That New Box on the Website

Some of you might be wondering what that new box on the website is. Well, just as it appears to be, it is an instant messaging box. Unlike most instant messaging tools, however, you don't need to install any extra software and you don't need to log in to use it. When I am at my desk, all messages sent through this tool (called Meebo, by the way) go directly to me. When I am not at my desk, the messages go to one of my co-workers. If none of us are available, Meebo will show us as offline, so you never have to worry about somebody outside of the Allen Library trying to answer your Allen Library related questions. So, what can you use this for? Anything you want. Just ask a question and we'll do our best to answer it. You can still ask questions via email, phone, or in person, but this is another way that we can help get you the answers you need.

Allen Library is on Facebook

I’m going to do a little cross-promotion here and let all of you blog readers know that the Allen Library is also on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Hartford-CT/Allen-Memorial-Library/64186236429?ref=mf). For those of you currently scoffing at the idea of a library on Facebook (“Libraries should just store books!”), let me tell you that this is the best way to keep up-to-date on the small things happening at Allen. For example, while I had a blog entry on the start of the book sale, I did a Facebook update when the sale went half off. If you become a “fan” of the Allen Library on Facebook, you will receive all of these little updates.

Another reason to join the page is so that you can get your voice heard as a member of the Allen community. Not only can you post comments on the main page, but you can join in discussions. Currently, I have a discussion open simply asking what we can do better. Although we always strive to anticipate your needs, it is always advantageous to get direct feedback so that we can constantly improve our services. So join in the fun and become a fan!

Food for Fines

To celebrate National Library Week (I bet you didn't know it existed), Allen and Mortensen Libraries will be holding a Food for Fines week, starting Monday (4/13) and ending Sunday (4/19). This will be an opportunity for you to cut back on how much you owe us while helping the community at the same time. For every non-perishable item you bring in (such as canned goods), we will forgive $2.00 in fines. These fines could be old ones or new ones generated from returning an overdue item. We will, of course, also accept donations from those of you with no fines on your account. All of the food we receive will be donated to local food pantries. The only fines that won't be forgiven are those already billed to the bursar or those for Lost Items that have not been returned. So, if you want to do some good while lowering your fines at the same time, drop by sometime next week and bring in some food (non-perishable, of course)!

The Wonderful World of Course Reserves

Nothing big today, just a little note on course reserves. If you’ve ever taken a class that used reserves, you are probably familiar with the binder at the circulation desk that has all of the course reserve lists. But did you know that it is also online? It is available at: http://library.hartford.edu/allenlibrary/libraryreserves.asp. This online version is essentially identical to the binder, except that you can access it from anywhere (well, not anywhere; you need an internet connection). With this online version, you can see what is available for your class even before you come to the library. Also, if you click on the call number, you will see that item’s record in the catalog, giving you further information about the item in addition to its current availability. We are hoping to eventually turn this into a one-stop-shop list for reserves, so that it would also include links to electronic reserves such as Naxos recordings and digitized articles/scores. We haven’t done this yet, but it may happen this summer. Stay tuned!

Why Subject Guides Are Awesome

You know those times when you’re not looking for a specific item, but just have a vague idea and want to know where to browse? While the rest of the public services staff and I are more than glad to point you in the right direction, you might not realize that we’ve already done most of the work for you. Over the years, we’ve put together many subject guides that can help you in a number of ways, including giving you general call numbers. If you want to take a look, they are here:

Music
Dance
Theatre

Let’s say I want to browse the clarinet sonata section. I would simply access the woodwind music subject guide, look in the call number section for clarinet and piano, and find out that they are in M248-M252. I could use the dance subject guide to discover that dance biographies are GV1785. Although the classification system we use is highly organized, it can be confusing for browsing purposes, as the sections are very specific. The call number sections of the subject guides can really help make it easier.

But wait, there’s more! Most of the subject guides will also provide you a list of recommended books, periodicals, and websites on a given topic. While this may not help with research in a highly specialized area, it will help give you an idea of what is available in your general field of study. These lists are by no means comprehensive, so be sure not to rely solely on what we list; they are primarily there to get you started. The subject guides also list subject headings for searching the catalog, but that’s really a different blog posting altogether (that’s really a different blog posting).

These subject guides are accessible through our homepage, up in the quicklinks where it says Music – Dance – Theatre. If you would like to see more subject guides, we would be glad to make them. Just suggest a topic. I believe we should have two more coming out soon: orchestral music and performance injuries. Enjoy the guides!