Talking in the Library

One less login to remember

Changes are coming next week for one of our most popular services, interlibrary loan. And unlike most changes you don't ask for in life, this one actually makes things easier for you!

What's happening?
Interlibrary loan accounts will soon use your K-State eID and password instead of a separate username and password. Coming with this changes is a new look for the logon page. If you've ever accessed library e-resources from off-campus, you'll recognize the new look!  In order to make the changes, our request systems will be offline on Thursday April 5 from 7am to noon.

Why the change?
Logging in will be simpler, with one less password to remember! It will also be more secure.

Will I continue using my current account and retain all my current requests after the change?
Yes, once you log on with the new page, you will go directly to your current account and see any pending or completed requests.

Can I share my account?
No, following campus security policy no one should share their eID and password. If you have shared your password in the past, we recommend you change it immediately.

Can I let a proxy use my account?
No. Since it would require sharing an eID and password, it will not be possible to allow others to make requests on your personal account. Faculty members may continue, however, to designate a proxy to pick up and check out materials.

Will my ILLiad bookmarks work after the change?
Yes, they will continue to work.

How can I get help with this change?
If you experience any problems accessing your account after the logon change, please contact Interlibrary Services.

Did you know?
In 2011 Interlibrary Services:

• processed 38,363 requests
• scanned 9,024 articles from journals and books in K-State Libraries
• received articles in an average of 2.37 days

Short Cuts: Tech Tips for a New Semester

A warm welcome to everyone! While you've been away, we've been busy; Hale Library has been abuzz with activity, such as moving unique collections and installing new carpet. There have also been some technology enhancements over the break. Check out the links below to popular technology and equipment topics.

• Ask a Librarian is a great way to contact us, as well as view a variety of frequently asked questions, such as:
  • Equipment topics
  • Printing topics
  • How do I use a scanner and how much does it cost?
  • How do I use a photocopier and how much does it cost?
• iTAC has implemented a mini IT Help Desk just to the west of Library Help on the 2nd floor. For the first two weeks of the semester, the desk will be staffed Monday-Friday, 9:30am-2:30pm, so feel free to stop by with your computer, eID, and printing questions.

• Hale Library InfoCommons Mac computers should no longer get stuck at the log-on screen.

• Hale Library InfoCommons Mac computers now have access to the color printer. The print dialog box will display "Hale-MDC-Color" and you can retrieve your color print jobs from the Media Development Center print station in Hale 213.

• Since it's the beginning of a new semester, Kansas State University folks are allocated $10 for printing in University Labs, including the InfoCommons.
  • For more information, see University Computing Labs and K-State InfoCommons.
  • Need to add more money to your ID? See Cat Cash.
• Good news! Personal laptop users, you can now print from your laptops to campus printers. You will, however, need to set up wireless printing on your laptop first. Follow these instructions for PCs and Macs:
  • Wireless printing instructions for PCs
  • Wireless printing instructions for Macs

We hope you have a great semester. We're happy to help you, so stop by and see us at Library Help, contact us by email, text, chat, or make an appointment with a librarian at Ask a Librarian.

Lisa Loberg

Get It: old friend gets new look

The Get It menu's look is a little tired. After all, it hasn't changed a lot since 2008 - not quite Totally Dated but not yet Vintage. On Monday, you'll see a fix for that. A refreshed Get It menu will go into production on 10/31; you can get a sneak peek today. All the Get It services you rely on will be available in the refreshed menu.

To coordinate with the menu's new look, we're releasing a new Get It button:

While you'll start seeing the new button on Monday, for technical reasons it won't immediately replace the old button everywhere it lives. Consider it normal to see both versions of the button out in the wild for the next few weeks.

Short Cuts: New Technology in Hale Library Makes Group Projects Fun and Easy!

What, you may ask, is that contemporary-looking work station in Hale Library with bright green chairs and two big monitors? That, my friends, is a collaborative and video conferencing space, Scape Collaborative Zone, borrowed from Steelcase, Inc. It arrived late September and will be available for you to try out until early November. You don't need an appointment, just show up and give it a whirl. It is quite simple to use, basically plug and go.

