Library & Computing News

What's the time, Mr Wolf?

sr-bryan@hotmail.com (Sharon B) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:17:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered what the time difference was between, say, Brisbane and Dubai*?

If you wanted to spend some time studying abroad, or if you need to contact a friend or colleague who is in a different time zone, it can be very useful to be able to quickly check the time in different locations.

That's where a site like Time and Date's World Clock comes in handy. At a quick glance, you can check the times across a reasonably extensive range of capital cities. By clicking on the name of the city, you can also find other details, like: when daylight saving time starts/finishes, the dialling codes for the country/area, the weather... that sort of thing.

There are other sites out there which offer similar services, and I encourage you to have a look around to see if you find one you prefer. Time and Date is simple enough to use, though, and is perfectly adequate for answering those quick, what-time-is-it-in-Adelaide-type questions.

Certainly worth bookmarking.

*(It's approximately six hours, by the way - when it's 11:00am in Brisbane, it's 5:00am in Dubai, give or take daylight savings)

Random Book Review: Sister Madge's Book of Nuns

sr-bryan@hotmail.com (Sharon B) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:16:00 +0000

Sister Madge's Book of Nuns is written by Doug MacLeod and illustrated by Craig Smith.

Originally published in 1986, Sister Madge's Book of Nuns is a fondly regarded Australian children's book - which apparently started out as a practical joke on a publisher.

Introduced by Sister Madge, from the Convent of our Lady of Immense Proportions, the book consists of a number of poems about various nuns Sister Madge has known.

The book is a rollicking, irreverent excuse to put some nuns in very un-nun-like situations, and there are enough fart jokes to keep any Year 3 class amused. The poems are a little long for reading the entire book in one sitting to the younger grades, but it gives a primary school teacher the opportunity the stretch the book out over several story telling sessions.

My favourite lines come from "Sister Stephanie and the Gang":

Sister Stephanie left the store
But came back with a mighty roar
The windows smashed, alarm bells rang,
The nuns had formed a bikie gang

The gang was fierce, the gang was mad
The gang was old and leather-clad
With chains and crosses, clubs and spikes
The nuns revved up their superbikes

You can find Sister Madge's Book of Nuns in the Curriculum Collection, at 820.94 MACL.

Winter Reading Display – Townsville

noreply@blogger.com (Claire Swift) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:15:00 +0000

Looking for a good book to read or DVD to watch over the winter break? Pop in to the Mabo Library and check out our Winter Reading Display featuring Australian literature and films.

The works featured are a small sample of our Australian book collection. Many more books can be found at 820A, on the top floor of the Library.

Also on display are books from our North Queensland Collection, novels written by locals or set in North Queensland.

Endnote training

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0000

Hands on Endnote training will be conducted for staff and postgraduate students in July.

Training will cover

Getting started with Endnote
Endnote and Word
Connecting to the JCU Library Catalogue using Connection Files
Using Filter Files to import information from online databases

Training will be conducted in Townsville on the following dates:

Tuesday 14 July - 9am to 12noon
Wednesday 15 July - 9am to 12noon
Thursday 16 July - 9am to 12noon

All sessions will be in HX107 (aka DA2-107)

To book for Townsville sessions contact

Nicole Johnston on 4781 4941 (email: Nicole.Johnston@jcu.edu.au) or
Claire Swift on 4781 6523 (email: Claire.Swift@jcu.edu.au)

Training in Cairns will be conducted on the following dates

Tuesday 14 July - 9am to 12noon
Wednesday 15 July - 9am to 12noon
Thursday 16 July - 9am to 12noon

All sessions will be in B1.104 (library computer training room)

To book for Cairns sessions contact

Kathy Fowler on 4042 1034 (Katharine.Fowler@jcu.edu.au)
Cairns Infohelp 4042 1029 (CairnsInfoHelp@jcu.edu.au)

Random Book Review: Circus Techniques

sr-bryan@hotmail.com (Sharon B) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:54:00 +0000

Circus Techniques, by Hovey Burgess, is one of the seminal works in circus pedagogy. Burgess was a long-time teacher at the New York University, teaching circus techniques in the graduate acting programme. He also taught at the Juilliard School during the Sixties and Seventies, and worked with most of the top clown schools and colleges in America... in addition to being a juggler, acrobat and flyman in his own right.

His book, originally published in 1976, has rarely been out of print, and is still considered to be one of the core books in the genre.

