Teaching & Learning

Summer research tips for B.A. writers

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Rebecca Starkey at the University of Chicago Library

Working on your B.A. paper over the summer? Whether you are on campus or away from Chicago, the Library is available to help you in several ways.

Access to Online Resources
You can access the Library’s electronic resources–including ebooks!—no matter where you are located this summer. To ensure access, use the Library’s website to connect to our online resources (you will be promoted for your CNetID) or use the ProxyIt! bookmarklet. Need help locating online resources for your paper? Our Library Guides are a great place to start.

Scan and Deliver
If you are away from campus, and need to read an article or essay from a book that is not available online, use our Scan and Deliver service to request a copy be sent to you via e-mail. There are some limits to the service, so please read our instructions before making your requests.

Librarians are available during the summer to help you–in person or remotely via our email and IM/Chat service. Photo by Jason Smith.

Doing Research at Other Libraries
If you are interested in visiting other libraries and archives to conduct research for your B.A. paper, view our guide to doing research at other libraries before you go. You’ll find tips on how to access different institutions, and strategies for identifying relevant collections.

Learn About Citation Managers
Summer is an ideal time to learn how citation managers can ease the BA research process. Use citation managers such as Zotero or EndNote to organize your research and create footnotes and bibliographies automatically for your paper. The Library is offering online workshops over the summer to help you learn about these programs. Or, if you are staying in Chicago, schedule an appointment for a tutorial.

Ask a Librarian/Reference Services
Our librarians are on hand throughout the summer to help you with your research. E-mail or use our IM/chat service for help away from campus. Or, if you are staying in Chicago, this may be a good time to schedule a consultation with a reference librarian or subject specialist, who can suggest sources and research strategies for your project.

Book a Room Service at Crerar

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Jennifer Hart at Crerar Science

photo of a group study in Crerar Library

One of the many group studies bookable by groups using the new Book a Room system.

This past January, the Library launched a “Book a Room” service, which allows faculty, students and staff to book meeting and study rooms in the Library. The online reservation system provides an overview of all available spaces and allows users to reserve a room with a few clicks.

In the Crerar Library, there are 7 study rooms that are available, four of which have a pull down projection screen. A projector can be checked out from the circulation desk. The largest room (320 B) can accommodate up to 12 individuals, while all rooms seat at least 6.

Since we began offering the service, 390 groups have booked space in Crerar for a total of 71 days, 7 hours, and 47 minutes across all study rooms. Book a Room allows groups to name themselves for easy identification, and while most are either straightforward or completely obscure about their purpose, we’ve hosted a few with more creative group names. Animals seem to be popular, as we’ve seen Tigers, Two Frogs, and Desert Foxes. Other groups have been more frank about their work, such as O-Chem Death, Why Did We Write BAs?!, and Thesis Woes.

This is a pilot, and the service will be reviewed to ensure that it is meeting the needs of faculty, students and staff.

More information is available at: http://news.lib.uchicago.edu/blog/2013/01/04/book-a-room-pilot-for-group-studies-begins-jan-7/ including policies on room use.

If you have used the service, we would like to hear your feedback. Please use our form – http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/ask/roombook.html – or contact Barb Kern at bkern@uchicago.edu or 702-8717.

Endnote Workshop, Wednesday May 15th, 12-1pm

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Jennifer Hart at Crerar Science

Location: Crerar Library Computer Classroom.

Learn how to use the bibliographic software EndNote. Topics covered include creating and managing libraries, importing references from online databases, importing and managing PDFs and creating formatted bibliographies and citations in Microsoft Word. Registration is required. Register here.

Get training and advanced assistance with NCBI biotechnology tools

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Crerar Science

ncbieye University of Chicago faculty and students interested in using biotechnology information tools and resources can ask questions, schedule consultations, or arrange training sessions with Vedana Vaidhyanathan from the John Crerar Library.

Vedana, the Biomedical Reference Librarian and Informatics Specialist at Crerar, recently attended a train-the-trainer course at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). There she learned new techniques for teaching NCBI resources, including BLAST, a tool that examines a piece of DNA or a protein and finds others in the system that are similar; Gene, NCBI’s repository for gene-specific information; and Cn3D, a tool that allows a user to see the 3D structure of a protein. Additionally Vedana has learned to teach epigenetic and small molecule resources so that she can share her knowledge with the University community.

NCBI resources are made freely available by the federal government, but they can be difficult to navigate. Vedana is here to help UChicago faculty, researchers and students with this type of research. In conjunction with her specialized training at NCBI, Vedana gained priority access to the researchers who design these tools and can rapidly contact them with advanced questions.

For assistance, consultations, and training sessions on NCBI tools and resources, contact Vedana at vedana@uchicago.edu.

