RefWorks 2.0—RefWorks’ new interface—is now the default for Queen’s users! The new, easy-to-navigate interface will make managing and sharing your research even easier. Your favourite features, including Write-N-Cite, are still available. In fact, additions such as the “My List” folder option and the ability to create subfolders enhance already-popular features like RefShare and Create Bibliography.

The traditional interface—RefWorks Classic—will be available until the end of December, 2011. Until then, you may return to Classic by clicking the “Login using RefWorks Classic” link on the RefWorks login center page. Alternately, once you have logged in to RefWorks 2.0, you can click on the “RefWorks Classic” link at the top right of the page to set your default to RefWorks Classic. You will be able to switch between Classic and 2.0 until RefWorks Classic is completely phased out.

For more detailed information, please see the RefWorks 2.0^BETA Quick Start Guide, the RefWorks 2.0 demo, or the RefWorks 2.0 FAQs. For more information about RefWorks in general, or to sign up for an account, please go to http://library.queensu.ca/help/refworks.

Please do not hesitate to contact Jennifer Szwec, Academic Public Services Intern at Bracken Health Sciences Library, with any questions you may have about RefWorks Classic or 2.0: bracken.library@queensu.ca.

Have your students created something unique, interesting or just plain cool? Do you have artifacts with interesting stories kicking around in a storage closet somewhere? Is there a special date or anniversary in science history that you would like to see commemorated in a physical display? The Engineering and Science Library is looking for you! If you are interested in showcasing your department’s achievements, we would love to hear from you! Please contact Tracy Costa at costat@queensu.ca or ext.75550 to discuss your ideas.

Michael Geist’s most recent column in the Toronto Star provides a brief summary of the shift away from Access Copyright licensing and towards digital alternatives that is occurring at our (and many other) Canadian Universities.

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1029634–geist-canadian-universities-switch-to-tech-savvy-course-alternatives

Michael Geist is a law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce law. You can read his blog at http://michaelgeist.ca.

On behalf of the Principal’s Advisory Committee for the selection of the University Librarian, Queen’s Provost has recommended to the Principal that Martha Whitehead be appointed as University Librarian.  The Principal has agreed with the recommendation and Martha has accepted the appointment.

Martha has been engaged in academic research libraries for over twenty-five years.  Over the past year she served as Interim University Librarian during a time of significant transition and restructuring.  “Martha’s focused, energetic and inclusive leadership style has helped to prepare the Queen’s Library for these important changes and put the Library on a strong foundation for future achievements,” says Provost Bob Silverman.

Previously, Martha served for six years as Associate University Librarian at Queen’s. Her work included steering the development of the Queen’s Learning Commons and enabling significant advancement of the Library’s digital environment and services.  Prior to joining the Queen’s community, Martha held positions at the University of British Columbia Library in the areas of information services and information technologies, and was engaged in several university planning exercises.  In 2003 Martha was a visiting scholar at the University of Melbourne, where she worked with the Director of Teaching, Learning and Research Support on an assessment of the Information Division’s organizational model for teaching information skills.  While at UBC Martha was also invited to contribute to several international collaborations relating to information literacy and learning technologies.

“I’m thrilled to be in this leadership position at Queen’s,” says Martha. “This is one of Canada’s leading universities, known for its scholarship and spirit, and the Library plays a major role. We have a great library with great people and I’m honoured to be working with them.”

Martha’s professional activities extend well beyond Queen’s.  She has held several key roles with the Canadian Research Knowledge Network, a partnership of seventy-four Canadian universities dedicated to expanding digital content for the academic research enterprise in Canada, including Chair of the Negotiations Resource Team and member of the Executive Committee and the Board. In Ontario, she has been actively involved with Scholars Portal, a project of the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) that provides a shared information research system for all twenty-one university libraries in the province, and she currently serves on the OCUL Executive Committee.  As well, she is the Canadian Association of Research Libraries representative on the Steering Committee of the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), an international alliance of academic and research libraries working to correct imbalances in the scholarly publishing system.  In 2007, Martha was accepted into the Research Library Leadership Fellows program with the Association of Research Libraries, a two-year executive program designed to explore critical issues and current trends with senior administrators of research institutions such as Harvard.  Martha has published many articles in the professional literature and is a frequent invited speaker and facilitator at professional events.