Circus Techniques examines three basic elements of circus arts: juggling, equilibristics and vaulting (for those of you who might not be quite so "up" on your circus terminology, "equilibristics" covers balance skills like unicycling and stilts, while "vaulting" covers acrobatic skills such as tumbling and trapeze). In each area, he covers basic skills and builds to more advanced techniques.

The information is very practical and straightforward, and the pictures are comprehensive enough to adequately illustrate the processes involved. While some of the techniques can be self-taught with little more than a pool-cue or a chair, others require more advanced equipment or, at the very least, support people to act as spotters or catchers. Some techniques also require partners, but circus has always been a collaborative effort...

You can find the book at 791.34 BUR on the top floor of the Mabo Library, in Townsville. If you're in Cairns, you can place a hold on the book and we'll send it up to you. We have the second edition of the book, which has long since lost it's yellow cover, but the contents are timeless, even if the cover is unassuming.

The book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in circus skills or physical performance. If you intend to learn juggling or acrobatic skills, it's compulsory reading.

2009 JCU Teaching Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Helen H) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:25:00 +0000

JCU is pleased to announce the recipient of the JCU Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning and the recipients of the 2009 Faculty Citations for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning. This year, we also presented a Citation for Sessional staff.

The citations are awarded annually to staff who have demonstrated they have influenced student learning, student engagement or the overall student experience over a sustained period of time, and have gained recognition from fellow staff, the institution, and/or the broader community.

See the winners at: http://www.jcu.edu.au/teaching/JCUPRD_047647.html or pop into the Mabo Library or the Cairns campus library and see the citations on display.

Library Inter-Semester/Block Mode Opening Hours

noreply@blogger.com (Helen H) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 23:20:00 +0000

During the Inter-Semester / Block Mode (Monday 22 June - Sunday 26 July) the Library Opening Hours for Townsville and Cairns will be:

8am - 5pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
8am - 9pm Tuesday
1pm - 5pm Saturday
Closed Sunday

Closed Townsville Show Day (Monday 29 June)
Closed Cairns Show Day (Friday 17 July)

New trials for midwifery and medicine

noreply@blogger.com (Helen H) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:21:00 +0000

Students and staff of JCU have trial access until 30 June 2009 to a selection of books journals and databases in OvidSP on midwifery and medicine.

Maternity and Infant Care: Database of over 120,000 references with abstracts to articles from journals, books, and grey literature relating to pregnancy, labour, birth, postnatal care, and neonatal care and the first year of an infant’s life.

MIDIRS Midwifery Digest in Journals@Ovid

Books@Ovid Includes:

* Jones & Bartlett 100 Questions & Answers Series
* Avery's Neonatology
* Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Reference Guide to Fetal and Neonatal Risk
* Informed Choice Initiative: For Professionals
* Informed Choice Initiative: For Women
* Johns Hopkins Manual of Gynecology and Obstetrics
* Manual of Obstetrics

A password is not required on campus, while off campus access to the trial is available via Remote Access login to the library trials web page.

If you have any feedback either positive or negative please let us know.

Multimedia Hosting Service for Academics

noreply@blogger.com (Alan @JCU Library) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:40:00 +0000

The Library and Learning Technologies are pleased to announce that JCU students and staff can now access multimedia teaching materials including video, off air broadcasts and music, in addition to text and images through LearnJCU.

The multimedia materials are hosted on a media streaming server, which means the content can be viewed quickly by students regardless of the speed of the bandwidth connection. Students can also jump to particular parts of the content by dragging the tracking bar.

Academic staff can submit multimedia content through the Reserve Online forms available from the Reserve Online For Academic Staff guide. More information about streaming digital media at JCU is provided by Learning Technologies including an FAQ, and hints on creating digital media files.

Need a quiet place to study? Try the library's Silent Zone and Quiet Study Areas.

noreply@blogger.com (Helen H) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 07:21:00 +0000

Townsville:

Did you know that we have a TOTAL SILENCE ZONE along the southern wall on the top floor of the library building? This zone has been established for those students who want absolute silence while studying.
Conditions of access for these areas are: No mobile phones; No children.
Other areas in the Library are for quiet conversation, including the Western Group Presentation Room on the top floor, the Seminar room and Student lounge on the first floor (eastern end) and the Coffee Friendly Zone located on the ground floor adjacent to Copying Services.
All areas are clearly marked on the Library floor plans.

Cairns:

The whole top floor of the library is a SILENT STUDY AREA. Children are allowed but it is the parent/adult's responsibility to ensure that they do not disturb other library patrons throughout the library.
Group study and quiet conversation is acceptable on the ground and first floors of the Library. The ground floor is a Coffee Friendly Zone, with the exception of the computer workstations in the Reading Room and in the Learning Center.
All areas are clearly marked on the Library floor plans.

