Galvin Library was recently notified that it was again selected to be a participant in the digitization awards administered by the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI) and the Open Content Alliance (OCA).  CARLI and OCA have partnered to support the digitization of library materials in order to provide digitization opportunities for academic and research libraries in Illinois.  Converting materials into digital/electronic formats allows for more resources to be accessible for sharing among our users.  Materials that are digitized will be freely available to all library members in CARLI and through OCA’s Internet Archive web site.  Institutions who participate in the digitization awards will have full rights to the digital files in perpetuity for preservation and access.

The following collections from IIT were chosen for digitization awards:

•    Armour Institute and Lewis Institute Yearbooks: 41 volumes exist in the Armour collection ranging in date from 1898-1940, while the Lewis collection has 37 volumes ranging from 1903-1940.  The yearbooks contain a fascinating look at industrial and technical education, student life and Chicago history during the early part of the 20th Century

•    Historical Sketch of Armour Mission: this small 76 page booklet was published in 1905 and contains information about students, teachers and directors of Armour Mission, as well as advertisements from that era

•    Chicago Union Station District Fire of 1922: two reports associated with the fire, one prepared by Marsh & McLennan, the other by the Chicago Board of Underwriters details the fire, the Chicago Fire Department’s response, and the damages to homes and businesses

•   IIT Press Releases: Covering 30 years from 1939-1968, press releases issued by the university include development of technologies, the architecture of Mies van der Rohe, the academic institution’s role in the local community, urban renewal and the redevelopment of Chicago’s south side during the 1950’s and 1960’s

•    Yearbooks of the Commercial Club of Chicago: 14 volumes from 1909-1923 include agendas, proceedings, member’s names and club reports, including one on Daniel Burnham’s Plan of Chicago

The recent upgrade done by the Consortium for Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI) has resulted in a new look and new features to both the IIT catalog and I-Share, the shared catalog of 76 universities in Illinois.

Users of the online catalog will still be able to request and renew items, as well as view delivery status, due date and fee information.  New features include:

• Subject and Author search tabs provide quick access
• Limits such as format, language and date easily added to your search
• Build your list of titles using “My List”
• Expanded details for requests, renewals and fines in “My Account”
• Improved access for adaptive/assistive technology
• Search tab features materials “New in the Catalog”

Users of the online catalog will notice changes to the design of the IIT local catalog over the coming weeks as we continue to customize the new search interface.

If you have any questions, you can ask us using phone, IM, email or drop by the desk on the upper level of Galvin Library.  As always, we welcome your feedback.

The Summer Privileges Form is for students who have not yet registered for classes for the Fall 2009 semester.  To have access to library resources during the Summer — including IIT materials, on-site borrowing at I-Share libraries, document delivery and interlibrary loan — you must complete the form.  Privileges granted through this form last from May 17-August 23, 2009.

Note:  Students who are registered for the Summer ‘09 semester or Fall ‘09 semester have library privileges throughout the Summer and DO NOT NEED this form.

Click here to access the Summer Privileges Form.

If you are unsure if your library privileges, contact the Circulation department or stop by the Circulation Desk on Galvin’s lower level.

Galvin Library is pleased to announce that online coverage in Web of Science / Science Citation Index has been expanded to include citations and abstracts back to 1981.  Web of Science provides access to current and retrospective multidisciplinary information from approximately 8,700 of the most prestigious, high-impact research journals in the world.

Web of Science includes powerful applications such as cited reference searching, citation maps, and the analyze tool.  Using cited reference searching, you can navigate forward, backward, and through the literature, searching all disciplines and time spans to uncover relevant information.  The citation index allows you to see all the references cited by the article, which other articles have cited the article, and allows you to create a citation map of the information.  With the analyze tool you can perform a search on a specific topic or generate a list of authors who published articles on that subject.  This is a great database to use if you have an article of interest and want to expand your search to related documents.  Related articles are linked throughout the database.

Web of Science also allows you to:

• Save and manage your references online with EndNote Web – freely available and fully integrated
• Save and run searches
• Create alerts and RSS feeds
• Choose your start page

For citation searching prior to 1981, please consult the print copies of Science Citation Index shelved in the index/abstract area of the reference collection on the upper level.

New, updated editions of essential financial aid resources for students are available at Galvin Library.  In cooperation with the university’s financial aid department, the library has more than 20 titles available that can be easily accessed in the Reference collection located on the upper level.  For assistance in locating or using the materials, the Reference Desk is staffed at all hours the library is open.

Financing higher education has never been easy and the current economy has placed added strains on families and individuals who seek advanced education in an effort to broaden their future opportunities.  Grants, awards, and scholarships for students of all backgrounds, qualifications and demographics are available to be researched at the library.  Financial assistance for women, Hispanic-, Native-, and Asian-Americans, veteran’s families, and those with disabilities are featured titles, as well as titles such as Paying for College without Going Broke, the College Money Handbook, and the Ultimate Scholarship Book 2009.  IIT students can find a wealth of materials in Galvin Library and assistance with additional questions concerning financial aid can be found in the university’s Financial Aid Office located in Main Building, office 104.

View a full list of available titles.

Have you missed announcements of library workshops on citation management or patent searching? Does it seem like everyone but you knows  about new library resources like Safari ebooks or services like free interlibrary loan? Then the new Library Announcements mailing list is for you! Galvin Library will send monthly or bi-weekly (no more we promise) announcements straight to your email inbox. Subscribe to the mailing list and you will be able to optimize your use of library resources, services and classes by receiving information targeted to the research needs of the university community.  If you have questions or comments regarding the new mailing list, email us at library@iit.edu or call 312.567.3616.

Emergence

Dr. Audrius Plioplys

March 5 – May 14, 2009

Opening reception and lecture:

Thursday, March 5: 4:30 – 7 pm

The exhibit Emergence opens Thursday, March 5 in the Kemper Room on the upper level of Galvin Library. Sponsored by art@iit, this show continues the fascinating series of scientifically-themed art exhibits that have attracted attention all over the city.

From art@iit: “Audrius Plioplys has spent the better part of his professional life creating art while in his practice as a neurologist and neuroscientist seeking causes and cures for cognitive disorders from autism in children to Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly. His artwork is an ongoing metaphorical investigation of consciousness, thinking, and the thought process using MRI brain scan images and electroencephalogram tracings transforming the neurobiology research laboratory into an artist’s studio.  Plioplys’ mediums include photography, electroencephalograms and other scientific mappings, merged into multi-layered images, and printed in archival digital format.”

An opening reception for the exhibit will be held from 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm in the Kemper Room on Thursday, March 5. The exhibit runs through May 14, and is open any time the library is open (library hours). For more on this and other exhibits, see the art@iit site.