Why take a Library Skills Course?

The Librarians have created a one-hour online course (BIS3190) to provide undergraduates with a strong foundation for conducting library research. Students will develop the skills to identify information needed for their research, find and evaluate scholarly versus trade resources, and organize the information for a paper or other project. The course also touches on the topics of plagiarism, copyright, and citation management. Enrollment in the course is strong and most former students have provided positive feedback on the knowledge they gained through the readings, online discussion, and assignments.

The library now offers an expanded course for graduate students within the School of Interdisciplinary Studies. MAIS 5320.011, a 3-hour online class, will focus on the preparation required to conduct a literature review. The goal of the course is to help students formulate a search strategy for finding information appropriate to their research project. The readings and assignments will help the students identify their information needs and find appropriate resources. In addition, students will learn to evaluate the credibility, authenticity, and timeliness of the resources. Finally, the students will conduct a literature review on a topic which should prepare them to write their dissertation and provide them with the means to create and maintain their references for this major project.

Promotions at McDermott Library

Director of Libraries Ellen Safley has promoted several library staff over the summer. Debbie Montgomery is now Associate LIbrary Director for Technical Services after serving as Head of Cataloging for six years. Montgomery is a recipient of the Ethel Ward-McLemore Award for Library Excellence at McDermott Library. “Debbie brings a broad range of experience and enthusiasm to the position and will begin designing her division to meet our customers’ needs .. . DeAnn Rose was appointed chief financial officer after serving as administrative assistant for Dr. Safley. She previously worked in Circulation and served on the UT Dallas Staff Council . . . Lauren Hawthorne, copy center supervisor, replaced Rose as administrative assistant . . .

Longtime McDermott Library employee Nadira Zakhidova is surrounded on the left by her son, Dante, and on the right by her husband, Anvar Zakhidov during a library reception recognizing the completion of her Master of Library Science degree from the University of North Texas she received in May. Anvar is the cofounder and associate director of the NanoTech Institute at UT Dallas. Nadira is web specialist in the library who became a naturalized American citizen in 2005.

Stacks Maintenance Conducts Major Shift

The Stacks Maintenance staff along with some volunteers shifted the entire journals collection in mid-summer. The footprint of the collection was reduced by eight ranges thereby making needed space for student study. The stacks remain in order and labelled. The removal of shelving was conducted the university’s Work Maintence. Cataloging cleaned a considerable amount of bibliographic records regarding the journals. Acquisitions processed a large amount of journals for binding.

Employee of the Quarter The Employee for the Quarter (July through September 2012) is Susan Fisher, a Library Assistant III based in Circulation Services. Fisher was praised for her work as the Circulation evening supervisor and coordinating several service desks, Fisher gets to use the premier purple parking permit for the lot adjacent to the library during the three months.