RefWorks, A Graduate Student's Perspective
The Library Catalog: Past Present and Future
Cell Phone Etiquette
What DO They Do?: Library Administration * Library Factoid * Did You Know?

LIBRARY HOURS LIBRARY INSTRUCTION: Several 30-60 minute workshops to choose from! Congratulations to Marta Lee, School of Government Liaison, for her recently published article, Red, White and Blues: Library Services to a Satellite Campus. This article can be seen in Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning, Volume 1, Issue 3.

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RefWorks, A Graduate Student's Perspective
by Jason Anderson, Reference Graduate Assistant

 

As a student, I am always looking for strategies to complete my graduate schoolwork more efficiently. Thankfully, as a graduate assistant at the library I am privy to many tools that other students may not understand or simply overlook.

One of these tools is RefWorks, which can be accessed from the database link off of the Library homepage. While there can be a significant learning curve when using RefWorks, it is one of those tools that has made my life easier on more than one occasion.

RefWorks is an online database that is free for Regent students. After creating a personal login, the student is provided a personal storage place in which he/she can import references that they wish to view, read, or export to a bibliography at a later time. In addition, RefWorks provides significant organizational tools that allow the user to create folders, search, and move references between existing folders.

After reading my brief explanation of RefWorks, you likely have no better understanding than before. So, allow me to provide an example.

Step 1: After creating an account, I login to RefWorks and open an additional Internet Explorer window in order to do research in other databases.

Step 2: Upon finding some resources that I might wish to read or include in a report, I choose to export (see RefWorks help on exporting from specific databases) the resources into a RefWorks folder called "Dissertation". By being signed into RefWorks already, I am able to see the sources appear almost immediately. (Keep in mind that I am only exporting the citations into the RefWorks database, not the article full-text.)

Step 3: I may repeat these steps several times during my research phase. However, when I am finally finished- I am only a few small steps away from a completely formatted bibliography.

Step 4: I choose "Bibliography" from the RefWorks menu, select from an incredible list of formatting styles (e.g. APA, MLA, Turabian), and follow a few more steps before getting a fully formatted bibliography that can be saved and printed from Microsoft Word.

It is likely that it will take you a few tries before you are a proficient RefWorks user, however, if like me, you are always looking for ways to be more efficient, it is worth the time!

The library occasionally offers workshops on RefWorks, including one on Sept. 25 at 10:00 AM.  Check the Library Instruction schedule for more information.

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The Library Catalog: Past, Present, and Future
by Leanne Strum, Coordinator for Systems and Technical Services 

The library catalog is more than just access to a collection of books, films, videos, and other print and non-print materials contained in the library building. This description is of the "past" library catalog.

The "present" library catalog is your key to both materials contained in the library and a vast collection of digital resources. Did you know that you can access over 50,000 e-books, 125 databases, and over 1,000 e-journals through our catalog? You can also preview trailers of movies available through the library's extensive collection of films, videos, and DVDs.

The "future" of the library catalog is even more exciting! Coming in January 2005 is a library catalog that will be a critical research tool for students, faculty, and staff at Regent University . Through the library catalog you will be able to search multiple databases at one time using a research tool known as MetaFind. A trial version of the search tool is now available on the library catalog home page.

In January 2005 this research tool will contain links to over 50 electronic databases, local library catalogs, search engines, and more. The library catalog will also provide a link to "other resources" which will allow you to continue the search on a topic with just the click of a button.

New enhancements will also include added features such as saving preferred searches, exporting your search results, placing a hold on items in the library, and more. Check out the library catalog at http://library.regent.edu and stay tuned for future updates on these enhancements.

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Cell Phone Ettiquette
by Karen Robinson, Reference Librarian (and cell phone owner)

Latest cell phone trend: Ignore its ringing and turn it off so that your voice-mail can pick up the call. Everyone will think you are so cool.

It used to be that you looked important when you answered your cell phone in public, in the library, in church, in a funeral home, in a movie, at a concert, in a restaurant, on public transportation, in an elevator, or wherever (Yes, I've heard people answer their phones out loud in all of these places). But now it's cool to not answer your phone because you are so cool that whoever is calling you can wait until you get to an appropriate location to receive the call; or your voice-mail can take the call. You are cool.

