Library Addition and Renovation News

Less than a year after excavation began in January 2002, all of the major structural work to the addition of the University Library is finished. The general contractors who erected the steel, hung the pre-cast concrete, and installed the glass curtain wall and roof are long gone. During the fall semester, they were replaced by new contractors who began to hang miles of drywall, duct pipe, and electrical and network wires, as well as to install elevators, bathroom fixtures, and lights. It would be an understatement to say that all the tradesmen have worked diligently and tirelessly throughout the project.

The library addition’s uniqueness and beauty is now obvious from USA North Drive or the library’s parking areas. There is no other building like it on campus, nor in Mobile. The Architectural Group’s (TAG’s) design is especially commendable for how the existing and new structures blend into one another by means of an atrium. The atrium, or connection between the two buildings, is where east and west entrances will guide users into the library. The new entrances will remedy the long walk from the parking areas to the original, single entrance across from the Student Center.

Progress has been so fast that by Thanksgiving Day, the second floor was nearly ready for carpeting and shelving. Before Christmas, the reference collection located on the second level of the existing library will be moved across the bridges connecting the two structures. This will allow demolition and renovation work in the "old" library to continue and be completed on the second level in January 2003. Also before Christmas, the Collection Management offices and staff will move across the hall to what was the Instructional Media Center (IMC). Then the vacated offices can be demolished and the area renovated for library administration in January 2003.

In summary, both the construction and renovation projects are nearing completion very quickly. By the next newsletter, we can all look forward to an announcement about grand opening ceremonies!

News from the AVL

This note listing the current AVL databases arrived from Lucinda M. Beddow, Chair, AVL Council.   Jan Sauer

"Information is now available concerning contract negotiations for licenses to the Alabama Virtual Library databases for the year 2002-2003, beginning October 1, 2002.

The following database licenses are being renewed for the upcoming year: Access Science, EBSCOhost, Ethnic Newswatch Complete, Facts on File[African-American History and Culture], The Gale Group, LitFinder, OCLC/First Search and SIRS. Ethnic Newswatch will be offered through ProQuest beginning October 1 and no longer through EBSCOhost.

The decision was made not to renew the licenses for Grolier Online and Electric Library. Access to these two databases will cease on September 30, 2002.

Britannica Online/Britannica Online School Edition will be added to the Alabama Virtual Library beginning October 1, 2002. Other contracts are still in negotiation.

Because AVL funding is now less than the original $3 million due to proration, and because the AVL is entering a fourth year with price increases also a factor, it was necessary for the AVL Council to make hard decisions concerning contract renewals."

Call, write, email your Alabama legislators to encourage them to continue supporting the Alabama Virtual Library--it is truly the best buy the state could make for improving its education. JS

GEOBASE is Back in Firstsearch

USA Library provides access to two Earth Sciences databases, GEOBASE and GeoRef. GEOBASE has just returned after a long absence. These both may be found from SOUTHcat Plus by clicking on "Fulltext Journals & Indexes."

GEOBASE, found among the FirstSearch set of databases, is the online version of Geographical Abstracts and includes worldwide literature on geography, geology, and ecology. It covers journals, books, monographs, conference proceedings, and reports from 1980 to the present.

GeoRef, found among the SilverPlatter set of databases, is produced by the American Geological Institute and covers the geology of North America from 1785 to the present and the geology of the rest of the world from 1933 to the present. The database includes references to all publications of the U.S. Geological Survey. Masters' theses and doctoral dissertations from U.S. and Canadian universities are also covered. If you have questions about GeoRef, GEOBASE, or any of our databases, please call the Reference Desk at 460-7025, or send e-mail to webref@jaguar1.usouthal.edu.

The Web of Science

The Biomedical Library has subscribed to ISI's Web of Science. This web resource is the online equivalent of Science Citation Index and provides access to current and retrospective literature in the sciences. The subscription includes access to not only the Web of Science but to Current Contents (Life Sciences and Clinical Medicine) and to ISI's Journal Citation Reports. Web of Science is not a full-text database but it allows you to trace the evolution of a subject or the number of times an author has been cited.

WARNING: Web of Science is available remotely as well as on campus. If you are accessing Web of Science remotely, you may get the following message before your session even starts: "Your session has expired." You will need to establish a new session if you wish to continue.  If you go ahead and click on "establish a new session," you"ll be able to access Web of Science and search without any further problems. Web of Science can be accessed by going to the University Library's homepage at choosing "Fulltext Journals & Indexes" and then dragging down to the Web of Science.