Monthly Archives: October 2018 - Page 2

Top Five Hidden Resources at The Ames Library: #1. Librarians

Contrary to popular belief, librarians don’t spend our 9 to 5 shelving books. Our main job is to help you succeed during your time here at IWU! We’ll help you find sources for your research papers and projects, manage those citations that you’re swimming in, and develop information-literacy skills. Studies from ACRL Assessment in Action (AiA) programs found that library use increases student success. A study at California State University, East Bay showed that “[s]tudents who participated in course integrated library instruction were much more likely to use library resources and were also more likely to have a higher GPA than students who did not receive the instruction.” (Source.)

Each of the librarians at The Ames Library is responsible for different subject areas, like biology or religion, meaning that we know all the best sources in those areas to make your life easier. And if you’re not sure which librarian to turn to? Not to worry, you can approach any of us with questions! Our email addresses, office locations, and phone numbers are all under our pictures on The Ames Library homepage.

Top Five Hidden Resources at The Ames Library: #2. ILLiad

#2. ILLiad

At this stage in your IWU career, you’re probably aware that we have a ton of books, journals, and databases to help you out with all your assignments, and that if we don’t have a book at Ames, you can borrow it from I-Share. You might not know, though, that we have a service that allows you to access articles and books that aren’t in our collections or I-Share–for free.

ILLiad is an interlibrary loan service that lets you request the full text of articles that we don’t have access to and books that aren’t available via Ames or I-Share. Requesting the materials you need is easy, but requires a separate account from your regular library account. On average, articles requested through ILLiad arrive within 48 hours and books arrive within 8 days. However, in some cases articles can take up to a week to arrive and books can take up to two weeks, so don’t wait until the last minute!

Top Five Hidden Resources at The Ames Library: #3. Archives & Special Collections

#3. Archives and Special Collections

Did you know that the library owns a book printed in Nuremberg, Germany in 1482? A program signed by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.? Photos of School of Theatre Arts productions dating from 1916 to the present day? And that you can use them any time you want?

It’s just one of the many cool offerings at the Tate Archives & Special Collections on our fourth floor, which is devoted to rare, valuable, and fragile materials, as well as records of IWU’s history. You can also explore the mysteries of IWU’s history and many of these artifacts of human knowledge online.

Top Five Hidden Resources at The Ames Library: #4. One Button Studio

#4. One Button Studio

“One Button what?” you ask.

Located on the library’s third floor in the Thorpe Center, our new One Button Studio is designed for people who don’t have experience with video editing. All you need to record your presentation for class or that cool green-screen project is a USB flash drive. So far, students have use the One Button Studio to film themselves conducting choral arrangements, interviewing “patients” for our School of Nursing, and practicing mock interviews. No more fussing with lighting, camera, or mics–it’s all taken care of for you! Just be sure to give us a 24-hour notice before you book an appointment.

Top Five Hidden Resources at The Ames Library: #5. Technology and Equipment

This week, we’re doing a countdown of the top five hidden resources at The Ames Library! We’ll be highlighting cool things that you may not have been aware of which will help you excel during your time here at Illinois Wesleyan. Check back each day to learn about a new hidden resource.

#5. Technology and equipment for checkout

Did you know that you can check out a GoPro Hero5 Session at the Library Services Desk on our first floor? What about a MacBook? The Ames Library isn’t just about books; we also have a variety of digital equipment and accessories for checkout. You can check out laptops, audio-visual equipment, and even bikes and umbrellas at the Library Services desk. All you need is a library account and your student ID. You’ll find the borrowing periods for these items here.