Does the library have textbooks?

Have you ever been told to check the library first before buying one of the textbooks for class? We all know that buying books is one of the major expenses for students like yourself. Textbook prices are skyrocketing and in today's economy everyone's looking for a way to save some money. So why pay for something you can get for free, right?

Well, the truth is the library generally will not purchase any of your textbooks for our collections. We purchase textbooks only if there is a lack of any other substantive literature in that field. Since there are thousands of books published every year and our budget is limited, we choose to use our resources to purchase books that support what you learn in class rather than books that are used directly in your instruction, i.e. textbooks. There is always a slim chance that we might have a copy of your textbook. To find out go to our library catalog and search for it by title. One caveat is that even if we do have your textbook it will often be one or two editions old.

The exception to this rule is our Course Reserves collection. This collection is comprised of books faculty place in the library for their students to use. Your instructor will tell you if they've placed any books in the library on "Reserve." Check with them if you don't know. When you're ready to use a reserve book come to the library and give your Instructor's Name and Course Number to the person at the front desk. We will hold your Student ID Card while you use the book in the library. Reserve books cannot be taken outside the library.

So if you want to see if we have one of your textbooks in the library:

• Check with your instructor to see if it's on reserve. If it's on reserve, go to the front desk with your ID card and request it by Instructor Name or Course Number.
  
• If they haven't placed it on reserve, go to our library catalog and search for it there. If we have it in our collection, and it's not on reserve, you'll be able to borrow it for up to 28 days.

Welcome Back!

The staff of Atherton Library welcomes you back for Fall 2008! We hope your summer was both an enjoyable and productive time for you. Now that the new school year has started we want tell you about some of the changes that happened while your were away.

• New computer area: We've consolidated our computers around the large conference table. This move serves to enhance our Quiet Study area by relocating the computers and printer away from the study carrels.

• Longer hours: We are offering more weekend hours this semester. Beginning this Fall we are open Noon-7 pm on Sundays. Click here for schedule of hours.
  
• New database: Combined Chemical Dictionary (CCD). Go to the Libraries tab in Pipeline to access this resource.
  
• New search feature: SFX is a link resolver service that links a database citation to the full text of the article regardless of the database you are searching in. Basically, SFX will make finding full text articles a whole lot easier because it will provide a link to the full text available in any one of our 70+ databases. Click here for more info.
• New library tour: Check out our new slide show tour of the library created by Linda Uchida, Health Sciences Librarian and An Hollowell, Library Assistant. Be sure to enable your speakers to listen to the soothing Hawaiian music that accompanies the pictorial tour of the library. Click here to view the tour.
  

We continue our efforts to look for new and improved resources and services for you. Please send me an e-mail if you have any suggestions, questions, or concerns.

Have a great semester!

Wayde Oshiro
Head of Atherton Library

Tour of Atherton Library 2008

Created by Linda Uchida & An Hollowell

End of Summer

Starting this week we will end evening hours until September 2nd. Also, we will be closed weekends for the last two weeks of August.

August 10-22
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
Sat 9am-5pm
Sun 1-5pm

August 23-September 1
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm
Sat-Sun Closed

Other scheduled closures:
August 22 (Friday) - Staff Meeting
September 1 (Monday) - Labor Day Holiday

Enjoy the last few weeks of summer!

What's going on?

Recently you may have heard a loud whine and electronic beeping coming from the library stacks. What you're hearing are the sounds of the biennial inventory. Your library staff is hard at work dusting and scanning each and every book on the shelf to get an accurate count of our entire print collection. We plan to complete the inventory by the end of the month. Come September the books will be clean and ready for you to borrow.

At the opposite end of the library we're planning a major change. We've already moved seven computers to the area around the big conference table. We'll be moving the rest of the computers there very soon. What we're in the midst of creating is an area where librarians can teach database search skills in a hands-on environment. As an additional bonus, by moving the computers to the new location, we will be able to convert the individual study carrel area into a true Quiet Study environment. Check back in a few weeks to see the changes.

UPDATE: Our inventory was completed on August 27th. Nearly 50,000 books were scanned and vacuumed by your dedicated library staff. Our next planned inventory will not occur until 2010 ~ wo.

Corals, Already in Danger, Are Facing New Threat From Farmed Algae

By CHRISTOPHER PALA /The New York Times

Published: July 8, 2008

Efforts to spread seaweed cultivation across the Pacific have backfired and are putting coral reefs at risk. This article describes the effects of this algae on nearby Kaneohe Bay.

If you are interested in learning more about the threats facing this precious marine resource worldwide, please stop by the library today. Currently, we have a display of marine sciences books set up near the Reference Desk. This collection of books was selected by Natural Sciences librarian, Lydia Lee, to support the CTY Oceanography classes but everyone else is welcome to use them, too.

Pardon the inconvenience

Library staff will be moving furniture, including study carrels and file cabinets, on Friday, July 11th. Some computer stations and copiers will be temporarily unavailable during the move. Noise levels will be elevated. Please pardon the inconvenience.

This work is being done in preparation for our new library instruction area planned for Fall 2008.