Exam Tips #5

sr-bryan@hotmail.com (Sharon B) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:30:00 +0000

Make something

Okay, you've got a really complex subject that has a lot of "hard" facts to remember... and there's an exam coming up.

You know you are going to have to remember that formula/definition/date, so you write it down on a piece of paper and read over it as often as you can - saying it out-loud to a mirror to help you memorise it.

But it's so very similar to another formula/definition/date that you have to remember for the same exam, and you aren't sure if you'll remember exactly which one is which when it comes to the crunch...

While memorisation is great, and learning things by rote can really help you recall things later on, the best thing you can do to remember something is to engage with it.

If you know what that formula does (and what happens if you change one part of it), if you use that definition in context, if you remember something else that happened on that date... well it might mean more to you. When it means something to you, you stand a better chance of remembering it.

One of the best ways to engage with the facts is to make something out of them. Anything at all.

It could be a study guide for a Sixth Grade class, which makes you rethink the way you present the information so that twelve-year-olds can understand it. It could be a series of slides created for your own class - as if you were going to teach your peers a lesson on the subject. It could be a short story in which the facts form crucial plot points. It could be an interpretive dance, in which each movement represents a core concept.

Whatever makes you happy. Play with it - come up with something that gets you not just thinking about the information but actively using it.

This also helps you work on an important skill - synthesis. It's one of the higher order thinking skills Bloom lists in his taxonomy, and it can help you improve the quality of the work you produce.

When you make something new with the facts you have on hand, you're more likely to remember them later, and more likely to be able to use them effectively.

Scopus Database

noreply@blogger.com (Helen H) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:00:00 +0000

The Library is promoting the Scopus database in June.

Why use Scopus?

Scopus is a premier abstract and citation database covering over 16,000 of the world’s best peer-reviewed journals.

Scopus search results include:

Journal articles
conference proceedings, trade publications and book series
scholarly web pages (searched via Scirus)
patent records from 5 patent offices

Scopus exports search results directly to EndNote

Check your Scopus skills now - answer our quiz for a chance to win Scopus prizes

Try one of the Scopus tutorials
Read more about Scopus
Go straight to a Scopus search session

Queen's Birthday Opening Hours

noreply@blogger.com (Helen H) — Sun, 31 May 2009 22:43:00 +0000

The Townsville and Cairns Libraries will be open from 1-5pm on Monday 8th June 2009

Exam Opening Hours

noreply@blogger.com (Helen H) — Sun, 31 May 2009 22:08:00 +0000

The Townsville and Cairns Library Buildings will be open for extended hours during the Examination period, beginning Saturday 6 June - Sunday 21 June. Handouts are available at the InfoHelp desks.

24 hour study facilities, including copying, computing and printing are available in the Humanities Annex (HX/DA02) Computing Facility in Townsville and A2.017, A2.018 and B1.030 facilities in Cairns. Many services and resources are available 24 hours per day through the Library and Computing Services website.

ePrints Scheduled Outage 3 June 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Helen H) — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:51:00 +0000

On the 3rd June 2009 at 04:30pm, JCU ePrints (official repository for research papers at JCU) will be taken down for system maintenance. ePrints will be unavailable for 2 days.

The Library and ITR apologise for any inconvenience this outage will cause.

InformaWorld Scheduled Outage

noreply@blogger.com (Helen H) — Wed, 27 May 2009 03:46:00 +0000

InformaWorld will be unavailable due to scheduled maintenance on Wednesday 27th May from 3:00pm – 7:00pm (AEST). Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

Artist in Residence - Gail Mabo - JCU Library, Townsville

noreply@blogger.com (Alice Logan) — Tue, 26 May 2009 05:30:00 +0000

The Library is happy to announce that Gail Mabo will be an "Artist in Residence" on 27 May and 28 May, 2009. Gail Mabo's exhibition "Mabo Kara Art" is currently on display in the Eddie Koiki Mabo Library in Townsville until 5 June, 2009.

Library and Information Week 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Helen H) — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:45:00 +0000

Libraries your passport to discovery!
25 - 31 May 2009

Libraries connect people to ideas. It's a vital part of our commitment to promoting the free flow of information and facilitating all Australians' access to recorded knowledge, information, and creative works. This year’s theme highlights the self-directed discovery element of libraries and to celebrate libraries as the place to access, communicate, connect, educate, entertain and inform.

