News
Google Scholar Updates its Interface
May 17, 2012
Google Scholar is a subset of Google that emphasizes scholarly content. It has just changed its look and feel. Improvements include access to Advanced Search features directly from the Results page.
More information on these changes is here.
Library Open Until 11:00 During Finals
April 18, 2012
To support students studying for final exams, the Oakland campus library will be open until 11pm Sunday-Thursday April 15-19, April 22-26, and May 6-10.
Three New Nursing eBooks Added
April 6, 2012
At the request of nursing faculty, we've added these nursing eBooks to the library's collection of eBooks provided by STAT!Ref:
- Cardiac Surgery Essentials for Critical Care Nursing
- Sparks and Taylor's Nursing Diagnosis Reference Manual
- Respiratory Nursing: A Core Curriculum
Explore the New, Improved John A. Graziano Library
April 5, 2012
After months of construction, the Oakland campus library opened its newly renovated and expanded space on March 15, 2012. Now that the dust has finally settled, we invite you to explore our exciting new facility and take our video tour.
One highlight of the renovation is a state-of-the-art computer lab with 26 PCs, four Macs, and two printers. This lab is open to SMU students during regular HEC hours, seven days a week-- just swipe your badge to enter.
We’ve also added three new study spaces for use on a first-come, first-served basis. Three new seminar rooms, seating 12-14 people each, are outfitted with A/V equipment and can be booked by faculty, students, or staff for meetings, lectures, or discussions.
For more information on the new library features, please stop by the circulation desk.
SMU Creates Open Access Publication Fund
March 9, 2012
Open access research articles are published in online peer-reviewed journals and are freely available to everyone, not just subscribers to a journal. Article authors maintain copyright control over their work.
Many open access journals—including those published by the Public Library of Science and BioMed Central—collect an author payment in lieu of charging for access. To encourage faculty to publish articles in open access journals, SMU’s Library/Academic & Instructional Innovation has established an open access publication fund. Supported by the Division of Academic Affairs and endorsed by the Faculty Organization Research Committee, this fund will reimburse faculty members up to $2,500 per calendar year for expenses associated with publishing an article in a peer-reviewed open access journal.
Library Grand Opening on March 15
February 15, 2012
If you’ve visited the Oakland campus library in the last few months, you’ve probably noticed construction noise, workers in hard hats, and a lack of study space. To all of our patrons and supporters, we thank you for your patience. Now that the dust has finally settled, we want to invite you to a celebration of our new library space!
On March 15, 2012, at 5pm, the Oakland campus library will host a grand opening gala, and we're inviting the entire SMU community to attend.
We’ll be giving tours and showing off some of our new services and facilities, including a state-of-the-art student computer lab and six new study/seminar rooms.
We’ll also be extending a special thank you to the donors that made the new library space possible. Alumni, faculty, staff, students, and community and professional partners contributed over 2 million dollars to the library renovation fund.
Speakers will include SMU President Sharon Diaz and Marcus Banks, Director of SMU Libraries/Academic & Instructional Innovation.
We hope to see you there!
Video On Demand
February 15, 2012
The library has subscribed to two online video collections from Alexander Street Press. Now you can view healthcare-related educational and documentary videos on your computer or mobile device, and faculty can embed or link individual video titles directly in their Blackboard courses. These videos are assessed for accuracy and distributed by a respected academic publisher, so instead of doing a random search on YouTube, check out these two new resources:
Nursing Education in Video is an online collection of videos created specifically for the education and training of nurses and other healthcare workers. The collection’s suite of tools, including searchable transcripts synchronized to video, give the ability to drill down in seconds to find the footage of interest from hundreds of hours of video.
Filmakers Library Online provides award-winning documentaries on a range of subjects including bioethics, health, psychology, and gender studies. The collection represents diverse cultures and traditions.
To see all online video resources available through the library, check out our online video page.
Free Apps to Help You Study, Work, and Live
February 15, 2012
Have you ever used Google Apps, Vimeo, Dropbox, or Epocrates? If you haven’t, now is the time to check out these powerful free tools for teaching and learning! Free Web 2.0 and mobile apps are increasingly being used by educators and students to collaborate and communicate at a higher level and there are no signs of this trend abating.
To learn more, check out this slideshow by Library/AII staff members Ted Curran and Hai-Thom Sota. Ted and Hai lectured on Web 2.0 and mobile apps at a recent Community Learning Series lunch.
You can also get recommendations on helpful Web 2.0 apps by going to our Recommended Tools page. Here you’ll find staff-tested web apps for file sharing, collaboration, blogging, social bookmarking, and more.
