ComAbstracts is one of two new databases for communication and journalism. It contains abstracts of articles published in the primary professional literature of the communications field. Our subscription includes access to all services offered by CIOS such as the Electronic Journal of Communication, ComIndex, the Visual Communication Concept Explorer and ComVista.
The other new database is the Chapman Archive: the Robert and Noeline Chapman Audio Visual Archive is “New Zealand’s largest and most continuous collection of broadcast news and current affairs available in an ‘as broadcast’ form.” The Archive is a searchable online database of content from programmes broadcast on NZ television and radio, dating back to the 1960s, with regular recording of news and current affairs programmes from mid-1984.
A password is required to access the Chapman Archive (registered University of Canterbury users only).
A reminder to turn off the Old Habits Autopilot when fetching interloans from the Hold Shelf. Any interloan where there is a Hold Block on the borrower’s record must be checked out on Horizon using the barcoded blue card in the front. A few staff have forgotten to do this and just handed the interloan over. This involves extra work for the Interloans team so please be careful.
Can staff please keep an eye open for Volume I of the “Oxford English Dicitonary” which seems to be missing from the Reference Collection? This was mentioned to me by a user who hasn’t seen it for awhile.
Lending Services staff are happy to search for Central Library items that borrowers report absent from our shelves. Our process is to search Library Catalogue first to establish the facts e.g. the items location and status, then ask a few questions such as how long the borrower has looked for the item. The next step is to give the item a ‘missing-tracing’ status on Horizon and place a request for the person who wants it. If you do not have access to Circulation, please send the person to the Lending Desk. Please do not fill out a card – this a time consuming process which we no longer use. The online process generates a search list and is much quicker.
Some former students may wish to submit their thesis electronically but no longer have a username and password. Here’s some information from Peter Kennedy:
The digital thesis upload link requires students to login – this is just to prevent others playing, but doesn’t serve any other role. Two groups of students cannot use this link.
The first group comprise those former students that no longer have a login, but need to deposit a current thesis. We email out to them this link which does not require a login:
The second group comprises those depositing a thesis retrospectively. We send them out this link:
which is a simpler form because they completed most of the documentation at the time they submitted their original print thesis.
In all cases we will also accept theses on CDs although we would normally ask them for additional details, namely Supervisor, email address, and keywords – the rest should be available from the thesis itself.
If you have students with problems accessing PsycInfo, check whether they are accessing the database via Blackboard. If so, advise them to access via the Library web-site. The Blackboard link has not had ezyproxy added. Kerry is following up with the Psyc Dept.
Just a reminder that if you are busy too busy at the Help Desk to answer the phone, let it ring and after five rings it will revert to the Information Services Office. The Info Services office phone number is ext.8657.
