I’ve started a page in the Library Services Wiki about the new laptop kiosk. There’s not a lot of info there. If you know a thing or two about the kiosk, please help out by adding to the entry in the wiki. When you’re working evenings at the reference desk or on weekends, it’s especially useful to have info like this at your fingertips in the wiki.
Tag: Reference Wiki
New wiki page: Databases Overview
We are launching a new page in the wiki called Databases Overview. This page is intended to highlight any unusual features from our databases as well as keep track of any issues that have been reported and may not have been yet resolved. We hope this is helpful in doing some initial troubleshooting during reference interactions.
The page features a table with a row for each database and columns with the following key information:
Login from ref desk staff
Do we have to log the user in using passwords that we maintain or can the user go straight to the database via a link on the databases page.
Concurrent users
Can an unlimited number of people use this at the same time or, if there is a limit, what is that number?
Browser restrictions
Which, if any, browsers you must use.
Visitor access
Beyond the core Baruch community (current students, faculty, and staff) can others use it (Baruch alums, other CUNY students, other CUNY faculty, other visitors)?
Current status
If a problem has been reported to me or Stephen, there will be a note here about it. If you encounter a new problem, feel free to edit the respective cell – Stephen and I are notified when this page is updated. Please make sure to write your name and date so we can follow up if there are other questions (of course, you should always feel free to email or call us as well).
As problems get fixed, we will move the note over to a page in the wiki for that particular database so we can keep a record of problems that have cropped up in case they appear again.
Related blog posts and wiki entries
If there are any blog posts about this database in the reference wiki, there will be a “Blog” link here that will find all the posts tagged with that database name. If there is a page in the wiki for this database, there will be a “Wiki” link as well.
This new wiki page should be the first place to go when you suspect there might be an issue with a particular database.
If you encounter a problem that is not under “Current Status” it may be useful to read through the blog posts or the wiki pages for that database – often the same problem repeats itself and a solution that worked in the past may still work. Still, do let us know of the current problem so we can resolve it more fully.
I welcome any feedback about this new page.
The Reference Wiki Is Now the Library Services Wiki
At the suggestion of Randy, the Reference Wiki has been renamed the Library Services Wiki to reflect the fact that it is now being used by Access Services staff to document policies, procedures, best practices etc.
With this name change comes a new URL for the wiki: https://www.baruch.cuny.edu/confluence/display/lib/Library+Services+Wiki
The link on the reference desk guide has been updated to “Library Services Wiki” and points to the new address.
Databases That Have Browser Restrictions
I started a section in the reference wiki page for “Databases” that lists the databases that require the use of a specific browser. If you know of any others, please add it to the list in the wiki or put a comment on this blog post.
Ebooks Overview in the Reference Wiki
Today, I’ve been substantially updating the entry on Ebooks in the reference wiki to give public services staff a quick overview of the various platforms we have.
As I was working on this, I made a mental note to return later to Sage Research Methods Online, which I can see is going to be the place I go to from now on to get any answers about methodologies I should use for my own research. Not only are there hundreds of books here, there are also 26 videos that give me another way to take in the information.
How to Get Daily Email Digest of Changes to the Wiki
If you’d like to get an email at the end of the day with a list of all the pages that have had edits to them (and a link you can use to go straight to each page), here’s how to set that up in the wiki.
Step 1: Click “Browse” to get a drop-down menu
Step 2. Select “Advanced” from the drop-down menu
Step 3: Under “Subscribe” on the lower left, select “Start watching this space” (a “space” is a specific wiki within the Confluence system we use)
Step 4: There is no step 4. You’re done!
Good to know:
- if you have created a new page in the wiki, you will automatically get emailed every time that page gets edited (you can turn that notification off)
- Confluence offers documentation on its website about this and related topics:
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.
Reference Wiki Software Upgrade Is Complete
The software that the campus uses for wikis (Confluence) has been upgraded. The look and feel of the reference wiki is basically the same. Any pages that had been removed during the upgrade process have been restored as of yesterday.
Wiki Updates on Friends Memberships and CAPS Students
As a followup to Arthur’s email this week about annual memberships for the Friends of the Newman Library and about library privileges for CAPS students, I’ve updated the relevant pages in the reference wiki. Please take a look at these two pages and make any further corrections that are necessary:
Baruch College Campus High School Students
After seeing Arthur’s email that we are now letting Baruch College Campus High School use the library again, I started updating the reference wiki page about students from the school to indicate what specific privileges they have. I need some help getting all the details straight. Please log in to the wiki page for the Baruch College Campus High School and answer any of the open questions (you’ll see them in red).