Library and Computing at Bucknell

Beginning in spring '08, all electronic course material needs to be posted in Blackboard, as ERes will no longer be accessible.

Instructions on how to use Blackboard are available from ITEC, whom you may contact at itec@bucknell.edu. For those still in transition this semester, articles can be scanned and posted in ERes; however, we encourage the faculty to become familiar with Blackboard as soon as possible to avoid a January rush!

If you have any questions about scanning, please contact Candice Hinckley at x73249.

Faculty: If you would like to schedule a film (DVD or VHS) for a specific Classroom Showing, you can use the online form called "Schedule a video/DVD to be held for a classroom showing" or complete the request form at the Circ Desk in the Library. Because items might be checked out to someone else, please be sure to place your request at least one week in advance of the date you want to show it. The item will be on HOLD in your name and can be checked out only to you or to a TA who has a permission form signed by you. Contact Circulation staff during regular business hours (at x71882) if you have any questions about this service.

LexisNexis Academic, a database with full-text news, business and legal information has a new interface. Options include Easy and Advanced forms and a Sources tab that limiting your search to specific documents such as legal cases. To use LexisNexis Academic, go to the A - Z database list http://www.bucknell.edu/script/ISR/Databases/. (Access restricted to Bucknell users.) Contact the Reference/Information Desk, Main Level refdesk@bucknell.edu if you need assistance.

Students: Some Library lockers still available! There are still some semester-loan storage lockers available for reservations. A storage locker is a great resource if you would like to have a secure place in the Library to store already checked out library materials, your personal belongings, or your laptop. Inquire at the Circulation Desk to see what lockers are still available for a semester loan. There are also 10 lockers available for 3-day loans. Ask about the lockers on Reserves at the Circ Desk.

Faculty: if you would like your TA to be able to check out materials in the Library for you, you can complete the required form at the Circ Desk. Your TA will have a "special" permission slip to use for checking out library items to your account.

Welcome to the start of the new academic year! With it begins many new things, not the least of which is Microsoft Office 2007. The latest release of Microsoft's flagship office suite for Windows brings not only new features but issues of concern as well, especially for Macintosh users.

We (ISR) have made the conscious decision not to upgrade the campus Windows computers to Microsoft Office 2007 at this juncture. Some of the program changes, especially with the interface, are significant. We will be planning a more gradual migration for faculty and staff throughout the academic year and into next summer. Currently all faculty, staff, classroom, and lab computers are running Office 2003 for Windows (and Office 2004 for Macintosh) as they have for quite some time.

A challenge is presented, however, as students return to campus having recently purchased the 2007 version of the product for Windows. This includes many first-year students. While they may grow accustomed to the new interface and features, the file format of the new version is not compatible with Office 2003 or Office 2004 for Macintosh. So a person running Word 2003/2004 would not easily be able to open a document created by someone using Word 2007.

You can identify Office 2007 documents by their four-character file extensions that have the letter "x" at the end. Using Microsoft Word as an example, instead of the document having the traditional ".doc" extension, a Word 2007 document for Windows would have ".docx" at the end of the filename.

There are solutions available that address this issue that we would like to share with you.

First, if you are working with students that are using Office 2007, please ask them to save documents they create in "Office 97-2003" format. That will ensure the document he or she creates will be compatible with older versions of Microsoft Office. This is currently the best compatibility option for Macintosh users.

The second solution is one we (ISR) have been proactively implementing. There is a Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack the may be installed on Windows computers running Microsoft Office 2003 that will enable them to open Office 2007 documents. We have actively "pushed" this pack to computers on campus throughout the summer and continue to do so through the campus network. Our goal is to make the compatibility issue between the two Windows versions of Microsoft Office transparent while working on your Bucknell-owned Windows machine.

We anticipate a similar compatibility pack will become available for the Macintosh in the near future and will keep you informed as we continue to test and implement viable solutions.

