Relocation of Reserve and Multimedia

Due to the Learning Hub project, we are required to relocate Reserve and Multimedia from its present location on Level 3 South of the Barr Smith Library.

Due to severe limitations of space, we will need to split the services provided by Reserve and Multimedia, as follows:

• the Reserve collection (books) will be relocated to Level 3 North, occupying the raised area in the Student Lounge (“the bean-bag area”) and the area behind (to the east). Construction will commence in this area as soon as final approvals are given.
  Final relocation of the Reserve collection is expected to take place during the mid-semester break.
• the Microforms collection (microfilms and microfiche) will be moved to Level 1 of the library, opposite to the new location for Special Collections. This requires the relocation of books from 500-519 to Level 1 North, adjacent to the Student computers. The books are being moved now, with construction of the new Microform collection to commence as soon as the books have been moved.
• The AV collection and AV viewing rooms will be moved to a location yet to be confirmed, but probably on Level 2 South.

Once again we apologise for the disruption caused by these building projects.

Special Collections to reopen soon

Good news! The relocation of Special Collections to its new location is almost complete. We now expect to reopen on Monday, 22nd February (2010!) in the new premises, on Level 1 of the Barr Smith Library.

The new Special Collections features a larger study area, and a new browsable collection of Pacific and Theatre materials.

There will also be  an informal lounge and exhibition space in front of the Special Collections entrance, accessible to all for quiet study.

Learning Hub news : relocation of Research & Reference

Due to imminent building works on the Hughes Plaza, we are relocating Research and Reference services this weekend.

From Monday, 8th February, Research and Reference will be in their new location, on Level 2 of the Barr Smith Library. From the Library entrance, take the main stairs down one level, and turn to the right. Or follow the signs.

We will also, this weekend, be relocating the DRMC and AR&S Digital Library services, to the same location.

New copiers, now with scanning support

We have introduced new photocopiers into the Library this year. In addition to being faster than the old, all copiers now provide duplex (double-sided) copying, colour copying, and copying to overhead transparencies. (You need to supply your own transparencies for that.)

But also, the new copiers will allow scanning to a USB memory stick, for which there is no charge — and no paper!

* Please note that the USB option may not work with some older memory sticks.

New location for Reference Collection

The Reference Collection has moved!

If you look for it in the usual place, you’ll see this rather forlorn and empty space:

The Reference Collection now has a new home adjacent to the Reading Room on Level 2:

This relocation is part of the preparation for the Hughes Plaza Learning Hub. The Library is relocating services from Level 3 South, which lies directly beneath the Plaza, and will therefore be part of the construction zone in 2010.

We will report on more relocations as they happen.

Mobile Search of IEEE Xplore ® Digital Library Now Available

23 November 2009 – IEEE has launched its first mobile version of the IEEE Xplore digital library. You can now easily perform searches anywhere, anytime of over two million documents via any mobile device with Internet access. IEEE is actively searching for feedback of this new Beta service. Go to http://m.ieeexplore.ieee.org on any internet-enabled mobile device, try the new site, and provide your feedback via the link at the bottom of the Web page.

Using IEEE Xplore® Mobile Beta, users can conduct a basic search, display the top 10 results by relevancy, and view abstracts and citations. To view the full-text of an article, the user can email the link to any email address and, if they are a subscriber, view the article directly from the main IEEE Xplore Web site when they are on their personal computer. Non-subscribers can purchase the article or subscribe to the IEEE Xplore digital library.

 

via IEEE – News Releases.

Learning Hub news : relocations

In preparation for the new Learning Hub to be built on the Hughes Plaza, the Library is required to vacate Level 3 South for 2010. As part of that preparation, we have relocated the Newspapers and Current Journals from the southern “International Lounge” to Reserve and Multi-media.

We are also in process this week of relocating the Reference Collection to the foyer outside the Reading Room on Level 2.

We apologise for the disruption caused by these relocations.

Disruption on Level 1, Barr Smith Library

Dear User

As part of the development of the new Hughes Plaza Learning Hub, it is necessary for the Barr Smith Library to remove many thousands of books from Level One of the Library for the relocation of Special Collections to that area.

This project must commence immediately.

All effort is being made to do this as quietly as possible. We realise, however, that there will be some noise, and on behalf of the Library, I apologize for any inconvenience this causes.

I recommend that you consider the Reading Room on Level Two of the Library as a location for quiet and serious study.

Ray Choate,
University Librarian

The new Learning Hub and the Library

As you may be aware, the University is undertaking a major building project around the Hughes Plaza (“Building campus life with new student learning hub“).

A side effect of this project will require that the Barr Smith Library vacates the area under the Hughes Plaza deck, on Level 3 South of the Library, and also that we relocate Special Collections from Level 4 of the Library.

An area on Level 1 South of the library — southwards from the study area — will be redeveloped to accommodate Special Collections. To make space for Special Collections, we are currently moving items from the main collection stacks in that area to Level 1 North. Some low-use items will be sent to store.

In order to vacate Level 3 South, the Reference Collection is also currently being weeded, prior to relocating the Reference Collection to the foyer outside the Reading Room on Level 2 North. We are still exploring alternative locations for staff from Level 3 South.

We apologise for the inevitable and unavoidable disruption and disturbance that will result from this project.

Changes to Library Website

The Library web site is receiving a “makeover”, with pages gradually being updated to the new University standard.

Our web site dates back to 1995 — soon after the “birth” of the World Wide Web. We were one of the first in the University to have a public and global presence on the web. So we have a complex web site, with a lot of pages. It will take some time for us to roll out the new style to all pages, so please bear with us during this process.

We are changing the pages one section at a time. So far we have changed Special Collections and the About sections. Watch for more changes soon.

And please leave us a comment to tell us what you think of the change.