Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Loads of information, at your fingertips

Usage of Stoxen Library's many databases continues to increase, as users find scholarly information 24/7, on the library web page, for a wide variety of topics. Since July 2005, Stoxen Library's users have logged more than 48,000 searches!

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Renewals without coming to the library

Want to renew materials without coming to the library? Start at the Library Homepage and click on My Library Account. You will be asked to sign-in with your DSU ID (the seven numbers on your ID…please do NOT include a W) and your password which is your last name. You will see your library card details. To renew materials (or see what you have currently checked out), click on the “loans/renew” link. Next click on the underlined number of the item you wish to renew. On the next screen, you will see the word “renew” underlined (or an error message if the material cannot be renewed). Click on this to complete the process.

Friday, February 10, 2006

Snapshots from the annual report

Did you know?

That gates counts at Stoxen Library have increased steadily since 2001?
2001-2002 110,645
2002-2003 115,367
2003-2004 128,325
2004-2005 145,863
July 2005-Dec.2005 82,058

Comparisons to peer institution's group average for gate counts per typical week was 1,837 to Stoxen Library's 3, 375.

Did you know?

That Stoxen Library checked out computer laptops to students 982 times in November 2005 alone! Other November 2005 highlights include 1,334 books and 1,174 items from the reserve collection.

How about that purchased database usage statistics continue a sharply upward trend.

Another: the Library employs 30+ federally funded student workers and four institutionally funded student workers.

Regarding gains in information literacy delivery for students, for fall 2005, representing instruction for 55 sessions

  • 19 sections of Freshmen Seminar (2 lectures for each section; 376 students)
  • 3 sections of Composition 120 (2 lectures for each section; 50 students)
  • Science 389 (34 students)
  • 2 sections of Business Communications 210 (65 students)
  • 2 sections of Nursing 198 (40 students)
  • 2 sections of Business Policy 485 (31 students)
  • Art in the Elementary and Secondary 290 (10 students)
  • Speech 110 (20 students)
  • Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership (10 students)
  • Volleyball players (12 students)

Scheduled for spring 2006 semester:


  • 13 sections of Composition 120 (2 lectures/sessions for each section)
  • 2 sections of Business Policy
  • 3 sections of Freshmen Seminar (2 lectures/sessions for each section)
  • 1 section of Freshmen Seminar for International Students (3 lectures/sessions)
  • Sophomore Nursing students (12 students and 3 faculty)
  • Nursing Research
  • Business Communications (2 sections)
  • Art in the Elementary

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Exercise your brain today!

The literature these days says we should be as concerned about exercising our brains as we are exercising our bodies. So I want to point you to a fun website with over thirty “brain games.” If someone figures out how to play Reversi, please let me know! Enjoy!

How do I order something the library doesn't own? (AKA interlibrary loan/document delivery)

With the recent changes in the library's software system (no, not PeopleSoft), many patrons have questions about the current process for ordering copies, books, and other materials from other libraries.

The full instructions for this process as well as other helpful links can be found on the Library's web page under Interlibrary Loan Instructions.

Note that the "Listing of Periodical Titles" might provide access to the thousands of journals owned by Stoxen Library (print or online), and thus avoid the need for interlibrary loan.

If you wish to order a specific item, and cannot locate it either by using the "Listing of Periodical Titles" (in the case of journals) or by using ODIN (in the case of books, videos, dvds, and other types of items), use the "Blank Interlibrary Request" form as described on the Instructions page, and the library staff will determine the best possible location for obtaining the item.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

All you need is love (do, do, do, do, do)


February's special display is, you guessed it, focused on LOVE. Thank you Eileen Kopren and Corina Zalesky for the latest eye-catching display at Stoxen Library.