Alkek Library News

Welcome Students! The Library's resources & services = a successful semester!

For a great start to the new semester, Alkek Library offers drop-in orientations at the beginning of each semester. If you are new to Texas State and have never been in the library, all you need to do is check the schedule for the time and then just meet at the Reference Desk on the 2nd floor as you enter the main lobby.  There is still time left to take advantage this open walking-tour.  

If you prefer to tour Alkek Library from the comfort of your home or dorm room, we have an online tutorial as well as still photos and mp3 audio tours for you to enjoy at your leisure.

If you have a question, need directions or want to get a jump start on your research, you can stop by the Reference Desk, call us at 245-2686 or get online help using the Ask-A-Librarian service. We offer multiple ways of online help. You can chat with us using your preferred chat client by adding us to your contacts, or you can chat w/a librarian using the many Ask a Librarian widgets placed on various pages throughout the library website. There is an email option, and you can also schedule an individual consultation. New this semester we now offer the option to meet online with a librarian using videoconferencing software.

Also new this semester we have added an additional way to contact us! Now you can also TEXT-A-LIBRARIAN by texting # 512-761-8398. We are using a Google Voice number, so we can receive offline message in case you send it after hours.

We also offer workshops on using RefWorks, an online resource for bibliographic management. These are held in our classroom 101, downstairs from the main lobby. Our workshop schedule is updated periodically, so check back often for other classes.

Many of our research resources are available remotely. Access to many journal articles, newpapers, magazines are available online. If you want to know if we have access to your favorite newspaper or magazine you can search for it by using the Periodical List. Or, if you already have a topic you need to research, you can use one of the subject research databases. For more information about using the databases, see this research guide. There are also other research guides arranged by subject which offer you the best resources for your research topic.

Other popular library resources are Reserve and E-Reserve. You can check Reserve by professor or course for materials your professor has placed there for your class to use. Sometimes your textbook will be on Reserve. Other things like chapter readings, articles, videos, or old tests may be on Reserve. If your professor uses the E-Reserve service, they will give you a password to access the materials.

The final tip for a successful semester: Don't pay for journal articles! If you find an article you need, but the library does not have a subscription, then you can utilize the Interlibrary Loan Service to get a copy of the article. This service is also available for books and other materials. It is a free service.

Welcome to Texas State and remember: librarians are here to help you succeed!

 

 

New interface for RefWorks is available in beta

RefWorks has a new interface.  If you are not familar with RefWorks, it is web-based software supported by Alkek Library that helps you manage your citations, references and create bibliographies. You can try the new interface by clicking on RefWorks 2.0, after you log in to your regular RefWorks account. All of your saved files will be viewable in 2.0 so you won't have to create a new account or move anything from one to another.  Remember this is still in beta so you may experience some glitches. 

To learn more about it you can view an online demo or take a webinar.

Have you tried RefMobile?  Access it from your smartphone at refworks.com/mobile.  You will need your group code, available here,  to gain access and start collecting those citations when you are away from your computer.

Updated Time for Refworks Workshop 11/11 and Instruction Sessions Reminder

Tomorrow's (11/11) Refworks Workshop time has been changed to 12 noon to 1pm.

Also, just a reminder to schedule your instruction sessions for your classes! Faculty can request an instruction session using the online form or call 245.2686 to speak with an instruction librarian. 

We can come to your class too, anywhere on campus with an internet connection!

Refworks Webinars

From the RefWorks Customer Education Services.

(Be sure to check the times - these are listed as EASTERN)

RefWorks in 15 Minutes

While the ideal way to teach users the basic features of RefWorks is to conduct a full training session, we realize that in some situations you may have only a few minutes to demonstrate the power of RefWorks. During this session, you'll rapidly learn: how to create an account; direct export citations from two databases; create a folder; create a bibliography from a list of citations; and create a bibliography using Write N' Cite.

Thursday, October 2, 2008 10:00 am, Eastern Daylight Time

Thursday, October 9, 2008 2:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 7:00 am, Eastern Daylight Time

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 1:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time

Wednesday, October 29, 2008 2:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time

 

RefWorks Fundamentals

This 75 minute session covers all the basics – creating a RefWorks account, importing data, organizing your database and generating a bibliography. Great for new users or even existing users who would like a refresher.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008 10:00 am, Eastern Daylight Time

Wednesday, October 8, 2008 2:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time

Thursday, October 16, 2008 10:00 am, Eastern Daylight Time

Tuesday, October 21, 2008 9:00 am, Eastern Daylight Time

RefWorks Advanced Features

This 75-minute session covers topics such as advanced searching, using RefGrab-It to import data, working offline, editing multiple references, viewing, printing and sorting references and more. Attendees should have a working knowledge of RefWorks’ basic features.

Thursday, October 2, 2008 2:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time

Tuesday, October 7, 2008 10:00 am, Eastern Daylight Time

Tuesday, October 14, 2008 1:00 pm, Eastern Daylight Time

Wednesday, October 22, 2008 10:00 am, Eastern Daylight Time

 

Importing Library Catalog Records into RefWorks

RefWorks is a bibliographic management tool that enables you to save, organize and use your citations for assignments, research papers, and other academic work. Most of the article databases offer an option to mark citations and "export to RefWorks." What isn't so obvious is how to get records from the library catalog into RefWorks. The process is easy once you've done it a couple of times.

Here's how:

• Log-in to your RefWorks account.
• Search the catalog for books, videos, etc.
• Save the records by clicking the "Save to List" button.
• View your "Saved Records"
• Check the "End Note/RefWorks" and "Send list to Screen" buttons then hit "Submit"

By using the "Send List to Screen" option, an .html version of the records will look like this:

• Highlight and Copy all the text on the page
• Next, go to your Refworks account choose the "Import" option under the References heading.



• For the Import Filter/Data Source option pick Innovative Interfaces
• For the Database choose the Endnote/RefWorks format
• In the text box below, paste the records from the .html page and click the import button.

This completes the process. For more information about using RefWorks, you can drop in for a RefWorks class offered throughout the semester, use this RefWorks guide for tips on various databases and RefWorks, or you can also watch the RefWorks tutorial to learn about RefWorks.

Happy New Year! Learn how to use Refworks before you start your research papers.

First, I should introduce myself. My name is Tara Spies and I am the newest addition to the Alkek Library Information Literacy Instruction Team. I am a Reference/Instruction Librarian and my subject specialties are art/design, communication studies, and technology. If you have any questions about research in those areas you can contact me at [email protected] or want to request an instruction class in any of these areas with me please don't hesitate to do so.

It is the beginning of the spring semester so it is probably a good time to learn about new and improved research tools before your research gets underway. If you don't already know about Refworks, you will wish you had once you know that it is a online citation and bibliography tool that you can use to help you organize and format your citations/references for your research papers in whatever writing style you are supposed to use (APA, MLA, etc.). You can create a free account and familiarize yourself with some of its basic features. You can use their tutorial or attend one of our upcoming workshops on how to use Refworks. Once you get the hang of it you will see what a helpful tool Refworks can be for citing sources in your paper and for your reference/bibliography page that you put at the end of it.

Refworks just released a new version of Write-and-Cite that will let you download and use it while offline. The online version is still available for when it is more convenient for you. You can read about more new enhancements to Refworks in their January 2008 Release Notes

Good luck with your spring semester!