MacRae Library News - 2010

New NSAC SmartCard

Posted June 16th, 2010

Printing and photocopying at MacRae Library and NSAC just got a little easier, thanks to the SmartCard Project expansion. Starting today, this joint initiative between the Registry Office, IT Services and the MacRae Library will see the integration of printing and photocopying services in student computers labs and the MacRae Library. While this means many new improvements, it will also affect existing printing and photocopying procedures, particularly at MacRae Library. Over the coming months, library staff will be working closely with library users to make this transition as smooth as possible.

One of the biggest changes is the introduction of SmartCard for photocopying and printing and the elimination of the traditional print/photocopy card at MacRae Library. For students, the SmartCard is your student ID card and for NSAC staff and faculty, it is your NSAC staff ID card. Public patrons will be able to purchase a SmartCard at a kiosk located in the library.

Effective June 14th, the print/photocopy card will no longer work for printing and photocopying in the library. However, if you have a print/photocopy card with an unused balance you can return it to the library from Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm until November 30th, 2010 and you will be refunded the amount of the unused balance.
Students will be able to add money (cash only) to their SmartCard printing and photocopy account in a new kiosk at the MacRae Library. In addition, students can use a credit card to add to their balance through a web revalue system. Existing printing balances will be rolled into the new system.

Information regarding any change in processes for Research Assistant copying in the library, as well as refunding of any unused balances on existing copy cards currently issued to Research Assistants, will be communicated separately.

More information on the new SmartCard printing and photocopying service at the MacRae Library will be available over the coming weeks. Check the library website, e-bulletin, NSAC forums and signage in the library for more information. Contact the MacRae Library at 893-6669 to answer any questions regarding existing print/photocopy debit cards. For more information about the SmartCard system, contact the IT Helpdesk at 893-6154.

Scopus Training Session

Posted May 11, 2010

Farm, Field and Fireside - Agricultural Newspaper Collection

Posted April 15, 2010

The Farm, Field and Fireside Collection is a project of the History, Philosophy and Newspaper Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This collection is a repository of digital facsimiles of historic agricultural newspapers published in the United States.

The Farm, Field and Fireside Collection interface allows users to browse online the newspapers by date or keyword search across articles, advertisements and photo captions.There is no charge to use this service and users can print, download, or e-mail individual articles.

Newspaper titles currently available:

• Berkshire World and Cornbelt Stockman (1910-1926)
• Farmers Voice (1898-1913)
• Farmer's Wife (1906-1939)
• Better Farming (1913-1925)
• Farmers Review (1879-1918)
• Farm, Field and Fireside (1884-1906)
• Farm, Field and Stockman (1885-1887)
• Farm Home (1899-1920)
• Farm Press (1906-1913)
• Illinois Farmer (1856-1864)
• Lancaster Farming (1955-1981)
• Prairie Farmer (1841-1923)

Additional years and new titles are planned to be added. The Farm, Field and Fireside repository is accessible at here and a link to the database is available on our A-Z database list.

Writing Centre Hours

Posted March 7, 2010

The Writing Centre will be open during the following hours until further notice:

New Database - Scopus

Posted on March 3, 2010

The MacRae Library has recently subscribed to a new abstract and citation database called Scopus.

Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature and web sources. It has several important tools available to help you track, analyze and visualize research including Citation tracker, Author Identifier, Journal Analyzer, Affiliation Identifier and much more.

Scopus is updated daily and indexes nearly 18,000 titles from more than 5,000 international publishers. This coverage includes peer-reviewed journals (including Open Access journals), 600 trade publications, 350 book series and extensive conference coverage. In total, it covers 38 million records, of which 19 million go back to 1996 and 19 million pre-1996 records go back as far as 1823. Scopus also offers full integration of the scientific web in its search results including:

• 435 million scientific web pages
• 23 million patents from 5 patent offices
• “Articles-in-Press” from over 3,000 journals
• Other selected sources including institutional repositories, digital archives and special subject collections.

