The Reference Desk is now set up to use Meebo. Meebo does the same thing that Gaim does (which is what we’ve been using), namely combining multiple IM accounts into one interface, so we only have to run one program to allow people with different IM programs to contact us.
BUT (and that’s a big but), there’s a very special thing that Meebo does that programs like Gaim and Trillian do NOT, and that is providing an embedded “widget” allowing people to IM us without having any IM program installed. I’ve already set up a widget for Meebo on our Ask A Librarian page, so give it a click and see what it looks like.
The only thing that Meebo requires is logging into it through a web page and keeping that web page open. If you use Firefox, it’s just an extra tab and I’ve already configured Firefox to open the library website AND Meebo in two different tabs when Firefox is launched. Internet Explorer 6 doesn’t have tabs (and IE7 cannot run on Windows 2000 machines), so if you use Internet Explorer you’ll need to have two browser windows open–one for the library website/catalog and one for Meebo. I’m keeping the library website as the Home Page in IE and have added a link on the toolbar for Meebo. Since we’ve gotten used to having a separate application running with Gaim, it won’t be much different except that both windows will be Internet Explorer. My recommendation: use Firefox. 🙂
(For what it’s worth, Meebo widgets can also be seamlessly used in LibGuides, as you’ll be able to see by looking at my profile.)
(See http://meebo.com for more information about it.)
A new database is available through the Butler Libraries, called Cambridge Companions to Philosophy, Religion, and Culture.
Cambridge University Press publishes many books in their “Companions” series, each on a specific topic. The Cambridge Companions series offers specially-commissioned
collections of essays which are intended to serve as reference works for an inter-disciplinary
audience of students and non-specialists.
Addressing topics and figures ranging from Plato through
Kant to Habermas, and philosophical movements such as the Scottish Enlightenment and German Idealism,
this online collection ehealth pharmacy contains over 900 downloadable essays taken from the Cambridge
Companions to Philosophy, Religion and Culture (more than 90 volumes).
Each volume also includes a substantial bibliography and other elements such as glossaries and timelines. You can browse the collection by Volume, by Chapter Title, and by Author.
For the last few days, our SFX service has been down. This has affected the FindIt button and Journals A-Z.
As of Wednesday, Sept. 19, all these services have been restored. We regret any inconvenience this may have caused.
EBSCO databases have long used “alerts” to help you keep track of new materials that interest you. Now they’ve begun delivering those alerts via RSS feeds.
Users can now create an Alert directly
from the Result List, Search History, or the Publication list. Create
instant RSS feed Alerts by clicking on the orange RSS Feed icons.
What does this mean? It means you can create a search in any EBSCO database, grab the resulting RSS feed, and get information sent to you about new materials that have been added to that database that fit your search criteria. And without having to re-do your search every time.
(If you need an RSS reader, we recommend Google Reader or Bloglines.)
Butler Libraries currently subscribe to over 35 different EBSCO databases, including Academic Search Premier, Business Source Complete, ERIC, MasterFILE Premier, MEDLINE, Newspaper Source, PsycARTICLES, and SocINDEX with Full Text.
Computers in the library labs are regularly rebooted to clear off profiles and keep them running smoothly. When profiles are deleted, that includes all the MyDocuments folders that anyone has used on that machine. End Result: Local folders (including anything on the C: drive) are NOT a safe place to save your documents.
Instead, use BUFiles!
All Butler students, faculty, and staff are given some network space on BUFiles that they can access from any computer on the network. This is your own personal space that no one else has access to. It’s much safer, more secure, and more convenient than using the My Documents folder on any machine in a lab. Use BUFiles for storing all your assignments, papers, and other important documents. You can typically get to this folder by opening your H: drive under My Computer.
If you need more assistance working with BUFiles, visit the Networking & Accounts page on I.R.’s website.
Comments Off on Reference Desk now using Meebo 
Themocracy