Frequently Answered Questions

Searching and Finding

2009-10-27T16:34:00.001-04:00

There's a saying in the library world that librarians like to search, while users like to find. And it's true, to some extent. There is a pleasure in designing and executing a really good search. Kind of like the pleasure of a well executed play in a sport -- you think, "Yes! Perfect!" And librarians do love to teach subject headings, boolean logic, and similar search techniques. But, as in sports, the perfect hit isn't all the game is about. You have to score, too, and for searching that means finding.

Do I execute perfect searches when I find things for myself? (Me, the professional librarian.) No. I do good searches, and use techniques learned in searching to find what I need.

Here are some things that I've learning as a professional searcher, and I hope, a professional finder.

Start general. It's easier to narrow a search if you get too much, than to broaden it if you got too specific. Looking at the results for a broad search can also give you ideas of extra search words to use, ones to avoid, and if you might be better off searching elsewhere.
Learn to skim. I've found more answers by skimming through a general search than by any other method. I don't blink at the idea of skimming 10 pages of results. When you are searching, you use keywords, but in skimming you are looking for key concepts, even if they use different words. There are also patterns; an article title looks different than a book title, and a scholarly title looks different than a popular one. It's a learned skill, and one you have to practice.
Searching is iterative. Use what you observe in your search results to make the next search better. Also, if there are Related Results (by whatever name), have look. On the web, I find related results in the comments on blogs and other social sites. (Finding isn't iterative, by the way; when you've found it, you're done.)
There is more than one place to search. Google isn't the answer to everything, but neither is AGRICOLA. Try to choose a resource that is more likely to give you want you want (searching the library catalog for articles isn't going to help that much, though you might find some government documents on the web that look like articles.)
That said, if you have a choice between two likely resources, you are likely to have better luck with the one you are familiar with. I am more likely to choose a database, for instance, from one of our major vendors, because I know how the search interface works. I don't want to waste time figuring out how to do a phrase search.
The corollary to the last one is: get familiar with the resources that you might need.
And do it when you don't have a deadline looming. This is a great reason to start your research early. You can try out your searches in resources you don't know much about, and if you don't find something, it's not a crisis. And don't think of this as "wasted time". You are learning, and next time (when you might be in a hurry), you will be better equipped.

The inspiration for this post was a question about a web service I don't use much. I don't know much about the service, but I do know help files. I was able to find exactly what was needed in two searches, because I know that help files are constructed using the words that programmers and technicians think users use. I've written help sheets, and experts don't think the same way as novices, they don't use the same language, and, even when they know that, they don't always get it right. So there's a funny disconnect sometimes in help files, and, once you've searched enough of them, you start to learn something about how things might be worded. That, combined with a combination of a general initial search and skimming the results, gave me the answer on my second try.

This is part of metacognition, thinking about your thinking (or in this case searching), and it is a vital part of lifelong learning. If something doesn't work, learn why, because it will save you tons of time in the long run.

More outages

2009-10-21T09:22:00.004-04:00

The Library Catalog system will be down for an upgrade, this Friday, Oct 23, 2009, from 5pm to 8pm. (The library itself is closed for that time, as we usually are Friday evening.) For off campus users this will affect using the library catalog, CONSULS, including e-reserves, and logging into the databases from off campus.

If you have research that you can't put off, I would suggest working in Google Scholar to find likely prospects and using the library preferences and the Journal Locator to see if we ought to have the article you want. You won't be able to get into anything until 8pm, but you can save your citations until then. (This is a good strategy for anytime that you can't get into our databases, whether it's because of a network issue, system down time, or account problems.)

The Journal Locator will be down on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009, from 2am-8am (updated). You will be able to search the databases, but not use the Find Article @ SCSU. I would suggest saving the citations you are interested in (either by email, in database folders for the databases you can set personal accounts for, like EBSCO and ScienceDirect, or in an outside citation manager like EndNote Web) and then checking them once the system is back up.