Martha’s five-year term is effective July 1, 2011.

UPDATE: THE ISSUE HAS BEEN RESOLVED. PROXY ACCESS USERS ARE NOW ABLE TO CONNECT DIRECTLY TO WEB OF KNOWLEDGE.

Off-campus (proxy access) users of Web of Knowledge may experience difficulty accessing the resource due to the activation of its new interface. The issue has been reported and will be resolved promptly.

Web of Knowledge may be accessed from library computers. If you are unable to come to the library, but need information from Web of Knowledge, please do not hesitate to contact a librarian at bracken.library@queensu.ca, (613) 533-3176, or 1-877-209-5641.

By July 29, 2011 several research databases available through Queen’s Library will be moving to a new platform. Scholar’s Portal and the CSA Illumina Platform will no longer be available. The URLs for accessing these databases will change. If you have them bookmarked or have them linked you will need to change the urls although redirects will be in effect.

Proquest has launched a new cross-searchable platform to include numerous databases that used to be accessible through various platforms including Scholar’s Portal, CSA Illumina and Chadwick-Healey.

Further information will be posted as we move through the process.

Which Databases will be affected?

The following databases will all be available on the new ProQuest platform:

• ABI/Inform
• ABI/Inform Trade & Industry
• ARTbibliographies Modern
• Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
• BioOne Abstracts and Indexes
• British Periodicals
• Canadian Newsstand Major Dailies
• CBCA: Canadian Business & Current Affairs
• CBCA: Education
• CBCA: Reference & Current Events
• Dissertations and Theses
• Dissertations and Theses @ Queen’s
• EconLit
• ERIC
• Ethnic NewsWatch
• FRANCIS
• Hoover’s Company Profiles
• Index Islamicus
• International Bibliography of Art (IBA)
• International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS)
• International Index to Music Periodicals Full-Text
• Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts (LLBA)
• METADEX
• PAIS
• Philosopher’s Index
• Physical Education Index
• PILOTS
• PRISMA (Publicaciones y Revistas Sociales y Humanísticas)
• Proquest Asian Business
• Proquest Dissertations and Theses
• Proquest European Business
• Proquest Historical Annual Reports
• Proquest Historical Newspapers
• Proquest Nursing & Allied Health
• Proquest Political Science
• Proquest Public Health
• PsycARTICLES
• PsycCRITIQUES
• PsycINFO
• Social Services Abstracts
• Sociological Abstracts
• Worldwide Political Science Abstracts

The following databases will no longer be available on Scholar’s Portal but will continue to be available on various vendor platforms:

• Applied Science & Technology
• Art Abstracts
• Arts & Humanities Citation Index
• Bibliography of Native North Americans
• Compendex
• CPI.Q  (Canadian Periodical Index)
• E-Journals @ Scholars Portal
• Ebooks @ Scholars Portal
• Education Abstracts
• Expanded Academic ASAP
• GEOBASE
• Humanities Abstracts
• Index to Legal Periodicals
• Inspec
• Iter
• LGBT Life
• Library Literature
• Reader’s Guide Abstracts
• Science Citation Index Expanded
• Social Sciences Abstracts
• Social Sciences Citation Index
• Web of Science

Until July 31, 2011, Queen’s Library will have access to Streaming Films on Demand. We’d like to know what you think about this multimedia resource, especially in terms of its coverage of health sciences topics (select “Health & Medicine” in the “View by Subject” menu). Please feel free to submit your comments at http://library.queensu.ca/librequest/dbtrials.htm. You can access the trial from on-campus computers, and you will need to provide the username, QUEENSCA, and the password, TRAL2011.

We look forward to your feedback!

Streaming Films on Demand: Films Media Group is a source of high-quality video and multimedia for academic, vocational and life-skills content. The videos cover a variety of subjects including Biology, Computers & Technology, Earth Science, Environmental Science, Geography, Mathematics, Physical Science.

For access information please go to Current Database Trials at Queen’s. This database is on trial until July 31st.