"Australians benefit from services provided by approximately 9,000 school libraries, 42 university libraries, 387 TAFE campus libraries, and thousands of health libraries, law libraries and other special libraries."

If you haven't been to the JCU Libraries lately, come along and experience the great spaces we have to help you with your studies; reacquaint yourself with our online services or contact your subject Librarian for assistance.

Library statistics

There are approximately 12 million registered users of public libraries in Australia – almost half of Australia’s total population
There are over 1,500 public libraries in Australia with approximately 108 million visits to public libraries each year
Each year Australia’s public libraries lend over 178 million items
There are over 6,400 internet computers in public libraries in Australia and a further 1,600 computers for word processing etc.
There are 448 health/medical libraries. Health librarians are responsible for knowledge support to clinicians, managers, educators, researchers and some directly serve patients or health consumers.
There are over 400 corporate/business libraries in Australia and they play a key role in ensuring that business strategy and decision-making is supported by accurate, current, relevant information sources
There are over 400,000 fulltime-equivalent TAFE students in Australia and they are supported by 387 campus libraries. TAFE libraries had 14 million visits in 2006
There are over 21 million loans every year in Australian university libraries
In 2007-08, 7.7 million people visited Australian and New Zealand national and state libraries and 132 million people visited their website.

Gail Mabo Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Helen H) — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:37:00 +0000

Come and join us on the 27th May at 10am in the InfoHelp training room (ground floor, Mabo Library Townsville) to listen to artist Gail Mabo. Gail will talk about her artistic style of painting and indigenous art in general.

You are invited to come early for morning tea before the presentation (9.30am). For catering purposes please RSVP to Helen Hooper by Tuesday 26th May (email: Helen.Hooper@jcu.edu.au or phone: 4781 4381).

Don't forget to also have a look at Gail's exhibition currently located on the 1st floor of the Mabo Library until 5th June 2009. Our display on indigenous art also includes a watercolour by Eddie Koiki Mabo (part of Gail's collection).

Mabo Kara Art Exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (Helen H) — Mon, 18 May 2009 01:27:00 +0000

Mabo Kara Art Exhibition (Mabo My Art)

Artist: Gail Mabo
Where: Eddie Koiki Mabo Library, Townsville
When: Wednesday 20 May - Friday 5 June during library opening hours.

James Cook University celebrates the one year anniversary of the naming of the Eddie Koiki Mabo library with an exhibition showcasing Gail Mabo’s work. The Mabo Kara Art exhibition features a variety of landscapes and designs using a combination of contemporary urban art and traditional Indigenous techniques in a vibrant mix of colours and shapes.

As well as the Exhibition and Library displays on Mabo, Reconciliation and Indigenous Art Styles, Gail Mabo will also give an Indigenous Art Workshop on Wednesday, May 27 in the Mabo Library (room DA18-055).

Morning tea will be served at 9.30am for a 10am start. The workshop will include discussions on Gail’s art, and other Indigenous artists, as well as the history and different styles of Indigenous art. If you would like to attend the workshop please RSVP to Helen Hooper by Tuesday 26 May 2009.

Exam Tips #4

sr-bryan@hotmail.com (Sharon B) — Mon, 18 May 2009 01:20:00 +0000

Don't be so sure

Is there something on your revision checklist you are so confident about that you skip it every time?

Do you feel that a particular subject is so easy and obvious that you don't have to waste time looking at it?

That's usually a sign that you weren't paying attention. You'll probably find there are a lot of aspects you didn't consider, a lot of nuances you haven't appreciated.

You probably think it's easy and simple because you don't know what you don't know.

One of the best "tricks" you can master when it comes to study and revision is to learn to recognise where these gaps in your knowledge are - to know what you don't know.

Take a look at everything you have covered in your notes. Some areas will obviously stand out to you as things you need to know more about, and you will feel compelled to give most of your study time to covering those topics. But make sure you pay close attention to the areas you feel completely confident about.

Why are you so confident? Is it because you have put a good amount of work into those areas, you have done a reasonable amount of research and you already know what the main issues are and how different theorists have addressed those issues?

Or, is it because "everyone knows about that"?

"Everyone knows" a lot of things - except they don't know them very well. In fact, they usually have a very poor and ill informed understanding, which leads to a lot of bad decisions and unfounded judgments. It's obnoxious in casual conversation - it's downright dangerous when going into an exam.

"Everyone knows" how to run and throw a ball, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of information you could learn about these activities - and a lot of "hot-topics" you might not be aware of.