Speaking of Journal Locator, we have having issues with one component listed, EJS (EBSCO Journal Service). It is currently showing up for more journals and years than we actually own. If you see it come up and you click through and get a No Access message, it's probably that we really don't have that journal/year. The results should be getting better as the next 2 weeks go on, as Periodicals is manually updating the EJS records, all 22,000 of them. Sorry for the confusion and the frustration.

State budget woes arise again

2009-09-28T14:52:00.002-04:00

We thought we had pulled through without a hitch (or cut) in the databases that the state pays for, but we sighed with relief a little too soon. iConn (the CT digital library organization) just announced that they are cutting CINAHL, Westlaw (Campus Research), AP Photo Archive, and the Boston Globe, as of Oct. 1 (yes, that's this Thursday).

We are picking up CINAHL ourselves, so there should be no interruption of access.

Our law librarian recommends the following for law related searching:

For Westlaw cases and statutes, try these sites: Findlaw http://www.findlaw.com/casecode/ (link goes directly to cases and codes portion of the site); Justia http://www.justia.com/index.html ; or Public Law Online Library http://www.plol.org . Academic Search Premier indexes several law reviews.

For the AP Photo Archive, try Google Images, Googles new Image search for news, ArtStor, or the image search feature in some of the Ebsco databases like Academic Search Premier.

For Westlaw business news, try Business Source Premier.

For local news (Westlaw), try the Hartford Courant (Proquest Newspapers) and General Reference Center Gold.

For the Boston Globe, try General Reference Center Gold.

MySCSU, Vista, webserver down

2009-09-16T17:06:00.003-04:00

Something happened to the MySCSU server which took most Internet services down this afternoon. As I write this, Web access is back, but the campus web server (southernct.edu) is down. MySCSU and Vista are still down, and Banner may be down as well. Faculty Exchange Webmail seems to be up.

If you need the library catalog, go directly to http://www.consuls.org/ (including e-reserves). If you need the databases, go to http://libguides.southernct.edu/ , choose General, and click into the Databases guide. The alphabetical links should work.

If I here anything else, I'll post it.

Update (9/17): Everything seems to be back to normal. If you have any lingering difficulties, be sure to contact the Helpdesk.

MySCSU Upgrade will block access Fri & Sat

2009-09-11T11:22:00.003-04:00

After several postponements, they are finally going to do a planned upgrade to MySCSU. Starting tonight (Fri, 9/11) at 5pm, MySCSU (and all related services) will be down until 5pm Saturday, 9/12 (24 hours!) This includes:

MySCSU email
MySCSU portal
U-Drive
home.southernct.edu websites
VISTA (e-Learning Vista courseware)
Banner Web

This should not affect campus network logins (computer labs, faculty webmail, remote access) or library logins (e-reserves, databases).

New Library URL's

2009-08-31T13:39:00.002-04:00

Hi folks, long time no write. (Sorry.)

Don't worry, the library home page is still http://library.southernct.edu/

The Proxy Server (what allows you to log into the databases from off campus) got a new URL at the end of the summer. (No, it wasn't our idea.) You now have the security of logging in to the databases securely.

If you have old links that go directly to the databases, or to articles (etc.) in the databases, those links will not work now. If you like to make your own edits, you'll need to change the .csulib.ctstateu.edu/ to .www.consuls.org/ so that a link to JSTOR was http://0-www.jstor.org.csulib.ctstateu.edu/ and is now http://0-www.jstor.org.www.consuls.org/

If that made no sense to you, just go back into the databases using the links on the library website and find your database/article again. If you can't find it, let me know and I'll see if I can find it.

The second URL change is for the research guides. We are now using a service called LibGuides for our subject research guides and help pages. So if you had linked to one of our guides, you will need to use a new link. The old pages are getting redirect notes, and the Research Guide link on the library homepage now goes to the new site: http://libguides.southernct.edu/

We think we've found most of the old links on our site and changed them, but if you find something that doesn't work, please let me know!

New way of logging into the databases

2009-06-24T16:15:00.003-04:00

Hi folks, long time no write. Sorry about that. Things have been extraordinarily busy and a lot of things are changing at the library. Retirements, budget cuts, redistribution of resources and responsibilities...it's been a challenge and will continue to be so for a while yet.

