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of the independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua -- all of which declared independence in 1821. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively.
Please visit the James Branch Cabell Library's exhibit area, located on the fourth floor of the library, to view this exhibit and others that highlight many of the diverse collections housed in the VCU Libraries.
ARTstor is a digital library of over one million images (including art, architecture, the humanities, and social sciences) and a suite of software tools. In this workshop, you will learn how to search and browse the ARTstor collection of images, create an account and manage folders, create and manage image groups, and download and use the ARTstor Offline Image Viewer. The workshop will be held in the third floor classroom in Cabell Library on September 18th, from 1:30-3:00 p.m. and repeated on September 25th, from 1-2:30 p.m. Please contact Kristina Keogh (804-828-6339) for more information or for special accommodations.
VCU Libraries is celebrating Constitution Day (September 17th) with video viewings at both campus libraries, a Constitution Day montage on our entrance plasma screens, and free copies of a pocket Constitution guide.
A Conversation on the Constitution: Judicial Independence
Join us for the screening of a 30-minute video featuring Supreme Court justices Kennedy, O'Connor, and Breyer. In a conversation with students, the justices discuss the Constitution and the role of judges who are sworn to uphold the laws of this nation and to protect the rights of all citizens.
The Constitution Project: An Independent Judiciary
Join us for a screening of a 34-minute film chronicling two key moments that defined our understanding of the role of the judiciary: the Cherokee Nation's struggles before the Supreme Court in the 1830s to preserve its homeland, and Cooper v. Aaron, the 1958 Supreme Court case that affirmed that states were bound to follow the Court's order to integrate their schools. An Independent Judiciary features Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer and some of the nation's leading Constitutional scholars.
A Constitution Day Montage
A PowerPoint presentation and video montage will be displayed on large-screen monitors inside the entrances. Catch trivia and fun facts as you visit the library! The video montage features a variety of clips, from the "Schoolhouse Rock" Preamble to a segment of Barbara Jordan's 1974 "Constitution Speech."
Pocket Constitutions
Stop by for a free pocket-sized copy of the Constitution. While supplies last!
VCU Libraries is participating in trials of three online products from Springer. These trials are an opportunity to test and evaluate resources under consideration for addition to our online collections. Members of the VCU community are invited to explore these resources and help inform future decisions about purchases. Trial products are only available from computers on the campus network. Trials end on October 30, 2009. Please send comments and feedback to Lynne Turman.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Office of the Inspector General has released the "Investigation of Failure of the SEC To Uncover Bernard Madoff's Ponzi Scheme" Executive Summary. In a written statement, SEC Chairman Mary L. Schapiro states:
"Since Bernard Madoff's fraud came to light last year, the Securities and Exchange Commission's Inspector General has been investigating why the agency failed to detect it. His report makes clear that the agency missed numerous opportunities to discover the fraud. It is a failure that we continue to regret, and one that has led us to reform in many ways how we regulate markets and protect investors.
"In an effort to provide a full accounting as quickly as possible, we are releasing the Executive Summary of the Inspector General's report, to be followed by the 450-page report in the coming days."
Learn more about VCU Libraries' government documents collections. For assistance, call the Cabell Library reference desk at 828-1101.
Tompkins-McCaw Library is holding four online classes during the month of September. Two will focus on CINAHL and two will focus on RefWorks.
CINAHL, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature full-text database, offers over 600 journals plus evidence-based care sheets, legal cases, drug records, and more than 200 books. This is a must-have database for those in the nursing and allied health professions. Find out more information and register for the following sessions:
Do you want to save time and energy in managing your citations and creating a bibliography? RefWorks, an online citation management database, is just what you're looking for. We will discuss how to import citations from databases, organize the citations, and correctly format citations for a manuscript. Find out more information and register for the following sessions:
Those studying in Cabell Library sometimes want quiet space to focus on individual work, and sometimes want space to spread out and collaborate with fellow students. Steps have been taken at Cabell Library to make both types of space more available. More space has become available on the second floor, and each floor has been assigned new study "themes." Permitted equipment use on each floor has also been clarified. Watch for new "Which floor is right for you?" posters when you are next in Cabell Library.
The following are new floor themes at Cabell:
Thank you for respecting your fellow researchers.
Nominations are now being accepted for The Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award. The award, administered by ALA's Public Information Office and Campaign for America's Libraries, encourages library users to recognize the accomplishments of librarians who have helped enrich their education and/or succeed in their research endeavors. Nominations for librarians in college, community college, and university libraries run through October 19, 2009.
Up to ten librarians will be honored, each receiving $5,000 and recognized at an awards ceremony in December 2009. All winners to be announced in early November. Each nominee must be a librarian with a master's degree from a program accredited by the ALA in library and information studies or a master's degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational unit accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. Nominees must be currently working in the United States at an accredited two- or four-year college or university. For more information, including the online nomination form and tools to help promote the award, visit http://ww.ilovelibraries.org/ilovemylibrarian.
American Library Association Promotes Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week
Celebrating the Freedom to Read
September 26 - October 3, 2009
Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual American Library Association event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted.
Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one's opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.
VCU Libraries' James Branch Cabell Library is named for noted Richmond author James Branch Cabell (1879-1958). Cabell's "Jurgen" (1919) was considered pornographic by some and was banned soon after its publication. A trial over its content brought the reclusive writer national fame. Read more about Cabell and the Banning of Jurgen.
Banned Books Week is sponsored by the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, the Association of American Publishers, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the National Association of College Stores. Banned Books Week is also endorsed by the Center for the Book of the Library of Congress. Learn more about Banned Book Week from the American Library Association, including the list of the ten most challenged book titles for 2008, and a section titled "what you can do" to help fight censorship.
Pediatric Care Online, developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), provides quick access to many different pediatric resources from your desktop or mobile device. A keyword search will show results from the integrated reference library, practice guidelines, patient handouts and other clinical tools. Content includes:
Pediatric Care Online is available to VCU affiliates from the VCU Libraries list of Databases A-Z. For off-campus access, login with your VCU eID and password. In addition to access via the Web, select content can be downloaded to handheld devices and smartphones such as iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, and Windows Mobile devices. This resource is provided by the VCU School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, in partnership with the VCU Libraries.
Phone service is currently unavailable for Cabell Library Circulation and Reference.
Cabell Library Media and Reserves can be contacted at (804) 828-1088 up until 10pm Sunday evening. VCU Networking Services has been contacted and is actively working on the problem.
Update: Phone service was restored at 8:15pm.
Group study rooms in both James Branch Cabell and Tompkins-McCaw Libraries are in constant demand as students working together seek a place to study and collaborate. VCU Libraries is pleased to announce additions and enhancements to group study room space.
Newly available space on Cabell Library's second floor was renovated for public use over the summer, including seven staff offices that became group study rooms. This brings the total number of group study rooms in Cabell to twenty-two. Plans for the new rooms include equipping them with whiteboards and computers with oversize monitors for group computing. In the space just outside of the new group rooms, more collaborative workspace, complete with expanded electrical access and whiteboards, is also available. Students began using the new spaces even before all the furniture was installed.
Thanks to the generosity of VCU Facilities Management, this summer four of the group study rooms at the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences received a much needed face lift with new paint, ceiling tiles, and carpet. Earlier in the year, two group study rooms were equipped with computer workstations and large plasma screens. In addition, the Instructional Media Workshop has been converted to an openly available Multimedia Collaboration Room with additional seating.
Check out the new and renovated study rooms and prepare to collaborate at the VCU Libraries!
Become familiar with Cabell Library early and save on hassles later in the semester. Orientation Tours meet inside the first-floor main entrance of Cabell Library and last 30 minutes. Participants will learn about the facility, collections, and other resources, as well as how library services and staff can assist visitors in completing their work.
For more information about these tours and other VCU Libraries events and workshops, visit the VCU Libraries events page.
Orientation Tour Schedule:
Friday, August 21
11:00 a.m.
2:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 22
11:00 a.m.
Sunday, August 23
3:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 26
2:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 27
1:00 p.m.
Friday, August 28
1:00 p.m.
VCU Libraries is recruiting students for the Cabell Library Undergraduate Advisory Committee. CLUAC meets monthly to discuss library issues and participate in a variety of library service activities. Interested and motivated students are encouraged to find more details and complete an application. The application deadline is August 28. Please contact Jennifer Roach (828-6696) if you have more questions.
Words on Paper, Words on Screen is an exhibition organized for VCU's James Branch Cabell Library by Stephen Vitiello from the department of Kinetic Imaging and Yuki Hibben, Collection Librarian for the Arts, VCU Libraries.
This show brings together a diverse collection of artworks, by current and former undergraduate and graduate students from across the School of the Arts, including Kinetic Imaging, Painting and Printmaking, Media Art and Text, Crafts and Material Studies, and Sculpture and Extended Media. Each of the works selected integrate text as a visual element. These paintings, sculptures, videos, and drawings will be hung on and around the columns that run throughout Cabell Library's first floor.
Presenting an exhibition of art and text is intended as a natural link to exhibiting in VCU's heavily used library. It is also meant to look at current trends in contemporary art as interpreted by some of the school's most promising young artists.
This show includes a group of drawings by Leah Beeferman, from her series Monitoring the architecture of science, which she describes as "a studious, imaginative investigation of space-bound and land-based far-traveling and distant-looking orbiting and non-orbiting structures." In addition, Ali Miharbi's digital variation on a score by Fluxus artist Eric Andersen Opus 46 is included. One of the most unusual pieces in the show is The Book, a book buried and left to decompose by former Sculpture student Nic DeSantis. Desantis writes, "The Book depicts a burial process where consciousness becomes dust, which portrays the beauty of decay, Alzheimer's, and rust, and asks, 'At what point does reading become writing?'"
This exhibition is sponsored by the VCU Friends of the Library and is part of an ongoing effort to showcase the talents of VCU's student, faculty and alumni artists and to foster partnerships between the VCU Libraries and other VCU departments. For additional information about the VCU Friends of the Library, visit us online.
The Art Browsery is a new dedicated space in Cabell Library featuring comfortable seating and a "browsable" selection of new art exhibition catalogs and other new titles in the arts. It is located on the fourth floor of the James Branch Cabell Library near the printer and the digital sender. All books in the Art Browsery can be checked out for the normal loan period.Update: our storage was successfully expanded and the catalog was back online by Saturday morning, August 8th.
The VCU Libraries Catalog will be unavailable for most of the weekend from Friday evening at 6 p.m. through Sunday morning (August 7-9). As an alternative, use WorldCat to search holdings in the VCU Libraries collections.
The extended outage will be used to expand our storage and support growth in our collections and services. We apologize for the inconvenience.
To comply with the University's and VCU Libraries' policies on retention, security, and confidentiality of patron information, VCU Libraries will purge all records for interlibrary loan and document delivery services on an annual basis. The initial purge of records will take place on July 23, 2009, and will include all requests submitted before June 30, 2008. Patron profiles (e.g., name, address, status, delivery preferences, etc.) will be purged in cases where there has been no activity since June 30, 2008. This means that library patron will:
For more information about the purge, contact Resource Delivery Services (804-828-1115).
In the effort to provide in-depth information to support teaching and research, VCU Libraries has just acquired a backfile collection in materials science covering most areas of scientific, technological, and medical disciplines in the VCU curriculum. This collection consists of 108 journals, some of which date back to 1946. The journals provide access to hundreds of groundbreaking articles from journals such as Carbon, Polymer, Acta Materialia, Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids, and Biomaterials, with high impact factors and impressive five-year citation records.
