What's New

Olin Library Open on Sundays this Summer

While many WUSTL students and faculty bid farewell to campus for several months at this time of year, the libraries across the university are an important resource for those that remain, continuing their research, classes, and other academic pursuits over the course of the summer. With these users in mind, the Libraries have extended Olin Library's summer hours to include Sundays, giving users access to the library's collections, study space, and expert staff seven days a week.

"We hope that this will provide a quiet place to study and do research," says Stephanie Atkins, head of access. "We understand that the classes are shorter during the summer, and students need to maximize their research and study time. We can’t expect them to wait until Monday for the library to open again."

The added summer hours, which begin Sunday, May 19, at 10 a.m., were first implemented in July of 2012, in response to a student's request.

"We welcome all students’ input on how to improve the library," Atkins says. "Please do not hesitate to share your thoughts and ideas."

To ask a question or contact a member of the Libraries staff, visit the Ask Us! page here.

WiFi Improvements Coming to Olin Library

Olin Library’s wireless network hardware and services will be upgraded this summer, along with those of several other campus locations.This effort by Network Services and Support in coordination with library staff should provide increased speed, capacity, and convenience for wireless network users. As one of the major gathering places on campus, Olin Library along with Whispers Café has one of the largest numbers of concurrent users of the wireless network in a single location.

More Seating, Study Areas Added to Olin Level 1

Rental furniture arrived this week at Olin Library, adding more study spots to the popular south and west sides of the first floor just in time for the end-of-semester crunch. The tables and chairs are a temporary change as planning for longer-term furniture for the Level 1 space in Olin Library continues.

"Student comments about the rental furniture have been overwhelmingly positive," says Sarah Laaker, manager of library user space planning and campus liaison. "We’re glad for the feedback, and we wish everyone the best of luck with finals."

Olin Library will be open 24/7 during reading and exam periods this semester, beginning Saturday, April 27, at 9 a.m. The overnight hours will continue through Wednesday, May 8, at 10 p.m.

Whispers Webcam Simplifies Coffee Quest

The Libraries recently installed a new webcam in the Whispers cafe, aimed at helping users outside the space determine how busy the popular campus hub is at any given time.

In need of a jolt of caffeine? A table for study? One of those excellent yogurt parfaits? Service is always speedy at Whispers, but by checking the webcam, you can get a sense of what the crowd is like before making the trip over.

Happy studying and coffee refilling!

Course Reserves (Ares) Service Upgrade Wednesday

This Wednesday, March 13, the Libraries will be performing maintenance on the servers that run the course reserves (Ares) software. The service is expected to be unavailable from 8 a.m. until about noon that day. Contact Reserves staff (reserve@wumail.wustl.edu, 314-935-5451) if immediate assistance is needed during this upgrade. We apologize for any inconvenience.

WUSTL Provides Data Management Plan Tool, Support

Washington University now has institutional access to a flexible online tool to help generate data management plans. Developed by the California Digital Library and a group of major research institutions, the DMPTool  is designed to help researchers:

• Create ready-to-use data management plans for specific funding agencies
• Meet requirements for data management plans
• Get step-by-step instructions and guidance for a data management plan

To access the DMPTool, visit https://dmp.cdlib.org/institutional_login and select “Washington University in St. Louis” from the drop down menu. After signing in with your WUSTL Key, this tool will step you through the process of writing a data management plan.

WUSTL’s University Libraries and Office of Sponsored Research Services have partnered to provide support for data management.

For more information about grant requirements, contact Laura Langton, research development manager in the Office of Sponsored Research Services at langton@wustl.edu.

For more information about data storage and management on the Danforth Campus, contact Cynthia Hudson, digital data outreach librarian for WUSTL Libraries at chudson@wustl.edu.

New STS Technology Help Desk in Olin Library

Need help getting connected to wireless or printing from a laptop while working in Olin Library? Student Technology Services (STS) provides such services at their help desk in Gregg Hall on the South 40, and they are now piloting these services in Olin Library.

 

 

For help connecting to wireless or printing from a laptop, questions about GO WUSTL email accounts, or assistance with Blackboard, look for the STS student technicians on Olin Level 1, at the library Help Desk just inside the main entrance. The service starts Monday, February 4, and runs through the spring semester.

The STS Technology Help Desk will be staffed Monday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m.*

*Exceptions due to holidays and breaks will be posted at the STS Help Desk.

The STS Technology Help Desk in Olin is a collaboration between STS and WU Libraries to expand and enhance services for students. The results of the spring semester pilot will help with decisions about future STS services in Olin. To learn more about STS, visit http://sts.wustl.edu/get-help.

Download the free Blackboard Mobile Learn app today!

Get instant access to your courses using the free Blackboard Mobile Learn app, available on all Apple, Android, Blackberry, and HP webOS devices. Find out more at http://sts.wustl.edu/blackboard.

Search and download "Blackboard Mobile Learn"

Pilot STS Help Desk Comes to Olin Library

Need help getting connected to wireless or printing from a laptop while working in Olin Library? Student Technology Services (STS) provides such services at their help desk in Gregg Hall on the South 40, but during the month of November, they are bringing these services to Olin on a trial basis.

For help connecting to wireless or printing from a laptop, questions about GO WUSTL e-mail accounts, or assistance with Blackboard, look for the STS student technicians on Olin Level 1, at the table just inside the main entrance. The pilot project starts Monday, Nov. 5, and ends Thursday, Nov. 29.

The STS Help Desk will be staffed during the following periods*:

Mondays and Tuesdays, 8 p.m. to midnight

Wednesdays and Thursdays, 2 to 6 p.m.

*During Thanksgiving week, the desk will be staffed only on Monday, Nov. 19.

The pilot STS Help Desk in Olin is a collaboration between STS and WU Libraries. The results of the pilot will help with decisions about future STS services in Olin. To learn more about STS services, visit http://sts.wustl.edu/get-help.

Ares Upgrade on Thursday

The Libraries’ e-reserves system, Ares, will be down on Thursday, July 19, 2012, due to a software upgrade. Contact Olin Library Reserves staff (reserve@wumail.wustl.edu, 935-5451) with any questions or concerns.