Ch-ch-changes: Guides & Catalog System

Two of the systems we rely on at McIntyre are going through major changes over break and at the beginning of the semester: LibGuides, our library guide platform that also includes our lists of databases, and our catalog system which pairs with Library Search for access to both our collection and those of other UW libraries through Universal Borrowing.  LibGuides has undergone a major upgrade, making it more versatile - it will look a little different and have a few new features.  The catalog switchover, from Voyager to Alma, is a much bigger change: all the libraries in the UW System are working to make it as seamless as possible. Check the library home page for updates!

Students chat with the library

We've noticed a trend: students are choosing the chat option more often when they have research questions. Some faculty make a practice of telling students who are struggling with research to start with our chat, with a pretty high rate of follow-through.

This is a great opportunity to get students comfortable with using the library and our services. If the question is too big or complex, we often can schedule a research consultation right there. So please don't hesitate to recommend our chat to your students. It's right on the home page, in the upper right corner.

Sign up for Films on Demand Alerts

You can now receive alerts on new videos in specific subject areas that have been added to Films on Demand.   Sign up instructions.

Budget reduction and the library

As part of the University's structural budget reduction plan, McIntyre Library has been asked to cut 3.25% of our base budget. In order to protect the resources on which faculty and students depend, we will not be filling an open faculty position. This will account for 60% of the needed cuts and will impact some of the support services we provide. Even this, though, does not completely address the expanse of our charge. Over the next six months we will be looking at usage and overlap data for our electronic databases. Rest assured, we will do everything possible to minimize the impact on our students.

Survey: Literature Review workshops for students?

We are considering developing workshops on conducting literature reviews for students.  We think that students working on faculty/student research, future graduate students, and Capstone students might all benefit from such a workshop.  

Before we get started planning these workshops, we'd like to find out what you think would work best for your students.  Please take our short survey!