eduroam WiFi Service Available in Newman Library

eduroam logoNewman Library has implemented eduroam (education roaming), the secure roaming access service used internationally by higher education and research institutions.  Library users from other participating eduroam institutions may connect to wifi by selecting the “eduroam” SSID from the list of available networks on their personal device and logging in with their home institution’s credentials.  Library users from other CUNY colleges should use their CUNY Login credentials– the same username and password that are used to log into CUNYfirst.  A daily guest account for wifi service is no longer necessary for users of the Newman Library from participating eduroam institutions.

Baruch College students, faculty, and staff may use eduroam at other institutions that offer the service.

For more information, please consult the announcement on the BCTC blog.

Returning Books, Laptops and Calculators

Student reading a book in the stacksThis post was updated on May 25, 2021.

Students are asking us how to return library materials that they borrowed.

If you are a Baruch student who is enrolled in the spring semester, you can hold onto the items.  There are no fines or fees.

If you are a Baruch student who has just graduated OR if you are a continuing student who cannot hold onto the items for whatever reason (for example, you are leaving the country), there are two options.

1. Ship to us

Books can be sent in a padded envelope to the following address:

Newman Library – Baruch College
151 East 25th Street
New York, NY  10010

We recommend shipping via USPS Media Rate. Please consider purchasing insurance to cover the replacement cost of the item; the cost to insure an item up to $100 is $2.85. Retain the tracking number and track to ensure the package has arrived. Please note that items will remain on your library account while the library remains closed to staff. All materials are being automatically renewed on your behalf and there are no overdue fines being charged.

If you decide to ship a laptop or calculator to us, please use a shipping service that provides detailed tracking information and insurance.  We recommend that you also require signature confirmation of delivery.  If you plan to ship equipment to us, please contact us in advance at technologyloan@baruch.cuny.edu.

2. On Campus

Books and equipment may be returned on Tuesdays and Thursdays in May and June between 10AM-2PM on the first floor of the library building.   Please do not try to return items on campus outside the hours listed unless you have made an appointment in advance by contacting circulation@baruch.cuny.edu.

Before coming to campus contact circulation@baruch.cuny.edu to obtain instructions on the Public Safety requirements for entering Baruch College buildings due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Resources for Spring 2021 Distance Education – FAQ for Students (Obsolete)

 

 

 

 

Vertical Campus Extrior

UPDATED 1/15/2021

Are the computer labs open?

The campus computer labs are closed.  Students may access the software on the lab computers remotely at onlinelabs.baruch.cuny.edu.  However, students should use the CUNY Virtual Desktop to access ArcGIS, SPSS, SAS, Mathematica, Maplesoft and Matlab.

Is the Library open?

The Newman Library is providing all services virtually at this time.  These are available from the Library’s home page. The service advisory on the home page is the most up-to-date source of the status of services. Baruch students are able to schedule time in one of the designated quiet study areas on campus. The details are on a separate news page.  Please note that the quiet study spaces are no tin the Library or managed by the Library.

Is the IT Help Desk open?

The help desk staff are working remotely.  If you are having trouble logging into a service, configuring your own laptop, or need help with using a resource that is new to you, please contact the desk via email at helpdesk@baruch.cuny.edu.  At this time the help desk is not receiving phone calls.

How can I get technology assistance from off-campus?

Students should send an email message to helpdesk@baruch.cuny.edu explaining what type of assistance is needed.

Are laptop loan services available?

The College has a special program to offer semester loans of new devices obtained from the University. For details see the Technology Distribution page.

How can I get free access to the Internet, if I do not have it at home?

Students will soon be able to reserve a seat in one of the designated quiet study spaces (see question above).  Please bring your own device to the study space.  The College is distributing a limited number of MiFi hot spots to students who have no Internet access at home.  Students who want to apply for the loan of hotspot should submit a request by following the instructions on the MiFi loan page.

How can I borrow a financial calculator?

Baruch students may request a calculator for loan using this form until all available calculators are distributed.  Please note that Texas Instruments has discontinued its free emulator trial, but still offers a free Chromebook extension through July 2021,  Students may want to consider downloading an app through iTunes or the Play Store.

Can I attend my online class while I am on campus?

You may want to reserve a seat in one of the quiet study areas.  If you need headphones, please request them via the form on the Technology Distribution page.

