Video from CNN is available online through the Archives web site. All other broadcasts (ABC, CBS, etc.) can be borrowed – either in customized compilation of video clips or entire broadcasts. Lending is direct to individuals, who must pay the associated fees for the service.

To use the Vanderbilt Television Archives, visit the Libraries’ database page at: http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/databases/

Faculty and student comments are welcomed. You’ll find the feedback form link on the left of the Databases page.

RefWorks is the leading citation management software on the Internet. It is used by hundreds of thousands of researchers to organize their references and to prepare bibliographies and in-text citations when submitting articles to academic publications. It is accessible – 24/7 – from any computer with Internet access.

When you use RefWorks, you will find preparing the bibliography for the next paper or article you write to be fast and easy. And, if you are collaborating with colleagues at other institutions or with classmates, RefWorks makes it simple to share your references.

Easy-to-follow tutorials and a quick start guide are available on the RefWorks home page. If you need more help, you can always Ask A Librarian– by phone, email, or IM chat.

–Finding a research topic or a focus that fits their assignments
–Learning how to begin looking for information
–Figuring how best to find the information they need
–Organizing that information into a structured paper
–Explaining documentation and citation formats

Signs will be posted directing students to Study Room 212, which is on the 2nd floor of Evansdale Library. Students can also ask directions at the circulation or reference desk.

If you have any questions about the Term Paper Clinic, or would like a librarian to come to your class to give a 10-minute presentation on the Term Paper Clinic at Evansdale Library, please contact Noel Kopriva, Agriculture, Forestry, & Consumer Sciences Librarian, at 293-4696, ext. 5114, or email her at Noel.Kopriva@mail.wvu.edu.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2007
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
DOWNTOWN CAMPUS LIBRARY, ROOM 136

WITH SESSION LEADERS:
Beth Royall, Creative Arts Librarian, Evansdale Library
Beth Toren, Web Services Librarian, Downtown Campus Library

To register, contact Wendy Spaw by e-mail wjspaw@mail.wvu.edu

Science fiction fans will be delighted to know the West Virginia University Libraries features a nationally recognized Isaac Asimov Collection.

The American Library Association (ALA) recently named the WVU Libraries’ ensemble of Asimov books and items its Digital Collection of the Week. The ALA spotlights the collection in the current issue of AL Direct, its online newsletter.

An exciting exhibit of the collection, put together by Libraries staff, is available at http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/exhibits/asimov/

Rare Books curator Harold M. Forbes and Web Services librarian Beth Toren show some of the more than 600 books, games, audio recordings, videos and wall charts included in the WVU Libraries’ Isaac Asimov Collection. The collection and its digital exhibit was recently recognized by the American Library Association.

The electronic exhibit features images and descriptions of some of the more than 600 books, games, audio recordings, videos and wall charts included in the collection.

“We are sharing a unique resource globally,” said Beth Toren, Web Services librarian. “This is the ideal of the information age. People from all over the world are leaving messages in the guest book, and I get Asimov reference questions from all over the planet from people of all ages.”

Asimov, probably best known for his short story, “I, Robot,” and his trilogy, “Foundation,” was a prolific writer of both science and science fiction. Readers dubbed Asimov “The Great Explainer” because of his skill at making complicated subjects easy to understand.

The Asimov Collection at WVU Libraries began in 2002 when alumnus Larry Shaver donated more than 600 Asimov books, games, audio recordings, videos and wall charts.

While a buzz surrounding the collection already existed, interest exploded after the digital exhibit launched in 2004.

Today, people from around the globe regularly sign the site’s guestbook, while Asimov fan sites direct readers to the WVU Libraries’ digital exhibit.

In addition, several other Asimov collectors have donated rare books and portions of their collections to the Libraries.

“This has been one of the WVU Libraries’ most successful examples of the importance of our digital projects in helping readers and researchers locate the resources they seek,” Rare Books curator Harold M. Forbes said.

By Tricia Fulks, News Editor

West Virginia University Libraries are undergoing major changes for the fall semester.

