Here's a rundown on what's fresh and new at VCU Libraries for fall semester 2015.

Collections and Research Services

• Among numerous collections updates and additions of vital materials, new items include an upgrade in  and rollout of new digital collections, including several resources related to Richmond architecture, building and decorative arts.
• Keep up to date on collections news with a new Inside the Collections blog. Look for weekly, sometimes daily, updates about the materials available to the VCU academic community. Follow the RSS feed. 
• Patrons can now request Special Collections and Archives materials from the search box and receive a notification when it's ready for use in the reading room. 
• Faculty booking films to show in class should submit their requests at least 48 hours in advance to ensure the film will be available. Film booking form and deadlines You may book an entire semester’s worth of films at one time.
• BrowZine has launched a version compatible with desktop web browsers. See How to Use BrowZine research guide and click the link in the top right box.  
• New scholarly communications outreach librarian is available for consultations. Meet Hillary Miller. 
• Scholars Compass, VCU’s open access institutional repository, continues to grow. A priority for the new academic year is to use it more fully to publish journals and manage scholarly conferences. 
• A new guide to help researchers comply with the upcoming public access policies that will be in place for new grants is available.
• The Research Navigator pulls together core facilities, departments, offices, institutes and other groups that provide research services to VCU faculty, staff and students.

 Access and Discovery 

• Improvements in search, which will allow easier customization of searches for materials, are now in the testing stage and will be rolling out later in the semester.
• The old alphabetical list of databases, the A-Z list, has been streamlined and a new design introduced to make it easier for users to find what they are looking for. See the new categories.  
• In search, books' physical locations in Cabell (first, third or fourth floors) are now noted to make it easier to locate resources. 
• Coming by mid-semester, new signage and a color-coded system tied to the Library of Congress classification system will be introduced to assist users in finding books more easily in the stacks.

Programs and Learning Opportunities

• Copyright for Creators is a new three-session lunchtime talk series that will explore fair use and copyright matters with School of the Arts audiences. 
• Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences introduces a new speaker series in October and November, How-to Talks by Postdocs.
• Tompkins-McCaw Library for Health Sciences is improving its longstanding documentary film series. films on current topics in health care and medicine will be viewed with an expert conversationalist, usually from the medical campus. The first talk, Sept. 10, focuses on ebola.  
• Open Access topics will be explored on both campuses in special programs, including an interactive creative workspace for students and faculty who want to collaborate in building projects using Legos. 
• VCU Libraries continues as a sponsor for the in partnership with the Humanities Research Center.
• Research data management boot camps are in the planning stages for 2015-16.
• Save the dates for VCU Libraries sponsored programs for 2015.

Inside Cabell Library

• Construction of the new Cabell Library is in its final months.
• New restrooms are open.
• New spaces will open throughout the fall semester with all new spaces fully furnished and available to patrons by January 2016.
• Leisure reading and classic fiction books for international and ESL readers of varied reading levels are available on a special shelf on the first floor.  
• All laptops are checked out from self-serve kiosks.  
• An office supplies vending machine will soon be available.

Innovative Media

• The Innovative Media department starts the semester in its temporary location on the northwest side of the third floor, Cabell Library. In November, it is scheduled to move to its new permanent space on the lower level. All new equipment should be installed and available for use by patrons early in spring semester 2016.
• At the start of the fall semester: One of the graphics editing stations will now sport a drawing tablet. Besides adding more camcorders, projectors and DSLRs, new this fall are: a field recorder, GPS unit, telescope, microscope, an endoscopic camera and more.

Exact models include:

• Canon T6i DSLRs
• Sony HDR-CX440 HD camcorders
• Sony HDR-CX900 HD camcorder
• GoPro Hero 4s
• AGPTek 16' endoscopic camera
• Dracast Pro Light kit
• ViewSonic PJD7720 projectors
• RIF6 CUBE 2” Pico DLP High-Res Mobile Projector
• Tascam HD-P2 field recorder with a Sennheiser ME62 mic
• Zoom H1 recorders
• Garmin eTrex 20X GPS unit
• DBPOWER 5MP 20-300X USB Digital Microscope
• Orion 27191 StarBlast 6i Telescope
• Lexar 32GB USB sticks
• Western Digital 2TB external drives
• Wacom Intuos Pro Professional Pen & Touch Tablet