But anyway, the real reason for this post is that we just discovered a new way of logging into our databases from off campus. Very quietly implemented and improved over the last year or so are Remote services (VPN) from IT. When you log into the Remote server, it acts as if you are logged into a campus computer, no matter were in the world you are. You can view your network files (including web pages), use some campus resources, and browse the campus website. (From on campus you see different options.)

You log in using your username (as with MySCSU & Vista) and your Windows/network password. The network password is only used on campus, so most distance students will not have one. If you don't have one, or haven't logged into a campus computer (including Remote) for over 3 months, go to the Helpdesk website (http://helpdesk.southernct.edu/) and choose Accounts and Email. Then choose Windows, and then Password Reset. Complete the form, then got to the Remote site, https://remote.southernct.edu/ (watch the 's' in https -- this is a secure site). Log in using your username and the password you just set. Once logged in, you can change your password to match your MySCSU/Vista password. (IT tells me they are working on a single signon, so this multiple password thing will shortly get better.)

Once you are logged in all the way, you should see a list of services and sites, and, up in the upper right, a box labeled Browse. In this box, enter the library's web address, library.southernct.edu and enter. You should see the library web site underneath a banner with Southern, a URL address bar, and a small toolbar. At this point, you can use the databases as if you were on campus, without having to use your ID and Library PIN. The one catch is that you can't leave the databases or the campus website. Any outside web links within the databases will be blocked. (You can, of course, copy them and open another browser window to use them.)

This is brand new to us, and we aren't quite sure of the full limits of the service. Please let me know if you have trouble. I tested this last night on a Mac with Firefox, and didn't have any trouble. This won't completely replace the Library PIN, which will still be needed for e-reserves, and if you are using a database with lots of outgoing links, logging in the PIN way will be much easier. But at least you now have an alternative.

Have fun, and I promise to try and post more often!

Email this blog or Overcoming technological inertia

2009-02-02T10:52:00.004-05:00

The time comes when, despite technological inertia, it is time to change services. I have been using RSSfwd for email delivery of new blog posts. (Why would you want this when RSS exists? See below!*) RSSfwd redid their service a few months ago, and everyone had to resubscribe. I never did post that entry, because the service was kind of screwy for a while. I'm still not happy with it--my last "update" was a list of the 25 most recent posts, which I received 3 times in one day. Mashable.com also reports that RSSfwd may be stopping service altogether, though I still see nothing on the RSSfwd site about this.

I've now set up Feedburner (owned by Google) email delivery, with the link available in the right hand column. Please feel free to resubscribe via that link.

Changes and failures of services are something that we need to take into account when we use other people's services in any context. It seems to happen a little more often online, but that might just be that we hear about them all, immediately! (I end up hearing about nearly every Twitter outage, and I don't use Twitter.) For services that I use personally, Jott and Library Elf have both recently changed service models. I didn't use Jott enough to make it worth paying for, and I probably won't end up paying for Library Elf, either (but I haven't decided yet.)

Change is inevitable, and I feel it is better to try things out and have them change or fail, than to ignore the possibility of a useful service by refusing to try something that might change later. Such as ThinkFree Office for the Mac, which may change my mind about paying for personal office software.

*Now, why would you want to subscribe to a blog by email? Why not use a RSS reader? Well, if you don't already use an RSS reader, why would you want to start? Some people don't want to use yet another service, but they view their email regularly. I personally use either email deliver or RSS in my email client for things that I want to see regularly, or that I want to be sure I see the updates for. My RSS reader gets ignored when I'm busy. I even have a few feeds set up as "live Bookmarks" in my various Firefox browsers, for things that are really local computer dependent. (The ACRL blog is something that I only look at at work, at my desk, and if I miss a few posts, I can just scroll back on the site when I have the time. I only look at lolcats at home, so a local computer dependent feed works very well and stops me from wasting time at work!)

Basically, for me, different updating options work for different sites and feeds. I'm making the technology work for me, rather than changing my needs and habits to fit the technology.