Like other Elsevier backfile collections, the collection complements our current subscriptions to the respective journals in Science Direct. Access to all the journals is through Science Direct.
Direct questions and comments to Ibironke Lawal Engineering & Science Librarian (828-8739).
The VCU Libraries has released the latest addition to its Digital Collections: Fan Free Funnies. The Fan Free Funnies were an illustrative example of the growing influence of "underground comix" on young comic artists in the early 1970s, when a number of Fan District residents and VCU fine arts students began creating comic art inspired by the popular underground comix scene. In the spring of 1973, VCU's student newspaper The Commonwealth Times took advantage of this phenomenon and produced three issues of an all-comics black-and-white tabloid called Fan Free Funnies. All three issues are presented in their entirety. The collection includes artwork from well-known VCU alumni Charles Vess and Bill Nelson.
Visit all of the VCU Libraries Digital Collections at http://dig.library.vcu.edu/.
Established by the American College of Physicians, the Annals of Internal Medicine is one of the most prestigious journals in medicine. VCU Libraries now offers the Annals Back Files collection, encompassing the full text of articles from 1927 to 1992. Combined with the Libraries' current subscription, this gives you electronic access to the entire content of every issue of the journal from its inception to the current month. You can find the online version of the Annals of Internal Medicine through the Journal Finder on the VCU Libraries Website.
VCU Libraries has added new technology resources to three group study rooms on the first floor of Cabell Library. Study rooms 146, 147, and 155 now house PC computer workstations with large, wall-mounted screens to promote collaborative work. These computing resources are already available in six other first floor group study rooms.
If you have questions about collaborative work space or technology resources available at Cabell Library, please call the reference desk at (804) 828-1101.
Earlier this year, VCU Libraries added several backfiles to its journal collections, including ones covering energy and power from Elsevier. All the journals are pre-1995 and some date as far back as 1969. This collection complements our current subscriptions for the respective journals in Science Direct
The core journals in this backfile collection include Progress in Energy and Combustion Science with an Impact Factor of 8.000, and Fuel with an Impact Factor of 2.536. Some of the journals have published top articles that are now available online for the first time. All the journals can be accessed through Science Direct.
Direct questions and comments to Ibironke Lawal, Engineering and Science Librarian (828-8739).
VCU Libraries recently subscribed to Synthesis Digital Library of Engineering and Computer Science. Synthesis is a revolutionary new collection of e-books containing dynamic presentations of key research and development topics written by leading engineers and scientists in the field, including VCU authors. Synthesis coverage ranges from core undergraduate course topics to specialized upper-division and graduate level topics in biomedical, environmental, and electrical engineering, as well as the state of the art in computer science and engineering research from academic, corporate, and governmental laboratories. Synthesis I & II won the 2008 American Society for Engineering Education Best Reference Work Award. Synthesis lectures are delivered in PDF format with unlimited simultaneous access and no digital rights management restrictions. Individual titles can be searched in the VCU Libraries catalog. Direct questions about Synthesis to Ibironke Lawal, Engineering & Science Librarian (828-8739).
Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) is a Web-based business data research service from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Developed to support faculty research at Wharton, it has become a leading source of economic and financial data for academic research institutions around the world.
WRDS has extended access to all graduate students at the doctoral and masters levels to support research among MBA and masters students in business and related fields. Accounts for faculty, staff, and graduate students allow unlimited remote access to all of the resources VCU subscribes to via WRDS, including Compustat and CRSP. Accounts can be requested at http://wrds.wharton.upenn.edu. All VCU students, faculty, and staff can also access WRDS at the library. Contact Bettina Peacemaker, the Reference Librarian for Business, if you have any questions about WRDS.
On Thursday, June 11, Tompkins-McCaw and University Student Commons & Activities will screen "Sick Around the World" as part of the MCV Campus Summer Documentary Film Series from noon to 1 p.m. in the Hunton Student Center Learning Center. The film examines how other advanced capitalist democracies deliver health care. To register, visit http://tinyurl.com/pe3meu. The film series continues on Tuesday, June 16, with a screening of "Babyland" from noon to 1 p.m. in the learning center. "Babyland" follows the unusual relationship between a black teenage mother-to-be and a white volunteer from a suburban church. To register, visit http://tinyurl.com/nr7fmu.
Tompkins-McCaw Library is offering on orientation about the resources available in the Instructional Media Workshop, a self-service facility, on Thursday, June 11, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. starting at the first-floor service desk. The workshop is equipped to produce posters, signs and digital images, and to edit audio and video files. To register, visit http://tinyurl.com/q5ehmo.
Tompkins-McCaw Library is proud to sponsor the traveling exhibit "Against the Odds: Making a Difference in Global Health" from June 8 to July 17 in the Special Collections & Archives Reading Room. The exhibit, sponsored by the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, highlights the role of communities in improving health at home and all around the world. The exhibition explores the shared basic needs required for a good quality of life, including nutritious food and clean water, a safe place to live, and affordable health care. For more information, visit the exhibit's official Website or contact Thelma Mack (828-0017).
The Psychiatry Legacy Collection is the journal backfile project of American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc. This collection covers more than a century of psychiatry through six respected, peer-reviewed journals. The collection dates back to 1844 and includes The American Journal of Psychiatry, the oldest continuously published medical specialty journal in the United States. VCU students, faculty and staff can access the individual titles through the VCU Libraries Catalog or the Journal Finder.
Titles in the Psychiatry Legacy Collection, along with dates of coverage, include:
A Statistics Resource Guide is now available to assist researchers with locating statistics on population, education, health, economics and labor, and public opinion.
VCU Libraries now provides access to the online Encyclopedia of Healthcare Information Systems from IGI Global. This online work provides an extensive compilation of international research on the use, adoption, design and diffusion of information communication technologies in healthcare. Topics covered include computerized medical records, patient safety, economic implications, medical information security, physician-patient communication, telehealth, and much more. There are over 170 chapters written by leading experts from around the world. Each entry includes an overview, highlights of recent trends and advancements, tables, figures, references, and a list of key terms. Bibliographic information at the chapter level can be imported into RefWorks. Basic and advanced searching is available, as is a keyword index. Consult the Encyclopedia of Healthcare Information Systems for comprehensive, authoritative coverage and information pertinent to healthcare information systems.
STAT!Ref has been optimized for delivery on mobile devices! Now you can get healthcare answers from authoritative medical reference sources right on your smartphone. Simply click on STAT!Ref from the VCU Libraries list of Databases A-Z and login with your VCU eID and password. STAT!Ref will recognize that you are using a mobile device.
Here is a list of titles available on STAT!Ref through VCU Libraries:
On July 1, 2009, the American Psychological Association will be releasing a new edition (6th) of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. The citation methods in this edition will supersede the fifth edition as the APA citation standard. Copies may be pre-oredered now from the APA Website. The VCU Libraries will be purchasing multiple copies for the reference collection in time for the fall semester.
Legal Health Basics
Wednesday, May 27
Noon - 12:15 p.m.
VCU Libraries presents the last of its 15X15X15 online workshop series, featuring Legal Health Basics. Need help finding a legal citation? Want to know how to Shepardize a case? This class will demonstrate basic search strategies using Lexis-Nexis Academic as well as the Code of Virginia online.
This library workshop will take place online via the Wimba Live classroom found within Blackboard. As you register for this course, you will be added to the Health Sciences Resources Blackboard course, which will appear under the My Courses heading when you log into Blackboard. This course contains tutorials and other information pertaining to the various databases used at Tompkins-McCaw Library and is a useful tool for you to consult after the online class to help you further understand databases such as PubMed.
To participate in the online class you will need to check your computer to make sure you have all the necessary software to participate in the class. You will need a pair of headphones or speakers that are connected to your computer. You may also use a microphone to communicate with the instructor, but that is not required. We will have someone monitoring any questions you may have via the classroom chat. Access http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cQVr6Vn7p for all online instructions to prepare your computer for the class. To listen to the instructions on screencast you will need your headphones or speakers.
For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6554.
Imagine having access from your computer to a 12-volume encyclopedia covering virtually every idea and fact about the brain! The online version of the Encyclopedia of Neuroscience published by Academic Press and available from the VCU Libraries is an authoritative source of information that is accessible 24x7. Editor and former President of the Society for Neuroscience, Larry Squire, has gathered recognized leaders and experts in the field to prepare articles on nearly 1500 topics. Most of the entries are self-contained reviews that can be read as independent articles. Extensive cross-referencing and dynamic linking to referenced journal articles can increase the scope of your research quickly. Each of the entries in this compendium can be viewed, downloaded or printed in their original format.
Speaking about the breadth and depth of the work, Larry Squire says, “Neuroscience is still a developing field, but the Encyclopedia will have succeeded if it conveys the considerable promise that neuroscience offers for conquering the diseases that affect the nervous system and for understanding the brain, the mind, and ourselves.” Encyclopedia of Neuroscience can now be accessed through the VCU Libraries Catalog.
Thanks to the VCU Board of Visitors and the Office of the Provost, the VCU Libraries soon will relocate up to 200,000 little-used volumes from James Branch Cabell Library to a newly-acquired off-site shelving facility. Together with other changes in Cabell Library, the relocation will open up nearly 19,000 square feet on Cabell’s second floor for critically-needed academic work and study space for students and faculty. This new space is being designed as a “Learning Commons,” a learning space concept that has proven effective and popular at academic research libraries. The Learning Commons will provide a diversity of seating for both solitary study and small group collaboration, comfortable lighting, advanced information technology support, and ample electrical power for student laptops.
The new off-site facility that makes this expansion possible will be housed in the former Ukrop’s Super Market located conveniently between Grace and Broad Streets on Harrison Street. Renovations will transform the building into a dual-use facility, with six state-of-the-art classrooms as well as a separate, secure storage facility for library materials. The VCU Libraries will move little-use books, bound journals that now are available online, and other materials to the facility between the 2009-10 fall and spring semesters. The relocated volumes will remain in the catalog with a simple notation to indicate their new location. Library users will be able to request the relocated items online through the catalog at any time, and can expect delivery to Cabell Library once or twice a day for pickup.
The platform for Social Work Abstracts, AGELINE, and Mental Measurements Yearbook is changing from SilverPlatter to OvidSP. This means that the look and feel of these databases will be very different from what you may have been accustomed to. The platform will change before the start of the first summer session. If you would like to test out the OvidSP platform before the full changeover, you can do so by using the Ovid Web Gateway Databases. If you have any questions, or would like individual or group instruction on how to use these databases, please contact Jen Darragh, Reference Librarian for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, for help.
The Carver-VCU Partnership Oral History Collection is the latest release in the VCU Libraries Digital Collections.
The collection, available at http://go.vcu.edu/carver, consists of 15 oral histories conducted in 1999 and 2000 as part of a project funded by a grant from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy. The project, described as a “Living Newspaper,” produced a play entitled “Sheep Hill Memories – Carver Dreams.” Those interviewed are longtime residents, including Barbara Abernathy, former president of the Carver Area Civic Improvement League, and Dr. Roy A. West, former mayor of Richmond. Also interviewed are newcomers to the community and those who have moved away from the neighborhood. The documentary play, which used information collected from the oral histories and other sources, focused on the history and survival of the Carver neighborhood.
The interviews, presented as MP3 files with complete PDF transcriptions, are part of the ongoing Carver-VCU Partnership that began in 1996. The Partnership's stated goal is to “create a shared urban community with a commitment to improving the neighborhood’s quality of life.” Carver is situated in Richmond, Virginia, just north of VCU’s Monroe Park campus, and is primarily a working class African American neighborhood, home to some 1,500 residents.
