Surely you have seen the library's new temporary entrance (facing 43rd Street) and noticed the demolition of our front patio. These are definite signs that the long-awaited expansion project has begun. Construction will take two years and add 76,000 gross square feet to the building. What inconveniences can you expect? Pile driving began in mid-January and may take up to four months to complete. Also, certain collections, carrels, and other areas will have to be shifted throughout the construction period. We'll try to keep you informed of changes with maps, posters, and information on our World Wide Web site. We ask for your patience over the next 24 months or so and, in return, promise expanded services and resources in a very pleasant setting.
This semester, all of the public (Pentium) workstations with Internet access will be relocated to the lobby of the library. In addition, one large-screen station for the visually impaired will be installed there. From each station, library users can search the University Library catalog, a number of databases provided by VIVA, and a wealth of other resources on the Internet. New this semester is easy access to the Research Assistant and Library Navigator from the library's home page at these public workstations.
The Library sponsored some well-attended Internet workshops for faculty and for students at the beginning of the semester. Now we're planning another round near mid-term. See Library Learning Opportunities for exact dates and times. For more information, call the Reference Department at 683-4178.
Choose "V" (view your circulation record) from the main menu of the library catalog, and take it from there.
The Virtual Library of Virginia continues to add substantial resources to its electronic collection. Among the selection of databases, images, and electronic journals and texts, you'll see two recent additions. GPO Access, one of many government resources available on VIVA, allows you to search the full text of the Federal Register, Congressional Record, congressional bills, and other federal government information. Expanded Academic Index, a full-text database of 530 journals with citations from 1150 additional journal titles, is the newest--and one of the most exciting--additions to the growing collection of VIVA resources. Look for it soon. You'll find the VIVA home page at http://www.vcu.edu/ulsweb/viva/viva.html, or you may simply select VIVA from our library home page at http://netserv.lib.odu.edu. Access to commercial sources on VIVA is restricted to users who are searching from computers located in the library or elsewhere on campus.
Joyce L. Ogburn, Chief Acquisitions Librarian and Head of the Acquisitions Department at Yale University, will begin her service to Old Dominion University on March 1 as Assistant University Librarian for Information Resources and Systems. She earned an M.S. in Library Science from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and an M.A. in Anthropology from Indiana University. We are most happy to have her with us.
stands for Music. Over the past few months, the Music Listening Room has added some interesting recordings that span several musical genres and idioms. We've had some jazz recordings donated, and we've also replaced some of our older LP recordings with compact discs. From opera to banjo music, from motets to ragtime, the new acquisitions cover the gamut. There are piano quartets or trios by Haydn, Hailstork, and Hartke; there is jazz by Konitz, Kenton, and even Sammy Kaye. One compact disc of special note is Old Dominion University faculty member Dr. James Kosnik's Ancient Song: Sacred Sound. Of course, all recordings in the Music Listening Room are listed in the online catalog for your convenience. Drop by room 307 and give a listen!
Frequently-used federal and Virginia tax forms and instructions are available for the taking from the lobby, near the entrance to the Reference Department. Less used forms are available for photocopying.
Although construction of the addition to the library building has begun now, the overcrowded condition of our shelves is expected to require that some less used volumes be stored outside the library until the new shelf space is available. The library's administration will be consulting with the Senate Library Committee about selection criteria and other aspects of this temporary measure.