When:	Friday, June 21, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Where:	Online Session
Description:	This live, online webinar will show you how to get started using the citation management tool, Zotero. With a single click, Zotero allows you to save citations and create bibliographies in standard citation styles, including APA, Chicago, & MLA. This webinar will introduce you to the key functions of Zotero, such as installing and configuring Zotero, adding citations to your Zotero library, and using Zotero with Microsoft Word to insert citations into your documents. ***Please note: THIS SESSION WILL BE PRESENTED ONLINE using Adobe Connect, a virtual meeting platform. Complete instructions on how to participate will be emailed within 24 hours of the webinar. All email correspondence will be sent to your uchicago email address. Capacity is limited and registration is required. Click the website link below to register.
Register:	Website
Contact:	Joseph Regenstein Library 773-702-4685
Calendars:	Library, Training, Workshops
	Persons with disabilities who need an accommodation in order to participate in this event should contact the event sponsor for assistance. Information on Assistive Listening Device

When:	Thursday, June 20, noon – 1:00 pm
Where:	Online Session
Description:	Citation managers are powerful, time-saving tools that help you manage your research. This live, online webinar will compare EndNote, EndNote Web, and Zotero by demonstrating how to save, share, and cite information. In order to provide a side-by-side comparison of tools, the format of this workshop is demonstration rather than hands-on training. ***Please note: THIS SESSION WILL BE PRESENTED ONLINE using Adobe Connect, a virtual meeting platform. Complete instructions on how to participate will be emailed within 24 hours of the webinar. All email correspondence will be sent to your uchicago email address. Capacity is limited and registration is required. See the website link below to register.
Register:	Website
Contact:	Joseph Regenstein Library 773-702-4685
Calendars:	Library, Training, Workshops
	Persons with disabilities who need an accommodation in order to participate in this event should contact the event sponsor for assistance. Information on Assistive Listening Device

When:	Wednesday, May 22, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Where:	Online Session
Description:	This live, online webinar will show you how to get started using the citation management tool, Zotero. With a single click, Zotero allows you to save citations and create bibliographies in standard citation styles, including APA, Chicago, & MLA. This webinar will introduce you to the key functions of Zotero, such as installing and configuring Zotero, adding citations to your Zotero library, and using Zotero with Microsoft Word to insert citations into your documents. ***Please note: THIS SESSION WILL BE PRESENTED ONLINE using Adobe Connect, a virtual meeting platform. Complete instructions on how to participate will be emailed within 24 hours of the webinar. All email correspondence will be sent to your uchicago email address. Capacity is limited and registration is required. Click the website link below to register.
Register:	Website
Contact:	Joseph Regenstein Library 773-702-4685
Calendars:	Library, Training, Workshops
	Persons with disabilities who need an accommodation in order to participate in this event should contact the event sponsor for assistance. Information on Assistive Listening Device

When:	Wednesday, May 22, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Where:	Gates-Blake 133, CTL Conference Room 5845 S. Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL
Description:	This course is designed for faculty, instructors, and graduate students interested in teaching. Have you found that your students aren’t using the academic sources you expect for their assignments? Do your students seem to lack basic library research skills? In this program, University of Chicago librarians will highlight ways you can integrate library research instruction into your courses to promote the acquisition of the skills necessary to complete research assignments. We’ll demonstrate ready-to-go online tools that can be integrated into your Chalk site, and discuss the different types of in-class instruction the Library can provide. At the end of the session, we’ll work together to create some sample assignments designed to help students learn how to use the Library’s collections and online resources. Presenters: Julia Gardner, Head of Reader Services, The Special Collections Research Center Rebecca Starkey, Librarian for College Instruction and Outreach, Regenstein Library Debra Werner, Librarian for Science Instruction and Outreach, Crerar Library PLEASE NOTE LOCATION: Center for Teaching and Learning, Gates-Blake 133 Registration is recommended. To register, please select the website below.
Register:	Website
Contact:	Rebecca Starkey
Calendars:	Library, Seminars, Staff, Training, Workshops
	Persons with disabilities who need an accommodation in order to participate in this event should contact the event sponsor for assistance. Information on Assistive Listening Device

When:	Monday, May 20, 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Where:	Online Session
Description:	Citation managers are powerful, time-saving tools that help you manage your research. This live, online webinar will compare EndNote, EndNote Web, and Zotero by demonstrating how to save, share, and cite information. In order to provide a side-by-side comparison of tools, the format of this workshop is demonstration rather than hands-on training. ***Please note: THIS SESSION WILL BE PRESENTED ONLINE using Adobe Connect, a virtual meeting platform. Complete instructions on how to participate will be emailed within 24 hours of the webinar. All email correspondence will be sent to your uchicago email address. Capacity is limited and registration is required. See the website link below to register.
Register:	Website
Contact:	Joseph Regenstein Library 773-702-4685
Calendars:	Library, Training, Workshops
	Persons with disabilities who need an accommodation in order to participate in this event should contact the event sponsor for assistance. Information on Assistive Listening Device

Teaching & Learning

Book a Room Service at Crerar

Endnote Workshop, Wednesday May 15th, 12-1pm

Get training and advanced assistance with NCBI biotechnology tools

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When:	Friday, May 17, 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm
Where:	TECHB@R Regenstein Library, Room 160
Description:	Zotero is a free citation manager that allows you to save citation information while searching and browsing the Web. With a single click, Zotero saves citations and enables you to create customized bibliographies in standard citation styles, including MLA, Chicago and APA. This workshop will introduce some of the key functions of Zotero such as: installing Zotero, adding citations to your Zotero library, organizing and managing your citations, creating a bibliography, and using the Microsoft Word plug-in to easily insert citations from Zotero into your documents. To register, click on “Website” below.
Register:	Website
Contact:	IT Services TechB@R
Calendars:	Library, Training, Workshops
	Persons with disabilities who need an accommodation in order to participate in this event should contact the event sponsor for assistance. Information on Assistive Listening Device