Visit all of the VCU Libraries Digital Collections at http://dig.library.vcu.edu/.
Aluka is a new electronic resource available from the VCU Libraries. A Zulu word meaning “to weave," Aluka is an international, collaborative initiative to build an online digital library of full-text scholarly resources about Africa. An ongoing project that links researchers around the world, Aluka features materials posted by partner institutions that document the history, culture, and biodiversity of Africa. Resources include archival documents, periodicals, books, reports, manuscripts, and reference works, as well as three-dimensional models, maps, oral histories, plant specimens, and photographs. Aluka collections are divided into three main categories: African Cultural Heritage Sites and Landscapes; African Plants; and Struggles for Freedom in Southern Africa.
African Cultural Heritage Sites and Landscapes makes available an extensive range of materials related to significant cultural centers of Africa, the history of African exploration, maps of Africa throughout history, travelers’ accounts, aerial and satellite photography, and ongoing scholarly research.
African Plants comprises scientific data from the African Plants Initiative (a collaboration of more than 50 research centers in Africa, Europe, and the United States) and features high-resolution digital images drawn from the estimated 60,000 plant species native to Africa, Madagascar, and the other islands surrounding the African continent.
Struggles for Freedom in Southern Africa reflects the regional and global nature of political movements to achieve de-colonization. Documents in this collection address issues of colonial rule and international efforts that supported generations of resistance. A growing collection, with more than 180,000 pages of documents, nationalist publications, records of colonial government commissions, local newspaper reports, personal papers, correspondence, UN documents, out-of-print books of special relevance, oral testimonies, life histories, and speeches – as well as an extensive collection of documentary photographs.
Aluka will continue to expand these extensive collections, and add important new collections in the coming months and years – with particular focus on the histories of individual nations. Current collections that will be significantly expanded with additions of documents still being processed include the United Nations Documents collection and the World Council of Churches Programme to Combat Racism Collections. Finding aids, research guides, and bibliographies, intended to provide additional leads to information on a wide range of relevant materials held at scholarly institutions in Africa and around the world, will soon be available.
“Superb … one of the greatest scientific publications of the twenty-first century” – Library Journal
VCU Libraries has just acquired a valuable online resource, Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (ELS), which features more than 4,430 specially commissioned and peer reviewed articles. The articles are written by experts in the field to provide comprehensive, authoritative, and current coverage of the subject area. All articles are generously illustrated, which makes it an essential read for life scientists and also excellent for teaching.
To make it easy to use, articles are divided into three different categories: Introductory, which is more suitable for undergraduates; Advanced, which provides a more detailed discussion of the specialist subject; and Keynote, which provides a platform for debate, where controversial issues and hot topics can be discussed.
The glossary provides important information for non-specialists, and includes biological, biochemical, and taxonomic information, acronyms, synonyms, units, and other technical data. Encyclopedia of Life Sciences is a wonderful resource for students, faculty, and researchers in the life sciences as well as for non-specialists. It can be accessed through the VCU Libraries catalog.
The U.S. Government Printing Office has announced the release of A New Era of Responsibility: Renewing America's Promise. The document provides a description of the Obama Administration's fiscal policies and major budgetary initiatives and is an overview of the full Fiscal Year 2010 Budget expected to be released this spring.
Issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Budget of the United States Government is a collection of documents that contains the budget message of the President, information about the President's budget proposals for a given fiscal year, and other budgetary publications that have been issued throughout the fiscal year.
Learn more about VCU Libraries' government documents collections. For assistance, call the Cabell Library reference desk at 828-1101.
VCU Libraries has collected a Swine Flu Resource Guide of Internet resources to help you find reliable information about the current outbreak of swine flu. This page includes links to:
The guide may also be found linked from the Resource Guides by Subject page.
The U.S. Government Printing Office has announced the release of Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience, a report from the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR). The report addresses important questions about Iraqi relief and reconstruction efforts by presenting a comprehensive history of the U.S. program, chiefly derived from SIGIR's body of extensive oversight work in Iraq, hundreds of interviews with key figures involved with the reconstruction program, and thousands of documents. The report examines the pre-war planning for reconstruction, the shift from a large infrastructure program to a more community-based one, and the success of the “Surge” in 2007 and beyond. The report provides thirteen lessons applicable to contingency relief and reconstruction operations, which should create a basis for reviewing and reforming the U.S. approach to these activities.
Learn more about VCU Libraries' government documents collections. For assistance, call the Cabell Library reference desk at 828-1101.
Instructional Media Workshop Orientation
Tompkins-McCaw Library
509 N. 12th St.
April 29, 2 - 3 p.m.
Tompkins-McCaw Library is offering on orientation about the resources available in the Instructional Media Workshop, a self-service facility, on Wednesday, April 29, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., starting at the first-floor service desk. The IMW computers include a variety of software, including Adobe software used to convert MS Word documents into .pdf files. Equipment and supplies are available in the Workshop to produce posters, signs, digital images, and edit audio and video files. Use of the Workshop is done independently. For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6563.
RefWorks has a new interface, RefMobile, specifically for Web-enabled mobile phones, smart phones, and personal data assistants (PDAs). To access your RefWorks account using RefMobile:
To see the current Group Code, log into this eID-protected page.
The U.S. Congressional Serial Set and the American State Papers are two Readex digital resources supporting American Studies now available from the VCU Libraries. Both resources contain in-depth information about the history of the U.S. Congress, with extensive collections of primary source material on the people, issues, and events of American history, law, and politics.
The U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1994, includes every publication from the 15th through the 103rd Congress, comprising over 415,000 individual documents. Designed for legislative and historical research, it features comprehensive search strategies to locate unique information on the cultural, economic, ethnic, military, political, and scientific concerns of American government. Additionally, enhanced digital images of congressional publications, including approximately 56,000 maps of the changing nation and more than 8,000 illustrations in high-resolution color, allow for detailed online research.
American State Papers, cross-searchable with the digital U.S. U.S. Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1994, and all other Readex Archive of Americana collections, is a retrospective survey of largely Congressional, but also Executive, materials originating from 1789 through 1838. The collection illuminates key moments in early American history as they occurred and influential decisions as they were made. It covers such important historical events as the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Burr's Conspiracy, the Treaty of the Creek Indians negotiated by Andrew Jackson, and much more. American State Papers also includes speeches and messages during the presidencies of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison. Other documents address battles with the Seminole Indians, exploration of the Pacific Ocean, the status of free blacks in North Carolina, granting public land for female academies, protection of the western frontier, trade with China, and other fascinating topics.
The Research and Instructional Services Department at Cabell Library will provide any assistance researchers may need with exploring these crucial digital collections.
Seminar on Transitioning to the Professional Work Environment
by J. A. Rodriguez, Jr.
April 21, 2009, 7:15 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
University Student Commons, Virginia Rooms C/D
A School of World Studies Passport Event
La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc., is hosting a free professional seminar by J. A. Rodriquez, Jr., author of Not Intuitively Obvious-- Transition to the Professional Work Environment. Rodriguez is an experienced Fortune 200 senior manager and an inspiring speaker who mentors students on the successful transition to the professional work environment. This free seminar will include a question and answer session and book signing. This event is co-sponsored by La Unidad Latina Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc., VCU Libraries, and the VCU Career Center.
Library 101 Workshop
Tompkins-McCaw Library
April 20, noon - 1 p.m.
Tompkins-McCaw Library presents Library 101 on Monday, April 20, from noon to 1 p.m. beginning at the first floor service desk. This orientation workshop includes the most effective ways to find information, an introduction to services, and a tour of the facility. For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6510.
VCU Libraries is offering four one-hour thesis and dissertation sessions regarding requirements for submitting spring 2009 theses and dissertations and the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD) submission process.
More information is available on the VCU Libraries Website.
Evidence-Based Research Workshop
Sanger B1-020
Thursday, April 16, noon - 1 p.m.
Tompkins-McCaw Library presents a workshop on Evidence-Based Research on Thursday, April 16, from noon to 1 p.m. in Sanger B1-020. This workshop will describe what evidence-based health care is and how to find the evidence. Bibliographic and full-text resources for locating evidence-based literature also will be highlighted. For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6462.
Just in time for final semester projects and exams, the number of laptops available for loan to students, faculty, and staff has doubled. Laptops can be borrowed for use within the libraries from the James Branch Cabell Library Media and Reserves Services (third floor) or the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences (first floor) service desks. Laptops allow individuals or groups the freedom to combine library research with academic tools any place within the library.
Technology Services and the VCU Libraries continue to partner in providing laptops, battery charging equipment, and staff for this pilot service. Funding for the Student Laptop Loan Pilot laptops and support equipment is also supported by your Student Technology Fee.
Cabell Life Forum
James Branch Cabell Library
Fourth Floor Conference Room
Thursday, April 16, 5:00 p.m.
Students are invited to attend the second Cabell Life Forum, Thursday, April 16, at 5:00 p.m. in the fourth floor conference room of James Branch Cabell Library. Come hear about public space and equipment, electronic books, and more. Your input is needed. Bring your questions and ideas about these and other topics. Free food and drink provided!
Instructional Media Workshop Orientation
Tuesday, April 14, 11 a.m. - noon
Tompkins-McCaw Library is holding an orientation on the Instructional Media Workshop, a self-service facility, on Tuesday, April 14, from 11 a.m. to noon. Equipment and supplies are available in the workshop to produce posters, signs and digital images, and to edit audio and video files. Participants will meet at the first-floor service desk. For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6505.
'The Truth About Cancer: Why Does Anyone Still Die of Cancer?'
Tompkins-McCaw Library
Room 20-010
April 15, from 2 - 4 p.m.
Tompkins-McCaw Library is screening the "The Truth About Cancer: Why Does Anyone Still Die of Cancer?" on Wednesday, April 15, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 2-010. A combination of science, personal catharsis and character-driven storytelling, this powerful documentary uncovers the truth about cancer and reveals where we stand in fighting this decades-old war. For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6186.
Library 101
Tompkins-McCaw Library
Friday, April 10, 2 - 3 p.m
Learn about the variety of resources and services available at the Tompkins-McCaw Library during the Library 101 workshop on Friday, April 10, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. The orientation includes a tour, introduction to the library's services and effective ways to find information. Tours begin at the first-floor Service Desk. Register online and find more information.
The VCU Libraries announces the release of a new addition to the VCU Libraries Digital Collections. A Proud Heritage: 100 Years of Nursing Education is a digitization of the book of that name, originally published in 1992.
In the late 1980s, nursing alumni, faculty, and students began planning for the one hundredth anniversary observance of the founding of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing. The school traces its rich heritage back to the organization of the Virginia Hospital Training School for Nurses, which opened in 1893. Betsy A. Bampton (MCV Class of 1960) undertook the writing of a school history published as the centennial celebration was set to begin. In this abundantly illustrated work, Bampton and her collaborators chronicle the development and growth of the eight diverse schools and programs that formed the foundation of the VCU School of Nursing. The stories unveiled in A Proud Heritage are integral to a full understanding of the VCU School of Nursing today.
The original publication was distributed widely within the VCU community and beyond, but few copies remain to circulate among new students and friends of the school. The VCU Libraries, working in cooperation with the School of Nursing, is pleased to make available an electronic version of this useful book. A Proud Heritage is just one of several electronic resources available for those interested in the study of the history of nursing in Virginia.