Notices and Updates

2008-12-19T11:26:00.002-05:00

Sorry, I haven't been posting much, folks. Here are a few notices and updates:

Campus is closing at 12:30 today, including the library. The library is closed this weekend, but will be open Monday - Wednesday next week. (Library Hours)

There's a MySCSU database update scheduled for Dec 23, 10 am - 5 pm. It will affect the MySCSU portal (email, calendar, etc.), but not Vista. IT suggests using the alternative interface for web email access: https://mail.southernct.edu/.

I'll be on vacation from Jan 5-19. I'll be keeping an occasional eye on my email (mostly to keep the spam from building up), but if you need help, you'll be better off contacting the Reference Desk directly: (203) 392-5732 or eref@southernct.edu.

Warm holiday wishes to everyone!

Problems with JSTOR and ScienceDirect PDF's

2008-11-19T11:03:00.006-05:00

We are having some issues with JSTOR and ScienceDirect PDF's on campus. We're seeing proxy and subscription error messages. If you get something like that (or other errors, for that matter) from off campus, please contact me.

In the meanwhile, keep track of the articles you are trying to access; I'm pretty confident we will have this fixed soon (as soon as we figure out what the actual problem is!) You may want to try going through the Journal Locator to find the journal and get in that way (this works for ScienceDirect--you can see the HTML version of the article, but not the PDF).

Update: (3pm) Add Emerald and American Chemical Society to the list. HTML versions of articles are fine, it's just the PDF's. If you are using the "Find Article @ SCSU" links and the "Article" link won't work, try the "Journal" link, then find the correct issue for your article. We know what the problem is now (proxy server issue) so we are a giant step towards solving it. Please bear with us!

Update: (11/20) The problem is definitely with our proxy server, so on campus access works by using the direct URL (jstor.org, sciencedirect.com, etc.) If you can get on campus, that will work. If you can't, and you need the article right away, let me know.

Update: (11/21) All fixed now!

CONSULS outage

2008-11-07T11:59:00.003-05:00

Sorry there hasn't been anything more interesting than outages here recently.

Wednesday, Nov 12 at 6:30AM (Eastern), CONSULS will be down for about half an hour for some maintenance work. The catalog, staff functions, and login to the databases will be down. I'm pretty sure if you are already in a database you will be fine, since the needed cookies will be set, but you won't be able to log into the databases during the outage. I'm not sure about switching from one database to another--I suspect that changing within a vendor would be fine, but maybe not between vendors. (I.e. you could switch from Academic Search Premier to ERIC, both on EBSCO, but maybe not to Library Literature, on FirstSearch.)

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Resetting your Library PIN

2008-10-14T09:55:00.002-04:00

Fantastic news!

You can now reset your library PIN without having to call or visit the library. On the CONSULS login page is a link "Forgot your PIN?" just under the Submit button. Click that, and enter your ID number*. You will get an automated email at the email address in your account (whatever is in Banner, unless you've changed it with the library this semester. Library only changes to your address(es) get overwritten every semester when we get new data from the Registrar.) Follow the instructions in the email to change your PIN.

The link showed up this fall, after a software update to the catalog, but wasn't working for a while. Now it works. Yay!

*If you don't know what your ID number is, and can log into MySCSU, your ID number is under Account Information on the left of the main MySCSU screen.

Promotion & Tenure

2008-10-06T14:09:00.002-04:00

At many, but certainly not all, university libraries, librarians hold rank similar to professors, and go through the same advancement processes. Here at Southern, most librarian positions are tenure track; we hold equivalent ranks as professors, and use the same Promotion and Tenure procedures as teaching faculty.

Last year, I applied for promotion, and I am happy to say that I have been promoted from Assistant Librarian to Associate Librarian (like Assistant and Associate Professor, or Librarian II and III.)

This year, I'm going for tenure. I've actually got one more year before I have to apply, but I'd like to give it a shot this year. It's a nearly identical procedure to promotion, which is actually why I did promotion last year. I figured, it was practice. First is the production of my "file". The file consists of at least one, probably more, 3 ring binders laying out what I've done here for the last 4-5 years, with documentation, letters, publications, etc., etc., etc. Then that file is reviewed by folks at the library, then the campus wide P&T committee, then the administration.

