News@ODU Libraries

The University Libraries will close at noon on Wednesday, November 25, and reopen on Saturday, November 28. Saturday hours are 9am-5pm; Sunday
9am-midnight. This includes the Mini Learning Commons in the 1st floor reference room.

The computer lab in Room 164 will close at 11:30am on Wednesday. Saturday hours are noon-4:30pm, and Sunday hours are noon-11:30pm.

The Friends of the Old Dominion University Libraries are celebrating their 15th anniversary.

Consider becoming a Friend. Benefits include library borrowing privileges, a personalized member card which serves as your borrowing card, Friends of the Libraries Newsletter, opportunities for volunteer service to the library, preview of the annual book sale. Click here for the Membership Form and here for the Friends of the Libraries Web Site.

The Mission of the Friends of the Libraries:
* To promote an interest in the University Libraries of Old Dominion University among alumni and the general public;
* To provide ways to promote a fuller understanding of the role of the University Libraries in higher education;
* To serve as a medium for encouraging gifts and bequests in support of the University Libraries;
* To assist ODU in publicizing the resources of the University and the University Libraries.

Everybody needs a Friend like our Friends!!

Effective, In-Depth Searching of Two Engineering Databases: Compendex & Inspec
Saturday, November 21, 10:00-11:30AM, Perry Library, Room 163

Compendex abstracts selected government reports and books on engineering and is the most comprehensive interdisciplinary engineering database in the world. Inspec abstracts international journal articles, conference proceedings, reports, dissertations and books from the scientific and technical literature in physics, electrical engineering, electronics, communications, control engineering, computers and computing, and information technology. Learn how to search these two powerful databases simultaneously using the same search interface and examine the key components of a citation. The workshop will also cover saving search strategies, creating personal profiles and creating alerts. Registration is required. Click here to register.

For more information, contact Edward Wladas at ewladas@odu.edu.

The library offers trials of various databases (note: no guarantee of future acquisition is implied).

To access the trials, go to the Databases page on the library's Web site.

Please try them out soon and contact Tonia Graves tgraves@odu.edu with your feedback.

We (the ODU Libraries, OCCS and University College) have created a wiki to introduce you to the ODU Learning Commons Project and to keep you informed on our continuing progress. Click here
to learn more, see pictures, presentations, faculty/student input and current activities as we proceed with this project.

Special Collections and University Archives has just finished a two year project to process the records of the Clan MacLeod Society of America. Containing 70 cubic feet of material, the collection documents the workings of an international genealogical and historical society. Included are correspondence, organizational materials, proceedings, photographs and newsletters for the American organization as well as Clan MacLeod associations around the world.

A guide to the collection is available on the Special Collections web site -- click here. The finding aid is also available in a state wide database, Virginia Heritage.

The library is offering trial access to AccessEngineering until October 28, 2009. AccessEngineering contains full-text of over 266 monographs in nearly all fields of engineering. You may access the trial from the bottom of the library's "Databases" page. But, hurry, before the trial period ends!

"Oxford Art Online" is the gateway to Grove Art Online, The Oxford Companion to Western Art, Encyclopedia of Aesthetics, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms. It "offers the most extensive and easily searchable online art resource available today, a virtual art reference library of unparalleled scope and depth."

Access this database from the library's "Databases" page alphabetically or by subject (Arts & Humanities). Because it is available through library subscription, from home you will
need to enter your complete ODU email address and UIN to gain access.

Be sure to come to the Perry Library Lobby to view one of the many current exhibits:

* ODU Football: 1930 and Beyond (also a Web exhibit)
* John R. Broderick -- ODU's 8th President (also a Web exhibit)
* 32nd Annual Literary Festival -- Writers in Peace and War (also a Web exhibit)
* Banned Books Week 2009 -- featuring classic books that have been banned or challenged (see ALA Web site)
* Hispanic Heritage Month -- featuring selected books and information from the library's collection (see information from the U.S. Census Bureau)

Library users can now initiate a hold/recall on a checked-out book without coming to the Circulation Desk. If you find a book in the library catalog that is checked out, simply click the “Place a hold” button that appears on the menu of icons at the top of the book’s record display. You will be prompted for your name and UIN to enter
your library account.

After responding to a couple of screens of verification, the hold/recall will be placed. You will be notified by the Circulation Department when your item is ready for pick up.

Please note the following:
1. You may only place holds/recalls on materials that are checked out.
2. You may not place holds/recalls on reserve or non-circulating items.