Entries by Kathy Irwin

Streaming video for classroom or individual use is now available through a new collection on the Mardigian Library web site. This collection includes over 20 web sites and databases with subjects ranging from science, politics, and news to interviews, historical footage, the arts, and more. It contains links to full episodes of series from public television, such as NOVA, The American Experience, Frontline, and Tavis Smiley. Video footage from the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and NASA are also included, along with material from subscription databases such as Films on Demand.

The Mardigian Library will soon be changing our federated search product interface Central Search to WorldCat Local.

Users will able to search online for books, articles and other materials from the Mardigian Library, the University of Michigan Libraries in Ann Arbor, MeLCat (Michigan libraries), and WorldCat (libraries worldwide) using a single search interface. The items in the results list are arranged by relevance, with items from the Mardigian Library appearing first.

WorldCat Local also provides “faceted searching”, which allows users to narrow the results by author, format, year, topic, etc. To try this new interface, go to the library web page and click on the icon on the upper right-hand side of the page that says, “Try Beta WorldCat Catalog.”

The option to search just the library’s online public catalog (OPAC) will still be available.

The Mardigian Library now loans interactive learning software and wireless response keypads, commonly known as “clickers”. Clickers allow students to respond to questions posed by an instructor. The TurningPoint system works with PowerPoint to add interactive features such as quizzes, polls, and surveys into presentations. Students respond to the instructor’s multiple choice questions using the credit-card sized clickers. The percentage of responders to each answer is displayed on the screen. Polling is anonymous, so even though students know the percentage of responders who select each answer, they do not know exactly who gave particular answers.

The interactive nature of the presentation is designed to help engage students while the anonymity of the process prevents individuals from being embarrassed by incorrect answers. The system gives instructors immediate feedback on whether or not students are grasping the concepts being presented, so instruction can be adjusted accordingly. Research has shown that engaged or active learning generally results in higher retention of instruction.

The library has one USB-based response receiver with a set of 60 wireless clickers available for checkout by interested faculty. If sufficient interest exists, a training session for faculty may also be arranged.

For more information or to express an interest in attending a training session, contact:
Carla Brooks, Head of the Library Research Center, ctbrooks@umd.umich.edu
Sally Smith, Reference Librarian, salasm@umd.umich.edu

There are many ways to learn about new services and events at the Mardigian Library. You can visit our website, subscribe to our news blog, or read our e-mail newsletters. And now, you can also connect to us within Facebook and LinkedIn.

You can view the library’s Facebook page whether or not you have a Facebook account. You do need to have a LinkedIn account to view the library’s LinkedIn group. Connect to the Mardigian Library’s Facebook page or LinkedIn group by clicking on the icons on our website, or by searching for us within these services.

Students use these social networking tools to keep in touch with friends and family and to express their viewpoints. Many faculty members have also created accounts to keep in touch with their students. The Mardigian Library saves you time by providing the information you need where you need it.

Julia Daniel joined the Mardigian Library staff as Systems Librarian in early July 2009. She brings a wealth of experience in the areas of user interface needs and requirements, usability testing, digital asset management, emerging technologies, supervision and training, and leading interdepartmental collaborative teams.


Julia is actively involved in the American Society of Information Science and Technology and the Society of American Archivists. She has served on the board of the Wayne State University Alumni Association and is Past President of the Wayne State University Library and Information Science Alumni Association. She teaches courses in archival studies, web site design, and technology at Wayne State University’s School of Library and Information Science, and enjoys working with librarians-in-training.

Julia formerly worked at the General Motors Media Archive, The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, and the Ford Motor Company Global Product Marketing Knowledge Center. She is a graduate of Wayne State University, earning the Bachelor’s degree in both German Literature and the Humanities, and the Master’s degree in Library and Information Science.

In her free time, she enjoys cycling, collecting mid-modern furniture, and wine tasting.

We extend our heartiest welcome to Julia!

All former Mardigian Library staff and student assistants are invited to a "Library Alumni Open House" on Friday, October 16, 2009, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. The event is part of the celebration of UM-Dearborn's 50th Anniversary during the 2009-2010 academic year.