I have had, over the years, a few folks who have asked me what they can do to thank me for my help. Well, if anyone wants to write a letter saying how I helped you, and what it meant to you, I would be very pleased to include those in my file. My job is helping people, so while all the formal evaluations and publications do mean something, the real evaluation of my work should be done by you, my readers, students, and faculty.

Thanks to everyone whose help and support got me this far: other distance librarians, students and faculty, friends and family. Let's not give up on each other.

(PS. While friendly comments would make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, if you do want to give me something for my file, please send me a letter or email. Thanks.)

Getting the blog by email -- RSSFwd updates

2008-09-29T11:42:00.001-04:00

For those who subscribe to this blog by email through the RSSfwd service, there are some changes to that service. RSSfwd is doing a major overhaul, and is currently asking subscribers to make a new account on their new system. You can do that directly on their new site, http://beta.rssfwd.com. Login (and create a new account), then go to My Subscriptions and Schedule an Import of your old feeds. They will send you an email when your feeds are imported. You may get double emails until they turn the old service off.

They are supposed to be changing over this week, so at some point you will stop getting emails from me if you don't sign up again. Right now the blog link to sign up isn't working, so I've removed it until it starts working again. You might be able to sign up by adding the blog URL (http://frequanq.blogspot.com/) on the RSSfwd site.

Happy Reading! (However you do it!)

Network downtime Sunday (9/28)

2008-09-23T15:40:00.002-04:00

Nearly everything will be down Sunday (9/28) morning between 6 am and 1pm (Eastern, of course), while IT replaces equipment in our Data Center. Campus web pages, MySCSU, Vista, Banner, email (it'll still be received, you just won't be able to get at it.) They are replacing the circuit breakers that failed a few weeks ago, causing an unexpected complete outage.

Since the library website will also be down, here is a link to the most commonly used databases: Ebsco databases. You should still be able to log in, since the login server is housed at CCSU. If you are going to need another database Sunday morning, go to the databases page, right click (CTRL-click on a Mac) and choose Copy Shortcut/Link location, then paste the link into an email to yourself or something similar. Be sure to use the links on the database page, because the URL's in the address bar once you are in the database usually won't work.

Another work around for this is to use Google Scholar after setting the Library in your preferences. Click the Preferences link just to the right of the search box, and scroll down to the Library section. Search for Southern, and select SCSU. Now you will get Full Text @ Buley links which connect to our journal locator (like the Find Article @ SCSU links in the databases). JSTOR and ScienceDirect articles will come up this way. (I'm pretty sure this will work on Sunday--nothing in this sequence should be housed on campus. If not, just note down the interesting citations and use the Journal Locator to find which databases the journals are in.)

Phishing, again

2008-09-22T09:24:00.003-04:00

We've gotten another round of those phishing emails, asking for MySCSU email info.

DO NOT respond!

IT does not ask for info this way. If you did respond, get in touch with the Helpdesk right away (helpdesk@southernct.edu or 203-392-5123). You also should change your password. NOW.

I've gotten a bunch of these on different email accounts; they are exactly alike, except for the domain name of the email. No IT or technical support department asks for info like this. If you get something like this and aren't sure, go to your email, IT, or IPS website (via your own bookmarks or web search, not a link in the email) and find the help links. If possible, forward them the email, so that they can tell if it was legitimate.

Stay safe, folks.

Linking to library resources in Vista

2008-09-15T10:15:00.001-04:00

The first part of this post is for faculty setting up courses in Vista; the second part is for students in courses in Vista.

Faculty: if you'd like to set up links to library resources right in Vista, it's not that hard, but there are some tricks. First, check out my linking guide on the Distance Education Library website. That gives instructions for most of the library databases. (And if you find any problems, let me know.)

Second, test your links from off campus. You really won't know if there is a problem until someone tries is from off campus. At the very least, test your links in a different browser (like Firefox if you are using Internet Explorer to use Vista.) That assures you that there isn't some session cookie set to allow you into the site, but that will prevent someone else (like a student) from getting in.

