Author Archives: Gary Daught

Search EBSCOhost journal databases from your mobile phone!

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EBSCO Mobile access

Milligan College Library patrons with Internet-capable smartphones (e.g., iPhone, BlackBerry, Palm) and wireless handheld devices (e.g., iPod touch) can now search our EBSCOhost online journal databases on the go!

Point your device web browser to http://m.ebscohost.com/. This will take you to EBSCO’s service selection page for Milligan College. (The following screenshots were taken from an Apple iPod touch.) Select “mobile access” from the services list. If you are off-campus, you will be prompted by our proxy server to fill in the fields with your Name and Barcode Number from your Milligan College ID card.  Click the “Submit” button to enter the EBSCOhost databases page. This page includes a complete list (with descriptions) of our EBSCOhost journal databases. Scroll through the list and place a check mark next to the database or databases you want to search and then click “Continue.”

I selected the ATLA Religion Database. Notice the search screen is very similar to the standard computer web interface, only it is formatted for easier viewing on your mobile device. The “Search Options” link allows you to set the kind of search you want to perform (Boolean, phrase, etc.), or any search limits (date ranges, full-text, peer-reviewed only, etc). The “Preferences” link allows you to control how search results are displayed (results per page, title with or without citation/description, etc.). Type in your search term(s) and click “Search.”

The search results are displayed in a list. Titles are hyperlinked to article records just like in the standard interface. Full-text, if available (in either html or pdf format), can be launched and viewed directly on your device (if supported), or emailed for later viewing.

The tools for gaining access to scholarly information resources are increasingly migrating to the mobile environment. This is an exciting development. It is another way in which the Library is reaching out to serve you, wherever you happen to be!

I tested the EBSCOhost mobile interface wirelessly on my iPod touch. Although it is not always convenient reading pdf articles on the device (I can enlarge the view in landscape mode, or zoom-in), I’m really happy with this experience overall. I especially liked being able to attach and email articles to my computer. I would be interested hearing about your experience using this service on other mobile devices. Did you run into any difficulties? Please report with your comments below. We will also share news of other mobile tools as they become available.

New and recently added electronic resources

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The Library is very excited to announce the addition of several new and recently added electronic resources to support research for Milligan College students and faculty.

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ACM Digital Library is a premier resource of citations, full text journals, conference proceedings, transactions and newletters covering all aspects of computing hardware and software, research, and the computer and information technology industry.

BioOne is an extensive collection of high quality peer-reviewed full text journals in botany, zoology, ecology and conservation biology, and human biology.

Project MUSE is an interdisciplinary collection of high quality peer-reviewed full text journals in the humanities and social sciences.

Be sure to check out these and many other journal databases, e-reference and e-book collections, and online searchable book and media catalogs available 24/7 from the Milligan College Library website. We welcome and value your feedback on these resources or any other Library service. Feel free to drop in or send us your comments at any time!

Follow Library happenings on Twitter

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You can now follow Library news and announcements on Twitter. Twitter is like a blog, but it limits individual posts to 140 characters. These posts are called “tweets”. The idea is to quickly and concisely communicate timely “what’s happening” messages to your friend community.

If you Twitter, feel free to follow our feed at the link above. We have also embedded a Twitter feed widget in the right side-bar of the Library website homepage, and in the blog side-bar to the right.

Library staff member promoted to administrative faculty

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ginger It is our pleasure to announce the promotion of Ginger Dillon to full-time professional status on the staff of the Milligan College Library, effective January 1, 2009. Ginger will carry the title of Archives and Technical Services Librarian, with the rank of administrative faculty. Ginger is a Milligan College alumnus (Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, 2002). She received a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, Archives Concentration from East Tennessee State University in 2005.

Ginger worked in the Library and the Milligan College Archives both as a student and casual part-time employee from 1998 to 2005. She was formally hired as archivist of the Milligan College Archives (half-time) in December 2005. In August 2007, Ginger was hired for an additional 20 hours per week as a paraprofessional in our Technical Services Department, ordering new materials and assisting with cataloging. Ginger has worked hard to enhance the professionalism and visibility of the Archives, and she brings a modern attitude, keen thinking, and technical savvy to her work in Technical Services.

The expectations and information seeking behaviors of library users are changing, facilitated by the rapid evolution of the World Wide Web, new electronic resource access models, and remarkable developments in mobile communication technology. The Library and its staff is committed to responding to these changes with creativity and innovation, resulting in superior service to the Milligan College learning community. Ginger’s promotion, and the flexibility it provides, is a further reflection of this commitment. Please join us in extending congratulations.

Library “micro café” gets new look

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Welcome to The Coat Closet Café!

For the last year or so the Library has provided a self-service coffee kiosk in the old coat room on the Main Floor across from the desk of the Public Services Librarian. Recently, the room got a fresh paint job (including a red accent wall) and we’ve hung a sign over the doorway to give our “micro café” a more official coffee shop look and feel. We are calling our space The Coat Closet Café.

The self-service kiosk is open Monday through Friday, and offers two blends of coffee fresh brewed twice a day, and hot water for tea. The price for coffee and tea is only fifty cents a cup. You can also purchase Coke products and snacks from machines in this space.

The Library is pleased to offer this service, and it has worked hard in recent years to remove long-standing barriers to allowing food and drink in the building. Says Library Director Gary Daught, “This is one way to make the Library a more welcoming and inviting place for students. The only thing we ask is that persons clean-up after themselves before they leave.” Trash cans are provided in various places throughout the building.

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Public Services Librarian Jeff Harbin enjoys a cup of joe.

In many ways the presence of The Coat Closet Café is a gesture pointing to an eventual goal that will see a full-service coffee shop within the Library building. The Library renovation plan, which is a key component of the new capital campaign, actually includes space for a coffee shop. “This is part of a changed philosophy of what libraries are and do today,” says Daught. “A library is no longer only about warehousing information resources. Yes, libraries will always include information resources, in both print and electronic formats. But libraries today, and academic libraries in particular, are expanding their role to include welcoming spaces for teaching and learning. This philosophy appreciates that teaching and learning happens best in a relaxed, inviting atmosphere, which includes both social interaction and a ‘domestic’ dimension. That’s where the coffee comes in. The Coat Closet Café is one step toward putting this philosophy into practice.”