Friday, April 16, 2010

Citation Software Online Demos

On Tuesday, April 20th, at 11 am, the library has arranged for representatives from two citation management software companies to demonstrate their products (RefWorks and EndNote).

The demonstrations will be available remotely, through WebEx, so you can access them from your own computer. We will also be presenting the demos in the library, in room 208b. A screencast for the open source citation tool Zotero will also be available via the website.

For more information, including directions for viewing the demos in WebEx, see: http://www.stevens.edu/library/CitationSoftwareDemo.html

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Scopus Lunch & Learn

Please join us for the Scopus Lunch & Learn at the library on Wednesday, April 21, from noon to 1 pm.

Lunch will be provided, so please let us know if you plan to attend. (Please also let us know if you require a vegetarian meal.) RSVP by Monday to linda.beninghove@stevens.edu

A representative from Elsevier will be here to tell us all about the newest features of the scholarly Scopus database.

Come join us for free lunch, Scopus giveaways, and the latest news about how to use Scopus for your research. Faculty, students, and staff are urged to attend!

The Scopus Lunch & Learn will meet in Library Training Room 204.

Questions? Please send an email to linda.beninghove@stevens.edu

Monday, April 12, 2010

Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) Free Trial

The library currently has a free trial to the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) digital library. The database includes 24 online journals, as well as a multitude of e-books. You can access it from on campus from this url: http://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/

(You can access it from off-campus using the Stevens VPN connection. Directions for doing so are here: http://www.stevens.edu/itwiki/w/index.php/VPN)

Decisions about permanent access to these journals and e-books will be based on usage during the trial (as well as budget).

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Library Workshops

The library will be offering several workshops to help students learn how to use the library's resources & services for professional development and how to use the library resources to prepare papers, projects, theses, and dissertations.
  • Thursday, April 8, 5:00-6:00 p.m. Graduate Professional Development Series - Office of Graduate Student Affairs. Graduate students will learn how to use the library resources for academic assignments and career development. This seminar is offered through the Office of Graduate Student Affairs. Location: Babbio 304.
  • Monday, April 12, 4:00-5:00 p.m. Library Research for Graduate and Ph.D. Students. Graduate students will learn how to use the library resources for academic assignments and career development. Location: Library Training Room 204. Refreshments will be provided.
  • Wednesday, April 14, 3:00-4:00 p.m. Thesis and Dissertation Workshop. For all students working on a thesis or dissertation, this workshop will provide details about formatting & submission requirements. Location: Library Training Room 204. Refreshments will be provided.
  • Wednesday, April 21, 12:00-1:00 p.m. Scopus Lunch & Learn. (RSVP required to linda.beninghove@stevens.edu - lunch will be provided, so we'll need to know how many people are attending!) All members of the Stevens community are welcome to attend. Attendees will learn about the latest features of the scholarly Scopus database. Location: Library Training Room 204.
If you have any questions about the library workshops, please contact Linda Beninghove, Head of Reference and Research Services, at linda.beninghove@stevens.edu or 201-216-5412.

Please join us at our workshops! We look forward to seeing you there.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Writing & Communications Center Workshops

Starting tomorrow, the Writing & Communications Center will be offering free, weekly workshops open to the entire Stevens community. (See below for schedule and locations.) Just visit 210 Morton to sign up.


MAR 2: Delivering Effective Oral Presentations

Don’t ever let "the cat get your tongue" again! Attend this workshop to learn and practice tips for crafting and delivering effective oral presentations. The importance of non-verbal communication, eye-contact, vocal projection and modulation for grabbing and keeping your audience’s attention form the core of this workshop.
Tuesday, March 2; 4-5pm; Babbio Center; Room 304

MAR 9: Writing a Focused Essay for Your Humanities Courses
Ever wondered: How do you write an essay that stays on topic? How do you develop an idea without repeating the same few points? How do you avoid excessive plot summary? In this workshop, you'll learn strategies for finding the right focus and maintaining it throughout the essay - from your thesis statement to your topic sentences to your conclusion. You'll also learn how to select and integrate the right quotes for your topic, and what teachers really mean when they ask for "critical analysis" and a strong argument.
Tuesday, March 9; 4-5pm; Babbio Center; Room 304

MAR 10: Writing Resumes, Cover Letters, and Grad School Essays
Whether you're drafting a resume for the first time or revising a version you've had for years, this workshop will help you create a sophisticated and targeted resume and/or application packet. Topics covered will include overall format/design and key considerations for each document. Effective examples and templates will be provided.
Wednesday, March 10; 4-5pm; Babbio Center; Room 204