Third, be sure to check the "Open in New Window" box when entering your web links in Vista. It's just under the box that you enter the URL into. This version of Vista does not allow cookies to be set within it's "frame", and therefore will prevent students from logging into the library databases. By forcing links to open in a new window, you avoid this problem completely. If you have already set up some links, just go to the WebLinks component in Build, and edit each link until they all set to open in new windows.

Fourth, if possible, don't make a library article the first entry in a learning module. When a student clicks into a learning module, the first entry is the one that comes up first. If you have a library article as the first thing, the student has to wait for the article or the log in screen to come up, even if they have already read it. It generally works much better to have a explanation or summary screen here. (The quickest way to make a simple summary screen is to write something up in Word, then Save As Web Page. Upload the file to Vista and add it as the first entry (Add file) to the Learning module. By saving as a webpage, you'll make it come up faster for the students.)

Fifth, provide a full citation for the article, just in case something in the above steps goes wrong. The description field would be a good place for this. If you don't have the full citation, or don't want to give it for some reason, at least put the name of the database somewhere, possibly at the end of the article title:
Individual study, interactive multimedia, or cooperative learning: Which activity best supplements lecture-based distance education? (PsycArticles)

Students: If your professor has put in a link to an article in a library database, you will need to log into the databases if you are off campus. You'll need your ID number and your library PIN. (See Off Campus Access for more info.) You should only need to log in once unless you close your browser or don't do anything for several hours.

If you see a note in the Vista screen that the page has opened in a new window, but you don't see anything, check if the article has opened in a new window behind your Vista one. Depending on your browser settings, it might also open in a new tab if you use a tabbed browser (Firefox, Opera, IE7, etc.)

If you see the database login screen within the Vista frame (so that the Vista banner is at the top and the login is on the same page) you may have trouble logging in. Open a new window or tab (File Menu -- New Window or New Tab; or Ctrl-N (new window)/Ctrl-T (new tab) in most browsers), and go to the library databases. Log in as you normally would. Without closing the database window, go back to the Vista window and try accessing the article again. You might have to go back to the course homepage, or to the beginning of the learning module. As long as you are logged into the databases in the background window, the article should come up.

If you can't use the article link in Vista at all, see if your professor has including the citation to the article somewhere. Maybe in the syllabus, a reading list, or in the little note field under the article link. If not, ask for it or for which database it's in. When you get the citation, use the Journal Locator (under Find Articles on the library home page) to look up the journal title (not the article title!) Check which database has the right year, and click through to that database. You should either be able to pick the needed year off the list, then go into the individual issues (like looking at tables of contents) or do a search for the article title and/or author. If you have the name of the database, then just do a search within that database for the article title and/or author.

I hope this clears up the problems we've been having with linking to the library resources from Vista.

Buying textbooks online

2008-09-03T11:04:00.005-04:00

I get this question a lot: Where can I buy textbooks besides the bookstore? (i.e. the bookstore is sold out, hasn't gotten my book yet, has no used copies, I can't get to campus, etc.)

OK, here is a not very carefully compiled list of online places to buy or find textbooks. This list is not comprehensive. I'm not recommending any of these sites. A lot of these are comparison sites, so there will be a lot of repetition. You might save money and/or time, or you might not. I generally find that buying from actual bookstores is more expensive but the shipping is faster. Buying from individuals can mean excellent prices, but delays in shipping, no matter how much you pay for "express shipping". (It doesn't get to you fast if they take 2 weeks to get it to FedEx.) Be sure to check for ISBN's, editions, and correct authors (there are hundreds of books called "Microbiology"). You might want to ask your professor about using an older edition.

And, of course, it never hurts to check your local libraries; just remember that most libraries do not buy textbooks by policy, though they may end up with some as gifts or because it's a generally useful book besides being used as a textbook. You can also ask your professor to put a copy of the book on reserve (assuming that "I can't get to campus" isn't the reason you are reading this.)

All that said, here's the list. Feel free to add other recommended sites in the comments.

