Library Web News

EbscoHost Offers Additional Full-Text Databases on Health and Education

In addition to the three other full-text indexes (Academic Search FullText Elite, Business Source Elite and Newspaper Source) funded by the statewide INSPIRE project, EbscoHost also provides the IU Northwest campus community access to the following databases:

• Health Source Plus - Searchable full text for over 200 titles including The Lancet; abstracting and indexing for nearly 500 general health, nutrition and professional health care titles; searchable full text for nearly 1,0000 health-related pamphlets; total coverage includes more than 300,000 articles from general health magazines as well as professional health care journals.
• ERIC - Citation and abstract information from over 750 educational journals and related documents from the Educational Resource Information Center; full-text ERIC Digest records along with references for additional information breakdown of the 16 ERIC clearinghouses.

Web access to these databases requires an IU Northwest network connection. They are also available by telnet via the IU Libraries' IO (Information Online) system. Note: Access to these particular databases via telnet is bit less intuitive than the others in the Inspire package. Check here for details. Using either the web-based or telnet version of these databases allows search results to be sent to a personal e-mail address rather than printing them out. This option can be very convenient when using a workstation other than your primary computer located in an office or lab. It's also a good way to speed up your time in the library - no more slow printers!

IU Northwest Library Starts an Approval Plan for Purchasing Books

Over the past five years, technological advancements have significantly affected the Library's Technical Services Department. In the continuing effort to increase efficiency, the Department will implement an approval plan with the vendor Blackwell North America Inc. this month.

Approval plans are used in all types of libraries including IU Bloomington and IU South Bend. The plan is a method of selecting and ordering books based upon predefined criteria. The result is a timely notification of forthcoming publications and a broad overview of subject fields from hundreds of publishers in one source. The time currently spent by faculty reading dozens of publisher catalogs and completing order cards can now be devoted to other interests.

The Library will work with faculty liaisons to create subject, publisher and format profiles which most accurately reflect purchasing objectives. Whenever a book is published which falls within the profile, the library will route a notification slip to them for a final purchasing decision. Simply review notification slips, make a decision and return the slips to the library.

The approval plan will apply only to books. Each fund will also have a small portion of money (approximately 5-10% reserved for non-book items and purchases falling outside the profile). Journal subscriptions are not affected by the approval plan. For further information, visit Blackwell's Web site.

Use Ask a Librarian to Send Reference Questions by E-Mail

Need a reference question answered but can't come to the library? Try using Ask a Librarian, a web-based service created to provide IU Northwest students, faculty and staff with reference service electronically. Just go to the IU Northwest Library Home Page, click on Ask a Librarian and send an e-mail message to the library's reference desk where one of the librarians will read and the question usually within 24 hours. Please note that you must have and include a valid IU Northwest e-mail address to use this service. This address must also be included in the reference inquiry message so we can send you a reply. Answers will be sent via e-mail only.

There are several types of questions that we either cannot or will not answer through this service. For example:

• How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
  • We have no idea. Librarians generally don't have time to measure pins ... or angels.
• Does the library have a copy of....?
  • Find this information for yourself in the IU Online Catalog. After all, that's one of the reasons the catalog is online.
• "I need 10 research articles on...."
  • This service is not designed to do your research for you. We will help you find them when you personally visit the library. Besides, if you don't come to the library, you'll miss seeing our smiling faces!

Access the IU Northwest Library Web Page at Home

If you own a personal computer with a web browser, here are directions for visiting the IU Northwest Library Web Page from home:

When using Netscape:

1. Click the Open button.
2. Type www.iun.edu/~lib in the Open Location dialog box. Click the Open button.
3. Before accessing IO: the Indiana University Libraries Catalog, you must have telnet software already installed on your computer. If you are using Windows 95, a version already is available in your \Windows subdirectory. If you are using another operating system or if you wish to use a different telnet package, we suggest connecting to the Tucows web site. You then must configure Netscape to use the software. To accomplish this:
   1. Select Options on the Netscape menu.
   2. Choose General Preferences.
   3. Click on Apps.
   4. Type the path name and file name (example: C:\Windows\Telnet.exe) in the Telnet Application box.
   5. Click Ok. You should then be able to use the IU Libraries online catalog system. By selecting Electronic Information at the IU Northwest Library Home Page's main menu and then selecting the Connect to IO link. The page will then instruct you how to login to the system.

When using Internet Explorer:

1. Click File on the Internet Explorer main menu.
2. Choose Open.
3. Type www.iun.edu/~lib/ in the Open dialog box. Click Ok.
4. When accessing IO: Indiana University Libraries Online Catalog. Select Electronic Information at the IU Northwest Library Home Page's main menu and then selecting the Connect to IO link. The page will then instruct you how to login to the system. Unlike Netscape, Internet Explorer will automatically bring the Telnet program into the browser when it needs to perform this application.

, Library News Web Editor