1. Lift the silver panel from the center of the table, revealing six laptop hook-ups.
2. Plug in your laptop to one of the cords.
3. Press 1 or 2 on the hockey-puck like disk to designate which monitor you want your laptop to display on.
4. Up to six laptops can be plugged in at once with two displaying at one time.

And won't you look sophisticated sitting amidst the sea of lime green chairs collaborating with your friends, classmates, or colleagues? See Steelcase if you want to read more about it, or contact Ernie Perez, ern@k-state.edu, 785-532-3190.

For group-friendly technology that is and will be here through early November and beyond, check out one of Hale Library's eight collaboration stations! These large computer monitors with wheels wander throughout the Library, rescuing students trying to crowd around tiny laptops for group projects. Save your eyes from squinting and try a collaboration station today --- if you can find one that is! The 4th floor, the CMC, the stairwell between 1st and 2nd floors? The sky's the limit for where these collaboration stations can go --- we only ask that they stay inside Hale Library's gates please!

Lisa Loberg

Short Cuts: The Secrets to Printing in Hale Library are Revealed

As we begin this semester's IT themed articles: Tech Tips, a segment of our Short Cuts article series in the Talking in the Library blog, we focus today on the secret to printing in Hale Library. And to be honest, there is no secret! But it can be a little mystifying when, after clicking Print, a popup message suddenly appears prompting you to "Name your print job" (and no, it isn't as serious as naming your dog or cat, the name just has to be something you will recognize), which then disappears, leaving you alone in your seat wondering... now what?

Let us demysify the printing process a bit with some useful information.

• All K-Staters --- students, faculty, and staff --- are given $10 in free printing each semester and $5 in the summer for printing in the University computing labs. This is automatically added to your account and is accessed by swiping your card at a University computing lab print station.
• You may add more money to your card online at K-State Union - Services - Cat Cash or in person at the ID Center, 1st floor of the K-State Student Union.
• There are 5 black and white print stations in Hale Library: 3 on the 2nd floor and 1 each on the 1st and 3rd floors.
• Black and white copies are .10¢ for the first side and .18¢ for two-sided/duplex.
• Duplex is the default setting but you may change your print job to print single-sided.
• To print in color, choose the Hale-MDC-Color printer, which is located in the Media Development Center (MDC), 213 Hale Library. Copies are .75¢ a copy.

For more information, see our Ask a Librarian entry titled How do I print in Hale Library?

Have a great semester and watch out for more Tech Tips from Short Cuts!

Lisa Loberg

Short Cuts: Get mobile and take your research on the go this summer with library apps

Even though K-State Libraries boasts five libraries on the Manhattan campus, including Hale Library with five floors, the Great Room, quiet places, collaborative spaces, and a bookish atmosphere perfect for studying, we know that it's summer. So get outside! Soak up some vitamin D. Travel to visit friends and family. Lay on the beach...

And take us with you!

K-State Libraries is in dire need of a suntan and some lazy beach days, too. Taking us with you is simple---if you have an iPhone, iPod, Android, or other mobile device, check out K-State Libraries' mobile website, and these handy-dandy, free library mobile sites and apps.

http://m.lib.k-state.edu/

That's K-State Libraries' mobile URL. So bookmark it, memorize it, share it, or use a QR code reader to access it on your smart phone. Just try it out! We know that while you all are pros at this mobile technology, it's new terrain for K-State Libraries. So let us know if you have any comments about our mobile site. Click here to go to our comments page.

In addition to our mobile version, check out these research and library-related apps available free for download on your iPhone, Android or other mobile device.

Smithsonian Collections Search (mobile site) - available on any mobile device

First, let's start off with another mobile site---http://collections.si.edu/mobile/. This site was created by the Smithsonian Institution and enables users to browse or search their massive collection of largely visual materials accompanied by in-depth descriptions, including photographs, painting, sculptures, postage stamps, and even taxonomic specimens! Browse by topic, place of origin, language, culture, or source. Whether you are passionate about stamps from the 1700's or curious to know the taxonomy of a bee, you can discover unique historical and present-day items in the Smithsonian's collection directly from your phone or mobile device.

