Idaho Wildlife Resources & Display

This image is from a poster in the library’s Curriculum Resource Center
collection and available for check out.

You see them almost everyday. Cute, furry little things. No, not Tribbles, red squirrels! You can learn more about red squirrels and other Idaho wildlife through these websites:

Nature Guide for Boise Parks http://parks.cityofboise.org/vo-learn-teer/boise-parks-community-education/nature-guide-for-boises-parks/mammals/

Boise Green Belt https://parks.cityofboise.org/parks-locations/parks/greenbelt/

Idaho Governor's Office of Species Conservation http://species.idaho.gov/

World Center for Birds of Prey http://peregrinefund.org/visit  and, closer to April, watch nesting falcons and kestrels live http://www.peregrinefund.org/webcams

Idaho Fish and Game MK Nature Center

https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/education/?getPage=234

Or, check out one of the resources from the Idaho Wildlife display designed by Laura Coleman, Access Services, at the Circulation desk. We also have library resources for those interested in the unique Raptor Studies program here at Boise State:

Raptor Studies Guide  http://guides.boisestate.edu/c.php?g=74084&p=476203

Falconry Pinterest Board https://www.pinterest.com/albertsonslib/falconry/

Audrey Williams,

Access Services

Updated Library Mobile Site

Got a web-ready mobile device handy? Then visit the library's newly updated mobile website, where you can access research databases, the library's catalog, research help, and more. Check it out at http://library.boisestate.edu/m/

If you have a camera on your device and a scanner app, you can scan this QR code to take you to the library's mobile site:

What's a QR Code?

Your Library is Ready!

Albertsons Library is ready for Fall 2010! We have lots of great resources to make your research endeavors shine. Here’s a quick list of what you can expect at the library this semester:

• For students, over 110 computers with Microsoft Office 2007, laptops (Macs & PCs) for checkout, and library pages geared toward your scholarly needs (check it out: undergraduate and graduate). Plus we have two multimedia stations with additional hardware and software to create and edit multimedia projects.
• Library pages for Faculty. You will find links to a variety of library resources targeted to your scholarly and teaching needs, from library services and collections to contact information for the library liaison to your department.
• A Starbucks coffee shop on the first floor. Get your caffeine fix here!
  
• Have questions about research, campus, or anything at all? We’re available to help you via our reference chat, on Facebook, and on Twitter. Or you can text us your questions at (208) 546-9982.
• Access to thousands of journals and magazines in our growing collection of databases, all available at the A-Z list of databases.
• Find research resources using our extensive interactive subject guides: Criminal Justice, Public Administration, Kinesiology, Sociology and many more via Alberstons Library's LibGuides system.
• Digital screens in presentation rooms on the first and second floors, so you can plug in your laptop and view your presentation on the big screen.
• Got a smart phone? Access the library in our new mobile website. Or Click the QR code below:

Albertsons Library is committed to ensure your academic success at Boise State University. If you have questions or comments, please let us know, or call us at 426-1204. We hope you have a great year!

Feeling social?

Connect with the library! If you use an RSS reader, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, or Facebook, you can link up with us by clicking the icons below to receive news and information from Albertsons Library and beyond:

            

Albertsons Library on Your Phone

We have been working on a (beta) mobile version of Albertsons Library which includes resources like map locators, contact info, access to research databases, and our catalog, to name a few.
If you haven't tried it, please go to http://library.boisestate.edu/m/ and let us know what you think. This is a work in progress so we want to hear from you about what you like, what can be improved, or suggestions for future mobile projects.

Top Library Database Webinar Series

Throughout the month of April, Albertsons Library invites all faculty and staff to a series of webinars about several of the library’s top databases. These webinars will be “hands-on” with laptops available, and open to all faculty and staff.

• Learn how to search for Legal or Business information, or explore the new enhanced search interface of LEXIS NEXIS, one of the premiere academic research databases.
• Discover the wealth of high quality images, maps, paintings, photographs, and art available in the ARTSTOR database that can enhance and supplement teaching efforts.
• Become familiar with ENDNOTE WEB, an online bibliographic citation manager that can enhance the research and writing process for you and your students.
• Leverage the wealth of data available in the journal archive JSTOR, or go behind the scenes of Arts & Sciences Collection VIII to learn about the core materials it contains.