What online learning tools will I be expected to use?

It will vary based on what the instructor believes is best to use to teach the course, but the College is focusing on tools that are very easy for students to access and use.  The most common tools will be:

  • Blackboard – Baruch students already know Blackboard. In addition to the tools that you have previously used in Blackboard, such as the discussion groups, some instructors may decide to use the videoconferencing service that is built into Blackboard, which is called Collaborate.
  • Zoom – Many instructors will use this webconferencing tool. When your instructor wants the class to meet using Zoom, you will just have to click on a web link to join the session.
  • Dropbox and Microsoft OneDrive – These are file storage services that are already available to every Baruch student.  Your instructor may want to use them to share documents.
  • Blogs@Baruch – Some instructors use the College’s blog site as a course site.  If your instructor decides to do this, you will be sent a link and only need to enter your Baruch username and password to join the course. Your instructor may ask you to write to the site as part of a course assignment. It is as easy as writing a blog post.

How can I access Blackboard, CUNYfirst, Dropbox and other services from off campus?

Use the “Quick Links” drop-down menu on the Baruch College home page.  That way you can be sure that you have the most up-to-date links.

How can I get help from the library remotely?

Please use the chat reference service on the Newman Library home page.

Where can I print assignments for my courses?

With classes online students are submitting their course assignments in a digital format through Blackboard or another method specified by the instructor that does not require a hard copy.  There are no printers available on campus.

Where and how can I store my files in the cloud?
You can save your files in one of CUNY’s cloud file storage options to access the latest version of your files, no matter where you’re located, as long as you’re connected to the Internet. CUNY offers two files storage/collaboration tools: OneDrive in Microsoft Office 365 and Dropbox. You can find information and training resources on using OneDrive at CUNY’s Microsoft Office 365 for Education site website or from Microsoft’s Office 365 Education Help Center and Office 365 Training Center. Microsoft’s Teams provides an addition tool to share/collaborate on projects and shared files. You can find information and training resources on using Dropbox at CUNY’s Dropbox site.

What services are available for Students with Disabilities?

The Disability Services Office will be open to assist students. The College is committed to ensuring accessibility as courses are moved to an online format. Instructors have been provided with information resources and guidance to help them achieve this goal. If a student finds that any course material is not accessible, please inform the instructor so that it can be corrected.

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NOTE: This FAQ list will be updated as we receive additional questions from students.  Please check back.

How to Borrow a Calculator from the Newman Library for Spring 2020

graphing calculatorThe Library has 1,110 TI-89 graphing calculators available for Baruch College students to borrow for the spring 2020 semester.  Students who are interested in borrowing a calculator must enter their Baruch email address on the calculator distribution entry form.

Students will be selected from the list at random at 7:00 a.m. on February 3, 2020 and notified by e-mail to come to the circulation desk to pick up the calculator.  Students who are selected from the waiting list will have until 10:00 p.m. on February 10 to pick up the calculator.  Calculators that are not picked up by that time will be distributed at the 2nd floor circulation desk on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 9:00 a.m. on February 11.  Each student may only submit one entry to the waiting list.  Multiple entries will result in disqualification from the calculator loan process.  Entries must be submitted by 7:00 a.m. on February 3.

Robotic Self-Service Book Loan Kiosk Increases Student Access to Newman Library Materials

Robotic Book Loan Kiosk

Newman Library’s Book Loan Kiosk

Baruch College students are now able to borrow course textbooks from a new robotic loan kiosk on the first floor of the Information & Technology Building.  The kiosk is located across from the Subotnick Financial Services Center and next to a student lounge area.

The kiosk holds 210 duplicate copies of the most heavily circulated textbooks from the Library’s reserve desk.  Baruch students are able to borrow from the kiosk at any time that the building is open.  This includes hours when the library’s circulation desk is closed and during midterm and final exam periods when the library is open 24 hours.  The robotic shelving system in the kiosk ensures that when an item is returned it is immediately re-shelved and available for loan to another student.  Receipts for the borrowing and return transactions are sent to the user via email.  The loan period and overdue fines are the same as for borrowing reserve textbooks over the counter.  The kiosk was funded by the student technology fee and the textbooks were funded by the Baruch College Association.