King Penguin statue by Paul Manship in 1932 from the Smithsonian (creative commons photo by Cliff on Flickr)

Today's Doc - available for the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android

Similar to the Smithsonian Collections Search, this is an app brought to you by the U.S. National Archives. Using archived letters, documents, photographs, and other materials from the U.S. National Archives, this app features a significant historical document each day. You can search for a specific date like your birthday, share with friends via Facebook, and add to your personal favorites folder. Download this free app now from your app store and check out today's document---Telegram from Jackie Robinson to President John F. Kennedy, June 15, 1963!

Kansas Nebraska Act of 1864 recognizing Kansas as a territory from Today's Doc (unrestricted photo by the National Archives and Records Administration on Flickr)

SSRN by Social Science Research Network - available for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

SSRN stands for the Social Science Research Network, a free database of scholarly research in the social sciences and humanities. Use this mobile app to search and retrieve hundreds of open-access articles from scholarly journals. 

WorldCat Mobile - available for the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android

Just like WorldCat in our database listing, WorldCat Mobile enables you to search thousands of libraries that are part of WorldCat for materials, and even pinpoints the location of the material at a library nearest to your location. You can also use this mobile app's functions to call or get directions to a library.

 Stanza - available for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch 

This app allows you  to read e-books anywhere, anytime from the convenience of your mobile device. Stanza has m ore than 50,000 free e-books from Project Gutenberg and other sources. Stanza also has the ability to store and categorize your personal PDFs and e-books in one central location. Got an Android phone? Try Aldiko Book Reader instead, which lets you browse their catalog of e-books and select e-books for purchasing or free listening.  

creative commons photo by Tony Buser on Flickr

Audiobooks - av ailable on the iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android

Audiobooks is a free app that gives you access to more than 3,500 free audiobooks. The app has some cool features, like the ability to download an audiobook for offline listening and its automatic bookmarking of where you left off.

Library of Congress Virtual Tour - available on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

If you're not in the mood for research or reading, take a virtual tour of the Library of Congress---no travel required! Explore each room in the nation's oldest (and the world's largest) library with pictures, text, and audio descriptions.

Library of Congress (creative commons photo by Kanu101 on Flickr)

Other databases may also have mobile apps, so use your mobile device's app store to search for your favorite databases. Just remember, if the sun is beckoning and you have homework for that summer course, just try K-State Libraries' mobile site. And the InfoCommons, the Great Room, and the Ask-A-Librarian Help Desk will always be here waiting for you if you need to get out of the heat!

Short Cuts: Boost your smartphone's IQ with QR codes

Funny-looking squares composed of smaller white and black squares are dotting the landscape like geometrically-hip mushrooms after a rain storm. Recently, they have appeared at Varney's, in K-State's Open House brochure, on real-estate signs, and in Hale Library. Indeed, if you start looking for them you will see them in magazines and newspapers, on movie posters, on pizza boxes, and even on web pages.

If you have seen them, you may have wondered, as my curmudgeonly friend Peter did, "have standards of artistic accomplishment sunk so low that this qualifies as creative?" Or if you are slightly more in tune with technology and know they have something to do with smartphones, simply thought, "What is the big deal?" or "What about folks like me who don't have a smartphone - is the virtual world giving us a virtual cold shoulder?" Perhaps, you are one of the smartphone-wielding cognoscenti and tried one. If so, you may have asked yourself, "What else can they do and how can I use them for myself?"

In the interest of making your lives better, an inner drive we librarians could not fight if we tried, I will address each of these questions in turn:

Q: Have standards of artistic accomplishment sunk so low that this qualifies as creative?

A: No. While some may argue that artistic standards are bedfellows with volcanic trenches and sightless fish, these homely squares are not trying to be art - at least not usually. They are primarily used as codes to communicate with mobile devises. Interestingly enough, some people are now developing ways to spruce them up a bit, ala:

http://www.qrcode.es/?p=93&language=en

Q: What is the big deal?

A: The big deal with these squares is that they rapidly connect someone with a smartphone to the digital world. Each square is a QR ("quick response") code that represents a URL, a message, a phone number, an SMS (text) message, contact details, or some other type of alphanumeric data. With the right app, a smartphone or other mobile device with a camera can take a picture of the QR code, and translate the little squares into a command to go to a web page, text someone, or save someone's digits. Most smartphone app stores have several free or low-cost versions of these applications, called QR code readers.