Please RSVP by Friday, October 9, 2009, to sasbury@umd.umich.edu or call 313-593-5236. Be sure to let us know if you are bringing a guest.

The party will be held on the second floor. Chancellor Daniel Little will welcome attendees at 4:30 p.m. Remarks will follow from Timothy F. Richards, Director of the Mardigian Library. Photographs depicting the history of the campus and library will be on display, and refreshments will be served.

We would love to hear your stories of working at the library. It will be wonderful to see “old friends” and to catch up!

During the academic year 2008-2009, UM-Dearborn students, faculty, and staff borrowed 5,136 items using the MeLCat service and downloaded countless articles from Michigan eLibrary databases. MeLCat services cost one tenth of traditional Interlibrary Loan services and provide access to the collections of over 300 Michigan libraries. If we had to replace all the free Michigan eLibrary databases, it would cost our library approximately $250,000 per year.

MeL statewide library services save taxpayers $72 million through group purchasing and resource sharing. Under the leadership of the Library of Michigan, every library in the state - including academic, public, k-12, and special libraries - has access to these resources. These and other services are in jeopardy.

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm's Executive Order 2009-36 threatens to break up the Library of Michigan and to diminish its role as the leader of statewide library efforts. Our elected officials are currently crafting the Fiscal Year 2010 budget, and are making tough decisions that affect each and every one of us. The Michigan Senate recently passed a budget that would cut library funding from $10 million to $7.5 million, a mere drop in the bucket when looking at the overall budget deficit. This cut places in jeopardy the MeLCat Interlibrary Loan system and the Michigan eLibrary databases.

Read more online at Michigan Libraries for the Future.

The Mardigian Library now offers a public facsimile (fax) service for $1.00 per page. To use the service, go to the Circulation Desk, and a library employee will send the fax for you. Payments may be made in cash only, and there are no refunds.

The library’s fax line does not accept incoming calls, so we cannot receive faxes. We can send faxes to local or long distances numbers, but not to international numbers. UM-Dearborn students who need to send an international fax may do so at the International Office in the University Center. They charge the same rate as the library and are open regular business hours.

When Copy Express closed earlier this year, they asked the library to consider offering a fax service since many students utilized it. The library is open longer than any other customer service point on campus, making it an excellent choice as the new service center.

The R.E.A.D. meetings for the 2009-2010 academic year are as follows:

Sept. 29, 2009 (Tues.):
Dreams From My Father: A story of race and inheritance by Barack Obama

Oct. 21, 2009 (Wed.) part of Sustainability Day:
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

Nov. 18, 2009 (Wed.):
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Feb. 2, 2010 (Tues.):
The Book Thief by Marcus Suzan

April 7, 2010 (Wed.):
Three Cups of Tea: One man's mission to promote peace...one school at a time by Greg Mortenson

Meetings run from Noon to 1:00 p.m. and are held in room 1210 ML. Information about R.E.A.D. is posted on the library news blog and on the campus calendar.

The Mardigian Library has increased the book loan periods or renewal periods for most borrowers.

UM-Dearborn Undergraduate students and UM-Dearborn Alumni:
• 3 week loan period
• 3 renewals of 3 weeks each
• Potential total time with item: 12 weeks

UM-Dearborn Graduate students, CASL Honors students, and UM-Dearborn Staff now receive the same book loan and renewal periods as UM-Dearborn Faculty:
• 1 term loan period
• 2 renewals of 1 term each
• Potential total time with item: 3 terms

Guests, Reciprocal Borrowers, and Infopasses:
• 3 week loan period
• 1 renewal of 3 weeks
• Potential total time with item: 6 weeks

All items are subject to recall if they are needed by another individual or for reserves.

The replacement fee for a lost item has been increased to $90.

Reusable library book bags are available for purchase at the Mardigian Library Circulation Desk for $2.00 each, tax included. The bags are made from non-woven polypropylene, an eco-friendly fabric.

Library customers may now pay their library fines and bills online from the library website. The same online payment system is used by the Cashiers office and several other entities on campus, providing a familiar experience for students who pay various university fees online.

"Students lead very busy lives. The online payment system gives them a convenient and easy alternative to making an extra trip to campus or to the library," said Kathy Irwin, Head of Circulation Services.