The glass front on the kiosk lets users see how the robotic arm retrieves and re-shelves books.  Step-by-step instructions on how to borrow and return items are provided on the kiosk’s touchscreen.  The instructions also appear on the covers of the books displayed through the glass on the front of the kiosk.  These special book covers were designed by undergraduate students in the College’s New Media Arts program. In addition, there is a two-minute video that shows how to operate the kiosk.

Baruch Student Theses Are Read Worldwide via the Library’s Academic Works Repository

World map showing locations of thesis downloads

Map of Downloads of Baruch Student Theses

Academic Works is the CUNY Libraries’ open repository for providing access to the research, scholarship and creative works of faculty, students and staff.  Undergraduate Student Theses constitute one category of documents in Academic Works.  There were 85 Baruch undergraduate student theses in Academic Works in Calendar Year 2018, including 10 additions during that period.  The total number of downloads of the theses in 2018 was 8,343.  The top 5 theses in terms of number downloads are listed in the table below.

  1. Sherese Francis, “African vibrations : the percussive approach in hip-hop music” (Music & Journalism) – 1,107 downloads
  2. Kyle Beard, “English/Indian relations in colonial New England, 1617-1676” (History) – 897 downloads
  3. Rachel Viliusis, “The Emergence of Psychology and the Creation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: An Examination of Innovation and Narration” (English) – 500 downloads
  4. Patrycja J. Koszykowska, “The Rise of Right-Wing Populism in Poland: Comparative Analysis of Social Structure and Party Strategy” (History) – 472 downloads
  5. Martin Stankiewicz, “The Warsaw Uprising of 1944 : why did it fail?” (History) – 461 downloads

One of the benefits of depositing items in Academic Works is the ability to allow users across the globe to discover them through a web search.  In 2018 Baruch Undergraduate Student Theses were downloaded from Academic Works by users in 130 countries (See the world map above for the distribution.)  The 20 countries outside the United States where the most downloads occurred are:

  1. United Kingdom (1,234)
  2. Canada (252)
  3. India (239)
  4. France (212)
  5. Germany (173)
  6. Poland (111)
  7. Australia (100)
  8. Brazil (93)
  9. Russian Federation (90)
  10. China (88)
  11. Italy (88)
  12. Argentina (87)
  13. Spain (83)
  14. Netherlands (72)
  15. Japan (64)
  16. Nigeria (64)
  17. Chile (52)
  18. Indonesia (51)
  19. Iran (48)
  20. Singapore (48)

Beyond CUNY the following educational institutions recorded the largest number of downloads in 2018:

  1. Cornell University (15)
  2. North Carolina Research and Education Network (15)
  3. New York University (12)
  4. U.S. Department of Education (12)
  5. Georgia Department of Education (11)
  6. Harvard University (10)
  7. London Grid for Learning Trust (10)
  8. University of Bath (10)
  9. University of Cambridge (10)
  10. Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (9)

In addition to educational institutions, student theses were downloaded in organizations from other sectors.  Examples are :

  • Commercial:  General Motors, Korbank, SA, AVAST Software, TDI Power.
  • Non-Profit:  Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (France), Stark Portage Area Computer Consortium (OH), RAND Corporation, Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC).
  • Government:  Bureau of Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency, National Government of Kenya, Department of Homeland Security.
  • Military:  U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, DoD Network Information Center, Navy Network Information Center.

 

Portable Assistive Technology to Borrow in Newman Library

portable text reader in library

OrCam Text Reader

The Newman Library has added a set of portable assistive technology devices to help ensure that all library users have access to the collections and services we offer.  Each item was selected in consultation with the College’s Office of Services to Students with Disabilities.  The devices are available only for use within the Newman Library by all current CUNY students, faculty, and staff.  Items are loaned at the access services loan desk on the 2nd floor of the library and must be returned before that desk closes for the day.  To avoid incurring an overdue fine borrowers should check with the library desk staff regarding the time that an item is due to be returned at the time that it is borrowed.

The following are the devices available for loan at the time of this post.  Other devices will be added based on recommendations from library users and the Office of Services to Students with Disabilities.

