Instant Messaging at Alkek

Did you know you can IM a librarian at Alkek Library? If you follow this link you can see the 3 different handles the library has created for 3 of the IM clients commonly used. All you have to do is add the library's IM name to your "buddy list" and you can then get instant help.

Alkek Library has been offering chat reference (or virtual reference-VR) since the fall 2004 semester and the popularity has been growing consistently since that time. Our original VR service "Ask a Librarian Live" uses a chat software product which allows the librarian and the patron who has the question to "co-browse." It is very good to use when someone has no idea where or how to begin their research. Librarian can point to links on a Web page and also instruct the user or show them how to conduct a good search.

However, it is a software product that requires both users to have the Windows OS and Internet Explorer in order to work properly. Anyone using a Mac or another browser will not get to experience the full "co-browse" functionality and sometimes causes other issues too.

You can decide for yourself how you want to Ask a Librarian a question. We offer many different ways to ask for help. Turn around for email is often very quick...unless we are short-handed. But usually your answer will be sent to you within 24 hours.

Looking for FREE Textbooks?

Did you make the decision not to buy your textbook this semester due to the high costs of them? Then you might be interested to know that there are a growing number of Websites that provide free online e-books. This article posted on the U.S. News and World Report Website discusses the rising costs of textbooks and how more and more students are looking for alternative ways to get their books for class. You might check out these two Websites: Textbook Revolution and Textbook Media (Freeload Press) to see if any of your textbooks are available online for free. You can also view the E-book Collection Webpage to look for more free e-books.

At Alkek, we do not as a general rule have the textbooks used for classes at Texas State. Sometimes we may have the current editions, but often it is older editions of the book. If the book fits the needs of the collection, then it is probably on the shelf. All you need to do is check the Library Catalog to see if the book is here.

You can also request the book using the Interlibrary Loan Service if we do not have a copy available for checkout. Often the checkout period is longer and sometimes you can renew it.

If you have other Websites with free e-books that may not be mentioned here, post a comment!

Google Scholar & Refworks

Google Scholar is Google's way of searching scholarly literature in one place. It searches accross different subject areas and if searched through the Alkek Library's database page, will link to our electronic resources. Find out more about Google Scholar from the library's Google Scholar information page:

Refworks is a bibliographic management tool that you can use when conducting research using the library's databases and catalog. If you are not familiar with Refwoks, the library offers workshops throughout the semester. You can also take their tutorial and quickly learn how valuable the resource is. As a member of the Texas State Community, you can use this management tool.

However, if you are familiar with both of these research tools, you will be interested to know that you can use Google Scholar and Refworks together. Simply go the "Google Scholar Preferences Section" and down at the bottom of the page see "Bibliographic Manager" and there you can choose Refworks from the pull down list.

Then all you have to do is use Google Scholar through the Library Databases page to do your research. (find it under "G" or "General." Just keep in mind that not ALL of the library's resources are searchable through Google Scholar, only the resources made available by publishers working with Google, and the library catalog WorldCat, to make their content searchable via the Internet. There are still a lot of journals that are indexed in proprietary databases which can only be searched individually.

Happy searching.....