LANL Research Library Newsletter
June 1996
Did you know that the Research Library can do patent
searching and other types of literature searching for you?
To find out more send e-mail to library@lanl.gov or call
7-5809.
See end of Newsletter for publication and
access information.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
June 1996 Issue
NEW COPIERS FOR THE LIBRARY HAVE
ARRIVED!
The Research Library has finally been able to respond to
your requests for added copy machines! The number one
concern of our Library patrons has been the lack of enough
copy machines in the facility. One new copier has been
placed on the main level of the Library and one on the lower
level (journal stacks).
After investigating machines used in libraries across the
country as well as those used by commercial document
delivery services we choose Oce copiers. These are "book-
friendly" machines with a special sloped side panel with
adjustable book support that will help keep books out of
awkward and damaging situations. The machines have a unique
cover flap to keep out ambient light, thereby eliminating
shadows and helping to improve quality while preventing the
flash from irritating the user and those nearby. The glass
platen is positioned close to the machine edge to let you
copy cleanly and neatly close to the book spine. This will
help prevent breaking the spine in order to copy a tightly
bound volume. The machine also has a unique dual belt
system that is designed to make paper jams nearly
impossible. We hope the addition of these machines will
make copying easier for all our Library patrons.
If you have any questions or comments please let us know at
library@lanl.gov
Donna Berg
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NEW TECHNICAL REPORT RESOURCES
WEB PAGE
The Research Library's Report Collection has just put up a
Technical Report
Resources Web page designed to provide useful
information about the Report Collection, technical reports,
links to citation and full-image technical report databases,
and answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs). The
intent of the page is offer "one-stop shopping" to make
using technical reports as easy as possible. We intend to
add an FAQ section on classified reports as well (accessible
by the Laboratory only), and a list of important reports we
want to add to the Collection, in case anyone has a spare
copy.
But most of all, we need your comments and suggestions for
how to make this page better. Send comments to library@lanl.gov or call
7-4446.
Ken Collins
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BOOK INVENTORY AND JOURNAL
CONSOLIDATION
What's all this activity at the Research Library?
Good News - We're doing an inventory for the first time in
50 years. Our data indicate that customers have difficulty
locating the material they want. After the inventory is
completed, when you look in our online catalog you will know
what books we do or do not have AND the actual books will be
on the correct shelves in the proper order. With our mighty
team of summer students the inventory was already 10%
completed after the first week of the project (in late May).
More Good News - We're decreasing the number of shelving
locations for books and journals. We're starting downstairs
with the journal collection because the multiple locations
have caused our customers the most problems. By the end of
the summer all the journals will be shelved in alphabetical
order with nary a special shelving location to be found.
But of course we do have some...Bad News. Things will be a
little chaotic at times. In order to integrate the journal
collection we will do lots of shifting and moving of various
collections. We will have up-to-date maps as to where any
material might be temporarily located. Feel free to ask any
Library staff member for help.
Kathy Pratt
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JOURNAL HOLDINGS FROM THE MEDICAL
LIBRARY
Journal holdings for all of the Medical Library titles which
were moved to the Research Library in September 1995, have
now been added to the Research Library's online catalog.
The "Ten years kept" phrase has been removed for each title.
Instead, the Library is now permanently retaining the
Medical Library journals and indicating the actual volumes
and years for each title in the online catalog.
Jeane Strub
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RESULTS FROM THE SECOND CUSTOMER
SURVEY
The results of the Research Library's second customer survey
of our products and services are now in. We sent out the
survey to one-quarter of our Laboratory customer base of
2,400 as part of an on-going quarterly survey process. We
asked 24 questions to which our customers could give one of
the following responses: "Delighted," "Satisfied,"
"Unsatisfied," or "Do Not Know About."
Overall 24% of the questions were answered with a Delighted
response, and 67% had a Satisfied response. The comments
that respondents include have been invaluable so we're
delighted that 84 respondents sent along over 400 comments.
These additional remarks indicate that photocopy machines
and the ability to find books and journals in the library
are still a problem for our customers. Since we're already
working on these problems (see other articles in this issue
of the Newsletter) it's nice to know that we correctly
identified what is causing our customers the most trouble.
The complete results of the May customer survey will be on
the Research Library's web
page by June 14. The results of the January survey are
already posted at this address. Please let me know if you
have questions or comments.
Sue Watkins
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NAME THE LIBRARY'S ONLINE
SYSTEM
The Research Library needs your creative input. We are
searching for a name for our library online system. Many
organizations give their library's online system a name.
The University of California, for example, has MELVYL. We
think we should have a name too! Please submit any names to
library@lanl.gov or
drop a note in the Research Library's suggestion box. A
prize will be awarded to the winning entry.
Lou Pray
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REQUESTING TO HAVE YOUR REPORT IN
ELECTRONIC FORM
Of the approximately 10,000 Los Alamos unclassified,
publicly releasable technical reports that have been scanned
from the Research Library's Report Collection, about 5,000
are now accessible through the online catalog. However, if
you need electronic access to one of the remaining reports
right away, we can request that it be processed on demand.
It should take less than a week to make it available. Send
your request for a specific Los Alamos report to library@lanl.gov or call
7-4446.
In addition, if you need help accessing electronic reports
or other electronic documents from the online catalog, we
now have instructions on the Web.
Ken Collins
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FREE TRIAL OF ELECTRONIC JOURNAL
OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
The American Chemical Society is offering a free trial (no
cut-off date has been specified) of an interactive
electronic version of its Journal of Physical Chemistry.
Try out this new electronic version and send any comments to
us at library@lanl.gov.
Frances Knudson
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NEW ON THE RESEARCH LIBRARY'S WEB
SITE
Every month the Research Library adds valuable information
for its users
through its Web site. Check out the exciting new links
added over the past
month by going directly to the New on Our Page
area of our Web
site.
Return to the Table of Contents.
Newsletter Editor: Ken
Collins
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Library Newsletter,
sent the first of each month to your e-mail address, do the
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The name and e-mail address of the Library member who
contributed an
article appears at the end of the article. If you have
comments or further
questions, please contact that person. If you have general
questions or
comments about the Newsletter itself, please contact the
Newsletter editor,
Ken Collins
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