Visit the VCU Libraries Digital Collections at http://dig.library.vcu.edu/
RefWorks Workshop
Tompkins-McCaw Library, Room 2-012
Tuesday, April 7
1 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Tompkins-McCaw Library is offering a workshop on RefWorks, an online citation management database, on Tuesday, April 7, from 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Room 2-012.
RefWorks is an extremely useful tool that allows you to easily create and manage your own personal research database. With a personalized account, you can quickly add citations to your database as you are searching the literature. When you are ready, RefWorks will automatically generate your bibliography to finalize your grant, thesis, dissertation, or manuscript. With all the needed styles contained within RefWorks, your bibliography can easily be generated in APA, MLA, or most any other style. RefWorks now includes the added module, RefShare, which allows users to share their RefWorks references with both members of their own institution and globally with any researchers via the Internet, further enhancing collaborative projects.
For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6457.
Drug Information Online Library Workshop
Monday, April 6
Noon - 12:15 p.m.
Do you have trouble finding drug information? In this class, we hope to demystify it by highlighting resources to obtain drug information such as Micromedex, Medlineplus, and MDConsult.
Online Instructions: This library workshop will take place online via the Wimba Live classroom found within Blackboard. As you register for this course you will be added to the Health Sciences Resources Blackboard course which will appear under the My Courses heading when you log into Blackboard. This course contains tutorials and other information pertaining to the various databases used at Tompkins-McCaw Library and is a useful tool for you to consult after the online class to help you in further understanding databases such as PubMed. To participate in the online class you will need to check your computer to make sure you have all the necessary software to participate in the class. You will need a pair of headphones or speakers that are connected to your computer. You may also use a microphone to communicate with the instructor, but that is not required. We will have someone monitoring any questions you may have via the classroom chat. Access http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cQVr6Vn7p for all online instructions to prepare your computer for the class. To listen to the instructions on screencast you will need your headphones or speakers.
This tenth in the 15X15X15 series of online library workshops takes place Monday, April 6, from noon to 12:15 p.m. For more information and to register, visit http://www.pubinfo.vcu.edu/training/course_detail.asp?ID=6549.
Library Lite All Nite
24/5 Hours
April 19 - May 8, 2009
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 19 through May 8, Cabell doors will open at 11:00 a.m. each Sunday and remain open until our regular Friday evening closing time at 9 p.m. 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 third and fourth 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.
Technology Services and VCU Libraries present the annual Technology Fair on Wednesday, April 1, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the University Student Commons, and Thursday, April 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Tompkins-McCaw Library. Participants can attend workshops by Lenovo and Apple, or visit the vendors for some one-on-one tips on using available innovative technology to make their jobs easier. Technology Services representatives will be on hand to answer questions. Prizes and free lunch will be provided while supplies last. Free to faculty, staff, and students. For more information, contact Hope Adams on the Monroe Park Campus or Shannon Jones on the MCV Campus.
The VCU Libraries is pleased to announce the release of a new addition to the VCU Libraries Digital Collections: the Richmond Commission of Architectural Review Slide Collection.
The collection contains more than 7,000 color photographs of the city of Richmond. Taken over a period from 1965 to 2000, these images document many of the changes within the city. In some cases the images serve as a record for properties that have since been either renovated or demolished. Ranging from close-ups of architectural details and shots of single buildings to photos of entire city blocks and aerial shots, the subjects depicted include office buildings, houses, warehouses, construction sites, alleys, storefronts, historical buildings, cemeteries, gardens, and garages.
The photographs were scanned by the VCU Libraries from color slides. The slides were taken under the auspices of the Secretary to the Commission, a position housed in the Richmond Department of Community Development. The images were used for monthly Commission meetings, and were taken prior to meetings to document existing conditions of buildings and other structures before review. They show how the structures looked before rehabilitation or reconstruction.
Visit the VCU Libraries Digital Collections for more treasures from the VCU Libraries.
VCU Libraries has received the following alert from Thomson Reuters. Please read the alert if you use the Micromedex database.
Micromedex, a business of Thomson Reuters, has discovered a situation in which misleading dosing information may be printed from the dosing calculators in the Healthcare Series and Point of Care applications. This applies to versions on both the Internet and Intranet (CD) delivery platforms.
This issue may arise in the following manner:
This functionality will soon be enhanced on our Online System to prevent a potentially misleading display of the dosing result soon. It will be fixed with the Intranet Volume 141, expected to ship in June 2009.
Please take the necessary steps to ensure this important alert is made available to all users of Thomson Reuters Micromedex solutions at your facility, especially those involved in pediatric care.
If you have any questions, please contact our Customer Resource Center at 1-877-843-6796, say the product name, then select the appropriate option for support, or you may submit an electronic inquiry at: http://www.micromedex.com/support/request/tech_support/
VCU Friends of the Library, faculty, staff, and students are all welcome and encouraged to become a part of the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award process by reading and reviewing this year's eligible novels. Over 50 books have already been submitted for the 2009 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Your participation will be extremely helpful in narrowing down the selection for the judges, who will then determine the winner of the award from a short list of finalists.
The books are available for check out from Media and Reserve Services, located on the third floor of the James Branch Cabell Library. A valid VCU eID or VCU Friends of the Library Donor Card is all you will need to check out a book and start reading. A list of the novels and their current availability can be found in the VCU Cabell First Novelist Catalog. The VCU Libraries Course Reserve Catalog can also be searched by words in title or author, Course Number (First Novelist Award), or Instructor (Cabell First Novelist Award). These books have a loan period of seven days, and may be renewed once. After checking out a novel and reading it, the most important thing for you to do is review it. Paper copies of the review forms will be available with each book at the Media and Reserve Services Desk. Please take one, fill it out, and return it to Media and Reserve Services along with the book. Review forms are also available online in PDF format and in Microsoft Word format.
Thank you for your interest and participation. Your help with this process is greatly appreciated, and we also hope you will enjoy reading these first novels by promising new authors.
Presented annually by the VCU MFA Program in Creative Writing, the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award honors the best debut novel published during a calendar year. The VCU Cabell First Novelist Award is sponsored by the VCU Department of English, James Branch Cabell Library Associates, VCU Friends of the Library, VCU Libraries, VCU Honors College, and VCU College of Humanities and Sciences.
The VCU Office of International Education has announced that it is no longer able to sustain support for the International Newsroom initiative. As a result, the installation in Cabell Library will close the week of March 9, 2009. Installations in the School of Mass Communications, the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, and the World Studies Media Center are also closing.
Student use of the Newsrooms has declined as Internet access to media outlets has increased. Dr. Peter Kirkpatrick led the pioneering effort to create the International Newsrooms in collaboration with a variety of campus partners. This initiative will endure as an important step in the history of bringing the world to VCU.
Questions about this facility should be addressed to McKenna Brown, Executive Director, Office of International Education .
Research Survival Workshops
James Branch Cabell Library
Library Instruction Classroom, Room 319
VCU Libraries offers Research Survival Workshops for new and returning students, faculty, or staff. These quick sessions offer an introduction or refresher on searching the library's Web resources for books and articles to support a research topic. Librarians will demonstrate the catalog and journal databases, including Academic Search Complete. This workshop runs 50 minutes, including time for questions.
All are welcome. For more information and to register online, visit the VCU Libraries Events page.
Additional resources on learning library research skills can be found online including the Undergraduate Research Toolkit, Distance Learner's Toolkit, and Resource Guides devoted to topic areas such as Biological Sciences, Sociology and Anthropology, History, Art Education, and many others.
VCU Libraries 24th Annual Brown-Lyons Lecture
"What's So Bad About Atheism?"
Presented by Dr. Jack D. Spiro
Thursday, March 19, 2009
7:30 p.m.
W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts
922 Park Avenue
Free and open to the public. Parking is available for a fee in the West Main Street and West Cary Street parking decks. If special accommodations are needed, please call (804) 827-1165 or (804) 828-4640 prior to March 17.
The 24th Annual Brown-Lyons Lecture is sponsored by the VCU Friends of the Library, the VCU Center for Judaic Studies, the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, the Richmond Jewish Foundation, and the Weinstein JCC.
"In God We Trust" is the national motto of the United States. During the Cold War, Americans believed one of the greatest perils of communism was its atheistic canon. A spate of books has recently appeared attacking beliefs in God and supporting atheism. Why this rancorous response? What's so bad about atheism? How does Judaism respond to the atheists' arguments? What is unique in Jewish thought that atheists may find irrefutable? What is the Jewish thought that atheists may find irrefutable? What is the Jewish response to religions that believe in two, many, or no gods?
Dr. Jack D. Spiro holds the Harry Lyons Distinguished Chair in Judaic Culture at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is also director of the VCU Center for Judaic Studies and editor of its online publication, Menorah Review. He has earned two doctorates from the Hebrew Union College and the University of Virginia. He has authored, co-authored, or edited over 20 books and written over 40 articles.
The ICPSR Summer Program is considered one of the best forums for both basic and advanced training in the methodologies and technologies of social science research. As an Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) member institution, VCU faculty and students may attend the summer program for a much lower tuition rate than faculty and students from non-member institutions. Three-to-five day workshops as well as four-week courses are offered on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor.
For more information, contact your ICPSR Official Representative at VCU, Jennifer Darragh.
VCU SGA and VCU Libraries are co-sponsoring a new series of meetings called the Cabell Life Forum to hear directly from students about their needs at Cabell Library. Come to the first meeting:
This first Cabell Life Forum will be your chance to hear the University Librarian, John Ulmschneider, talk about planning for a new library building on the Monroe Park Campus. See the slide show and bring your ideas for what a new library should be. The Cabell Life Forum will be your opportunity to bring questions and concerns about Cabell Library to the ears of library administrators. Bring your thoughts and your ideas for future meeting topics.
Free food and drinks!
Due to critical site maintenance by the publisher, the Wiley Interscience Web site may be down for up to 12 hours on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. Wiley Interscience hosts a very large number of VCU Libraries e-journals, online books, and other resources. We apologize for the disruption and inconvenience. Please check back after 9 p.m. Saturday evening to access online materials from Wiley Interscience.
The VCU Libraries catalog now offers a new way to search our moving image collections, which include DVDs, Blu-ray discs, film reels, laserdiscs, videocassettes, and Internet videos. You can access the new section by selecting the DVDs/Film tab at the basic search page of the catalog.
While all these items can be found in our full catalog using the general basic, browse, or advance search screens, the new section allows you to more easily search for only moving image materials. Added features to the DVDs, Film, Videos section include improved language search capabilities (available from the advanced or expert search page), as well as director and genre browses (still in test).
VCU Libraries and VCU Technology Services invite you to stop by to see preliminary furniture layouts for a Learning Commons in Cabell Library. The plans will be displayed on the library's second floor, the area for which the Commons is planned. Your feedback and reactions to the layouts is very valuable to us. Stop by and take a look. Even better, tell us what you think.
The VCU Libraries presents Current VCU Libraries Exhibits on display, showcasing materials housed in the Cabell Library Special Collections and Archives. The exhibits feature the Bicentennial of Edgar Allan Poe, rare editions of works by Andrea Palladio, artists' books from the Women's Studio Workshop, VCU's 40th Anniversary, published works of Edward Gorey, Tarzan of the Apes, Hispanic Heritage, Gay and Lesbian Collection, Richmond Zine Collection, Manga, and Will Eisner Award Collection. These exhibits can be viewed on the fourth floor of the James Branch Cabell Library.