If you happen to have a Windows personal computer or a Windows computer that is not joined to the campus network, you may easily download this compatibility patch from Microsoft by visiting:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en

As always, if you have questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact Tech Support at techdesk@bucknell.edu or by calling x7-7777.

Students:

If you're using a program like Limewire to download music or movies, you're sharing or receiving something you didn't buy, don't own, or didn't pay for in any way. Essentially, you're transferring stolen goods. In another sense, it's like going into a store and stealing a CD.

Not only are you breaking state and federal laws, but you're violating Bucknell's policies as well.

To learn more about downloading, including why illegal downloading is bad, what could happen to you if you do it, and options for legal alternatives, read ISR's bulletin on why illegal downloading will get you into trouble.

Over the summer, we have made several improvements to myBucknell in terms of appearance, function and stability. myBucknell is your one-stop shopping place for many services - webmail, Blackboard, your library account, Banner, other campus systems and information and much more. myBucknell also has links to the most frequently used services for faculty and staff, as well as a To Do section to remind you to complete certain tasks.

While myBucknell is a convenient place to get access to these services, it's not the only way. Here are alternatives to access critical services when you need them, or if it's simply easier for you to access them outside of myBucknell.

First, on the myBucknell log in page, http://mybucknell.bucknell.edu, you'll see a list of links to specific services. Use these links whenever you like, and specifically if you are having trouble getting into myBucknell for any reason.
Webmail: http://webmail.bucknell.edu

Banner Web: https://www.banner.bucknell.edu

Blackboard: http://www.bb.bucknell.edu

Faculty and staff voicemail: http://voicemail.bucknell.edu

Ingeniux web content management: http://wcm.bucknell.edu
Next, just below the myBucknell username and password entry on http://mybucknell.bucknell.edu, you'll find a NEW link to get your Banner pin online. Once you have your Banner pin, you can get into Banner without getting into myBucknell if you need to. You'll need to know your username, BU ID number, and email password to get your pin. Once you have your pin, use the link mentioned above to get to Banner web.

Your Banner pin can also be helpful if you like to check your library account in the online catalog. Just look up your pin and then use the first four digits of your pin to log into your library account (accessible from the ISR web page at http://www.bucknell.edu/isr).

If you have any questions or require assistance with any of your passwords or your Banner pin, please stop by the Tech Desk on the first floor of Bertand Library and don't forget to bring along your BU ID.

Best wishes for the academic year!

Faculty and Staff: Some handy voice mail tips, just for you:

Logging into VM
Did you know that you don't need to enter your mailbox number when logging into voice mail? If you are checking voice mail from your office phone, you can simply press #. You will then be prompted for your password.

Saving Messages
Messages are automatically saved if you don't delete them. However, messages will only be saved for 31 days. You will be notified before they are deleted if you access your voice mail through the phone interface. If there is a message you are sure you want to save, please do it immediately to ensure that you don't lose this message.

Envelope Information
At anytime during the message you can press 7 2 to hear the envelope information. When you've heard the date, time and sender info, if you press 2 again, it will return to and continue with the message.

Deleting and Restoring Messages
Before, during, or after playing a message, press 7 6 to delete it. To restore a deleted message, return to the message and press 7 6. (You cannot restore deleted messages once you hang up the phone and end your session.)

Personal Verification Your recorded name (personal verification) is used in your greetings, addressed messages, and in name dialing. If you don't record a personal verification, callers will hear your extension.
1. Log into VM
2. Press 8 (Mailbox Commands)
3. Press 2 (Greetings
4. Press 9 (Personal Verification); follow prompts to record your name

Temporary Greeting (Extended absence greeting played instead of regular greeting). This is great feature when you are on vacation. This will not overwrite your standard greeting.
1. Log into VM with password
2. Press 8 (Mailbox Commands)
3. Press 2 (Greetings)
4. Press 3 (Temporary Greeting)
5. Follow prompts to record greeting. (Asks you to delete/keep this greeting, each time you access VM. You can set an expiration date on this greeting.)

