Independence Day hours

Bracken Library will open at noon on July 4, 2006.

For a complete listing of the University Libraries' summer hours, please see http://www.bsu.edu/library/article/0,,14625--,00.html.

Toolbar for quick access to the University Libraries

Have you ever wanted to look up a book in the online card catalog, but didn’t want to navigate back to the Libraries website? Do you want one-click access to library databases and resources? Then the University Libraries’ Toolbar is your answer.

This browser add-on works with Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox to give you easy access to key library services and resources. By installing the Libraries’ Toolbar, you can quickly search CardCat, go directly to databases, easily navigate to the Ask-a-Librarian help page, and more. Once installed, the Libraries’ Toolbar looks like this (click to enlarge):





It could save you time when researching online. For instructions on installing the University Libraries’ Toolbar, go to http://www.bsu.edu/library/article/0,,42835--,00.html. If you have questions, feel free to ask Stacy.

July 2006 newsletter online

The latest issue of the Library Insider newsletter is available at http://www.bsu.edu/library/virtualpress/libinsider/. Articles include:

• Summer Reading Survey of Libraries’ Personnel Reveals Variety of Interests, p. 1
• Using Social Software to Stimulate Content Engagement with Distance Education Students, p. 2
• Ongoing Improvement for the University Libraries: Inside and Outside, p. 2
• Reflection on Bracken Library: Yesterday and Today, p. 3
• Statistics Show Increase in Use of New Civil War Digital Resources, p. 4
• Libraries’ Homepage Undergoes Usability Testing, p. 5
• Listening Center is Music to Ears of Aria Summer Academy Participants, p. 5
• University Libraries Provide Resources to Enrich Lives, Stir Imagination, p. 6
• Documenting Indiana’s Historic County Courthouses, p. 7
• Answers to the Libraries’ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), p. 8
• Libraries Recognized for Outstanding Brochure Design, p. 8
• University Libraries’ Marketing Working Group Completes Term, p. 9
• Libraries’ Large Format Plotter in the Geospatial Center and Map Collection, p. 9

Articles are also available in RSS format at http://www.bsu.edu/library/rss/.

News photo archives online

The Library of Congress has digitized about 40,000 photographs and made them available online at http://memory.loc.gov/pp/ggbainhtml/ggbainabt.html. The photographs come from the George Grantham Bain collection, which focuses on American life in the early 1900s. Many photographs were taken in New York City. For more information about the online collection, check out the Research Buzz review.

For more photographs online, check out the University Libraries' Digital Media Repository; it includes many scanned images in addition to documents, letters, and other primary sources. Also, the research guide "How to Find Images" can help you find more materials available from the University Libraries' databases and resources.

June 2006 newsletter online

You can read the latest edition of the Library Insider newsletter online at http://www.bsu.edu/library/virtualpress/libinsider/. The June 2006 issue included articles on the Ball State University Libraries' major accomplishments in 2005-2006, an update on interlibrary loan processes, and other updates on technology and collections at the University Libraries.

You can also receive periodic updates from the Library Insider newsletter by subscribing to the RSS feed for the Ball State University Libraries' News.

How to bring the blog to you (Part 2): Getting email updates

In addition to RSS feed readers and aggregators (discussed here), you can sign-up with web services that will make it easy for you to stay up-to-date with the blog.

Several different service providers can enable you to read blog updates in your email; examples include the services by Squeet and FeedBlitz. By signing up with either of these providers, you will automatically receive an email each time a new entry is posted to the blog. A sign-up form for FeedBlitz is provided in the right-hand column of this blog, under "Sign-up for Email Updates." Some services, like Squeet, will even allow you to create an email subscription to a blog that does not publish updates in that format. Both of these service providers require registration in order to use them.

Do you have more questions about how to get blog updates? Feel free to contact Stacy or leave a comment below.

How to bring the blog to you (Part 1): Using RSS feeds

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It provides a way for readers to catch-up on blog posts without actually having to visit the blog. Basically, RSS is the method by which website updates are delivered to a blog reader or aggregator. It is also referred to as the “site feed," and is actually made up of a messy combination of text and XML code itself.

Here is how you can get RSS to work for you. First, choose the method by which you want to read the blog posts, such as a favorite aggregator or reader. A RSS reader will convert the site feed into a clean version of the text, without the code; an aggregator will convert the feed and allow you to collect many different feeds in one place. A lot of people have found the Bloglines and Pluck aggregators easy to use; Yahoo users could include the site feed on their personalized page, too.

Once you have chosen a RSS reader or aggregator, locate the section on this blog labeled “Site Feeds,” in the right-hand column. Then, just click on the appropriate button to set-up your subscription. If you don’t see your preferred aggregator or reader listed, use the generic atom feed to subscribe.

Now, you are ready to go! Every post to this blog should appear in your reader or aggregator. Feel free to check back here to leave comments or just read the posts, as well.

If you need more help setting up your RSS feed, you may want to check out the more in-depth Getting Started with RSS tutorial, which includes graphics, or the related FAQ page. Also, feel free to contact Stacy or leave a comment for more information.

Many regularly updated websites provide RSS feeds of their content, which gives the reader a quick and easy way to see what’s new. For example, you may find that your favorite online newspaper has a RSS site feed for new articles. Also, several of the University Libraries’ databases provide RSS feeds for new material related to keyword-searches and journals. (Just let Stacy know if you need help setting these up.) The University Libraries and Ball State offer several other blogs and RSS feeds. By using RSS feeds you can stay up-to-date on this blog as well as other sources of regularly updated information, including the latest scholarship in your field.

Next time, we will cover how to get blog posts delivered to your email inbox.

Television now online

The Internet and technology have changed the way we view television, according to an April AP story ("Networks rush TV shows online," available on Wired News). Currently, networks are exploring this model of releasing television shows to the internet, paid for by a subscription or single-episode purchase. If successful, this could have implications for broadcasting and advertising.

What do you think? Will online television shape the future of journalism?