The VCU Libraries' Website also includes Online Exhibits to highlight various collections from the Special Collections and Archives departments of James Branch Cabell and Tompkins-McCaw Libraries.
For questions with regards to setting up an exhibit, please contact Gay Acompanado (827-3573).
The VCU Libraries is pleased to announce, in conjunction with Black History Month, the release of a new addition to the VCU Libraries Digital Collections: the Jackson Ward Historic District. The collection documents the architecture of Richmond's historic Jackson Ward neighborhood through photographs and text from the book The Jackson Ward Historic District, published in 1978 by the City of Richmond's Department of Planning and Community Development, with photographs by John Zehmer and text by Robert P. Winthrop, Virginia architect and specialist in the architectural history of Richmond.
This project is much more than just a straight digitization of the book. In addition to presenting the book in its entirety, there are high-quality scans of each photograph appearing in the book, digitized from the original prints. Additional information has been provided about the architectural features of Jackson Ward. We have created a Google Maps interface showing the locations of all buildings documented in the book, with links to the photographs. Finally, we have made available for download the GIS data, in KML and CSV formats, as well as all of the metadata associated with the book in XML.
VCU Libraries is pleased to announce the availability of Anatomy.TV, an interactive 3D model of human anatomy online. This unique database provides detailed views of anatomy at various levels from bone to surface structure. Models can be rotated and layers can be peeled away to view medically accurate representations of anatomical structures. Clicking on different sections of an image will pull up labels and descriptive text, along with links to videos and radiological images.
Anatomy.TV images can be saved for use in papers, presentations, and lectures. Interactive quizzes and multiple-choice questions help test your knowledge of human anatomy. This visually stunning and unique database is produced by UK-based Primal Pictures. Anatomy.TV can be accessed from the list of Databases A-Z on the VCU Libraries homepage.
President of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Global Health Program
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
5:00 p.m.
Hermes A. Medical Sciences Building Auditorium
1217 E. Marshall Street
Dr. Tadataka (Tachi) Yamada leads the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's efforts to reduce global health inequities by investing in affordable new vaccines, therapies, and diagnostics for diseases that most gravely burden the world's poor, and by developing new partnerships to shape the future of global public health. In his presentation, Dr. Yamada will speak to his vision of the foundation's current and future role, and more broadly, to the shared priorities and approaches most important to securing major public health successes in the future.
Dr. Tadataka Yamada is president of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Global Health Program and was a previous intern and resident at MCV. He was formerly Chairman, Research and Development and a Member of the Board of Directors of GlaxoSmithKline. A scientist and scholar in gastroenterology, Dr. Yamada is the author of more than 150 original manuscripts on the subject and is the editor of The Textbook of Gastroenterology. The studies undertaken by Dr. Yamada and his collaborators led to basic discoveries in the post-translational processing and biological activation of peptide hormones, the structure and function of receptors for hormones regulating gastric acid secretion, and the regulation of genes involved in the acid secretory process.
Free and open to the public. Parking is available for a fee in the MCV Hospital parking deck. If special accommodations are needed, please contact the VCU Libraries at (804) 828-4640 or (804) 827-1165 prior to February 13.
Co-sponsored by the VCU Libraries and the MCV Campus Programs Office of the University Student Commons & Activities.
A Reading and Discussion with Lucy Anne Hurston
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
7:30 p.m.
University Student Commons, Richmond Salons I and II
907 Floyd Avenue
Lucy Anne Hurston, niece of major 20th century writer Zora Neale Hurston and Professor of Sociology at Manchester Community College in Manchester, Connecticut, is the author of the remarkable multimedia biography, Speak, So You Can Speak Again: A Life of Zora Neale Hurston. The work consists of text, photographs, a CD of Zora herself speaking and singing, and various pieces of removable memorabilia, including letters, maps, vintage magazine articles, and rough drafts of Zora's poems. A book signing and reception will follow the reading and discussion.
Free and open to the public. Parking is available for a fee in the West Main Street and West Cary Street parking decks. If special accommodations are needed, please contact the VCU Libraries at (804) 828-4640 or (804) 827-1165 prior to February 13.
Co-sponsored by the VCU Libraries and the English, African American Studies, and Women's Studies departments.
The VCU Libraries is hosting a viewing of the live broadcast of the presidential inauguration for President-elect Barack Obama on January 20, 2009. All are invited to stop by the library to view this historic event! The swearing-in ceremony begins at 11:30 a.m. This event is free and open to the VCU community and the public. Seating is limited, so come early.
MCV Campus: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Tompkins-McCaw Library
Hunton Student Center
Monroe Park Campus: 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Cabell Library
For more information or special accommodations, please contact Shannon Jones at 828-0626.
The Physical Presence of Slavery in Richmond, Virginia
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
7:30 p.m.
W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts
922 Park Avenue
Richmond's slaves, and the Richmond slave trade, left an indelible but often unrecognized footprint on the City. That history remains vibrantly alive today in the passionate dialog surrounding the Slave Burial Ground, Lumpkin's Jail, and other historical sites. Join us for a panel discussion with Jeffrey Ruggles, PhD, curator of prints and photographs Virginia Historical Society, Maureen G. Elgersman Lee, PhD, executive director Black History Museum and Cultural Center, and Delegate Delores McQuinn, 70th District representative to the Virginia House of Delegates, as we examine slavery in Richmond and recent archaeological discoveries.
Free and open to the public. Parking is available for a fee in the West Main Street and West Cary Street parking decks. If special accommodations are needed, please contact the VCU Libraries at (804) 828-4640 or (804) 827-1165 prior to February 6.
The seventh annual VCU Libraries Black History Month Lecture is sponsored by the VCU Friends of the Library. Visit our Website to learn more about other Black History Month activities sponsored by the VCU Libraries.
The C3 Project: Looking Forward, Looking Black - A multi-media presentation of music performed with video, poetry and dance
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
8:00 p.m.
W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts
922 Park Avenue
Admission is $5.00 for the general public; free with VCU student ID.
Co-sponsored by VCU Libraries, Music, Multicultural Affairs, Jazz Studies, English, African American Studies, Activities Programming Board, and the Provost's Office for Diversity. If special accommodations are needed, please contact the VCU Libraries at (804) 828-4640 or (804) 827-1165 prior to February 2.
For more information on the C3 project, visit http://www.darrylharperjazz.com/.
Become familiar with Cabell Library early and save on hassles later in the semester. Orientation Tours meet inside the first-floor main entrance and last 30 minutes. Participants will learn more about the facility, how to use computing and print resources, as well as how library services and staff can assist visitors in completing their work.
For additional information about other VCU Libraries events and workshops, visit the events page.
VCU Libraries will be open reduced hours over the VCU winter break, 2008-2009. Please refer to the VCU Libraries' Website for a detailed schedule of holiday hours.
VCU Libraries will be closed on the following dates:
James Branch Cabell Library (Monroe Park Campus):
Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences (MCV Campus):
The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) has launched the Online Learning Center (OLC), a resource for teaching faculty who want to incorporate quantitative literacy into their courses. The OLC contains data-driven learning guides that can be incorporated into course curriculum where appropriate. At this time, guides are available for political science, sociology, and social psychology topics. If you have any questions about ICPSR and the OLC, please contact your official representative, Jennifer Darragh.
Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences
Special Collections and Archives Reading Room
509 North 12th Street
Richmond, VA 23298-0582
804-828-0636
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
VCU Libraries will celebrate the contributions that MCV Campus authors have made to the scholarly literature. This event is free and open to the public.
Parking is available for a fee in the Patient/Visitor parking deck. To RSVP, or to request special accommodations, please call (804) 828-4640 or e-mail Sarah Amick by December 8, 2008.
This event is sponsored by the VCU Friends of the Library.
Library Lite All Nite
24/5 Hours
November 30 - December 16, 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, November 30 through Tuesday, December 16, 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 Cabell First Novelist Festival
November 14, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
University Student Commons, Richmond Salons
907 Floyd Avenue, Richmond, VA
Directions
VCU welcomes 2008 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award winner Travis Holland, his agent, Amy Williams, and his editor, Dial Press Vice President Susan Kamil, as they trace the journey of Holland’s masterful “The Archivist’s Story” from first draft to literary sensation.
The reading and book discussion are free and open to the public, as well as the book signing and reception immediately following. Parking is available for a fee in the West Main Street and West Cary Street parking decks. If special accommodations are needed, please call Sarah Amick at (804) 828-4640 prior to Nov. 12, 2008.
The VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, presented by the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program, is sponsored by the VCU Department of English, James Branch Cabell Library Associates, VCU Friends of the Library, VCU Libraries, VCU Honors College and the VCU College of Humanities and Sciences.
Overcoming Life's Challenges and Championing Diversity
November 6, 2008 5:00 pm
Hermes A. Kontos Medical Sciences Building Auditorium,
1217 E. Marshall St., Richmond, VA
Dr. Claudia Thomas will present "Overcoming Life's Challenges and Championing Diversity," on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 5:00 pm in the Hermes A. Kontos Medical Sciences Building Auditorium. Dr. Thomas was the first African-American female orthopaedic surgeon in the United States, the 2008 recipient of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Diversity Award, and is the author of God Spare Life.
A reception and book signing will follow the lecture. This event is free and open to the public. To R.S.V.P. or request special accommodations, call (804) 828-4640 or email Sarah Amick at seamick@vcu.edu. Directions and Parking
This event is sponsored by the VCU Friends of the Library and the MCV Campus Programs, University Student Commons & Activities. More information about other Friends of the Library events is available on the Special Events page.
Cabell library is currently closed due to a power outage. Please check back for further updates. Research questions should be directed to the Tompkins-McCaw Library service desk at 804-828-0636.
Learn more about national elections, local elections and candidates with the Election Resource Guide. It provides information on the 2008 Presidential Election, the background and history of elections, and Virginia resources. The Guide also has links for additional articles, databases and books. A link is provided to the State Board of Elections.
Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences
509 North 12th Street
Richmond, VA 23298-0582
804-828-0636
November 1, 2008 - January 28, 2009
Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences will sponsor the traveling exhibit "Opening Doors: Contemporary African-American Academic Surgeons" from November 1, 2008 to January 28, 2009.
The exhibit, developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine and the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, celebrates the achievements of African American pioneers in academic surgery and those that continue the tradition today.
Monday - Tuesday, Oct 27-28, 2008
James Branch Cabell Library, 2nd Floor
901 Park Avenue, Richmond, VA 23284
804-828-1105
The Friends of the Library Half Price Book Sale has been extended! Shop for great bargains on Monday and Tuesday, Oct 27 - 28, 2008.
Hardcover books are $1 and paperbacks only $.50!
All proceeds help fund VCU Libraries' programs, collections, and lectures.
Cash, check or major credit cards accepted. More information about the Book Sale and other Friends of the Library events is available on the Special Events page.
Survival Tips and Stories: Expanding the Library's Services in Times of Disaster
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Distance Education Classroom, Room 2-010, Tompkins-McCaw Library
Tompkins-McCaw Library is hosting the Medical Library Association (MLA) webcast, "Survival Tips and Stories: Expanding the Library's Services in Times of Disaster" on Wednesday, November 12, 2008 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Distance Education Classroom, Room 2-010. The goal of this program is to provide a basic understanding of disaster planning and service continuity, assess the effect of disasters on health sciences library services, and provide a basic template for disaster planning.
Continuing education credit available. Advanced registration is required to receive CE credit. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is available online. For more information, please contact Shannon Jones, (804) 828-0626.