PLEASE RSVP to Rick Stoddart (rickstoddart@boisestate.edu). All Webinars will be held in room L201C in Albertsons Library (except those starred* will be held in L203)

• 4/5 Lexis Nexis Academic (Basic Overview) 12pm-1pm
• 4/7 JSTOR - Data for Research Service (DfR) (DfR website) 12pm-1pm
• 4/12 ARTstor (plus 1/2 hr of practice time) in L203* 11:30am-12:30pm
• 4/14 EndNote Web (Basic Overview) 11am-12:30pm
• 4/15 JSTOR (Arts & Science Collection VIII) 12pm - 1pm
• 4/19 Lexis Nexis Academic (Legal Research) 12pm-1pm
• 4/19 ARTstor (plus 1/2 hour of practice time) in L203* 1:30pm-2:30pm
• 4/26 Lexis Nexis Academic (Business Research) 11am-12pm
• 4/27 EndNote Web (Basic Overview) 4:30pm-6pm

Contact me (rickstoddart@boisestate.edu) If you would like more information about a particular webinar or if you have a suggestion for future workshops on a specific Albertsons Library resource.

LibGuides: LibaWhat?

Say you have a topic in mind, and you're not sure where to start. You want to get a nice range of resources for finding more information about your topic. Where would you go? How about saving some time and giving our super research guides a spin?

LibGuides are a collection of library research guides filled with handpicked resources on just about any subject you can think of -- from Accountancy to Theatre Arts, and everything in between. Each guide has recommended books, databases where you can search for journal articles, and other subject-specific resources you can go to for authoritative info on your research topic.

We've also got special-interest guides that you may want to use: for citing sources, locating primary resources, and even a guide for UNIV 106.

New databases available

Albertsons Library is pleased to announce two new databases to our growing list of online resources:

• Journal Citation Reports "is a comprehensive and unique resource that allows you to evaluate and compare journals using citation data drawn from over 7,500 scholarly and technical journals from more than 3,300 publishers in over 60 countries."
• Chicago Manual of Style Online - based on the 15th edition, it includes the Chicago Style Q&A, the Chicago-Style Citation "Quick Guide," and "Tools," such as sample forms, letters, and style sheets. Access the e-book version from the library's catalog, or via the University of Chicago Journals from the library's A-Z list.

You can access this and many more databases from the Articles, Databases link from the Library's homepage. Let us know if you have any questions.

Take University 106 in spring 2010!

Take University 106: Library Research (1 credit) and learn to find the information you need to succeed in course papers and projects. UNIV 106 will get you on the path to becoming an information ninja, able to slice through the web and maneuver the library’s rich information landscape to conquer projects. 

All courses are one-credit pass/fail and are taught by librarians. If you have any questions, please contact the instructor directly.

PoWeR Up!

ENGLISH 102 & UNIVERSITY 106 are teaming up to help you get a jump-start on your research skills.

Are you ready to take English 102 in the spring and looking for an enriched experience? Consider participating in PoWeR (Project Writing and Research)! What is PoWeR? It's what happens when writing instructors and librarians work together so that students benefit. In PoWeR, you will take both a specified section of English 102 *and* a one-credit (pass/fail) section of University 106: Library Research. 

All of the students enrolled in a designated section of English 102 will also be enrolled in an online section of UNIV 106, creating a hybrid learning community of researchers and writers.

Within this combined four-credit experience, you'll get a lot of support for both your writing and research through integrated assignments. The content of both courses is coordinated so that University 106 activities work towards the completion of English 102 writing projects. Now that’s PoWeR!

For a list of all spring 2010 University 106 offerings, including the PoWeR sections linked with English 102, please visit http://guides.boisestate.edu/univ106

Got questions? Contact Sara Seely at saraseely@boisestate.edu or 426-1263.

Research help is only a click away

Need help researching your homework assignments or class projects?

Librarian research assistance is available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week via online Reference Chat.

Librarians can suggest related library resources and help track down those peer-reviewed articles on your paper topics that your professors require.

Save yourself time and frustration. Ask a librarian for help! Visit: http://library.boisestate.edu/reference.shtm to find out all the ways you can get in contact with Boise State University librarians including help 24/7 online instant chat services. 

Research help is only a click away!