You are not tacky. You do not receive calls and talk out loud in the library, in church, in a restaurant, in a movie, while with friends, or in a funeral home. You are cool.

You :

1. Let your voice-mail take the message, and retrieve it when you are alone in an appropriate location to receive calls. If no message is left, you check your caller ID.
2. Notify your friends in advance if you are expecting an important call, and then excuse yourself to take the call away from your friends.
3. Do not speak so loud that everyone in a 500-foot radius can hear your private conversation.
4. Will never be embarrassed at a public event (e. g. church, concert, movie,library, etc.) by having your cell phone ring because you remember to turn your ringer off!
5. Never interrupt a conversation with someone in person to answer your cell phone.
6. And of course you never make a call from the library because you respect your fellow researchers and their right to privacy and quiet time.

Although the library does not ban cell phone use as do hospitals (they have to because the signal interferes with medical equipment), or restaurants, churches, concerts, lectures, business meetings - we do ask you to be considerate of your colleagues who are trying to concentrate on a 415-page book that they must summarize by the next day. Talking is distracting, and so is a ringing phone - whether it is on your person or left behind on a study table. PLEASE be considerate and use your cell phones in the lobby of the library, in a restroom, along the back hallway on the second floor, in a group study room that has no other people in it, or in the Atrium. And please do not leave your phone turned on at your study area. A lonely cell phone ringing/calling out for its owner is by far the most annoying to other library users.

The "cool" thing to do is to turn off your cell phone as soon as you walk into the library. You can check it from time to time for messages; then step into the lobby to retrieve important ones. Remember you don't want to be too quick to answer - because you are cool.

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What DO They Do?: Library Administration
by Ellen Cox, Facility Coordinator/Bookeeper

The University Library maintains a very small Administrative staff and a flat organizational structure. The staff consists of Dean, Albert Liu, Assistant to the Dean, Arlene Talbot, and Facility Coordinator/Bookkeeper, Ellen Cox. Among the three they have over fifty years of service to Regent University .

Dean Liu serves as chief executive officer for the University Library. Albert came to the country in the mid 60's, from Taiwan. He worked his way through college and graduate school, married, raised a family, and followed the Lord's direction not only in his personal life but in his professional life. He has been here at Regent University for the past 10 years. He has blessed us with his servant leadership first as Director for Support Services, Acting Dean, Associate Dean and then as Dean for the past four years.

Arlene has been part of Regent University for fifteen years, joining the library staff as Assistant to the Dean six years ago. She has the responsibility of assisting the Dean and Library Faculty in making travel arrangements, maintaining personal records, student payroll, time-card processing, receiving visitors and making arrangements for committee meetings and events scheduled in the conference room. Arlene and her husband Dan have three daughters and a son. She is also blessed with six grandchildren. Just ask her about her grandchildren and she will show you her latest pictures.

Ellen has been here for over two decades. Her job as Facility Coordinator/Bookkeeper is to maintain financial processes of the University Library and to coordinate all maintenance activities of the Library Building such as lights, phones, facilities, and equipment. Her day varies depending upon what needs to be accomplished. As liaison for the library with many departments in the university she coordinates a multitude of behind the scenes activities. She is a native of the Tidewater area and has seen many changes. Marriage to Bill for 37 years has given her two sons and 3 granddaughters and another one is due on Christmas day. You don't have to ask her for pictures of her granddaughter, since she will show them at the least provocation.

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Library Factoid

The Regent University Library is growing everyday. Here is a breakdown of the number of items the library currently holds.

Total (items): 1,011,090

Printed books: 281,795	Micro-forms (items): 703,413
Audiovisual (items): 12,941	Videos: 4,576
Films: 4,255	Sound recordings: 3,343
DVDs: 407	Laser discs: 360
Electronic books: 48,371

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Did You Know...

...We currently have several trial databases in various disciplines set up for students, faculty, and staff to peruse? We would like to encourage the Regent community to take a look at these trial databases and send us their comments and suggestions.

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