This information is also available in the 'Phone/Voice Mail Reference Guide' you received through campus mail. If you didn't receive a reference guide, please call 71810 or send an email to phoneoffice@bucknell.edu.

Additional information is also available by visiting,

http://www.bucknell.edu/voicemail.xml

http://ask.bucknell.edu/ and searching on CallPilot

Students: Interested in scheduling a tour of the library? If you're new to Bucknell, or would just like a refresher on what services and resources the library has to offer, you may schedule a tour of the library.

To schedule a tour, just e-mail Jason Snyder (jcsnyder@bucknell.edu), with dates and times that you'd be available for a tour. You may also stop by the Reference/Information Desk to set one up.

Tours are available from 9am to 5pm, Monday - Friday.

Best wishes for the start of the new semester!

Have you activated your "friendly" e-mail address yet? If not, you have until August 27 to either:

1. Activate your "friendly" e-mail address and begin using it immediately.
2. Select an alternative form of your friendly e-mail address (based upon your personal information in Banner) and activate it.
3. Choose to opt out and not have an alternative "friendly" e-mail address at all.

To exercise any of these options, please visit the following website. You will need to log in using your username and e-mail password.
http://www1.bucknell.edu/script/email/friendly.aspx

PLEASE NOTE: If you choose not to exercise any of the three options, your "friendly" e-mail address will be activated automatically on August 27, 2007.

As a reminder, your "friendly" e-mail address does not replace your current e-mail address. It is simply an additional forwarding address that may be used for your convenience. Mail sent to your current e-mail address and your "friendly" e-mail address will be delivered to your current account just as it always has.

In addition, your Bucknell username does not change as a result of activating your "friendly" e-mail address. You will still be required to use your original username to authenticate and log into University services.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Tech Support at techdesk@bucknell.edu or by calling x7-7777.

First Year Students: Welcome to Bucknell, from everyone at Information Services and Resources. We are your library and information technology organization on campus, and can help you with anything in those areas.

For help getting your computer set up, please call x77777 (570.577.7777)

Feel free to stop by the library during orientation and say hello. We're glad you're here!

Want to enhance your classroom and work projects?

Come check out our variety of equipment including LCD data projectors, digital video cameras, external hard drives, flash drives, digital audio recorders, slide projectors and more. All items are available for 3-day loans*. These items can enhance your research projects, field trips, organizational events, conferences, and other special projects. In addition, you can purchase blank CDs, DVDs, mini DV tapes, VHS tapes, and audio cassettes. For more information visit the Equipment Services web page or call x77733.

*Equipment is available to current Bucknell faculty, staff, and students. External hard drives are loaned out for 2-week periods. Faculty and staff may also borrow laptops for 2-week periods.

Equipment Services is located at the far end of the Circulation Desk in the Bertrand Library.

Faculty: Will you be using classroom technology in your teaching this fall? Are you nervous about operating the projector or other equipment in your classroom?

If so, you may schedule a walkthrough with Learning Spaces to familiarize you with the equipment in your classroom.

To schedule a walkthrough, call x77733

Are you new to Bucknell? Or, maybe you just haven't had the time to learn more about the capabilities of the new voice mail system? ISR is offering some additional sessions for you!

Learn how to access your voice mail on the Web and through e-mail.

Learn how to save your voice messages permanently.

Learn how to send a fax from your computer through the voice mail system.

When? Thursday, August 9th at 2:00 PM and Thursday, August 16th at 2:00 PM

Where? Biology 12 computer lab (Windows)

Space is limited, please register for either one of these sessions:

http://www.bucknell.edu/script/ISR/Workshops/CalendarView.asp

Faculty: The fall semester is fast approaching, which means it's time to start thinking about scheduling library user education classes for your courses! Librarians are available to teach your students research skills and resources they will need to complete their course assignments. The librarians will meet with you to tailor the sessions to your specific needs.

If you'd like to schedule a session (or more), please contact your library liaison, or fill out this form: http://www.bucknell.edu/x11000.xml.