Once you have a smartphone with a camera and a QR code reader, launch the reader when you see a QR code and focus your camera on the code. The reader interprets the code, and (depending on the reader) will either automatically act upon it, or show you what the code stands for and give you choices of what to do with it. For instance, it may recognize that the code will let you send a text to the library and Ask a Librarian for help. The reader may ask if you want to do this now, save the number for the future, or delete everything. If you have a good QR code reader and a fairly high-resolution camera, you can scan a QR code in less than 5 seconds, save the information in your reader's history, and bring it up whenever you choose.

The big deal with QR codes is how they augment your experience to the physical world. Imagine that you are house-hunting and are driving through neighborhoods looking for houses for sale. Perhaps a clever sales agent created a virtual tour of a house and placed a QR code leading to that tour on the for-sale sign. You can scan the QR code and admire the sea foam green tile in the bathroom and man cave in the basement, without ever leaving your car. At a movie theater, you could watch movie trailers by scanning QR codes on posters. In libraries, you could scan QR codes on books to find reviews or information about the author. The possibilities are limitless.

Q: What about folks like me who don't have a smartphone - is the virtual world giving us a virtual cold shoulder?

A: Not at all, at least not yet. QR codes usually represent information that can be found easily by searching on the Internet. Most QR codes exist to help smartphone users connect to virtual information about the objects around them, without having to type a lot. In the library world, the general practice is to print the translation of a QR code near the code itself. Often this takes the form of a short URL.

Q: What else can they do and how can I use them for myself?

A; Most QR codes you encounter probably encode a URL that will take you to a video or a web page or a map. They can do more than that, however. For instance, they can encode a phone number, allowing your phone to scan a code and automatically dial a number. They can encode a text message and the number to which it will be send ("Help, I'm lost on stack F, please come find me!"). The same is true for e-mail messages. Perhaps the most interesting use though is the simplest: encoding simply alphanumeric text. Some libraries are putting QR codes in their catalog. When scanned, the QR code lists the title of the book along with the call number and location. No more scribbling down call numbers and titles before hunting in the stacks!

It is incredibly easy to make a QR code, print it, and put it wherever you like. Simply search online with the keywords "qr code generator," type into the generator what you want the QR code to represent, and submit it to make your code. You can then save the code as an image and insert it in any document or web page you like. You could place them on your resume to link to an online vita or video. You could also place them on invitations to link to a map or to a list of directions (or your gift registry!). And, of course, you could use them to help people find your Facebook page or Twitter tweets. I have even seen QR code tattoos for that purpose!

Do you have other ideas for clever ways to use QR codes? If so, please share.

- Jason Coleman

Q&A about QR Codes

You have probably spotted QR codes in magazines, on for sale signs, on TV, or even outside Varney's Book Store. Soon they will be coming to Hale Library too. In anticipation of questions you might have about them, we have created this short QR FAQ:

1.  What is a QR Code?

A QR Code is a 2-dimensional barcode that encodes information such as an address for a website, words, a phone number, or an e-mail address.

2.  How do they work?
When you see a QR code, you can decode it with a mobile phone, tablet computer, laptop or other smart device  with both a camera and a QR code reader. To decode a QR code follow these simple steps:

1. launch your QR code reader program
2. bring the QR code into focus with your camera. For best results, the QR code should take up as much of the camera’s view as possible.

3.  Where can I get a QR code reader?

• If you have a smart phone, your phone may already have a QR code reader. Most new Android phones and Blackberries do. Your phone’s application marketplace will have several QR code readers, some for free and others for a few dollars. Another option is to go to http://www.mobile-barcodes.com/qr-code-software/. You will see a list of QR code readers compatible with your phone. Click the links to install them.
• If your camera phone is not a smart phone, you may be able to install a QR code reader. To find out, simply Google the name and model of your phone along with the words qr code reader.
• Conduct a Google search to find a list of recommended QR code readers.