Student government representatives met with Dean of WVU Libraries Frances O’Brien in June to discuss further improving campus libraries. One change SGA Governor Leslie Saunders wanted to see was 24-hour access to libraries during the last two weeks of the semester.

O’Brien said that 24-hour access during those weeks are now in place at the Downtown Campus and Evansdale libraries. She said that now there is adequate staffing during the extended hours. However, not all library services will be available for students during the period.

“What students tell us they want is a place to study,” O’Brien said about the extension of hours.

As far as the library coffee shop, Eliza’s, extending its hours during the last week of classes and Finals Week, Michael Ellington, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, said they are researching the option. Concerns such as cost and staffing have come up.

“We’re going to extend the hours,” Ellington said. “We just need to figure out how to do that.”

Another change, started last month, is a new policy giving students a 30-day grace period after their book’s due date where there are no penalties. Hilary Fredette, interim head of Access Services, said that the new policy is going very well so far.

Students have 30 days after the due date of the book to either return or renew the book. Three notices will be sent through MIX notifying the student of the overdue book. After the 30-day period is up, the library will consider the book lost and will charge the student a $10 nonrefundable fee on top of a replacement fee. Once the book is returned, the replacement fee is taken away while the $10 fee stands.

Fredette said that students who had overdue books prior to July 1 are held by the rules that applied when they checked out the book.

Another new feature now offered by library services is IM Chat Reference, which is the newest element of the “Ask a Librarian” service. This allows students, faculty or staff to talk with a reference librarian from home and ask questions they may have on projects or papers. O’Brien said the addition can handle major chat services including Google Talk, AIM and others.

O’Brien also mentioned that every other spring, University faculty, staff and students can participate in a LibQUAL survey, which evaluates the quality of libraries. She said this survey found that computers were in high demand. Thirty new laptops are now available at Periodicals on the second floor at the downtown library complex.

O’Brien stated that the computer classroom on the lower level at the Downtown Library Complex will also be open for student use when classes are not in session in the room – this means another 30 available desktop computers for student use.

Another LibQUAL discovery is the request for a quieter space to study. O’Brien said that is why the Milano and Robinson Reading Rooms are now designated as “Deep Quiet Zones.” Students are to refrain from using cell phones and music devices as well as holding group meetings or conversations in these areas.

“We’re excited to be starting another fall,” O’Brien said. She said she is glad the libraries have a nice set of services “addressing students’ needs.”

For more information about library services visit at http://libraries.wvu.edu.

First, you don’t even have to physically visit any of the libraries to benefit from one addition, IM Chat Reference. You can simply go online and Instant Message your question to a reference librarian.  Contact us using the following screen names: AIM, wvulibraries; Yahoo, wvulibraries; Google Talk, wvulibraries@gmail.com; and MSN, wvulibraries@hotmail.com.

Feel free to “Ask a Librarian” whenever a question arises while you study for a class, write a paper, or work on a project.  IM reference service is the newest component of “Ask a Librarian” services, which include telephone, email and in-person research assistance. You can find all the details at: http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/ask/.

Students and faculty will probably also appreciate the new fine policy for late books, which provides a 30-day grace period for library users to renew or return overdue books without incurring fines.

Borrowers with books not returned or renewed within the 30 days will receive a book replacement bill plus a non-refundable $10.00 fee. Once the book is returned or renewed, the replacement bill will be cancelled but the $10.00 will still be owed. For more information on the policy or to renew a book online: www.libraries.wvu.edu/borrowing/fines.htm.

Ok. You have quick access to an information expert. You have some leeway on those late books. Now, it’s time to write that paper. We can help there, too.

RefWorks can ease the tedious task of compiling a bibliography. RefWorks creates bibliographies and inserts notes in any format you require. It allows you to save references in a personal online database and insert them automatically as you write research papers. A link is located on the Libraries Web site.

