JCU - Library & Computing News

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Week Beginning 21 April

Anzac Day - Library Opening Hours

The Cairns and Townsville libraries will be open from 1-5pm on Friday 25th April 2008. Standard library opening hours apply for the weekend 26-27 April 2008.

How to Enable Remote Access to Library Resources

Having trouble accessing your readings from Reserve Online or LearnJCU? From off-campus, through their own internet service providers, students and staff of James Cook University may obtain online access to University subscribed publications, indexes and abstracts via links from University web pages and via the library catalogue Tropicat. Read these easy to follow instructions for enabling remote access.

This will take you to the online resources with remote access enabled. For the duration of the current session all resources will be available off campus where JCU has an active subscription. Once enabled for remote access you can go to the catalogue from the web pages or vice versa, you need only login for remote access once per session. A JCU username (login ID) and password will be required to enable access.

The full content of JCU online subscriptions is not available to the general public. The licences and agreements which permit use of these resources require that users read and observe the terms and conditions of use as published on the web sites of the publications concerned.

Optimising File Sizes

Having problems with file sizes. Are your powerpoint presentations or MS Word files to big? Check out these recent library vodcasts which illustrate how to massively reduce your file sizes.

World Book & Copyright Day - 23 April

By celebrating this Day throughout the world, UNESCO seeks to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright.

23 April is a symbolic date for world literature for on this date in 1616, Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors such as Maurice Druon, Haldor K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.

It was a natural choice for UNESCO 's General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity. In this respect, UNESCO created both the World Book and Copyright Day and the UNESCO Prize for Children's and Young People's Literature in the Service of Tolerance.

Week beginning 14 April

Store Items Unavailable

JCU Library is currently reorganising its store collection to create more space. During this process, which is likely to take some months, items marked in Tropicat as being in the S Store, X Store or Y Store collections will be unavailable. If you have need of such items, please contact InfoHelp to explore alternatives.

Wireless set up Mac OSX 10.5 Leopard

New self-help guide is now available for the Mac OSX 10.5 Leopard. This joins existing guides for Mac OSX 10.3 and 10.4 Wireless connection at JCU Douglas and Cairns campuses.

Week Beginning 7 April

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

There's still some time to take a look at the books in the Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover book display. This display is showcasing a number of interesting books on a variety of subjects which wouldn't normally get displayed because of the appearance of the covers. Make sure you come into the library and take a look inside some of these books - after all, it's what's inside that counts.

Find It Issues Resolved

Recent problems experienced with have now been resolved by AARLIN. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this issue.

Lost Property

Please remember not to leave your personal belongings unattended in the Library, and check that you have removed any USB memory sticks or CDs from the computers before leaving. Lost property handed in or found in the Library is collected at the Lending Services desk, and then sent to the Student Association each week.

Week Beginning 31 March

Encyclopedia of Archaeology trial access

A trial is available from the Trials web page to the newly published Elsevier online reference work Encyclopedia of Archaeology. Off campus access is available if you first log in via Remote Access then go to “Trial of new online services” via the databases link. The trial ends 21 April 2008.

The Encyclopedia of Archaeology covers all world regions with truly international scholarship and provides insights into the different schools of archaeological thought and some of the key scientific sub-disciplines (archaeometry, phytolith analysis, taphonomy etc.)

Week Beginning 24 March

Library Orientation Tours and tutorials

The Library Orientation Tours, Tutorials and Drop-In Sessions are over for another semester.

If you didn't make it, don't despair. You can still check out our online guides and tutorials, including the orientation survival guides.

And, if a group of you would like to sit down with a librarian to find out more about finding journal articles, assignment research success or any of our other services, you can contact your liaison librarian and arrange a time to have a "drop-in session" of your own.

Week Beginning 17 March

Library Easter Opening Hours

Townsville: The Library building will be closed from 10.30pm Thursday 20th March and will reopen from 1-5pm on Monday 24th March.
Cairns: The Library building will be closed from 9pm Thursday 20th March and will reopen from 1pm-5pm Monday 24th March.
Computer Labs: All general access computer labs will be open 24x7 over the Easter break.
Short Term Loans: Students can borrow 3 items from the 2 Hour Loan Collection on Thursday 20th March, overnight from 8pm. Items on overnight loan need to be returned by 1.30pm on Monday 24th March.

Wiley Interscience backfiles

The library has acquired online access to back issues of 47 Wiley InterScience journals. These are in 3 new backfile collections:

Access is also available under the entry for Wiley in the Library Databases web page, or under each individual journal title in the library catalogue Tropicat and Journals title list. Please log in via Remote Access if you are off campus.

Week Beginning 10 March

Group Presentation Room Now Available

Is your group running a presentation? Need somewhere to try it out? The Douglas Library now has a group presentation room on the top floor near the western InfoCommons. You can connect your laptop to the equipment and display your presentation or group work on the wall. Full instructions on how to set up are available in the room. You can also borrow laptops from the Lending Services desk. The JCU walkabout wireless network is accessible in this room.

InfoHelp Tutorials & Training

InfoHelp Training in Townsville this week includes Top Ten Assignment Research Tips, Finding Journal Articles and Finding More on the Web. In Cairns you can attend Getting Connected, Top Ten Assignment Research Tips, Finding Journal Articles and Finding More on the Web.

Check out the details and session times on our Tutorial & Training website.

More Major Reference Works published by Elsevier available online

JCU staff and students now have online access via ScienceDirect to the following encyclopaedias and reference works:

Access is also available via the Library Databases web page and the library catalogue Tropicat, Please log in via Remote Access if you are off campus.

If this information is inadequate, incorrect, or can be improved in any way, please let us know