USF Polytechnic Library

Integration of a Refworks database has been made easier in BlackBoard.

Instructors, say you have created a database in Refworks, the citation management software, for one of your classes. It contains citations (and possibly links) of suggested articles, reports and book chapters for your students to read. That database can now be linked from your class information in BlackBoard.

Here’s how: in BlackBoard, from the control panel, select the area where you would like the link to be. Then add an item using the right-hand drop down menu, choosing the “Link to Refworks database” option.

You will then be asked for the database login name and password. You can designate the main password for your Refworks database; your students will then be able to add citations to the database (but delete them too). Use the read-only password if you do not wish your students to be able to modify the entries. To set a read-only password, log in into your Refworks database, go under “Tools”, then “Update User Information”.

Instructors, consider electronic reserves as a backup plan to access class readings in case BlackBoard falters.

Electronic reserves, or e-reserves, are available through the library catalog as PDF files. Students can search by title, instructor, course, course number, department or system number. If off-campus, users must identify themselves as members of the USF community.

If you have created PDF class material for BlackBoard, those can easily be uploaded as e-reserves.

How to proceed:

• You need to fill the following electronic form: http://web.lib.usf.edu/forms/reserve-electronic.html
• After sending the form by clicking on the “Send the request” button at the button, you then need to send the material to be put up either by courier mail, email to reserve@lib.usf.edu as an attachment (if already in a PDF format) or in person. The Tampa Library has graciously offered to help us upload our e-reserves.
• Using the PRONTO service form, you can request articles to be put on e-reserve directly if the journal is housed at the Tampa Library.

If you use the e-reserves form, the e-reserve will not be processed until you send in the material itself to the Tampa Library. In all cases, make sure to include your name, phone number, e-mail address, the course prefix, number and/or name, campus, and the title and author of the article or book chapter being submitted along with the bibliographic citation. Make sure you send the very best copy possible. See http://web.lib.usf.edu/tampa/accsvc/faculty.html for more information. And contact me if you have questions or comments.

Students, Write-N-Cite, the RefWorks application that permits to easily make citations and build bibliographies in a Word document, has now been installed on all machines in the Open Use Lab. That means another great tool to help you write your papers is available to you in the Lab.

You can install Write-N-Cite on your personal computer too. Login into RefWorks (or create your account if not already done) and go to Tools in the drop down menu. You will find the download file there. To note, Write-N-Cite only works with Word, for PC or for Mac.

It is time again for USF student authors to enter the Ruth and Frank Coleman Award for Excellence in Short Fiction. This award, sponsored by the USF Tampa Campus Library and established through the support of Mrs. Ruth Coleman, sports a $350 prize for the best unpublished fiction story written by any degree-seeking USF student, registered part- or full-time for Fall semester 2005 and/or Spring 2006. There is a $150 award for the first runner-up too.

The winner and 1st runner-up will be invited to attend an Awards Reception hosted by the USF Library in March. The winning stories will be considered for publication in Library Links, the Library’s newsletter, and for addition on the Library’s website.

Deadline for submission is 12:00 noon, Tuesday, January 31, 2006.