Behind the Scenes – Page 6 – Mary and Jeff Bell Library Blog

The Most Requested Interlibrary Loans: The 2018-2019 Academic Year

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:September 6, 2019
Post category:Behind the Scenes Books & More Service for You

In the 2018-2019 Academic Year, Interlibrary Loan (ILL) filled just shy of 10,000 requests! To put this in perspective, this is almost double the number of requests filled just 5 years ago in 2013-2014. And we did it all with less staff! That said, we thought it would be fun to share with you the year's most borrowed journals and books, as requested by TAMU-CC students, faculty, and staff, then follow up with a few observations. Top 11 most borrowed…

Why We Cancelled Lexis-Nexis (and How We Made the Decision)

Post author:Lisa Louis
Post published:August 6, 2019
Post category:Behind the Scenes News @ Your Library

This summer, Bell Library was faced with a choice. The database Lexis-Nexis, long a mainstay among library online resources, was coming up for renewal. We could have just renewed it automatically. Lexis Nexis seems foundational. Essential, even. But some concerns brought us up short. Usage was way down over previous years. The price has gone up over the same time span. And there were some problems with the contract that the company wanted us to sign. The TAMU system has…

Access Services: Prospective Student Assistant FAQ

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:August 2, 2019
Post category:Behind the Scenes

As the Student Coordinator for Access Services (or as many know it as the Circulation Desk), I typically work with 12–13 students assistants every semester. Throughout the semester, a student assistant may need to resign, and it is up to me to fill this position. So, has it ever crossed your mind what one (or myself) looks for in a student employee? What qualities should one have?What experience should one have? If you are one who has wondered about these…

Wherefore “Arch” Thou?: Finding the Archival Collections You Need

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:July 26, 2019
Post category:Behind the Scenes Library Hacks

Have you ever been interested in doing archival research, but you’re not sure where to start? Unlike most other library resources, archival collections are generally unique materials which only exist in one place. This is why they can be so valuable to research, since the information and perspective they contain often can’t be found anywhere else. But it also presents a problem: How to locate the collections which might be useful to you. Here are some tips and tricks on…

Does the library have my textbook? A student’s guide to Course Reserves

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:June 7, 2019
Post category:Behind the Scenes Service for You

What are Course Reserves? Reserves are books held at the Circulation Desk under course numbers and/or professors' names. Usually the books are on 3-hour reserve and must remain in the library. This allows more students access to the book. Books are put on reserve by the request of the professor. Tip: If you would like one of your course books to be on reserve at the library, talk to your professor. They might they have an extra copy available that they…

Service Excellence in Your Campus Library

Post author:Jennifer Anderson
Post published:May 31, 2019
Post category:Behind the Scenes Service for You

Recently the faculty and staff at the Bell Library have embarked upon a service excellence initiative. We hear about service excellence more and more often lately – we’ve even mentioned it a few times in our blog. What does “service excellence” mean? Perhaps more importantly, what will it mean for you? A simple Google search will give us some starting points…service excellence is an organization’s ability to meet and manage customer expectations. Lots of words are repeated in the results:…

A Sea of Maps: A Collaborative Project with the Conrad Blucher Institute

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:May 24, 2019
Post category:Behind the Scenes

Every morning the lights of the Archives Workroom come on at 8:00 am, and every morning the first thing (or should I say things) that greet me as I walk in are land surveying records. Not just a few, not just a couple hundred, but thousands of maps waiting to be processed, preserved and prepared for digitization. As Library Specialist II, in the Special Collections and Archives department, my job is to serve as point of contact with the Conrad Blucher Institute on a…

An In-depth Look at How Bell Library Acquires New Databases

Post author:Rachel Bennett
Post published:May 14, 2019
Post category:Behind the Scenes Service for You

Have you ever been browsing our online databases and wondered how we here at Bell Library decide which ones to purchase and make available to you? Well wonder no more because I am about to lay it all out for you! The first step in the e-resource lifecycle begins when we become aware of a new database. This can happen several different ways. Sometimes there is a resource that a professor has been wanting or has used at a prior…

Frame of the Day: Information Creation as a Process

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:May 7, 2019
Post category:Behind the Scenes Library Hacks

In our April 2nd post, we discussed the Information Literacy Frame, Authority is Constructed and Contextual. Today, we'll focus on the second frame: Information Creation as a Process. So first of all, let's get this out of the way: Everyone is a creator of information. When you write an essay, you're creating information. When you log the temperature of the lizard tank, you're creating information. Every Word doc, Google Doc, survey, spreadsheet, Tweet, and PowerPoint that you've ever had a hand in—they are…

What’s a QEP?

Post author:Bell Library
Post published:March 29, 2019
Post category:Behind the Scenes Dean's Corner

A QEP you say? Information and digital literacy you say? What the what? What’s a QEP? QEP is an acronym for Quality Enhancement Plan and is part of the SACSCOC reaffirmation process. According to SACSCOC, “the Quality Enhancement Plan is an integral component of the reaffirmation of accreditation process and is derived from an institution’s ongoing comprehensive planning and evaluation process. It reflects and affirms a commitment to enhance overall institutional quality and effectiveness by focusing on an issue that the institution considers important…