To pay online, log in to your library account, view your fines and bills, type in the prompted information, and submit. A receipt may be printed from the web page, and a copy of the receipt will be e-mailed to you.

If a student has a Banner hold, the hold will be released within one business day. If a student needs the hold lifted sooner than that, they may call the Circulation Desk, 313-593-5559, during regular library hours and ask to speak to a supervisor.

This service will also help students who move out of state after graduation or who travel overseas. In the past the only choice they had was to mail in a check, delaying their ability to register or obtain transcripts.

Students may also pay fines in person at the Circulation Desk with cash, a personal check, or a credit card. The library accepts Discover, MasterCard, and Visa.

Are you on Facebook? Become a fan of the Mardigian Library! Are you on LinkedIn? Join the Mardigian Library Group!

The Mardigian Library offers a number of services to alumni of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, such as a free alumni library card, and access to MeLCat which allows users to request materials from over 300 libraries in the state of Michigan. And now you can learn about events and new services by connecting to the library in the social networking tools you already use.

Become a fan of our Facebook page


Join our LinkedIn group

Tim Richards, Director of the Mardigian Library, recently met with University of Michigan-Dearborn alumni to share information about alumni library services and to listen to their needs. The alumni expressed interest in accessing databases that are not available at their place of work and that they could access off campus. They also wondered if there was a way to receive alerts on subjects of interest. The good news is that UM-Dearborn alumni can do both!


UM-Dearborn alumni who join the University of Michigan Alumni Association can access the ProQuest and Project Muse databases from their home or office computer. Note that this association is different from the UM-Dearborn Alumni Society in which all UM-Dearborn alumni are automatically enrolled for free.

After you pay for the UM Alumni Association membership, you can access the databases from the alumni association website by clicking on “Get Informed” and selecting “University Library Access.” You will be required to log in using your uniqname and password. More information is available online, including help with your uniqname or password.

The ProQuest databases (including ABI Inform, Alt Press News, Ethnic News Watch and Gender Watch) cover all fields and topics, while the Project Muse database focuses on humanities, arts, and social sciences.


You can set up table of contents alerts and subject alerts in all the ProQuest databases.

Setting up a table of contents alert:
• Once you have logged into ProQuest, click on the Publications tab.
• In the Publication Search box, type in the title of a magazine or journal. For example, type in Crain’s Detroit Business and click Search.
• On the next screen, click on the title of the magazine or journal.
• The next screen will show you a list of the years and issues to which the library provides access.
• Near the top of this screen you will see “Set up Alert” and “Create RSS Feed.”
• A box will pop up prompting you to type in your email address and to select the length of time you would like to receive the alerts.
• Fill in the requested information and click Save. You will receive a confirmation screen and an email providing information about the alert you created.
• If you would rather read the alerts using an RSS reader, click on “Create RSS Feed.”
• A box will pop up providing the address of the RSS feed. If you click on the RSS icon, you can indicate which RSS reader you use, including Bloglines, Yahoo, or Google.

Setting up subject alerts:
• Once you have logged into ProQuest, type in search terms. For example, type in "stress and job satisfaction" then click Search.
• The resulting articles show what has already been published on the subject. If you would like to receive notice of articles published in the future on the same subject, click “Set up Alert.”
• A box will pop up prompting you to type in your email address and to indicate how frequently you would like to receive the alert.
• Fill in the requested information and click Save. You will receive a confirmation screen and an email providing information about the alert you created.
• If you would rather read the alerts using an RSS reader, click on “Create RSS Feed.”
• A box will pop up providing the address of the RSS feed. If you click on the RSS icon, you can indicate which RSS reader you use, including Bloglines, Yahoo, or Google.

The Mardigian Library will be open 24 hours a day for finals study beginning at noon on Sunday, April 26th and ending at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 2nd.


Between midnight and 8:00 a.m., only UM-Dearborn students can enter the library and will be required to show their MCards.



Extra security personnel will be hired to monitor activity throughout the building. While the building will remain open, library services will be limited during the extra hours. All four floors of the library and the computers by the Library Research Center will be available for use and it will also be possible to check out materials. Financial transactions, guest printing, and research assistance will not be available during extended hours.