February 24, 2005
what is Blais?
Blais is our online catalog, and will tell you what is owned by the Claremont libraries. Blais is great for finding books and for locating print and online journal titles, and much more. you can do author, title, and keyword searching in Blais to find what you want.
author -- this can be one or more people, or a publishing body like, 'International Conference on Computers and Communications'
title -- usually the actual item title, but occasionally a series title, where a series of books share the same title. For example, Lecture Notes in Mathematics or conference proceedings
keyword -- this will search for words anywhere
subject -- subject searching uses the Library of Congress Subject Headings. every item is assigned at least one subject category, and this is a great way to find a variety of items specific to one subject area. See the Big Red Books for more info
journal cross references -- don't forget to check the title change links towards the bottom of your item record. journal publishers change titles from time to time, and the title changes are interlinked with either 'continues' or 'con't by' links
limiting your search -- limiting your search is a good way to sort out unnecessary results. the limit button is one of the maroon buttons at the top of the screen. some limit options are location, item type (video? journal?), or language
mailing marked records -- mark items and email them to yourself
example of a journal record doc pdf
example of a book record doc pdf
cool things about Blais:
preferred searches
featured lists
my Blais
Posted by jez at 09:10 PM
February 23, 2005
Google Movie Times & Reviews
type 'define:(insert movie of choice here) for movie times and reviews.
thanks to juile for this tidbit. : )
Posted by jez at 07:31 PM
February 19, 2005
how do i suggest something for the library?
the collections are managed by the librarians and divided by subject. if your subject is math, computer science, engineering, or physics, send jez an email with the necessary information. jez@hmc.edu
if your requested item is in another subject, click here to find your subject specialist.
you can also request a book through Blais here.
Posted by jez at 10:15 PM
February 16, 2005
what's the difference between link+ and interlibrary loan?
link+ and interlibrary loan are very similar in that they both provide you with access to materials not owned by the Claremont libraries.
link+
pros:
quick, usually 2-3 days
wide variety of books (thinking of a container garden or how to build a bookshelf? or the latest David Brown novel?)
delivered to Honnold for easy pick up
free
cons:
only books, no journals or articles
interlibrary loan
pros:
gets you just about anything and everything. it's amazing what you can get via interlibrary loan
journal articles typically sent as pdfs via email
delivered to Honnold for easy pick up
free
cons:
can take up to 2 weeks
Posted by jez at 10:27 PM
Link+
Link+ is a consortia of California and Nevada libraries that share books amongst each other. Link+ is a great way to get books we don't own, and is excellent for getting a copy of something that is checked out.
from the main blais page, http://blais.claremont.edu, click on 'Search Link+' under 'Additional Functions' to enter the Link+ catalog. additionally, you can enter into link+ directly from your Blais results screen by clicking on the maroon Link+ button towards the top of the page. this is great if you are searching for a particular book that we don't have - click Link+ to find a copy quickly.
to fill out a Link+ request:
1. once you've found your item, click on 'request this item' near the center of the page
2. from the drop down menu presented to you, choose 'Claremont'
3. you will then be prompted to input your 10 digit ID # and name so Blais knows who you are and who to deliver the book to
4. and that's it! takes about 2-3 days, a week at most, and you will get an email when the book arrives for pick up at Honnold.
when dropping off Link+ books, please return them to the book drops at Honnold or the circulation desk. campus libraries cannot take Link+ returns, they must be processed by the mothership library.
what's the difference between interlibrary loan and Link+?
Posted by jez at 10:23 PM
interlibrary loan
interlibrary loan is a free loan system where libraries nationwide share resources with each other. you can request materials that we do not have through the form located on the libraries' main website. instructions are:
1. go to http://libraries.claremont.edu
2. under the heading 'Getting Materials', click on the link that reads, 'Request materials not at Claremont (InterLibrary Loan)'
3. scroll down and click on 'Request a book or a photocopy of a journal article'
4. you will be prompted to log in with your 10 digit ID number (at the bottom of your card) and your name
5. once you log in, click on 'article' or 'book'
6. input your citation information and click 'continue' and you're done!
journal articles usually arrive via email as a pdf, and books will be delivered to Honnold and you will be emailed regarding their arrival. interlibrary loan requests can take up to two weeks, so budget lots of time for gathering information for research.
what's the difference between interlibrary loan and Link+?