For a full list of library instruction classes on both campuses, visit VCU Libraries Events .
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m
James Cabell Branch Library
VCU Libraries is hosting an Authors' Reception celebrating Alex Lorch and Beth Marschak, authors of Lesbian and Gay Richmond.
The celebration will be Wednesday, October 29, 2008 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., in Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, 4th floor.
Mr. Lorch will present a brief historical overview of the Richmond lesbian and gay community at 5:30 pm. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.
This event is free and open to the public. To R.S.V.P. or request special accommodations, please call Sarah Amick at (804) 828-4640 prior to Monday, October 27, 2008. Parking is available for a fee in the West Main Street and West Cary Street parking decks.
The reception is generously sponsored by the VCU Friends of the Library. More information about Friends of the Library events is available at Special Events .
James Branch Cabell Library
901 Park Avenue, Richmond, VA 23284
804-828-1105
James Branch Cabell Library
Library Instruction Classroom, third floor
Wednesday, October 22nd, 12 - 1 p.m.
The purpose of this workshop is to provide participants with hands-on experience in using the more advanced features of PsycINFO. It will cover how to personalize the database to save successful searches, create search alerts (the saved search is always running and notifications are sent via email or through RSS when any new items are found), and how to create folders for organization by project or class. It will also cover how to properly export citations from PsycINFO into RefWorks.
For more information on this workshop and a full list of library instruction classes and events on both campuses, visit the VCU Libraries Events page.
James Branch Cabell Library
Library Instruction Classroom, third floor
Wednesday, October 15, 2 p.m.
Monday, October 20, 1 p.m.
VCU Libraries offers Research Survival Workshops for new and returning students, faculty or staff. These quick sessions offers an introduction or refresher on searching the library's Web resources for books and articles to support a research topic. Librarians will demonstrate the Catalog and journal databases including Academic Search Complete. This workshop runs 50 minutes, including time for questions.
All are welcome. No registration required.
For more information on this workshop and a full list of library instruction classes and events on both campuses, visit the VCU Libraries Events page.
Additional resources or learning library research skills can be found online including the Undergraduate Research Toolkit, Distance Learner's Toolkit, and Resource Guides devoted to topic areas such as Biological Sciences, Sociology and Anthropology, History, Art Education, and many others.
It's that time of year - the VCU Friends of the Library Annual Book Sale! The sale takes place October 20-24, 2008, on the 2nd floor of James Branch Cabell Library.
Books of many genres are available including history, art, medicine, fiction, comic arts, music and more. All proceeds from the Friends of the Library Book Sale help to fund VCU Libraries' programs, collections, and lectures.
Preview Sale for Friends of the Library Donors
Monday, October 20: 9 a.m.-Noon
(Present your Friends card for admission to the preview sale.)
James Branch Cabell Library
901 Park Avenue, Richmond, VA 23284
804-828-1105
Paperbacks $1
Hardcover $2
The library web server (www.library.vcu.edu) and e-reserves will be unavailable on Monday October 13th from 5:00 am to 7:00 am.
During the switchover many of our services will still be available directly at these addresses:
Databases AtoZ and by Subject: http://metalib.vccs.edu/V/?func=find-db-1&mode=title
VCU Libraries Catalog: http://catalog.library.vcu.edu
E-Journals: http://sfx.library.vcu.edu/vcu/a-z/default?perform=textSearch
ILLiad Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery: https://illiad.library.vcu.edu/illiad/
Digital Collections: http://dig.library.vcu.edu/
Electronic Theses and Dissertations: https://digarchive.library.vcu.edu/
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.
Friday, October 10, 2008
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
James Branch Cabell Library
Library Instruction Classroom, third floor
In this workshop, teaching faculty will learn how to:
-Share images with students and colleagues through ARTstor folders, e-mail and courseware such as Blackboard.
-Upload and manage your own images in ARTstor personal collections.
-Discover the ease of making presentations with the Offline Image Viewer.
-Download high resolution images for use in PowerPoint.
This workshop is open to faculty, staff and graduate students. Please contact Kristina Keogh at 828-6339 for additional information. For a full list of library instruction classes and events on both campuses, visit the VCU Libraries Events page.
Knovel Library has chosen VCU students to participate in the Knovel University Challenge running Sept. 29 until Dec. 1, 2008. Knovel Library is a property and interactive database for engineering, chemistry, material science, environmental science, and microelectronic materials.
To participate in the challenge, students can visit www.info.knovel.com/challenge. To play, search Knovel and correctly answer three engineering questions. Prizes include 2 Nintendo Wiis, 3 iPod Nanos, and 6 iTunes gift cards.
Universities with 100 entries or more are guaranteed entry into a contest-within-the-contest ensuring that 1 student participant with 3 correct answers will be the winner of an iPod Nano.
American Library Association Promotes Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week
Celebrating the Freedom to Read
September 27 - October 4, 2008
Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. This year, 2008, marks BBW's 27th anniversary (September 27 through October 4).
BBW celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one's opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.
BBW is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, American Library Association, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of American Publishers, National Association of College Stores, and is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.
The American Library Association offers more information on Banned Book Week, Frequently Challenged Books including the list for 2007, and the History of Book Burning on their Web site.
Looking for a place to study? Cabell Library and Tompkins-McCaw Library have designated spaces for both collaborative work as well as individual, quiet study. To learn more about the location, hours and technology resources available in both libraries, visit VCU Libraries Study Spaces on the Web.
For additional information, please contact:
Research Survival Workshops
James Branch Cabell Library
Library Instruction Classroom, third floor
September 26, 10 a.m.
September 29, 4 p.m.
October 1, 3 p.m.
October 3, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
October 4, 11 a.m.
October 7, 1 p.m.
October 10, 10 a.m.
VCU Libraries offers Research Survival Workshops for new and returning students, faculty or staff. These quick sessions offers an introduction or refresher on searching the library's Web resources for books and articles to support a research topic. Librarians will demonstrate the Catalog and journal databases including Academic Search Complete. This workshop runs 50 minutes, including time for questions.
All are welcome. No registration required.
For more information on this workshop and a full list of library instruction classes and events on both campuses, visit the VCU Libraries Events page.
Additional resources or learning library research skills can be found online including the Undergraduate Research Toolkit, Distance Learner's Toolkit, and Resource Guides devoted to topic areas such as Biological Sciences, Sociology and Anthropology, History, Art Education, and many others.
Nominations are now being accepted for The Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award. The award, administered by ALA's Public Information Office and Campaign for America's Libraries, encourages library users to recognize the accomplishments of librarians who have helped enrich their educational and/or succeed in their research endeavors. Nominations for librarians in college, community college and university libraries opened on September 2 and run through October 15.
Up to 10 librarians in public, school and academic libraries will be honored at a ceremony and reception in New York at TheTimesCenter, hosted by The New York Times. Each winner also will receive a $5,000 cash award, a plaque and a $500 travel stipend to attend the awards reception. In addition, a plaque will be given to each award winner's library.
Each nominee must be a librarian with a master's degree from a program accredited by the ALA in library and information studies or a master's degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational unit accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. Nominees must be currently working in the United States at an accredited two- or four-year college or university.
For more information, including the online nomination form and tools to help promote the award, visit www.ilovelibraries.org/ilovemylibrarian.
This month, Virginia Commonwealth University joins campuses across the nation in commemorating the September 17, 1787 signing of the Constitution. VCU's week-long series of events and programming is designed to promote greater awareness of this extraordinary document and to foster reflection upon its principles, which continue to influence our daily lives more than two hundred years after its ratification.
Upcoming VCU events from September 15-19 include the new Constitution Day Lecture series, featuring:
The Constitution: Relevant for 200 years. Now are there dangers on the horizon?
Stephen McCullough, State Solicitor General for Virginia
Wednesday, September 17, 2008, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Forum Room, University Student Commons
Stephen McCullough is the State Solicitor General for Virginia. The State Solicitor General is part of the Attorney General's Office and represents Virginia's interests in the United States Supreme Court. His responsibilities also include defending Virginia laws from constitutional challenge. Over the years, Mr. McCullough has represented Virginia in a wide range of civil and criminal matters in state and federal courts. This past January, Mr. McCullough argued Virginia v. Moore in the United States Supreme Court. In April, the Court decided the case unanimously in Virginia's favor. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and of the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond.
The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America
David Hajdu, Professor, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
with moderator Tom De Haven (VCU) and guest M. Thomas Inge (Randolph Macon)
Thursday, September 18th, 2008, 7:30 p.m.
Grace E. Harris Hall, Auditorium (Room 101)
David Hajdu is the author of The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America and two other books, Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn, and Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Farina and Richard Farina. He will discuss the federal crackdown on comic books that occurred during the 1950s and led to decades of self-censorship under the so-called Comics Code Authority. More information on David Hajdu is available online.
The discussion will be moderated by VCU's own Tom De Haven, author of It's Superman!, Funny Papers, Derby Dugan's Depression Funnies, and other comic-themed works. Guest speaker will be M. Thomas Inge of Randolph-Macon College, editor of the Handbook of American Popular Culture and author of Anything Can Happen in a Comic Strip.
The entire schedule for the week-long series of events can be found online at www.library.vcu.edu/constitution/. Questions? Contact Renee Bosman at 828-8978.
VCU Libraries will cease binding personal copies of theses and dissertations beginning September 1, 2008. Binding for the library collections and for university departments that require bound copies will continue until the start of the Fall 2009 semester when an electronic theses and dissertations will be required, except for a few rare cases. Fees for binding required by departments will continue to be paid to the VCU Libraries.
Students who desire personal bound print copies of their work will select a commercial binder. Commercial binders in Virginia have been posted on the VCU Libraries' Thesis and Dissertation Information page. The list on the Website is not an endorsement of the sources, but they are all establishments that can bind copies for students.
The VCU Libraries and the VCU Graduate School look forward to developing VCU's archive of electronic theses and dissertations, and to keeping VCU competitive with other higher education institutions in helping students with their theses and dissertations.
For more information and a full list of library instruction classes and events on both campuses, visit the VCU Libraries Events page.
Friday, September 5, 1:30p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, September 11, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
James Branch Cabell Library
Library Instruction Classroom, third floor
ARTstor is a digital image library useful to researchers in Art and Architecture, History, Anthropology, Theatre and Literary Studies. Learn how to search and browse images, create an account and manage folders and image groups, and download and use the Offline Image Viewer.
To learn more, contact Kristina Keogh or Yuki Hibben .
Calling undergraduates who love the library, have great ideas, and have a heart to serve! Recruitment is underway for the Cabell Library Undergraduate Advisory Committee (CLUAC). CLUAC members attend monthly meetings, participate in library service activities, advise the library on important services, write articles for the CLUAC newsletter, and much more. In exchange for attending all meetings and fulfilling service requirements, members earn an honorarium at the end of the academic year. Meetings are held on Fridays from 1 - 2:30 p.m. once a month.
Members contribute in a variety of ways. Last year, CLUAC members:
- wrote a monthly newsletter
- requested blinds for the 1st floor study rooms
- assisted with library tours
- attended "behind the scenes" tours of library offices
- greeted guests at lectures and events
Students that have what it takes to help make Cabell Library a great place for undergraduates, should apply today. An application with more information can be found online. The deadline for submitting applications is Friday, August 29th. Why not submit the application right now?
Questions? Contact Jennifer Roach, jroach@vcu.edu or 828-6696.
