Reference at Newman Library

Year: 2013

Notable Links on the New Library Website

As we continue this year the process of iterative design (usability test–>tweak–>usability test–>tweak, etc.), it’s hoped that the site will keep pace with our users’ expectations of where things should be and how those things should behave. With that caveat out of the way, here are some notable links on the new website that can offer shortcuts for those of us used to certain paths to key resources and services.

 

Catalog link

  • On the “Help” page, go to the “Books” portion of the “How Do I Find…”

Click to embiggen

 

 

My Account (patron account info the catalog)

  • Go to the “Renew a Book” page in the “Students category.

Click to embiggen

 

Search All CUNY Libraries from the Search Bar

  • Select “Books” in the search bar, then select “Advanced Search,” then choose “All CUNY Libraries” from the drop down menu

 

Click to embiggen

NYC Neighborhood Census Data Updates

I’ve received a few requests to do census data intros for spring courses, so I thought it would be a good time to mention this: I’ve updated the handout I’ve created for Finding NYC Neighborhood Census Data. It provides an overview of what neighborhoods are, what the census datasets are, and summarizes the main sources for the data. The handout is a PDF file that is embedded throughout the NYC Data Guide at http://guides.newman.baruch.cuny.edu/nyc_data.

I’ve also made updates to another PDF handout, the American Factfinder Tutorial, that’s embedded throughout the NYC Data and US Census Guides. I expect that I’ll have to update it again within the next month or so, as the Census is going to alter the AFF interface again to make it easier to use (based on user feedback).

The most pertinent, recent change to the Census: they are now releasing ZIP Code / ZCTA data on an annual basis as part of the 5-year American Community Survey ACS (previously, ZCTA data was only available via the decennial census). I’ve updated the Google Maps on the Neighborhoods tab of the NYC Data Guide so, when you click on a ZCTA, you can choose to look at the 2010 Census profile or one of the 4 ACS profiles from 2007-2011. The PUMA map has been updated to point to the latest 3-year ACS data (2009-2011) and the borough links to the most recent 1-year ACS data (2011).

How Bearcat Search Works and What It Covers

Given the central role that Bearcat Search plays in our new library site (it is what is behind the “Articles” search box), it seemed like a good time to completely revise the entry in the ref wiki for Bearcat Search. You’ll now find details on:

  • what can and can’t be found in it
  • how it works
  • search operators and commands
  • things to watch out for when searching
  • best uses

If you run a search in the Articles search box, you’ll get to the Bearcat Search page of results. If you want to first go to the official search page for Bearcat Search and begin there, you’ll find a link to Bearcat Search on the Databases page of the library website.

Comments about the New Website You Hear at the Desk

If you are at the desk and hear from a student something positive or negative about the new website, feel free to submit it to the “Comments/Suggestions” form found on the lower left corner of the library home page. The new site is meant to be one that will be developed continuously based on feedback from users and usability testing; the more feedback we get, the better we can tune it to meet the expectations of our users.