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Show Library's changes almost completed By Jennilyn E. Williams Signpost staff writer Don't be surprised if you go into the Library and notice that it's not the same as it used to be. The first phase of the Stewart Library construction started the last week of September, 1994. "As far as the construction goes, it's almost completed. We had our final construction inspection last week. What we're working on now is relocating the general collections to the top floor and merging it with the bound periodicals. We hope to have the top two floors ready for fall quarter," Janelle Poole, administrative specialist for the Stewart Library, said. Remodeling the library will make the facility more accessible to students. There will be increased lighting, seating and additional space for materials. Because the general collections and the bound periodicals are still in the process of being merged and shelved, people may have a hard time finding some items. However, if you ask them, the librarians are willing to help you to find whatever you need. "We've moved the services to the main floor," Poole said. The services include reference, Cost From page 2 They have been able to reach out and help with the unionbuild-ing landscaping and loading dock, Protzman said. Half of the building is financed by the state and the other half by student fees. Though construction started only two years ago this June, the plan to bring all of the services together started in 1979. '1 u.a. mi v. w m a 3 i -v. .1,7 1 TEVJU-H1 I circulation, reserve, current periodicals, microfilms and CD ROM. The second phase pf the Stewart Library construction is projected to begin in January, but it won't start until after the student services building is completed because some services will be temporarily moved to the new building during library construction."The testing center, student support services and veterans' services will all be moved to the student services building. The honors department will move to the top floor of the library, in the southwest corner," Poole said. After all of these move out of the basement of the library, construction will begin. It will take anywhere from six to nine months, Poole said. "After the construction is completed, media services (including videos, viewing rooms and cassettes), will be in the basement of the library. Inter Library Loan (ILL), the young people's collection and the curriculum collection will also be in the basement," Poole said. The construction in the Stewart Library was made possible by the state. "About five years ago, the state awarded money to libraries to improve and upgrade existing facilities," Poole said. The architectural firm of Astle Erickson Association and Hughes Construction Company are expecting to receive awards because of the design and the practicality, Protzman said. "They have done an excellent job," he said. "We are lucky to have excellent contractors and architects; they made the money go a long way." After completion of the student services building, the union building will be returned to its original purpose, a building for the students, Protzman said. A i I V tfri It i ' ' New computer system, allows students to hook up with other universities By Rachel J. Trotter Signpost features editor Are you having nightmares about finding sources for that dreaded research paper? Does going to the library haunt you? Well, the many new computer systems at the Weber State University Stewart Library can make researching more simple and more accessible. "There are so many things you can do with just a click of a button," Lori Andreason, systems specialist at the Stewart Library, said. Andreason said there are many new systems the library has received this year that let students connect with libraries all over the world. The Wilson Index is a large set of periodicals that can be accessed by subjects ranging from the social sciences to arts and humanities to business and economics. The unique aspect of the Wilson Index is that their database is at Utah State University, Andreason said. After logging on, it goes up to USU through the internet. The article or citation will come up and tell whether it can be found at WSU's library; if it cannot, students can get the article through an inter-library loan. An inter-library loan is a service provided by libraries all over that help students find ar CALL 399-0553 For more information on this weeks bands! Gray Moose Pub 2327 Grant Ave. Ogden, Utah 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. ID Required 21 and older ticles and books not at their own library, Andreason said. The library sends out a request to area libraries and they will send the books or articles directly to the Stewart Library. "We ask that students allow two weeks to get the loan. It doesn't always take as long, sometimes only two or three days, but we have many students come in and do their research the last two weeks of the quarter and need everything yesterday," Andreason said. One of the newest databases that has just been installed this quarter is called UMI, or the general periodical index. It is similar to the Wilson Index, Andreason said. It contains lists of periodicals with articles and citations. "The unique thing about UMI is students can retrieve an article straight from the computer." Andreason said, all students need to do when using UMI, is when they find their article, look at the bottom of the screen to see if it says REQ DOC: if it does, students can access the article right there. They type in REQ DOC at the command signal and the document will print at the circulation desk for $ .15 per page. "All it takes is simply going in through the menus. UMI is a neat project because it is a state-wide subscription," Andreason said. She said UMI is connected to a database at Brigham Young University, but the images come from THE GRAY MOOSE PUB the University of Utah. "Technology is bringing so much to library systems," Andreason said. A third new project is called Net Scape which is connected to the internet with World-Wide Web. "Here we have access not only to articles, but to graphic information as well, "Andreason said. To use this system all it takes is a click of the mouse. Information and graphics can be found on just about any subject from facts on WSU to chemistry and medical information. Another new service this year is the LexisNexus. "It is a huge, huge database." Andreason said. Students are able to access financial information, news articles, stock quotes and numerous other bits of research information right at the computer. The system holds countless news articles and will print the entire document at no cost to students right at the terminal. Andreason said the only drawback is that it is not available from 12 to 4 p.m. due to the contract the university is on. There is a sign-up sheet, and the database is available for student research only. Andreason said they hope the computers are user friendly. "We want students to let us know if they don't understand or if things aren't working. We have a great systems team and we want to make things work." |