The Databases by Subject list will be unavailable Thursday, August 13th, due to system upgrades. In addition the Article Search option will not be available from the library homepage.
For searching databases use the Databases AtoZ list or find databases by subject through our Resource Guides.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
Become familiar with Cabell Library early and save on hassles later in the semester. Welcome Week Orientation Tours meet inside the first floor main entrance and last for 30 minutes. Participants will learn more about the facility, how to use computing and print resources, as well as how library services and staff can assist visitors complete their work.
For more information about these tours and other VCU Libraries events and workshops, visit the events page.
Welcome Week Tour Schedule:
Monday, August 18
1:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, August 19
2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 20
1:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
Friday, August 22
11:00 a.m.
2:00 p.m.
Sunday, August 24
3:00 p.m.
Starbucks in Cabell Library will be closed for training Monday, August 4, through Saturday, August 16; reopening at 1 p.m. on Sunday, August 17. This training is in preparation for the new Starbucks store opening this fall in the Cary and Belvidere Residential College. Alpine Bagel in the Student Commons and Bookmark Bistro in Barnes & Noble @ VCU (West Broad Street Parking Deck) are alternative coffee bar locations.
For more information, contact Robinette Butler at vcudining@vcu.edu or 828-1148.
Beginning July 31, 2008, two of James Branch Cabell Library's first floor group study rooms will be closed temporarily for renovation. VCU Libraries is adding technology resources to Rooms 144 and 145 to promote collaborative work. When the renovations are completed, each of the study rooms will house a PC computer workstation with a large, wall-mounted screen. These computing resources are already available in four other first floor group study rooms.
For those seeking alternative group study spaces, additional group study rooms are available on the third floor. The Linden Group Study Zone on the second floor is also available for group work.
VCU Libraries regrets any inconvenience and appreciates your patience as we continue to improve the collaborative work spaces.
VCU Libraries is pleased to announce the latest addition to the VCU Libraries Digital Collections. In March 2008, an online collection of over a hundred issues of PS Magazine, the U.S. Army preventive maintenance publication illustrated and edited by cartoonist Will Eisner from 1951 to 1972, was released. Now, thanks to the loan of 92 issues for scanning from the Army, VCU Libraries is offering online the complete run of all Will Eisner-produced issues of the magazine: issue numbers 1 through 229, plus 3 special issues and 22 index issues. The Army's donation increased the online collection by over half.
To view this or any digital collection, visit dig.library.vcu.edu.
Starting the week of July 21, the preferred way of accessing RefWorks will be via any of the RefWorks links on VCU Libraries Web pages. These links all have the EZProxy authentication address embedded and will prompt for eID and password. Users may bookmark http://proxy.library.vcu.edu/login?url=http://www.refworks.com/refworks for easy access.
The Group Code that many users have been using for remote access and for Write-N-Cite will be changed next week. The new Group Code will be visible to VCU users who first login using their eID/password combination. The link to the Group Code will be located on the VCU Libraries RefWorks home page.
RefWorks account holders who are no longer affiliated with VCU may obtain the Group Code by submitting a Logon Problem Report. The Group Code will be sent via email along with instructions for saving the references and a deadline for making this change. RefWorks accounts not associated with the new Group Code will be deleted as soon as the deadline has passed.
Funds are expected from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support added supplements for the 2010 General Social Survey (GSS). Proposals for topics for these NSF-funded modules are solicited from the social science community. The submission deadline is October 1, 2008. Please note that there may be space for non-NSF funded modules as well. For questions about this opportunity please contact Tom W. Smith, GSS Director at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC), at smitht@norc.uchicago.edu.
This announcement was received by VCU's Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) Official Representative, Jennifer Darragh. For more information about ICPSR, please contact Jennifer at jdarragh@vcu.edu.
The American Psychological Association recently announced that it would charge authors $2,500 for depositing articles into PubMed Central. The Association has apparently decided to rethink the new policy; according to APA's website the policy is "currently being re-examined and will not be implemented at this time."
The Chronicle of Higher Education reported the policy on July 15, 2008, and its blog quickly filled with comments. According to The Chronicle, authors publishing in APA journals were told not to deposit the articles themselves and that the fee would be billed to the author's university.
Authors who receive funding from the National Institutes of Health are now required to submit articles arising from the funded research into PubMed Central, the National Library of Medicine's digital archive. For more information, visit the VCU Libraries' page on Navigating the New NIH Mandatory Public Access Policy.
VCU Libraries and VCUarts are pleased to announce that the Visual Resource Center (VRC) will be moving to James Branch Cabell Library, opening on Monday, July 28. The VRC's collection of some 700,000 slides, LUNA database of digitized images, and staff will become part of VCU Libraries and will continue its service to VCUarts, along with providing service to the university at large.
A task force of library and VCUarts representatives was established in April to study the feasibility of the move and to recommend an appropriate location and service model for the VRC within VCU Libraries. The relocation is expected to result in improved space for the VRC, with the benefit of better security and access. The new organizational structure will incorporate the expertise of the VRC Director of Collections and his understanding of VCUarts practices and operations to ensure that the needs of VCUarts continue to be met. In addition, the experience of the VCU Libraries in both physical and digital preservation will ensure that the collections are well cared for and transitioned to the digital environment.
The VRC will be located in Room 301C of Cabell Library, at the back of the Media and Reserves Department on the third floor. The VRC will close July 16 to prepare the collection and staff for the move, and will reopen July 28 in time to assist VCUarts faculty preparing for fall semester courses.
For questions regarding the move, please contact Pat Flanagan, Associate University Librarian for Public Services, VCU Libraries, or Vaughn Garland, VRC Director of Collections.
July 1, 2008 is the 40th anniversary of the creation of Virginia Commonwealth University. VCU resulted from several studies dating from the early and mid-1960s which expressed the need felt by many for Virginia to have a major urban university in Richmond. The most important of those reports was issued in 1967 by the Wayne Commission which developed an implementation plan head by Edward A. Wayne Sr. (1903-1990), president of the Richmond Federal Reserve Bank.
The recommendation, supported by the Governor and General Assembly, was the creation of VCU. Wayne's vision for the school rejected a merger and proposed instead to create a completely new entity with Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia as its components. The Commission's report stated that "an urban-oriented university is unique in that its basic philosophy concentrates on meeting the needs of an urban population living and working in an urban environment. The city is truly its living laboratory."
Wayne was named vice-rector of the first Board of Visitors of VCU and the University's Wayne Medal honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions or provided exemplary service to VCU.
The Wayne Commission Report is available online as part of VCU Libraries' Digital Collections.
Academic Search Complete is VCU Libraries' new multidisciplinary full-text database replacing Academic OneFile. Academic Search Complete, published by EBSCO, contains more than 5,990 full-text periodicals, including more than 5,030 peer-reviewed journals. In addition to full-text, Academic Search Complete offers indexing and abstracting for more than 9,990 journals and a total of more than 10,400 publications, including monographs, reports, and conference proceedings. Subjects covered include anthropology, biology, chemistry, electrical engineering, ethnic and multicultural studies, geography, geology, law, mathematics, mechanical engineering, music, physics, psychology, religion and theology, science, sociology, women’s studies, and many other fields. Updated daily, with content going as far back as 1887, Academic Search Complete is made available to VCU by the Virtual Library of Virginia.
Access Academic Search Complete from the VCU Libraries A-Z list of databases or by choosing Academic Search Complete from the Quick Links menu on the VCU Libraries homepage.
VCU Libraries will be closed in observance of the 4th of July holiday. James Branch Cabell Library will be closed on Friday and Saturday, July 4th and 5th. Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences will be closed Friday, July 4th through Sunday, July 6th.
A complete listing of VCU Libraries operational hours is available online.
To provide the best service possible to all members of the VCU community, VCU Libraries has developed new access guidelines for online resources. Walk-in visitors and members of the community are invited to access the VCU Libraries' collections and services at guest computer stations on the first floor. Simply request a one-hour password at the Circulation and Information Services desk. All other public workstations in Cabell Library are now available only to library patrons with a VCU eID. This initiative, along with the Laptop Lending Pilot Program, is part of a larger effort to increase access to computing resources for VCU affiliates and to ensure quality access to our community users. The libraries provides additional access options for visiting scholars and area high school students. To learn more, please read our Guest Access to Online Resources Policy. When implementing the new guest computer stations, some eID access computers were moved to the fourth floor
If you have questions, please contact Research and Instructional Services at: 828-1101 or 866-828-2665.
Use the HP Digital Sender to scan materials and e-mail them for free. The Sender features a flatbed scanner as well as a sheet feeder to accept documents. Send scanned materials in color or in black and white and set the document resolution from 150 to 300 dpi. Select the preferred format as well; the Sender supports PDF, TIFF, JPEG and MTIFF formats. Simply log in to the Sender with a VCU eID, scan document and send it to any e-mail address. It's easy, it's free, and it saves paper. Check out the Digital Sender in the Printing/Photocopying area of the first floor.
If you have questions, please contact Research and Instructional Services at: 804-828-1101.
The VCU Health Literacy Special Interest Group will meet Thursday, June 5 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 pm in the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences 1st Floor Conference Room, directly behind Skull & Beans. All who are interested are welcome to attend and also to join the special interest group which meets about three times a year. To R.S.V.P for the June 5 meeting or to receive more information, contact Jean Shipman or Sarah Amick.
Both James Branch Cabell Library and Tompkins-McCaw Library are closed for the Memorial Day Holiday, Monday, May 26, 2008. A complete schedule of hours available online.
In June, Cabell Library will add 8 new study tables and 32 seats on the first floor. These new furnishings are designed to provide students and faculty with additional work space for laptop computing, use of the Libraries' print collections and general study. The new space is along the Cathedral Place wall and features natural light and an attractive view. The additional floor space is the result of a consolidation of the Current Periodicals collection and the removal of shelving.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Community Health Education Center, VCUHS Gateway Building
In recognition of the VCUHS’ Week of the Nurse celebration, the Community Health Education Center (CHEC) will hold an open house on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. All nurses and nursing students are invited to visit CHEC, located on the ground floor of the VCUHS Gateway Building, 1200 East Marshall Street. Stop by to meet the staff and to learn more about CHEC. Light refreshments and door prizes will be available. Sponsored by the VCU Libraries, the VCU Health System, and the MCVH Auxiliary of VCUHS.
For more information or for special accommodations, contact Dana Ladd, CHEC Librarian at 804-628-2429.
VCU Libraries announces the addition of CINAHL Plus with Full Text to its collection of databases. CINAHL Plus is the enhanced online edition of CINAHL, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. With full text coverage of more than 620 journals, CINAHL Plus provides a multidisciplinary approach to the literature of nursing and allied health fields such as dental hygiene, medical laboratory technology, occupational therapy, physical therapy and many others. The database contains 600,000 full text articles as well as citations to articles dating back to 1937, searchable cited references, legal cases, clinical innovations, critical paths, drug records, research instruments and clinical trials. It also indexes publications from the National League for Nursing and the American Nurses' Association. New in this version of CINAHL are Evidence-Based Care Sheets, Quick Lessons (summaries of diseases and conditions) and over 200 full text books. Search results from CINAHL Plus can be directly exported to RefWorks. A list of titles covered along with information about full text is available from EBSCO Publishing.
You can access CINAHL Plus from the VCU Libraries A-Z list of databases or by choosing CINAHL from the Quick Links menu on the VCU Libraries homepage. With more sources than ever before, CINAHL Plus with Full Text is the definitive research tool for all areas of nursing and allied health literature.