  • Audio Technica Noise-Cancelling headphones
  • Dell Latitude – software includes Dragon Naturally Speaking, ZoomText/ZoomText Fusion, Jaws for Windows, OpenBook
  • Explore 5 Video Magnifier – used to magnify text
  • Focus 40 Braille Display – Braille input device
  • iPad – has built-in assistive technology
  • MacBook Pro – software includes Kurzweil 3000, Dragon Speaking Naturally
  • ORCAM My Reader – allows users to take photos and device will read back text or describe items
  • Orion TI-84 Talking Graphing Calculator – talking version of standard TI-84
  • Rock Adapted Joystick – alternative to a standard mouse
  • Roger FM System (includes Pen, Table Mic & Mylink with headphones) – used to amplify/hear voice
  • Ruby 7 HD Video Magnifier – used to magnify text
  • Samsung Galaxy Tab – has built-in assistive technology
  • UbiDuo – pair of screens with integrated keyboards for real-time face-to-face interaction
  • Victor Reader Stream- used to amplify sound
  • Wave Rollerball – alternative to a standard mouse
  • ZoomText Large Print Keyboard- keyboard has oversized keys

Mobile Printing for Baruch Students

iPhone with logo of Baruch mobile printing serviceStudents may use their printing accounts to send documents from their mobile devices to any printer in the Library or the computer labs.  There is no need to wait on line to log into a computer workstation on campus just to print.  Students may send documents to the print queue from home, the local Starbucks®, or anywhere with a wifi connection.  The print job can be released at any student print station on campus.  The charge to the printing account occurs only when the print is actually produced.  Remote printing requests that are sent to the queue, but are not printed are automatically deleted with no charge within a couple of hours.  Students can use mobile printing by the cloud service via any web browser (https://printing.baruch.cuny.edu/) or by installing an app that is available for Apple and Android devices.  Details are provided on the Wireless Printing web page.

Results of the Technology Loan Service Desk Survey

student using tech loan kioskThe Library conducted its first formal survey of users of the technology loan service desk from April 23 through May 18, 2017.  We received 173 responses.  The winner of the $20 Amazon gift card incentive was Brenda Kuang.  We were pleased to see that overall satisfaction with the service is high with 96% of respondents reporting being satisfied or very satisfied.  We were also pleased that two-thirds of users reported waiting times of 2 minutes or less, while 92% of borrowers were served in 5 minutes or less.

However, we also learned quite a bit about what needs to be done to improve the service for our students.  Based on the responses, we commit to doing the following:

  • Install additional software: Adobe Creative Cloud, statistical software, video editing, Chrome, etc.
  • (Re)Enable Printing on the Baruch Network: This was available until we postponed an upgrade of our print management system.  We will make wifi printing active on all the laptops again.
  • Add equipment to loan:  Phone and laptop chargers,  headphones, mice, cameras, microphones, etc.
  • Upgrade equipment: We are replacing many units with newer models over the summer.
  • Increase the Number of MacBooks and units that loan for 3 days.
  • Continue to reduce waiting time: We are looking into additional staff and streamlined procedures.
  • Expand Self-Service: We are purchasing a new loan kiosk for the Library and an additional, larger one for the 6th floor computer lab.

The technology loan service is among the most heavily used services of the Newman Library with over 50,000 loan transactions recorded between February and May 2017.

 

 

 

Launch of Platform for Baruch’s Student Authors

The William and Anita Newman Library is pleased to announce the launch of Academic Works, a new online platform for showcasing the scholarly and creative work of Baruch students and faculty.

This service provides students with the opportunity to make their works of scholarship freely available online for the world to view and download. Not only is each work given a stable, permanent location on the web, it is also indexed automatically by Google Scholar and CUNY’s OneSearch system, thereby increasing the likelihood of easy discovery by searchers around the world. Since the launch of CUNY Academic Works at several CUNY campuses in 2015, hundreds of faculty and students have uploaded more than 14,000 items into their local campus collections.

Interest from scholars and students globally has been amazing: there have already been nearly 600,000 downloads of items from the CUNY collections. The launch of Academic Works at Baruch College is part of our effort to highlight the scholarship of our students. This new digital showcase, which already includes over 70 undergraduate honors theses, will soon include student posters from Creative Inquiry Day. For more information, please see the library’s guide to the service.

On a related note, the Newman Library is planning an exhibition of published works by Baruch students in fall 2017. Students who are interested in having their work considered for inclusion should contact cio@baruch.cuny.edu.