For mobile apps, check out the library's mobile resource guide, where you’ll find information on how to access and install free and subscription-based mobile apps, including Lexicomp and DynaMed. You can also stop by the Oakland campus library’s mobile station to test drive a variety of free mobile healthcare and education apps on our iPad.
Use RefWorks to Collect Citations and Format Your Bibliography
February 15, 2012
RefWorks is a powerful web-based application available to all SMU students, faculty, and staff. It allows you to collect citations from the library article databases, organize them, and create a bibliography in the format of your choice (think APA and AMA).
Use your SMU email address to create a RefWorks account and you’ll receive a group code that allows you to use the application even when you’re off campus. Begin storing your citations online with Refworks and access them anytime, anyplace, even after you graduate. To learn more, go to our Refworks Guide.
Welcome to the New and Improved SMU Library/AII Website
October 1, 2011
In an effort to better serve the SMU community, we’ve revamped our website! Our home page has a whole new look and improved navigation. Check out our video tour to learn more.
Our new homepage includes a horizontal navigation bar where you can find hours, locations, and contact information. In addition there are four navigation boxes located in the main content area. Use the Quick Search box to quickly find the book, database, journal, or course reserve you need. If you’re not sure how to find an item, have questions about the research and writing process, or want to know about borrowing policies or library services, check out the Help box. Finally, the News and FAQ boxes keep you up-to-date with the latest Library/AII information.
The website is a work-in-progress that we’ll continue to tweak and update as we receive user feedback. If you'd like to share your suggestions on how to improve the site, please submit our feedback form. Your comments will be delivered directly to our web team.
The Library and Academic & Instructional Innovation: One Big Department
October 1, 2011
The SMU Library and the Academic & Instructional Innovation Department (AII) have joined forces to provide students and faculty with improved resources, services, and technology. You’ll notice our new website banner reflects the merger of the two departments. AII staff help support academic technologies on campus, including Blackboard, Campus Pack and TurningPoint.
In fall 2010, the two departments merged into a single department under the leadership of Marcus Banks, Library/AII Director. Since then, we've been exploring how our combined skills and experience can lead to greater innovation and stronger services. In the coming year, expect to see more integration of the two departments, including a new office suite located adjacent to the library that will house the entire combined staff; a second re-design of the website that will fully integrate AII’s resource pages, guides, and tutorials; and a new emphasis on open-source academic and instructional resources.
Check Out Our New Mobile Station at the Oakland Campus Library
October 1, 2011
Did you know that over 70% of students at SMU own a mobile device that can access the internet (a smart phone, PDA, tablet, etc)? To support mobile users at SMU, The Graziano Library has designed a walk-up kiosk - called the Mobile Station - that provides access to chargers for the Apple iPhone/Pod/Pad, as well as most Android smart phones and BlackBerrys. The Mobile Station also includes a demonstration iPad loaded with the latest healthcare apps and mobile-friendly sites. Drop by, charge your phone, and check out the in latest apps! The Mobile Station is located at the rear of the Oakland library’s main study area.
Search Lexicomp, CINAHL, PubMed, and More on Your Mobile Device
October 1, 2011
Have you ever wished you could quickly and easily access the latest drug information or health science research in the clinical setting, in the classroom, or simply on the go? Now you can! Using mobile apps or mobilized websites, you can search many of our most popular database on your smart phone or other mobile device. Go to our Mobile Database Guide for access instructions and activation codes. Apps are available for CINAHL Plus, Dynamed, Lexicomp, and Micromedex. Mobilized sites are available for AltHealth Watch, CINAHL Plus, Consumer Health Complete, Medline with full –text, MD Consult, National Guidelines Clearinghouse, PubMed, RefWorks, and Stat!Ref.
San Mateo Students: Chat Online with Your Librarian
October 1, 2011
Are you a student at the San Mateo Learning Center? Your librarian, Geri Bodeker (a.k.a. “The Sherpa”), is just one instant message away. As part of a pilot program evaluating the effectiveness of IM tools, SMLC students can now chat online with Geri during specified hours. Are you stuck in a CINAHL search? Having trouble finding the full-text article online? Chat with Geri here.
Student Tech Survey Results
February 1, 2011
Did you know that over 70% of SMU students own a smart phone or other internet-enabled mobile device? Or that 90% would like to view pre-recorded course lectures online?
These are just two of the findings of the first SMU Student Technology Survey. The results of this study will shape the support and expansion of teaching and learning technologies by the Department of Academic & Instructional Innovation, the Graziano Library, and SMU as a whole.
Highlights from the survey are here. You can view all the results of the survey here.
A similar study of technology use by faculty is planned for this spring.