If it bores you, you probably don't know enough about it. If you can't be bothered looking it up, you probably don't know enough about it. If, every time you see it, you are sure you've got it under control... you probably don't know enough about it.

That's the topic that's going to trip you up on the exam, because you're not worried enough to make sure you know as much as you could.

Go through everything on your revision sheet and make sure you can write down a list of the major issues and theories regarding those topics. Don't skip anything, and watch to see where the gaps in your knowledge might be. Nothing is as simple as it seems.

Scopus training at JCU [ERA]

noreply@blogger.com (Helen H) — Wed, 13 May 2009 06:30:00 +0000

The library is offering expert training for staff and postgraduate students in using Scopus to enhance their research.

Scopus will provide citation data for ERA’s first group of science disciplines: Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences (PCE).
Scopus is a premier multi-disciplinary abstract and citation database covering over 16,000 of the world’s best peer-reviewed journals

The session will be presented by Frances Bluhdorn – a Scopus training consultant from Sydney.

Townsville: Thursday, May 21st, from 9.00 to 11.00am in DA2-107 (aka HX107).
Cairns: Friday, May 22nd, from 9.00 to 11.00am in B1.104

Learn how to use Scopus features and functionality effectively, including:

Coverage and Content
Personal Profile Set-up
Search Functionality - Search forms, Search syntax, Refine results, Search History, Search results
Cited By, Webcites, Patentcites, Related Documents, My List, Sources and Journal Analyzer
Managing Searches - Saved searches, Saved lists, E-mail alerts
Bibliometric Tools - Author Identifier including My Authors and Citation Tracker, Affiliation Identifier

The session comprises a presentation, hands-on practice and discussion.

Tourism Australia - New Online Student Data Package available at JCU

noreply@blogger.com (Alice Logan) — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:26:00 +0000

Tourism Research Australia has recently published an Online Student Data Package. This is now available for JCU Staff and Students.

The data in the package will enable users to access research information on visitor demographics and behaviours. Users can manipulate data from the International and Domestic Visitor surveys to build and generate customised tables, or access standard tables.

The database can be accessed via the Library's Database page by clicking here.

Credo Reference - New Features & Gadgets

noreply@blogger.com (Helen H) — Mon, 11 May 2009 01:35:00 +0000

Based on feedback from librarians and users, Credo has enhanced their basic search page with key new features:

An image-only search

Searching Credo's 200,000+ images just got easier. From the Search page, select the Image Search tab and enter your search term to view related images. Similarly, you can access our Concept Map by clicking the Concept Search tab.

A featured content section

Our Featured Content area will spotlight interesting searches and content related to current events. Featured Content will be updated regularly and remain timely. We welcome suggestions for the Featured Content area.An indication of the content you may find in Credo

The search page now includes suggestions for how to use Credo. Under 'Use Credo Reference to find', you can click through to all our encyclopedias, dictionaries and biographical titles or get quick access to our measurements conversion tool and crossword solver.Credo's current Gadgets have proven very popular, and now there are two new gadgets:

Image search
Pronunciation search

Use the Image search to find photos, illustrations or maps. Need to know how to pronounce a term? Type your word into our Pronunciations gadget to find out.

Credo's Gadgets are accessible from the navigation pane at the top of each page. Gadgets will open on the right side of your Credo pages. Use them to get a quick definition, look up a person, solve your crossword puzzle and much more.

Use Credo Reference to find: encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, quotations, bilingual dictionaries, crossword solver, measurement conversions and more. Go and check it out for yourself. Just follow the link to databases from the Library homepage or go direct.

Exam Planning

noreply@blogger.com (nicole) — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:17:00 +0000

Need information about Exams? Check out the Infohelp Survival Guide for Exams.

You can find information on :

Exam timetables
Campus maps to locate exam rooms
Past examination papers
Library opening hours during exams
Quiet study areas in the Library
Books on study skills for exams
Studying for Exams online tutorial
Disabilities arrangements
Examinations FAQ and website

Exam Plan will take place on Thursday 14 May from 10:00am to 2:00pm on the grass opposite the Student Association Library Coffee Cart in Townsville. A range of JCU student support services will be available offering support, information and advice for the exam period including:

Exam success advice, healthy tips
Free massages, food, tea, coffee and entertainment by:

*Wulguru Kaba Walkabout Dance Group @ 10.30am
*Drumming Circle @ 11.00am
*Live music by Krystal Donnelly @ 12.00pm