A link to the complete list of titles covered by Scopus can be found here.

The Scopus database can be accessed through the MacRae Library’s Article & Research Databases page and by selecting Scopus from the list. It is also available on many subject database pages throughout the website.

Comments and questions regarding Scopus can be directed by email to the Library or by phone at 893-6669.

New Books in Permaculture, Sustainability, and Self-sufficient Living

Posted on March 1, 2010

Check out some of the new books at the MacRae Library about permaculture, sustainability and self-sufficency! Simply write down the call number to find these books in the general collection or in the new books section.

• The permaculture way : practical steps to create a self-sustaining world by Graham Bell ; illustrated by Brick ; foreword by Bill Mollison ; preface by David Bellany. - S 494.5 P47 B44 2005

• The self-sufficient life and how to live it : the complete back-to-basics guide by John Seymour with Will Sutherland (6th ed.) - S 501.2 S453 2009

• The transition handbook : from oil dependency to local resilience by Rob Hopkins - HD 9502 A2 H67 2008

• Depletion and abundance : life on the new home front by Sharon Astyk - GF 78 A88 2008

• Independence days : a guide to sustainable food storage & preservation by Sharon Astyk - TX 601 A78 2009

• Sustainable agroecosystem management : integrating ecology, economics, and society edited by Patrick J. Bohlen and Gar House - S 589.7 S87 2009

• Sustainable development : linking economy, society, environment by Tracey Strange and Anne Bayley - HC 79 E5 S76 2008

Regular Library Hours resume - February 27, 2010

Posted February 26, 2010

Regular Library hours will resume on Saturday, February 27 until March 28, 2010:

• Monday - Thursday 8:30am - 10:30pm
• Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm
• Satuday 10:00am - 5:00pm
• Sunday 10:00am - 10:30pm

Library hours for the year can be viewed here.

Library Hours & Writing Centre Hours - February 22-26, 2010

Posted February 15, 2010

The library will observe the following hours during Mid-Term Study Break:

• 8:30am-4:30pm on Monday-Friday (February 22-26, 2010)
• Please note the Writing Centre will be closed during this time.

Regular hours will resume on February 27, 2010. Click here for the Library's hours during the winter and spring/summer semester.

Introduction to Scopus - Video

Posted February 15, 2010

The MacRae Library is currently offering, on trial, a new database called Scopus. Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature and web sources.

Learn about about this tool by watching an Introduction to Scopus video where you will learn about the tools available to help you track, analyze and visualize research including: Citation tracker, Author Identifier, Journal Analyzer, Affiliation Identifier and much more.

The trial is available for 30 days until February 27, 2010.

Comments and questions regarding the trial can be directed by email to the Library or by phone at 893-6669.

Library News RSS feed

Posted February 3, 2010

Want to stay up-to-date on the latest news at the MacRae Library?

Subscribe to the Library News RSS feed! An RSS feed (which stands for Really Simple Syndication) is frequently updated content that is published by a website.

Located on the library homepage, the news feed is regularly updated with information regarding new database trials, new books and acquisitions, library tips, library instruction classes and more. You can also subscribe to the New Acquisitions RSS feed.

To subscribe to the Library News RSS feed in Internet Explorer:

• Go to the MacRae Library homepage and find the "Library News" box.
• Click on the RSS button
• Click Subscribe to this feed (called Live Bookmarks in Firefox)
• Create a name for the feed (ex. Library News) and select the folder to create the feed in
• Click Subscribe

If you have any questions or comments regarding the new tool, please contact the library at library@nsac.ca or 893-6669.

New Database on Trial – Scopus

Posted January 28, 2010

The MacRae Library is currently offering, on trial, a new database called Scopus.

Scopus is the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature and web sources. It has several important tools available to help you track, analyze and visualize research including Citation tracker, Author Identifier, Journal Analyzer, Affiliation Identifier and much more.