4.  Why is K-State Libraries using QR codes?

QR codes can be placed anywhere and can be used to connect the real-world to related online content or services. In addition, once you have practiced with a few QR codes, you will find that it is faster to scan a QR code than to type a url, or enter an e-mail address, phone number or business card information. Another reason is that they are more visually appealing than printed URLs or phone numbers. Finally, they are fun!  

5.  How can I learn more about QR codes?

Ask-A-Librarian and/or visit  QR Stuff.com’s page describing QR codes. (the QR code below encodes the url)

Not your average search box

So, by now you're completely used to seeing a search box on pretty much every page you visit.  Put in your words, hit go, get some stuff back.  No big deal.  So why on earth would we bother writing an article about our search box?

Because it's better than the other ones.

Why?

Two reasons. 

Reason #1 - Librarians mess with the search results, and we understand more about finding information quickly than anyone you'll ever meet.
Reason #2 - It's powered by this:

That swiss-cheesey looking thing is a Google Search Appliance.  It’s a way of taking all the power and functions of the Google you know and love, and smashing it into the basement of Hale Library to serve our very specific needs.

Because it sits with us, and not at some Google farm in California, we’re allowed to do stuff to it.  And because we’re librarians, we do. We tell it things, like “people who search for art usually want this page" and “when people use the word where, it’s a good idea to show them the stacks guide”.  That way, you don’t have to wade through pages of results to find what you need – it’s probably in a nice, tidy, highlighted box at the top of the first page.

Give it a try next time you need something from the libraries’ website.  We’re pretty sure you’ll agree – it’s not your average search box.Also, we're happy to take your suggestions about pages that need highlighting. Just hit the "Contact us" link at the bottom of any libraries web page.

Just a note, though - the search box only searches our website, not our databases or catalog. To do that, we'd need a box that hasn't quite been invented yet.

P.S. By the way, you (or your predecessors) bought the Google Search Appliance for us.  We're still grateful, every single day.

So, by now you're completely used to seeing a search box on pretty much every page you visit.  Put in your words, hit go, get some stuff back.  No big deal.  So why on earth would we bother writing an article about our search box?

Because it's better than the other ones.

Why?

Two reasons. 

Reason #1 - Librarians mess with the search results, and we understand more about finding information quickly than anyone you'll ever meet.
Reason #2 - It's powered by this:

That swiss-cheesey looking thing is a Google Search Appliance.  It’s a way of taking all the power and functions of the Google you know and love, and smashing it into the basement of Hale Library to serve our very specific needs.

Because it sits with us, and not at some Google farm in California, we’re allowed to do stuff to it.  And because we’re librarians, we do. We tell it things, like “people who search for art usually want this page" and “when people use the word where, it’s a good idea to show them the stacks guide”.  That way, you don’t have to wade through pages of results to find what you need – it’s probably in a nice, tidy, highlighted box at the top of the first page.

Give it a try next time you need something from the libraries’ website.  We’re pretty sure you’ll agree – it’s not your average search box.Also, we're happy to take your suggestions about pages that need highlighting. Just hit the "Contact us" link at the bottom of any libraries web page.

Just a note, though - the search box only searches our website, not our databases or catalog. To do that, we'd need a box that hasn't quite been invented yet.

P.S. By the way, you (or your predecessors) bought the Google Search Appliance for us.  We're still grateful, every single day.

News I'm talking about

News you can use...

Research Intelligence - What have you been missing?-One one hand, I'm loathe to admit just how much time I spent, um, testing this search engine. On the other hand, it's searching Open Access archives from around the world, so I'm going to call it professional development and leave it at that.

Music of the sun recorded by scientists-Did you know the Sun was secretly in a metal band?

StoneSoup: Open Access cookbook using five ingredients and ten minutes-Let's see: five ingredients or less, ten minutes or less (okay, the ice cream recipe is a stretch)... This is my kind of cooking! I want to eat it all!

Cool Technology of the week: From the trenches account of a hospitalist/informatician using an iPad

Experimenting with the iPad in the Operating Room-While I must give the caveat that I am an Apple user to the core (right down to the (unused) Cupidtino account), I absolutely love that there are people out there experimenting with new ways of using new technologies.

-JO