If you are in a hurry and just need to print a paper, the Downtown Campus and Evansdale libraries now have Express Print stations that allow for printing but have no Internet access. At the DCL, print stations are on the first floor behind the Reference Desk and in the Copier Room. At Evansdale, the print station is located by the computers.

Although it’s just the start of the semester, remember the Libraries when it comes time to study for finals. The Downtown Campus and Evansdale libraries will both be open 24 hours throughout Dead Week and Finals Week.

Other changes will affect only those who use the Downtown Campus Library.

There are now 30 laptops available for checkout from Periodicals on the second floor. These are in addition to 30 laptops available through Media Services.

Another new option for finding computers is Room 136 on the Lower Level, which will be open as a computer lab on weekdays when it is not already serving as a classroom.

If you need a quiet space to study, head to the Robinson and Milano Reading Rooms. The rooms have been designated “Deep Quiet” so talking and cell phones are prohibited.

The extended hours, additional computers, and designated quiet study space are all in response to results from the LibQual survey performed during the spring semester.

Finally, Interlibrary Loan pickup has moved. ILL and E-ZBorrow books are now both picked up at the Access Services Desk.

By J. Miles Layton

Attention Civil War buffs.

An exhibit in the West Virginia and Regional History Collection at WVU offers visitors an engaging glimpse of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era in which he lived.

“For people looking for a historical experience in Morgantown, we have a great deal to offer here at the West Virginia Collection,” said John Cuthbert, the collection’s curator.

The exhibit, “Abraham Lincoln and West Virginia: Selections from the West Virginia and Regional History Collection,” will be open for the next several months at WVU. The exhibit is located in the James Horner Davis Family Gallery (No. 1) on the sixth floor of the Wise Library on the Downtown Campus.  It is free and open to the public from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues-Saturday, and until 9 p.m. Tuesdays, according to the WVU Web site.

The figure of Lincoln looms large over West Virginia and WVU. WVU’s newest residence hall is named after the 16th president, and the 2007 Festival of Ideas series focused on Lincoln as man, myth, martyr and American hero.But in 1860, few people thought Lincoln would be elected president, according to The Virginia Weekly Star, Morgantown’s local newspaper at that time.  On display is its front page, which contains reports on the 1860 presidential election.  Lincoln won the election with only 39.8 percent of the popular vote, soon finding himself in the midst of the U.S. Civil War and with a growing list of enemies.  Cuthbert said that coverage focused mostly on Stephen Douglas and John Breckinridge, and dismissed Lincoln.

“Many people at the time said ‘a vote for Breckinridge is a vote for Lincoln,’” he said.

Featured in the exhibit is U.S. Sen. Waitman T. Willey’s May 29, 1862, presentation to the U.S. Senate that proposed the formation of West Virginia.

“The new state of West Virginia is a fixed fact,” said Willey, whose words are preserved beneath his portrait, which greets people as they enter the museum.

In 1863, Confederates didn’t exactly appreciate Willey’s contribution to the Union.  When rebel soldiers invaded Morgantown, they found this portrait of Willey and thrust their bayonets into the painting.  Though the artwork was later painstakingly restored, Willey’s face clearly bears the scars of history.

Across from Willey’s portrait, a black and white photograph of Union General Thomas M. Harris is standing watch over a display of artifacts from his life.  Harris fought in several campaigns – and served as a member of the military commission that tried and convicted the assassins and conspirators involved in Lincoln’s death.  Harris wrote the book, “Assassination of Lincoln.”

Before e-mail and telephones existed, written words commanded the armies of the Confederacy and the Union.  Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s writing kit is on display, a rare find for any museum, Cuthbert said.  The wooden box is about the size of a Wheeling-Marsh cigar box, though narrower.  Inside the box, there are many little compartments and places to hold pens – the type that are dipped in ink.  Jackson used this writing kit to dispatch letters and orders during his numerous legendary campaigns.

“Back then, battles and fighting didn’t last but a few hours or days, so generals spent a lot of their time writing correspondence,” Cuthbert said.

