New KYVL Login/Password

At the end of June the login and password that has been in place for a couple of years now for KYVL databases will be phased out. The new login and password are operational and available (behind an eagle account login/password) at:

https://secureweb.moreheadstate.edu/restrictedfiles/library/pass_kyvl.html

Please remember to always refer to this web page and to never write passwords on slips of paper for convenience. That's a sure to eventually give patrons out-of-date information. There is a convenient link to this page from the passwords page as well as from many other pages on the website. If you forget the path to it and need the password quickly you can always type "KYVL password" into the search box for the website.

There is a key difference with the new password that everyone should understand. The previous login/password was for the broad category of colleges and universities and so was not restricted to the MSU community. The new login/password is exclusively for MSU and should not be given out to anyone who is not currently a student, staff, or faculty. If someone not associated with MSU asks for the new login/password, please refer them to the public library in Kentucky nearest to them or to the library at the educational institution in Kentucky with which they are associated.

Since the two will overlap until the end of June, as a practical matter, we probably won't get many questions about this until June when the old login stops functioning.

Support for Wireless Laptops at the Reference Desk

Most of the time, the job of helping students to configure their laptops to be on the wireless network is too technical to be efficiently handled by library staff. So most question about wireless configuration should be referred to the:

Technology Service Center (TSC)
108 Lloyd Cassity Building
(606) 783-9000 TSC Help Desk
Email: tsc@moreheadstate.edu

Because the TSC is not open in the evening or on the weekends there are a few easy things that we can do to assist patrons.

o In the drawer at the desk is a CD (labeled WiFi Installer) on which is copied the security certificate for the wireless network. A patron wanting to establish a connection to the wireless network can load and launch this CD. If this immediate remedy fails to work, then the patron must seek help at the TSC when it is open. The CD will be updated each semester by LTL staff. If the CD is lost or damaged please inform LTL staff.

o When a computer is not configured for the wireless network, there are some network hubs (located on the middle two tables in each reading room) which can be plugged into with a cable. Cables are available at the Reference Desk in the same drawer and in the same fashion as head phones. Ask for an ID in exchange for a cable, but if they don't have and ID give them the cable anyway. Troubleshoot the hubs by unplugging their power cords and plugging them back in.

o When a patron is connected to the wireless network but does not know how to send a print job to the PHAROS release station, then (s)he should be directed to this address to download the appropriate printer driver.

http://www.moreheadstate.edu/printers

NOTE: Each reading room now has three antennae for the wireless network. Previously there had only been one per room. This means that if twenty or more laptops are on the wireless network in each room there should still be a strong signal.

Novelist -- Ask A Librarian

The Ask A Librarian link is now present in Novelist. It had not been previously.

Improvements to the Interface for Reference Universe

If you click in to Reference Universe you will noticed an improved interface.

1) The default is now set for local holdings (before you had to click a check box to limit).
2) Search and browse feature are stationary at the top of the screen.
3) The default display for call numbers on the hit list is now set for Dewey (it had been LC).

The elephant in the room is that the 'e-source' flag is still highly inaccurate. Often you will click on something tagged as an electronic book and it turns out to be a print book instead. This is because the data we extracted from Voyager is inconsistent about how it distinguishes between print and electronic ISBNs and Reference Universe is very particular about having that distinction. This is a problem for every library that subscribes to Reference Universe. The vendor is working on an administrative module that will hopefully allow us to remedy this.

So the bottom line is that Reference Universe just got a lot nicer, but it is still not ready for us to tout it as a scholarly alternative to wikipedia. It will be some day.

Supply Order

If anyone has any ideas for items that need to be ordered for the Reference Desk, please let me know. I'm still very new to ordering and I want to make sure that I get everything we need for the desk. If you have any suggestions, you can drop me a line at s.lane@moreheadstate.edu or give me a call at 783-2283.

Thanks,
Susan

ERIC DATABASE-Off Campus Link

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to let everyone know that I received a phone call today regarding the ERIC database for off campus use. The patron I spoke with has tried several times this past week to get into the ERIC database so she can do some research for her paper that is due soon, but after she has logged on with MSU id number and her password she still can not get into the ERIC database. The message that she keeps getting is: A Link Has Been Broken! Someone please fix this problem so that our off campus users will be able to access ERIC database and other databases. Thanks for your help!

-Rachel

A Change with Meebo

You may have already noticed a change in the Meebo interface. Now when you need to be away from the desk, the status change is on the left and has been separated from the buddy list (which is still on the right). Now there are just two choices 'Available' and 'Away'.