A1books.com
Abebooks.com
Addall.com
Alibris.com
Amazon.com
Biblio.com
Bigwords.com
BN.com
Bookfinder.com
Bookmarc.com
Bookmooch.com
Booksprice.com
Campusbooks.com
Campusbookswap.com
Campusi.com
Chegg.com (rentals)
Directtextbook.com
Ecampus.com
Half.com (half.ebay.com)
Isbn.nu
Ichapters.com (online ebooks by chapter)
Smartbookfinder.com
Textbookflix.com (rentals)
Valorebooks.com

IDs, and passwords, and phishing, oh, my!

2008-08-26T09:56:00.000-04:00

Yep, it's the beginning of the semester, and time for the annual password post!

Not much has changed from last year. We still have 2 ID's: username (lastname-first initial-number, such as hedreenr1) and ID number (70XXXXXX). Your username is used for MySCSU and the campus network log on. The ID number is used for BannerWeb and the Library. Each application has it's own password, meaning that each ID has 2 passwords associated with it.

MySCSU: Username and 8+ character password using letters, numbers, "special characters", and/or capitalization. Passwords expire every 90 days. This username/password combination is also used for the Vista elearning system (Blackboard Vista). Password Reset Instructions (faculty and online students, call the helpdesk)
Network log on: Username and 8+ character password using letters, numbers, "special characters", and/or capitalization. Passwords expire every 90 days. Password Reset
BannerWeb: ID number and 6 character password (I think the Banner upgrade this summer now allows more than 6 characters.) Passwords were expiring every semester, but I didn't notice it this time. The Banner password reset form is gone from the helpdesk website, so call the helpdesk.
Library: ID number and 4+ character password, usually refered to as the Library PIN, using only number and/or letters, no "special characters". Passwords/PINs do not expire. Call or visit the Circulation Desk to delete forgotten PINs. More help.

I was wondering if something like this image would help?

And finally, we got some obnoxious phishing emails this summer--remember that IT will NEVER ask you for your ID's and/or passwords via email. If you get such an email, discard it immediately. If you are uncertain, contact the Helpdesk directly (NOT via any link in the email--go to http://helpdesk.southernct.edu/ ) and ask if there is a problem. They might ask you to forward the email to them.

Have a good semester, folks!

Another planned outage: Friday afternoon for the web server

2008-08-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

This time it's the web server, going down from 4:30 - 6:30 pm on Friday, Aug. 15, for upgrades to the software (Apache and PHP). Other than the downtime itself, users probably won't notice a thing.

IT seems to be getting all our systems upgraded this summer: Banner and Vista have had upgrades; now the web server. The planned email migration to Exchange has been delayed, however. No official word on that, but I hear they may do a gradual switch over, maybe by department, rather than a mass, all-at-once change. Watch your campus email for announcements on that. (And if you aren't watching your campus email, why not? You can set your MySCSU mail to forward to the email address of your choice: go into your email and choose the Options tab.)

Upgrades, outages, ebook downloads, and vacation

2008-07-25T09:34:00.000-04:00

A little bit of everything in this post.

First, there will be some minor upgrades in Blackboard Vista during our usual Sunday (7/27) morning (6-10am) maintenance.

Second, Banner will be down on Sunday (7/27), technically from 11:30 pm Sat (7/26) to 11:50 pm Sun (7/27).

Third, I forgot to announce the World Ebook Fair this year, but there is still time. The Fair collects in one place over one million ebooks, text and audio, all available for download between July 4 and Aug 4. Some of these are collections that are normally free, like the Internet Archive, Project Gutenberg, and government reports, but others are commercial products offering free and discounted ebooks especially for the fair. Many languages are included, both fiction and nonfiction, even sheet music from the IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library.

Fourth, I'm going on vacation for the next week, and then the week after that (Aug 4-8) I'll be busy with the campus SummerTech Faculty Technology workshop. I will keep an eye on my email, but I don't promise to respond right away! I'll try and remember to check my voicemail, too, but I'm really bad about that. So if you need to get in touch with me, use email. Library access problems should go directly to the reference desk, (203) 392-5732 or eref@southernct.edu.