Rick Stoddart,
Reference Librarian

Historic Boise State featured in online collection

Historic Boise State, Albertsons Library's online photo collection illustrating the history of Boise State University, has been recognized as one of four "collections of the month," by OCLC, the leading provider of digital collections management software in the United States.

Developed over the past year by the Special Collections Department in Albertsons Library, Historic Boise State now features more than 900 photos from the university archives. More photos are added every month. OCLC's announcement with a link to "Historic Boise State" is at http://www.oclc.org/news/announcements/announcement358.htm . The collection may also be accessed directly from the Library's homepage.

Erin Passehl

Librarian/Archivist

Albertsons Library Digital Collections!

Albertsons Library has a new resource available:

The digital collections feature materials scanned from the library's Special Collections department. Currently, there are 3 collections available online:

Historic Boise State, a growing collection of photographs documenting the history and evolution of the campus, student life, personalities, and events, from the university's founding as Boise Junior College in 1932 to the present day;

Len Jordan Collection, which features 75 photographs of his career as Idaho Governor (1950-1954) and U.S. senator (1962-1972);

Western Writers Series Collection, which contains 23 out-of-print booklets of biography and criticism on the American literary west.

Please visit http://digital.boisestate.edu to take a look!

2008 Election Resources

The election is November 4^th and some voters are already mailing in their ballots. These websites provide a wealth of information to help you sort out the voting process and make an informed decision.

For Student Voters

Rock the Vote

A multi-media site aimed at young voters.

On the voting process

Idaho Votes

Official site of the Idaho Secretary of State, who oversees elections in Idaho. Includes information on registration and where to vote, rules for students and voting residency, absentee voting, and more. Also has a list of candidates and links to their campaign websites.

About the candidates

Project Vote Smart

Provides non-partisan information on state and national candidates, including voting records, interest group ratings, and campaign finances. Issue positions are also included, but only if the candidate chooses to participate, so coverage is uneven. Check out this page for young voters.

Political ads

Politifact’s truth-o-meter

Nonpartisan; analyzes the accuracy and truthfulness of political ads.

Debates

Commission on Presidential Debates

Idaho Debates

Covers debates for state races. Also includes links to news outlets around the state.

News and commentary

NPR’s Election 2008

National Public Radio’s news site on the elections. Includes news, commentary, polls, and blogs on the candidates and the issues, mainly at the national level.

Vote 2008

Includes videos from the Public Broadcast System. Try out their Budget Hero to see if you can balance the federal budget.

Albertsons Library's Election Information
http://guides.boisestate.edu/election

Free Trial: Morgan & Claypool’s Synthesis Digital Library of Engineering and Computer Science

The Boise State University Albertsons Library has arranged a free trial of Morgan & Claypool’s Synthesis Digital Library of Engineering and Computer Science. The trial will start March 3. To allow time for this product to be considered for purchase, please send feedback by April 25.

A description of the product from Morgan & Claypool’s promotional materials:

“Synthesis is a revolutionary collection of e-books: dynamic presentations of key R&D topics written by leading … scientists and engineers. The titles range in scope from core undergraduate course areas to the state of the art in research from academic, corporate, and government labs. Most are less than 100 pages and provide students and faculty complete yet succinct coverage of advanced topics in rapidly changing fields.”

Subject areas currently emphasize computer science and electrical engineering, but mechatronics, biomedical and general engineering topics are also available. Environmental engineering topics are slated for future production.

Access:

• From on campus, go to http://www.morganclaypool.com/page/ForthcomingSynthesisLectures
• From off-campus, go to http://library.boisestate.edu/indexes/indexlist.htm#safari and click on Synthesis (you may need to scroll down the page a little).

[Or use the Library’s home page (http://library.boisestate.edu ), then click Find…Articles, Databases, then click on S in the Databases by Name list, then click on Synthesis.]

Select a series of interest, and view the e-Book pdf. New content is still being developed, so not all categories are complete.

Please give it a try –

Faculty: would you find the product useful for your research and teaching?

Students: would you find it useful in your studies?

Send comments to Nancy Rosenheim, by April 25.

Albertsons Library in Google Maps

A great feature in Google maps is the ability to pinpoint just about any location in the world, but if you want an even better mapping experience check out Google maps in "Street View" mode. This is the north side of the Albertsons Library, next to the Boise river:

View Larger Map

Explore the Boise State University campus from your desk via Google Maps.