Scopus is updated daily and indexes nearly 18,000 titles from more than 5,000 international publishers. This coverage includes peer-review journals (including Open Access journals), 600 trade publications, 350 book series and extensive conference coverage. In total, it covers 38 million records, of which 19 million go back to 1996 and 19 million pre-1996 records go back as far as 1823. Scopus also offers full integration of the scientific web in its search results including:

• 435 million scientific web pages
• 23 million patents from 5 patent offices
• “Articles-in-Press” from over 3,000 journals
• Other selected sources including institutional repositories, digital archives and special subject collections.

A link to the complete list of titles included can be found here.

The Scopus database can be accessed through the Article & Research Database page on the MacRae Library website and by selecting Scopus from the list. The trial is available for 30 days until February 27, 2010.

Comments and questions regarding the trial can be directed by email to the Library or by phone at 893-6669.

New Database – Environment Complete™

Posted January 26, 2010

The MacRae Library has recently subscribed to a new database called Environment Complete™.

Environment Complete™ offers deep coverage in areas of agriculture, ecosystem ecology, energy, renewable energy sources, natural resources, marine & freshwater science, geography, pollution & waste management, environmental technology, environmental law, public policy, social impacts, urban planning, and more.

Environment Complete™ contains over 2 million records from more than 1,900 domestic and international titles going back to the 1940s. The database contains full text for many journals such as Environment, Ecologist, Conservation Biology and many more. Full text for more than 130 monographs (books) is also available. A link to the complete list of titles included can be found here.

The Environment Complete™ database can be accessed through the Article & Research Database list on the MacRae Library website.

Spotlight: Food, Science & Technology Abstracts

Posted January 22, 2010

Looking for food science and food technology related information? Check out the Food, Science & Technology Abstracts (FSTA) database.

The FSTA database is an extensive collection of abstracts prepared from the world's food science, food technology and food-related human nutrition literature. Key subjects include: Biotechnology, Food safety, Food science, Functional & novel foods, Additives, Nutrition & Packaging.

Links to full text articles can be done using the "findit@nsac" option and, if unavailable, by requesting an Interlibrary Loan.

There are over 800,000 records in the database - from 1969 to present - with monthly updates. The FSTA database is published by the International Food Information Service.

Links to the FSTA database are found under the Article & Research databases, or try it out here.

Writing Centre Schedule

Posted January 15, 2010

The Writing Centre Schedule for Winter 2010 semester has been updated. The hours are as follows:

ESL classes will be held from 5:15 to 6:15 Monday to Thursday.

Food for Fines

Posted January 6, 2010

Reduce or clear your library fines at the Novanet Libraries — with food!

For every non-perishable food item donated, participating Novanet libraries will reduce your library fine by $2, to a maximum of $20. All food donations will be given to the Truro Food Bank.Food for Fines runs from January 18-27.

Bring your donations of canned goods or other non-perishable foods to the Circulation Desk at any of the participating libraries during regular hours. We accept cash as well! Good for the libraries, good for the Food Bank — good for you!

Food For Fines is an initiative of the libraries at: Atlantic School of Theology, Cape Breton University, Dalhousie University, DalTech, Mount St. Vincent University, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, Nova Scotia Community Colleges, Saint Mary’s University, St. Francis Xavier University, University of King’s College.

Reference Desk Hours

Posted January 4, 2010

Reference Desk Hours will resume for the winter semester on January 11, 2010. A library staff member will be available on the Reference Desk from noon-2pm, Monday-Friday to provide help with using the library resources and finding information. Make an appointment, phone or drop by the Reference Desk at the library (located next to the Information Commons) to ask your question

Using Refworks from Off-Campus

Posted January 4, 2010

Are you using RefWorks from off-campus? If so, you will need to know NSAC's group code for RefWorks . You can get this code, plus more information about using RefWorks by going to NSAC's RefWorks webpage