August 21, 2001
Archives

<<<<<August 20th, 2001.>>>>> The electronic newsletter of the University Library, University of South Alabama, published irregularly as a service to the University Community.

CONTENTS:
 Proxy Server Added | Homepage Redesign | Fall Hours for the University Library |
Changes to ProQuest and InfoTrac | Sociological Abstracts moves to Ebsco | AccessScience Returns; Britannica Leaves

PROXY SERVER

Off-Campus Access to University Library Subscribed Databases

During the summer, the University Library has been adding remote access to more databases, such as Lexis, the ACM Digital Library and the American Chemical Society Journals. For all databases, authentication now needs to be done once during an Internet session; you can switch from InfoTrac to EBSCO to Lexis without ever having to login again. Not all of our databases, indexes, and electronic reference sources are available from your home yet, but we will continue to add remote capabilities to the databases to which we subscribe. How have we been able to accomplish this? With the help of the Computer Services Center, we implemented some proxy server software called EZProxy, which substitutes an on-campus ip address for an off-campus one so that database providers see the user as coming from the University of South Alabama. Because of the proxy server software, our authentication procedure has changed; you need to use your last name and either the last four digits of your social security or your library barcode. KW

Sociological Abstracts Moved

SocAbstracts, previously listed under FirstSearch, is now available as one of the EBSCO collection of indexes. We were able to save a few dollars by making this change and we think that the Ebsco search interface will make searching it easier for your students. JS

HOMEPAGE REDESIGN

You may also notice that the University Library Homepage (http://library.southalabama.edu) has been redesigned. Through the nearly six years of its existence, we kept modifying the original design till we couldn't add to it anymore. It was time for a thorough housecleaning. The new design is easier to understand with pop-up hints and clearer links. Though most of our webpage addresses will remain the same, you may encounter a few broken links to dropped pages from your old syllabi and assignments. We are sorry for this inconvenience.

Let us know what you think about the new design; give us ideas you may have to make it better. JS

ProQuest Replaced by More InfoTrac Databases

For the past 2 years the Alabama Virtual Library has been providing the ProQuest databases available on our homepage. Effective September 30th, AVL will not be renewing this license.

Instead AVL has subscribed to additional Gale/InfoTrac databases which are now accessible on our homepage under Articles and Indexes.

The two major new databases for USA are:

  • InfoTrac OneFile (1980- ) -- which allows you to search the humanities, social science, science, business, and health journals all at one time.
  • Literature Resource Center -- which includes essays from Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Literary Criticism, Dictionary of Literary Biography, Scribner's Writers series, and Twayne's Writers series. ME

FALL HOURS for the
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

Monday-Thursday 7:45 A.M.- 11:00 P.M.
Friday 7:45 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.
Saturday 10:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.
Sunday 1:00 P.M. - 11:00 P.M.

University Library Reference Desk
Monday-Thursday 8:00 A.M.- 10:00 P.M.
Friday 8:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.
Saturday 10:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.
Sunday 1:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.

Documents/Serials Desk
Same as Reference Desk
except Thursday it closes at 6:00 P.M.

Instructional Media Center
Monday-Friday 7:45 A.M. - 5:30 P.M.

The 24/7 address is:
http://library.southalabama.edu

JS

AccessScience and
Encyclopaedia Britannica

Our subscription to AccessScience was temporarily lost, but this 20 volume McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology is back and can be reached through the home page at Reference Sources or Articles and Indexes, Science & Technology. Click here for more information about AccessScience.

Britannica Online will only be available until September 30 when the Alabama Virtual Library subscription ends. Many other encyclopedias are available on the public Internet and our selection can be found from our References Sources link on the homepage. JS

 

SOUTHcat Plus
University Homepage
call (334) 460-6045 or e-mail Jan Sauer.
  Last updated: 08/21/01. js
This page: http://www.usouthal.edu/univlib/news/news19.html