LRC to close at 3:00 on Saturdays!

The Learning Resource Center will close at 3:00
on Saturdays beginning Nov. 14, 2009.

This change may impact students who use Library, Instructional Media, and Academic Computers services on Saturdays to study, research, use computers, view media, and borrow reserve textbooks.   Please help get the word out so students can be prepared.  This change may also impact instructors who bring classes for a Saturday afternoon library instruction session.

As of Nov. 14, regular LRC hours during Fall and Spring semesters will be:

Monday – Thursday: 7:30 am – 8:00 pm
Friday: 7:30 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Hours for Academic Computers in B-153 are unchanged:  Monday-Friday 8:00-4:00.  eServices hours in B-153 are Monday-Thursday 7:30 -5:00.

Use Your Sacramento Area Libraries!

Maybe we’re not paying enough attention to the American Library Association, but in the library we were surprised to learn that September was Library Card Sign-up Month.  And now it’s over… At SCC, you don’t have to worry about getting a library card–it’s bundled into your Employment Card or Student Access Card–but this might be a good time to think about the advantages of setting yourself up with outside libraries too.

2009 IT Forum is coming up!

While this isn’t specifically about the LRC, anyone doing research these days is immersed in technology. That’s why we are urging you to participate in the 2009 Information Technology Forum, either by attending in person or by contributing comments and questions (or, in the best case, both!). The event will be held next Thursday, October 29, from 12-1 in the Student Center. You can find a form for submitting comments and questions on the forum’s web page.

New MLA Works Cited Rules

New MLA Handbook

At the end of 2008, the Modern Language Association updated the rules for works cited lists, and in 2009 the new MLA handbook was published.

Major changes include:

• no URLs in Internet listings
• the inclusion of media type in all listings

Purdue’s OWL website lists additional noteworthy changes as well as sample entries.

If you would like your students to use the new, easier rules, have them drop by the library and pick up handouts giving examples of the new rules for print and Internet sources.  Students and faculty can access an overview of MLA citation style as well as examples of the new rules for in-text citation and media and other sources on the SCC library web site.  (The library has an array of handouts on many research topics.)

The library has a few general English writing handbooks which include the new rules and which can be checked out for two hours at the circulation desk.

Textbooks On Tap

Yes, we are a little obsessed with textbooks here in the library.  Maybe because students have checked them out 12,397 times since school started in August!

We love it when students find their textbooks in the library catalog – we have ‘em for nearly every class, as does the College Store.  But there are multiple sources for textbooks, and one of the following services may fit a student’s particular situation more exactly.  (Dutiful disclaimer: the following services may not save money and may require extra time.)

There are plenty of Internet bookstores.  Amazon, Alibris, Textbooks.com, Half.com, and Borders are just a few that carry used textbooks.  Students must make sure the book is the correct year and edition (use ISBN) and allow for shipping costs and time.

Chegg.com deals in rental textbooks, though prices may deter some.  The 5th edition of Martin-Gay’s Intermediate Algebra is currently going for $55.49 for the semester (125 days), plus tax and shipping.

A few services sell textbooks by the chapter or in electronic format.  We’ve noticed iChapters and CoursesMart, but would like to hear from faculty and students who have used them.

As an alternative to textbooks, you can save your students some cash by using open educational resources offered by the Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources, or by assigning public domain full-text books available through Project Gutenberg, Bartleby, Google Books, or the Internet Archive.