So, instead of using Vista or Banner this Sunday, download some ebooks, and I'll "see" you all in a couple of weeks!

Spam warning

2008-07-21T10:27:00.000-04:00

I think this is our first campus specific spam. The Office of Information Technology send the following warning this morning:

To All Faculty and Staff,

Several people have reported the receipt of an email with the subject “FINAL NOTIFICATION!!!” that appears to come from the “SOUTHERNCT WEBMAIL SUPPORT TEAM [supportteam@southernct.edu]”. The message itself is as follows:

Dear SOUTHERNCT Webmail Subscriber

This mail is to inform all our {SOUTHERNCT} webmail users that we will be maintaining and upgrading our website in a couple of days from now.As a Subscriber you are required to send us your Email account details to enable us know if you are still making use of your mailbox. Be informed that we will be deleting all mail account that is not functioning to enable us create more space for new subscribers, You are to send your mail account details which are as follows:

*User Name:

*Password:

Failure to do this will immediately render your email address deactivated from our database.

Thank you for using SOUTHERNCT

FROM THE SOUTHERNCT SUPPORT TEAM

Please be advised that this email is spam. It is a phishing scheme designed to get your username and password. Do not reply to this. Simply delete it.

Unfortunately, the timing of our Microsoft Exchange implementation makes this message more confusing and believable. However, please be advised that the OIT staff will never send an email out asking you for your username and password. Also, another clue that this is not legitimate is that OIT will not send emails out with all upper case letters in the “Subject” header.

We will be investigating this email and will try to include it in our spam gateway rules.

Thank you for your continued vigilance in privacy, security, and malware issues.
The OIT Staff

You should never respond to any email requesting your account password. Real IT folks have access to our accounts--they don't need our passwords. The only situation I can think of where an IT help staffer has ever asked me for a password was at the end of a long, multi-email and phone exchange trying to figure out why what I saw looked different than what she saw. No service or site worth anything would send a request like this with no previous contact.

Another clue about this, by the way, is the curly brackets around the SOUTHERNCT in the first sentence. Spammers exchange "form letter" type texts, usually copied from legitimate sources, with the information that needs replacing marked in some sort of bracket. I actually got one where the spammer didn't replace anything, so it was addressed, "Dear {eBay username}". The hint about the capitalization in the subject is excellent. It's true, very few legitimate business-type emails come through with all caps subject lines.

Be smart and stay safe--if you get a suspicious email like this, go to the site that it's supposed to be from (NOT via any link in the email--use a search engine if you don't know the URL), find the help or contact information, and write or call directly to the institution/company.

And, of course, if you did get this and did respond, contact the helpdesk (which is helpdesk@southernct.edu, not supportteam) IMMEDIATELY!

MySCSU downtime Friday morning

2008-07-17T16:06:00.002-04:00

MySCSU will be down from 5 am to 8:30 am tomorrow, Friday, July 18. It's the portal itself that they are working on, so this won't block or bounce email--you just won't be able to get at it. Vista and other web services won't be affected.

Vista & Library login server down

2008-07-08T17:12:00.003-04:00

Something has happened to a server at the main system office, so you can't login to either Vista or the Library databases. I've got no other info right now, but all the right people have been notified, so someone is working on the problem. Hang in there and keep trying!

Update, 7/9, 9:30 AM: Everything seems to be back up now. No news on what happened so far. Thank you for your patience.

Banner down June 30

2008-06-26T10:48:00.003-04:00

Banner and BannerWeb will be down June 30 for the end-of-the-fiscal-year accounting. Here is the official message:

Banner (i.e. In-Person transactions-registrations/payments/other inquiries) and Banner Web (i.e. Online registrations/ Online payments/ Other Online inquires) will be inaccessible on Monday, June 30^th from 12:00PM (noon) until July 1^st- 12:00AM (midnight). Access to Banner Web Online (registrations and payments) will be available after 12:00AM on July 1^st. Banner (In-Person transactions) will recommence with normal business hours on July 1^st.