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.
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.
Interested in learning about the latest trends in technology? Thinking about purchasing a PDA, a BlackBerry, a cellphone, or an iPod? Want to learn how others are using emerging technologies to streamline their research, workflow, patient interactions, and educational experience? Technology Days 2008 is the answer.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Richmond Salons, University Student Commons, Monroe Park Campus
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, MCV Campus
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
This event is free and open to the public. Lunch is available to participants on each campus. Participants can register to win a chance at prizes including 20 iPods, an iPod touch, and other great prizes. For more information, contact at Shannon Jones or 804-828-0626.
This event is sponsored by the VCU Libraries and VCU Technology Services.
22nd Annual James Branch Cabell Lecture
A Party of Poets - Celebrating the Work of Virginia's Poets
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
7:30 p.m.
Richmond Salons, VCU Student Commons
Keynote speaker: Ellen Bryant Voigt
Panelists: Buffy Morgan, Debra Nystrom, Lucinda Roy, Ron Smith and David Wojahn
Moderator: Mary Flinn, senior editor for the online literary journal Blackbird
Virginia is home to a distinguished community of poets and a rich body of poetry recognized by many national prizes and international distinction. Join Ellen Bryant Voigt and our panel of poets from across the Commonwealth to celebrate Virginia poetry and explore the roots of Virginia's extraordinary contributions to the tradition of American verse.
The 22nd Annual James Branch Cabell Lecture is sponsored by the VCU Libraries, the Friends of the Library, and the James Branch Cabell Library Associates.
Free and open to the public. Book signing and reception will follow the lecture. Parking is available for a fee in the West Main Street and West Cary Street parking decks. Directions to the Monroe Park Campus are available online. If special accommodations are needed, please call (804) 827-1165 or 827-1163 prior to April 4, 2008.
The VCU Libraries Web site offers access to hundreds of databases, journals, newspapers & books. Help improve access to these resources and receive a $15 RamBucks Gift Certificate.
Faculty, staff & students are encouraged to participate.
The study will take approximately 1 hour. Testing dates will be scheduled in March and April, 2008 at James Branch Cabell and Tompkins-McCaw Libraries. Participants will be asked to find answers to several sample questions while contributing to discussions.
Come share your comments about your library Web site.
To participate in the study and receive a FREE RamBucks gift certificate, please contact
Susan Teague-Rector or Kareemah Hamdan or call 804-827-3554.
The VCU Health Literacy Special Interest Group will be meeting Wednesday, March 19 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, in the first floor Conference Room behind Skull & Beans. All who are interested are welcome to attend and also to join the special interest group which meets about three times a year.
If you would like to attend the March 19 meeting or receive more information, please contact Jean Shipman or Sarah Amick, 804-828-4640.
Please join the VCU Libraries as it celebrates the contributions that MCV Campus book authors have made to the scholarly literature. This event is free and open to the public. Parking is available for a fee in the Patient/Visitor parking deck. If special accommodations are needed, please contact the VCU Libraries at (804) 827-1165 or 827-1163 by March 21, 2008. Sponsored by VCU Friends of the Library.
Beginning the week of March 3, the large group study room on the first floor of Cabell Library will be closed temporarily for renovations. VCU Libraries is adding technology resources to this space to support students with the development of presentations and other collaborative work. The goal of the renovations project is to provide students the ability to both practice and record presentations. When the renovations are completed, the room will contain the following:
For those seeking alternative locations for group study, additional study rooms are available on the third floor. The Linden Group Study Zone on the second floor is also available for group study.
We regret any inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work to improve the Libraries' collaborative work spaces.
Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences is offering several training opportunities for VCU students, faculty and staff. Library educational sessions will be held in the following locations on the MCV Campus as a convenience to all:
Offerings range from Keeping Current with your Research, where you will learn valuable tips to help make your research more efficient, to RefWorks a citation management tool that allows you to easily create and manage your own personal research database. A complete listing of classes is available online.
For more information about Spring classes, contact Thelma Mack at 828-0017.
Jewish Humor - It's No Joke!
Presented by Dr. Jack D. Spiro
Thursday, March 20, 2008
7:30 p.m.
W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts
The 23rd Annual Brown-Lyons Lecture is sponsored by the VCU Friends of the Library, the VCU Center for Judaic Studies, the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, the Richmond Jewish Foundation, and the Weinstein JCC. For information on a free shuttle from the Weinstein Jewish Community Center please contact Antonia FD Vassar at (804) 827-1165.
This lecture is free and open to the public. Parking is available for a fee in the West Main Street and West Cary Street parking decks. If special accommodations are needed, please call (804) 827-1165 or 827-1163 prior to March 17, 2008.
Institutional Compliance with the NIH Public Access Policy: Ensuring Deposit Rights
A Webcast sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries
and the National Association of State University and Land-Grant Colleges
Friday, March 7, 2008
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
VCU Libraries will present the webcast on both campuses:
VCU Libraries will host a Webcast on the institutional issues involved with compliance with the new National Institutes of Health (NIH) Public Access Policy. This Webcast will explore the legal aspects of author rights management within the context of the new policy that will be effective April 7, 2008. The policy will have many benefits for research institutions, including better documentation of publications resulting from funded research. However, institutions confront a key set of issues raised by the need to ensure that authors maintain the legal rights required to allow compliance with the new policy.
The intended audience for this Webcast is vice presidents of research, administrators and staff in funded research and grants offices, campus compliance officers, and others who will be responsible for fulfilling their organizations compliance obligations as NIH grantees. The Webcast is sponsored by the Association of Research Libraries and the National Association of State University and Land-Grant Colleges. For more information, visit the ARL Web site.
No registration is necessary.
Contact Lynne Turman, 828-0638, for special accommodations or additional information.
For more information and a full list of library instruction classes and events on both campuses, visit the VCU Libraries Events page.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Tompkins-McCaw Library, Distance Education Room, 2-010
MCV Campus
Register online using your VCU eID.
Don't have a VCU eID?
Contact Shannon D. Jones at 804-828-0626 to register.
Join the VCU Libraries for the next GIS Discussion Forum featuring Chris Delcher, analyst biostatistician for Virginia Health Information (VHI) and Carrie Dolan, epidemiologist for the Virginia Department of Health. This presentation will highlight how VHI and VDH have used GIS to enhance epidemiologic capacity.
The VCU GIS Discussion Forum is open to all individuals interested in the use of GIS to better understand geographic relationships and how they impact health outcomes, public health risks, disease transmission, access to health care and other public health concerns. Seating for this session is limited; advance registration is encouraged. Interested in joining the GIS Discussion Forum? Contact Irene Lubker at 804-828-2004.
For more information and a full list of library instruction classes and events on both campuses, visit the VCU Libraries Events page.
Jean Shipman, Director of the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, has been appointed to serve a two-year term on The New England Journal of Medicine's Academic Library Advisory Board. The Board consists of nine members who review and advise the journal on new products, services and issues of importance to the library community and users.
Friday, February 8
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
James Branch Cabell Library, Room 320
Technology Services is offering a workshop on how to work with and convert video to different formats on Friday, February 8th from 9 a.m. to noon in Cabell Library, Room 320. Topics include the basics of how to get video from the video camera to the computer and from the computer to a DVD or file, or to convert one video format to another. Emphasis on no cost solutions. This workshop is being led by Ken Hopson, Manager of Cabell Libraries Media and Reserve Services department.
Seating is limited, register online.
For more information and a full list of library instruction classes and events on both campuses, visit the VCU Libraries Events page.
Richmond Women in the Civil Rights Movement
VCU Libraries Black History Month Lecture
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
7:30 p.m.
Virginia Commonwealth University
VCU Student Commons, Commonwealth Ballrooms, 2nd Floor
907 Floyd Ave
Women played a pivotal but often unrecognized role in the Civil Rights movement. Join us to honor their contributions in a panel discussion with Richmond's own Ora Lomax, Elizabeth Johnson Rice, and Hilda Warden; moderated by Bonnie Winston. The sixth annual VCU Libraries Black History Month Lecture is sponsored by the VCU Friends of the Library.
Free and open to the public. Parking is available for a fee in the West Main Street and West Cary Street parking decks. If special accommodations are needed, please call (804) 827-1165 or 827-1163 prior to February 8, 2008.
Learn more about our panelists and Black History Month online.
Beginning Friday, February 1, service hours for the Cabell Library Reference Desk will be:
Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
For the most current information about library hours on the Monroe Park Campus, please visit the VCU Libraries Web site. If you have questions, please contact Research and Instructional Services at 804-828-1101 or 866-828-6665.
Tax season is upon us, and IRS forms are available at the VCU Libraries. VCU Libraries provides copies of select Federal tax forms, instructions, and publications. The forms are located on the first floors of both the James Branch Cabell Library and Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences.
Can't find the publication you need? Visit the VCU Libraries Tax Forms and Publications research guide for links to the IRS, Virginia Department of Taxation, and other useful tax-related information.
For more information, or to check the availability of a specific form or publication, please call the reference desk at Cabell Library, (804) 828-1101, or Tompkins-McCaw Library (804) 828-0636. While the VCU Libraries can't provide tax advice, we can connect you with the resources you need.
VCU Libraries will be closed on Monday, January 21, 2008 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday. Regular operational hours will resume on Tuesday, January 22, 2008.
Please refer to the VCU Libraries' Web site for a complete listing of hours.
Become familiar with Cabell Library early and save on hassles later in the semester. Orientation Tours meet inside the first floor main entrance and last for 30 minutes. Participants will learn more about the facility, how to use computing and print resources, as well as how library services and staff can assist visitors complete their work.
For more information about these tours and other VCU Libraries events, visit the events page.
Orientation Tour Schedule:
Wednesday, January 16
1:30 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
4:30 p.m.
Thursday, January 17
10:00 a.m.
2:00 p.m.
Friday, January 18
1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, January 22
11:30 a.m.
2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, January 23
9:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
Thursday, January 24
12:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
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.
InfoTrac OneFile, the broad general-purpose database that includes newspaper, magazine, and scholarly articles, is now called General OneFile. The InfoTrac name is now being used to describe the platform running the various Gale databases such as General OneFile, Academic OneFile, Computer Database, and Health Reference Center Academic.
VCU Libraries recommends using Academic OneFile, a subset of General OneFile, when you are unsure of which subject-specific database to use to look for articles from scholarly publications. Academic OneFile is an excellent sampler database containing references to more than 24 million items published in scholarly journals. It covers most academic disciplines, specializing in none.
RefWorks Workshops - Cabell Library
Tuesday, January 15, 3-3:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 16, 4-4:30 p.m.
Thursday, January 17, 6-6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, January 22, 12-12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 23, 12-12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 23, 6-6:30 p.m.
Cabell Library, Library Instruction Classroom, third floor
Cabell Library will present six demonstrations of RefWorks, a Web-based citation management tool, during the first two weeks of classes. The workshops will be in the Library Instruction Classroom on the third floor and will cover managing citations and creating bibliographies.
For more information and a full list of library instruction classes on both campuses, visit the VCU Libraries Events page.
Dr. Francis Foster Sr., former assistant professor of general-practice dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University and local Richmond historian passed away on January 7, 2008. Listen to Dr. Foster's oral history on VCU Libraries' Web site.
Databases by Subject will be unavailable today, January 3rd, from approximately 1pm - 3pm. This is due to emergency work at the Virginia Community Colleges Server Facility where these services are located.
For searching databases, use the Databases AtoZ list. We apologize for the inconvenience.