Added: Hoover's First Research Industry Profiles

The library is happy to announce the add-on of Hoover's First Research Industry Profiles. It's located within Hoovers.

This is an industry survey style business database that breaks down the structure of an industry and its current challenges and opportunities.

The reason we acquired Hoover's First Research Industry Profiles is the context that it gives to the industry information. Hoover's explains the overall nature of the industry, specific terms, the raw materials the industry requires, and the typical capitalization and profitability of the industry. Then, it discusses current opportunities and threats that industry faces. We also found the categories of industries to be more up to date than some other databases. It's a winner.

Compare to the industry and market data inside Business and Company Resource Center, Business Insights, Marketline, Market Research and Standard and Poor's. These are all good, but Hoover's brings some much needed context to the table.

Power Outage to Affect 1st & 2nd Floor April 5th & 6th

During the weekend of April 5th and 6th, due to a problem with an electrical transformer, the 1st floor and some of the public access computers on the 2nd floor of the Alkek Library will have no power. The computers in the public lounge and all vending machines will be unavailable during this time while the transformer is replaced. The lights will be operating.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. We will have the power back on as soon as possible. For questions, please contact the library administration office at 5-2133. Thank you.

Library Purchases Springer Computer Science eBook Sets 2005-2007 and 2008

Alkek Library has purchased the Springer Computer Science eBook packages for 2005-2007 and 2008. The acquisition of future years' sets will depend on budget and usefulness of the electronic format. With the purchase of these sets, Texas State also gets access to Lecture Notes of Computer Science from 1997 to present. The 1997-2004 access to LNCS will continue as long as we license the current year collection.

E-book titles and chapter headings are searchable at http://libproxy.txstate.edu/login?url=http://www.springerlink.com. Within the Computer Science subject collection, you may limit to content type “Books” or search all content types. If you do not specify content type, you will retrieve journal articles along with book chapters. A green square indicates titles with full-text access (PDF).

The titles are not yet in the library catalog but will be eventually. Meanwhile, a title list is viewable at http://www.springer.com/e-content/ebooks?SGWID=0-40791-12-377411-0 . The list will be updated as 2008 books are published and added to the collection.

Proposed Website will Provide Overview of Dick J. Reavis Papers

In September 2006, the Southwestern Writers Collection (SWWC) announced the opening of the Dick J. Reavis Papers for research. Since then, Reavis’s manuscript archive has become one of the most frequently accessed in the collection for one reason—his extensive research materials on the 1993 Branch Davidian-FBI standoff outside Waco, Texas, collected while writing his 1995 book, The Ashes of Waco. Still in print today, Reavis’s book remains one of the most comprehensive and balanced accounts of this highly controversial incident in U.S. history.

Recognizing the raid, siege, and burning of the Branch Davidian center as a major story being covered by the press only from the government’s perspective, Reavis spent two years reporting and investigating the incident, its players, and causes. Reavis’s research went beyond the book’s publication. His role as an investigator expanded, and he became one of the few impartial experts on the subject. Reavis eventually testified in Congressional hearings as an expert witness, based on his investigation of the topic.

This April marks the 15th anniversary of the tragic ending of the siege at Mount Carmel, and the SWWC is working to secure grant funds to create an online exhibit with the Reavis materials. Because of the international attention the incident received, the chaotic and violent nature in which it began and ended, and the further domestic terrorism it engendered in Oklahoma City, research interest remains high. The Dick J. Reavis Papers at the SWWC have been used as sources for at least two documentaries, including “Assault on Waco,” aired on the Discovery Channel.

The proposed website will provide an overview of the incident and a brief history of the groups involved, as well as a case study in law enforcement and “cult” relations. The bulk of the digitized objects to be made available are the negotiation transcripts and recordings, and the video created by the federal government during the siege.

For more information or to access the Reavis files to do research of your own, call (512) 245-2313, email jm206@txstate.edu, or stop by the SWWC at The Wittliff Collections on the library’s seventh floor. Research hours are posted online.

Help Your Library and Win a Free iPod -- Take ebrary’s Student E-book Survey!

Dear Texas State students:

The library is working with ebrary to better understand e-book usage and needs among college and university students. We’d greatly appreciate it if you took a brief Student E-book Survey, available by clicking this link.

The survey should take less than 20 minutes to complete, and almost all the questions are optional.

To show appreciation for your time, you will be entered into a drawing for a FREE iPod of your choice. You pick the model, size and color! Also, every 25th participant will receive a free T-shirt. (prizes provided by ebrary.)

To find out more about how ebrary can help you on papers and other course assignments, check out their training tools, including Flash videos and live web sessions, at http://www.ebrary.com/corp/training.jsp.

Thank you very much!

Sincerely,
Alkek Library

P.S. If the link to the survey doesn’t work for you, go to http://www.ebrary.com/ and look for Student E-book Survey.

Library Hours During Spring Break March 9-16

Alkek Library will be open during spring break, although some service areas will be closed or open under limited hours.

Library Hours for all service areas except the Wittliff Collections and SLAC:

Sunday, March 9: CLOSED
Monday, March 10-Friday, March 14: 8:00am-5:00pm
Saturday, March 15: CLOSED
Sunday, March 16: 1:00pm-1:00am (Regular Hours)

The Wittliff Collections, including the Southwestern Writers Collection and the Southwestern and Mexican Photography collections will be open for exhibits 9:00am - 4:00pm next week, and on Sunday, March 17 the exhibits will be open 2:00pm-6pm.

The Student Learning Assistance Center (SLAC) will reopen on Monday, March 17 at 9:00am.

You can still search the library's online resources 24/7. These resources include many online books (also available via the library catalog by limiting your search to e-books) and even more electronic journals, magazines, and newspapers available through our database and online periodical subscriptions.

Enjoy your spring break!

Catalog Maintenance is Complete -- Catalog and My Account Available Again

The catalog maintenance is complete. All functionality is restored, including searching, MyAccount features and database pages.

Thank you for your patience during downtime.

Library Catalog Temporarily Unavailable - Search Worldcat Instead

The library catalog is temporarily unavailable today, March 7, 2008, due to scheduled maintenance. Databases by subject are available, but access has been redirected to an alternate main page.

You can still search the Alkek Library's holdings for books, dvds, and other materials using the database of library catalogs, Worldcat.

To limit your search to the Alkek Library, check the box that says: Limit Availability to Texas State. Conduct your searches as usual either by keyword, title, author or subject. When you find an item you want, click the full record and then scroll down until you see the "Class Descriptors" and write down the LC Number.

Please note: This will only be a partial call number in most cases. You will need to browse the shelf for the item. Make sure to write down the title and author.

A few things to remember are:

• Books in the General Collection are located on floors 5-7
• See this guide for call number locations.
• Journals, magazines and newspapers are on the 3rd floor (1980-present)
• Reference materials are mainly on floor 2
• DVD & VHS items are on floor 4

If you have problems locating anything please ask for help. You can ask for help locating the item at the Reference on the main floor. You can also call the reference desk at 245-2686 or you can use the Ask a Librarian Service.

Thank you for your patience while we upgrade the system. Regular access to the catalog and databases should be returned by the end of the day today.