Handwritten words preserve the surrender negotiations between Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Union General Ulysses Grant.  At the time, copies of these letters were sent to Francis H. Pierpont, who was governor of the Reorganized Government of Virginia – the part that didn’t secede from the Union.  Like e-mail, Lee and Grant replied back and forth to each other to work out the details to end the war.

“This is the Civil War equivalent of e-mail,” Cuthbert said.

Within the Civil War collection there are numerous journals from soldiers, personal papers from many of the state’s early politicians, and a rare 35-star American flag, one of only five known to still exist.  This flag is traditionally thought to have been carried to West Virginia by soldiers returning to Shepherdstown from the Battle of Gettysburg, Cuthbert said.

One of the many highlights in the collection is drawings by Davis Hunter Strother, an eyewitness to events at Harpers Ferry. In the days before photography could capture an image instantly, Strother was a journalist who drew pictures for the leading publications of the day.  When abolitionist John Brown was seized following his raid on Harpers Ferry, Strother was there capturing the stark images of his execution with words and pencil strokes.

Cuthbert said Strother, a Martinsburg native, was given more or less an all-access pass to talk to Brown and those involved in the raid while they were in jail waiting for trial.  When one of the men in the raid complained about his injuries and asked for a doctor, Cuthbert said, Strother wrote that a guard said to the injured man, ‘“you should have thought about that before you got involved in that raid’ and kicked the man.”’ There is a hand-sketched picture of Brown and others being hanged.

Though not part of the Civil War exhibit, there are other treasures to be discovered by patrons of the collection.  Photos of West Virginia people and places past and present adorn the walls.  There is a display featuring actor and comedian Don Knotts that includes a few scripts from his movies and an autobiography.

“I encourage anyone to come out and see what we have to offer,” Cuthbert said.

Looking for a hard-to-find photograph from West Virginia’s past – a picture of basketball legend Jerry West, the last game at the Field House or perhaps construction of the old Mountaineer Stadium?

Try the WVU Libraries online database, West Virginia History OnView (go to the WVU Libraries home page at www.libraries.wvu.edu, and click on the West Virginia History OnView link at the bottom right of the page).

OnView, which provides Web-based access to digital versions of historical photos housed in the West Virginia and Regional History Collection, recently topped 21,000 digital images.  The database continues to grow in popularity, WVU Libraries officials said. It’s even caught the attention of bloggers.

“People are finding out about us because we’ve been discovered by the blogs,” said Dennis Newborn, head of systems for the WVU Libraries.

The largest boost came recently from an online source called The Scout Report, which highlights new and interesting sites.  A favorable review from the report in late April translated into a huge spike in traffic to West Virginia History OnView in May.  The WVU site recorded nearly 45,000 visits that month.

There have been about 300,000 visitors since the site launched in 2005.

The database has also been mentioned in a guide to digital collections put out by the University of New Hampshire and blogs such as Word-Press.com and Technorati.com.

Several sports bloggers have become fans of the OnView site because it contains numerous historic sports images, WVU Libraries officials said.

For example, sports enthusiasts can browse through pictures of the university’s basketball and football teams from over the years.  There are action shorts from games, player and team portraits, and pictures of facilities.

Along with athletics, subjects range from the coal and timber industries to daily life in communities across West Virginia in the past century.  Many visitors use the site to reminisce over photos showing the shops, restaurants and attractions that once lined the main streets of their hometowns.  Those living in West Virginia or who have a connection with the state will find many items of interest on the site.

“As a West Virginian who now lives in northern Arizona, West Virginia History OnView provides me with an instant link to my roots,” said Mike Blevins, who relocated last year to Sedona, Ariz. “I’ve shared the Web site with many of my friends and family.”

He said the historic photos intrigue him because they convey rich stories about the people, places and things shown.  What might look like simple shot of people standing outside of a building or gathering for a meal actually hints at what life was like for the average West Virginia back then.

“I strongly believe that every image we preserve from out past will be of keen interest to the future,” Blevins said.