Posted by jez at 10:14 PM
contact information
by phone:
circulation desk - 909 621 8920
staff offices - 909 607 7436
librarian - 909 607 7437
Iris Critchell/aeronautics collection - 909 621 8128
by email:
librarian - jez @ hmc.edu
aeronautics collection - iris_critchell @ hmc.edu
by chat:
i'm on Yahoo! and MSN - profile ID jezmynne, and AIM - profile ID bad8sslibrarian
by snail mail:
Sprague Science Library
240 Platt Blvd
Claremont CA 91711
Posted by jez at 08:12 AM
sprague staff
jezmynne westcott:
call me jez... i'm the sprague librarian, here to assist you with your information needs. : ) i have a BA in history from the university of new mexico and a masters in library and information science from the university of illinois, urbana-champaign. i've been here since september 2002, and in sprague since february 2004. i manage the collections in math, computer science, and engineering, but i can help locate information in many subjects (or at the very least get you in with the librarian who can!).
my primary hobby is crochet, but i'm also known to spend significant amounts of daylight gardening in the yard. we have a 4x4 pick up and we take it out nearly every weekend to hike, off road, and explore.
where am i? find out here
jez's calendar
chat with me here:
patrick rogers:
patrick has an academic background in Musicology and Librarianship. His graduate degrees were earned at UC Santa Barbara, Claremont Graduate School and San Jose State. he was a Fulbright Scholar in Britain during the 1982-83 academic year. patrick currently coordinates circulation, reserves and student staff at sprague. he was formerly Acting Director of the Fiske Museum of Musical Instruments in Bridges Auditorium. also a professional musician, patrick enjoys live theater, Contract Bridge, and exploring local museums.
Posted by jez at 07:57 AM
services in sprague library
we offer many services in sprague to fit your library needs.
reference assistance:
use the reference librarian's help in locating articles in scholarly journals for research papers or clinic literature reviews, conference proceedings, elusive government information, hard to find materials, and more
ERES:
professors, we'll put books on reserve at sprague for your students! the materials do not have to belong in sprague; we can reserve seeley g books or honnold books just as easily. students, come read your reserves in our comfy new setting with bright lights, or photocopy till your heart's content with our handy Xerox machine.
sprague library:
not only for research! this library has two browsing areas full of popular magazines and great reading fiction and non fiction on the 1st floor. there are games and puzzles and chess sets everywhere, and white boards on the 3rd and 5th floor for collaborative study right in the library collections! of course there are plenty of hidey holes perfect for take home exams or when you need silence to contemplate your next brilliant move towards world domination. coffee is welcome! use a covered container and do mind the new carpet on the 1st floor.
workshops:
sprague's librarian hosts short, 30 minute sessions on how to use MathSciNet, or Web of Science, or how to find conference proceedings. if you're new to research, drop in for a Library 101 session to get familiar with the basics.
wireless:
oh yeah, baby! we've got the best wireless access around! come bring your laptop and surf anywhere in sprague, or even outside on the patio! all you need to do is register your wireless MAC addy with cgu and you're good to go!
HMC aeronautics collection:
housed on the 4th floor of sprague is the aeronautics collection, managed by harvey mudd's own Iris Critchell. this amazing woman cares for an incredible collection of aviation history, including all our past mudd astronauts! need primary research material for a history paper? here's your stop!
Posted by jez at 07:38 AM
February 10, 2005
hours
we have new hours! starting this spring, we began opening an hour later in order to stay open an hour later in the evenings. our new hours are:
monday thru thursday - 9:00 to midnight
friday - 9:00 to 5:00
saturday - noon to 5:00
sunday - noon to midnight
questions? please ask us at the circ desk!
Posted by jez at 10:57 AM
February 09, 2005
lights!
hey! we have new lights... did you notice???
k, so here's the skinny - over break, we got a brand new light set up that works off motion sensors. as you've noticed, we've been experiencing difficulty with setting the lights. however, we tried something new, and we think we've got it figured out. please drop by the circ desk and let us know if anything happens.
Posted by jez at 07:25 PM