Homework in Facebook

Hanging out on Facebook instead of doing your homework? Did you know you can do both? Facebook offers a search application for JSTOR, one of Albertsons Library’s all subject full-text journal article databases. Need information resources other than journal articles? Search Facebook Application for “Library” and see what you can find. Lots of libraries have search boxes for their catalogs. To add JSTOR to your page simply search Facebook applications for “JSTOR” and then add the application to your page. One technical detail: you will have to enter http://libproxy.boisestate.edu/login?url= in the "set proxy" box. If you’re on campus it will take you straight to JSTOR results. If you’re off campus it will ask you for your BroncoWeb ID and password. Simple as that. Now you can do homework and throw sheep at people, compare movies, or have any other Facebook fun.

Special Collections Online Exhibits

Archives Month (October) has almost come and gone, but the Special Collections Department in Albertsons Library, Boise State University, has recently mounted two online exhibits highlighting primary archival sources in several of its collections:

The Gracie Pfost Gallery
http://library.boisestate.edu/Special/GraciePfost.htm features photos and campaign literature from the career of Gracie Bowers Pfost (1906-1965), the first woman elected to Congress from Idaho. The exhibit items come from a collection of memorabilia donated to Boise State University by Mrs. Pfost's sister, Pearl Mabe, in 1998.


The Sunshine Mine Disaster
http://library.boisestate.edu/Special/Sunshine.htm
was created to support Boise State University's First Year Read, in which all freshmen are assigned to read the same book. This year the book is "The Deep Dark," by Gregg Olsen, about the Sunshine Mine fire in Kellogg, Idaho, in 1972. The primary source materials in the online exhibit come from the manuscript collections of Senator Frank Church, Senator Len B. Jordan, and Governor Cecil D. Andrus.

A complete list of online exhibits mounted by Special Collections at the Boise State University Library featuring primary source documents from our collections is found at http://library.boisestate.edu/Special/Exhibits.htm .

Alan Virta, Head of Special Collections and Associate Professor

New Wireless Restrictions

The following announcement will also impact wireless access at Albertsons Library:

Beginning Oct. 9 October 16, computers connecting to the university network in residence halls and via the campus wireless network will be required to use a security and privacy authentication process called Clean Access.

Users of a Windows operating system will be required to install Clean Access Agent software on their computers. Macintosh and Linux systems will not be required to install the Clean Access Agent software at this time. This small application will verify to the network that the user’s laptop (on wireless) or computer (in student housing) is running a current version of anti-virus and that he/she has the recommended security software updates from Microsoft.

Clean Access only identifies vulnerabilities existing on computers and recommends and instructs computer owners how to fix those vulnerabilities in order to be granted access to the university network. For more information visit helpdesk.boisestate.edu/cleanaccess.shtml.

Check this FAQ for more information and additional options for wi-fi access around campus.

More than 2,000 eAudiboooks for you - free!

Thanks to the hard work of the Idaho Commission for Libraries, everyone in Idaho will soon have access to more than two thousand eAudiobooks through a company called NetLibrary. Get your mp3 players ready! The service goes live on October 1st.

An eAudiobook, if you don't already know, is identical to a book on CD but without the CD! Instead of burning the audiobook files to a bunch of discs, the publisher simply makes them available digitally. You can download the audiobook files and play them on your computer or transfer to a supported mp3 player (deep apologies, but iPods don't work). We'll also have a bunch of mp3 players available for checkout if you don't have a compatible device.

In case you want to start browsing now, here's a list of books that will be available on the 10/1 go-live date:

• 1,326 titles in the NetLibrary Core Collection
  


• 425 children's and young adult titles
  


• 197 literary classics
  


• 162 titles from the Pimsleur language series
  


• The Bible, broken down into 30 sections

If you have questions about this service or want more information, feel free to ask us or review NetLibrary's help pages. I hope you enjoy the new service -- I know I will!

Go ahead, ask!

Ever had to do a research paper in the wee hours of the morning? Have a question but there's no one around to help you? Then check out our online chat reference service, answerxpress.com .

AnswerXpress is an online service available 24/7, staffed by helpful library folk willing and able to answer questions or help with your research via chat.

Besides reference services via phone (426-3301), e-mail, or in person, answerXpress is another convenient way to have your reference questions answered quickly and online.