YUL Staff Blog

Since the first library staff conference was held in 2005, libraries have had to work at a frenetic pace to keep up with and support new technologies. Social networking, more digitized collections, catalog enhancements and live online support allow us to give users what they need at the click of a button. Mobile devices demand that resources be delivered in a variety of formats. And some changes have added layers of complexity to the research process, challenging us to develop new ways of helping others navigate a confusing information landscape.

What impact have the changes in the digital landscape had on your work? How are users responding, and what are they demanding? Please join your colleagues and submit a presentation proposal!

Visit http://www.library.utoronto.ca/event/staffconference/2012/.

If you have any questions, please contact Peter Duerr ( pduerr@yorku.ca ) or Dana Craig (dcraig@yorku.ca )

Thank you.

Worldcat is changing to Worldshare!

Come learn about the changes to this platform with our OCLC representatives Daniel Boivin and Andy Spilioe on:  Wednesday February 1, 2012 from 9:30-11am. Location:  SMIL, Scott Library.

WorldCat Resource Sharing will move to the WorldShare Platform in 2012, and it will be renamed WorldShare Interlibrary Loan. Beta testing of the new service is beginning soon, with general release targeted for mid-2012. Libraries will have at least one year to move from the current FirstSearch interface for resource sharing to the WorldShare Interlibrary Loan service.

The first services built on this new technical infrastructure are Webscale Management Services, which have been rebranded as OCLC WorldShare Management Services, and include circulation, acquisitions and license management applications.  Over time, OCLC will bring together additional OCLC services and applications under the OCLC WorldShare name, including resource sharing, consortial borrowing, metadata management and additional applications.

WorldCat will continue to serve as the name for shared data, including registries and the knowledge base, as well as discovery services such as WorldCat.org and WorldCat Local.

For more information:

· OCLC WorldShare

· News release

· OCLC WorldShare video

· “Libraries at Webscale” discussion document

· OCLC WorldShare Management Services

· OCLC WorldShare Platform

Oh yes indeed it’s that time of year -

to get together, spread good cheer.

Do drop by before the reindeer fly

and help us celebrate this time of year.

~ * ~ * ~ *~

Please join us from 11:30 – 1:30 on Thursday December 22nd in Rm 310.

(please note the event’s updated ending times)

Food and merriment will abound!

If you wish to bring something to share, please do but it is not required.

Just bring yourselves.

Please be advised that work is scheduled to begin at Scott loading dock. Some service parking will be affected. There will also be heavy equipment and dump trucks operating in the area which will affect pedestrian traffic.

Please avoid the loading dock area during the construction. Facilities staff are aware that there may be delays in deliveries and have advised our regular couriers and deliveries that there may be some temporary barriers around the site and to take all precautions when operating vehicles in the area.

If you have any issues or concerns, please contact John Thompson, Facilities Manager.

Linda Hansen would like to highlight these new appointments at Scott Circulation:

Rocco Bellantoni – Evening Supervisor
Salman Ali – Records Coordinator (and new ext. 33359)
Anna Santilli – Circulation Coordinator

Spotted at Second Cup – our recent hires as of August 1…

Dany Savard, Social Sciences Librarian and Xuemei Li, Business Librarian.

Dany, who is fluently bilingual, has an Honours Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Toronto and a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Western Ontario.  Dany may be found at 110 B  Frost Library, ext. 88267.

Xuemei has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Management from Yantai University (China), and her Master of Science in Computing and Doctor of Philosophy in  Information Science (Webometrics) from  the University of Wolverhampton in England and her Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of British Columbia. Xuemei lives at S237V in the Bronfman Business Library, ext. 88865.

Congratulations to Timothy Bristow, who has been hired effective August 1 as our new Digital Humanities Librarian.

We’d also like to welcome Jaspreet Bhatthal,  a new Reference Assistant in Steacie Science Library.  Jaspreet has her BSc from York  and is a certified Medical Laboratory Technologist trained within the disciplines of Hematology, Clinical Chemistry, Microbiology, Transfusion Medicine and Histology.  Her  primary area of research interest is microbiology. Jaspreet may be reached at ext 33313

Please distribute widely:

York’s Convocation Office is looking for students interested in working at Fall Convocation, held from October 12-14, 2011. Available positions include ushers, information officers, graduand seating assistants, marshalling assistants, robing assistants and name carders.

A mandatory training session for new staff will be scheduled prior to convocation on October 7th, 2011. All positions offer a pay rate of $10 .25 an hour and include a catered lunch. All candidates must have a valid social insurance number.

Interested candidates can fill out an application online here.

Deadline: Applications must be received by:

Wednesday, September 14th, at 12pm.

The Convocation Office will contact all successful candidates.

Questions regarding Convocation employment opportunities should be directed to convowrk@yorku.ca .

Successful applicants may also be considered for employment during other York events.

Alan Darnell provided a Scholars Portal update to staff in July.

Here are the slides

Please note that the Scott Elevator is out of service until further notice.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Watch this space for further updates.

Please say hello to our new Reference Assistant, Janet Howarth.  Janet will be splitting her time between the Map Library and the Steacie Science & Engineering Library.

She may be reached at ext. 33353 which will be her main number, and ext. 33315 when she is at Steacie.  Staff are asked to please contact her at 33353 (if she’s not in the office you will be transferred).

Janet’s schedule will be fluid during the summer and a more solid schedule will be set up for the Fall Term.

Welcome Janet!

Over the next several weeks, contractors will be removing and replacing the caulking on the exterior wall system. The caulking prevents water and air from penetrating the exterior wall system.

Areas outside the Scott Library may have hydraulic lifts or swing stages operating to allow access to the work areas. Users should avoid those areas.  Power tools will be used to remove the old caulking and there will be periodic vibration and noise experienced in Scott on all floors.

While the crews will work as fast as they can, delays in the progress of the work due to weather and other issues may result in extending the work into the fall term.  Work can only be done during daylight, weather permitting.

Work may be undertaken on weekends as well.

We apologize for any inconvenience or discomfort.

Regards,
John Thomson