DSB - now available electronically

The Dictionary of Scientific Biography is now available as an eBook through the library.

Library search bar

Frazier mentioned something about this to me several weeks ago, but I finally found and installed the U of M library search bar into my Firefox browser. At first glance, it looks like a great project. The search bar is unobtrusive and allows you to search the library catalog without going to the library homepage. You can search by keyword, title, subject, author, or ISBN/ISSN. For my own purposes, I'd like to see a call number search, too, but that doesn't exist at this point.

The LibX extension works with both Internet Explorer and Firefox, and there have also been versions created by a number of other libraries as well - so if you're not at the U, you might be able to find this extension at your own library.

Go to http://www.lib.umn.edu/site/libx.phtml to install the University of Minnesota version.

New Library Service

I thought you all might want to know about this new library service starting next week. Let me know if you have questions:

Starting March 3, 2008, requesting a book from a Twin Cities campus library will be a one-stop process for University of Minnesota faculty, staff and students. The “Get It” link in the availability page of the MNCat library catalog consolidates book requesting services currently found in 4 places:

* Recall –changing the due date of a book that has already been checked out for earlier pickup at any convenient campus library
* Point-to-Point - for delivery of books not checked out, to be picked up at a more convenient campus library than the owning library
* Libraries to U – for delivery of books to on-campus faculty/staff offices
* MLAC Paging - for MLAC deliveries

An additional service is now being offered with the “Get It” link:

* Paging – pulling books from the shelves of a library to be held for users at the Circulation Desk of that same library


Get It will also provide an additional route for users to request In Process and On Order items. These requests will be directed to Technical Services for processing.

Users will no longer have to fill out web forms, but will have user and book information pre-populated when they initiate a request after logging into their account. All the user will have to do is make a menu choice indicating where they would like the book to be sent for pickup! This will include an on-campus office for UM faculty and staff. Once a book is either returned or found on the shelf, shipping will take place within 48 hours on weekdays; most requests shipped within 24 hours.

MyLibrary - from Stephanie, CBI Assistant Archivist

Hello from your friendly neighborhood archivist! Nathan has kindly invited me to contribute to your HSTM blog. I just wanted to let you all know of a new service the U Libraries have just rolled out, called MyLibrary. It's accessible through your MyU portal and through the library: https://www.lib.umn.edu/mylibrary/

You need your UMN ID and password to log in.

Here's a snippet from library tech whiz Shane, who can summarize this better than I can:

Some of the features of myLibrary include librarian resource suggestions and recommended libraries for users based on department or discipline affiliation, the ability for users to save databases and ejournals to the page, easy access to MNCAT account information, and links and access to some of most popular services and tools offered by the libraries. All of these personalization and customization services are also available to our users through the myLibrary tab of MyU (https://www.myu.umn.edu). The myLibrary page can be accessed by saving a resource using the "Add To myLibrary" buttons located throughout the site, and at the top of the main web site header in the "myLibrary" toolbar link.

Good luck! Also, don't forget to visit CBI's blog. It's linked on the sidebar. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/horow021/cbi