MAR 23: The Writing Process: How to Organize Your Thoughts
From time to time, everyone experiences "writer’s block" or has difficulty beginning the process of writing. This workshop presents techniques to prepare for academic writing, as well as the Stevens' English Competency Exam (SECE). Students interact throughout the modeling process, and then formulate their own thesis statements and paper outlines. Anyone who needs to sharpen their skills, from performing successfully in a testing situation to constructing a
dissertation, will benefit from this session.
Tuesday, March 23; 4-5pm; Babbio Center; Room 304

MAR 30: Writing Abstracts, Introductions, and Conclusions
Whether you're an undergraduate student working on a research paper or a graduate student preparing a thesis or an article for publication, this workshop will help you with key steps in your process - from the most essential information to include in an abstract, to introductions and conclusions, to strategies for organizing that information effectively. Templates and models will be provided.
Tuesday, March 30; 4-5pm; Babbio Center; Room 304

APR 6: Business English for ESL/ESOL Students
Do you ever wonder if your English skills will get you through a day in an American office without frustration? Come to this workshop and find out how people communicate in a real business setting. This interactive workshop is designed for native speakers of other languages who want to learn American Business English. Topics covered will include: making introductions, developing business relationships, giving presentations, and writing business documents, such as emails, letters and reports.
Tuesday, April 6; 4-5pm; Babbio Center; Room 304

APR 7: Citing & Summarizing Outside Sources for ESL/ESOL Students
Students new to the US are often confused by the strict rules guarding the use of "outside" information in their papers, and plagiarism - or using another's work without giving credit - is a serious offense. Therefore, to avoid this "unacceptable copying," students must be able to paraphrase, summarize, and correctly cite from written and spoken material. This workshop will help students learn these skills, which include note-taking techniques for both readings and lectures.
Wednesday, April 7; 4-5pm; Babbio Center; Room 204

APR 13: Pronunciation Workshop for ESL/ESOL Speakers - Part 1
If English is not your first language, pronunciation can be an obstacle to successful communication. This 2-part Pronunciation Workshop offers an opportunity to learn more about the sounds and rhythms of North American English. The focus is on muscle-building exercises, the connection between word and sentence stress, thought grouping and intonation patterns. You will also have the chance to practice your skills using tongue twisters, songs and dialogues.
Tuesday, April 13; 4-5pm; Babbio Center; Room 304

APR 20: Pronunciation Workshop for ESL/ESOL Speakers - Part 2
Even if you missed Part 1, you are welcome to attend the second part of this Pronunciation Workshop. As with the first part, the workshop's focus is on muscle-building exercises, the connection between word and sentence stress, thought grouping and intonation patterns. You will also have the chance to practice your skills using tongue twisters, songs and dialogues.
Tuesday, April 20; 4-5pm; Babbio Center; Room 304

English Conversation Groups: Improve your English conversation skills in a free and informal setting with native English speakers. No homework is assigned and students are welcome to visit any session.
Every Friday; 12-1pm; Morton 210

Literary Tuesdays: The aim of this series is to foster student creativity and analytical thinking through the appreciation of writing. The series is fundamentally designed to be collaborative, so students are welcome to select and suggest short readings for each week, and discuss their own creative writing during or after each meeting.
Every Tuesday; 12-1pm; Morton 210

NO HOMEWORK ASSIGNED - NO GRADES GIVEN
Please sign up for workshops in 210 Morton.
Space is limited!!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Optics InfoBase now available!

The library is now offering access to Optics InfoBase, a database of journals from the Optical Society of America (OSA). The following journals are now available through this online resource:
  • Advances in Optics & Photonics
  • Applied Optics
  • Applied Spectroscopy
  • Chinese Optics Letters
  • Journal of the Optical Society of America
  • Journal of the Optical Society of America A
  • Journal of the Optical Society of America B
  • Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
  • Journal of Display Technology
  • Journal of Lightwave Technology
  • Journal of the Optical Communications & Networking
  • Journal of Optical Technology
  • Optics Express
  • Optics Letters
  • Optics & Photonics News (backfile is now available too)
  • Virtual Journal of Biomedical Optics
  • OSA Conference Papers
As with all our online resources, you can access Optics InfoBase from both on-campus and off, via our website's Online Resource A-Z List.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Upcoming Library Workshop!

The library will be giving a workshop as part of the Office of Graduate Affairs Professional Development Series, held every Thursday from 5-6 p.m. in Babbio 304.

***Thursday, February 25***

Library Resources

There is a plethora of resources that are available for students to use and reference in the library such as databases, information about companies for job searching, journals, and more. Learning to use these resources is a critical tool for writing research papers.

The library research lecture will teach graduate students how to use library resources to support their papers & projects and to improve their academic writing skills. Students will learn how to find scholarly and professional journal articles & books, how to find company & industry information, how to cite sources properly, and how to use the library website effectively to find high-quality information.

PLEASE NOTE: This workshop has been postponed due to inclement weather. Information will be posted here regarding a rescheduled date. Thank you!