Winter 2009 (PDF 1.2MB) - Curtin University Library

Curtin University Library
NEWSLETTER
Winter 2009
Carry Curtin Library in your pocket!
The launch of the Curtin Library Mobile pilot website on 10 July places the Library at the forefront of Australian
universities and poised to take advantage of a technology that reaches more than a billion people worldwide.
Mobile devices are starting to rival laptops for functionality, with people
using their mobile phones to browse the Internet, read and edit
documents, watch videos, take photos, listen to music and much more.
University students are among the growing audience embracing these
innovations, so it makes sense for the Library to have a mobile web
presence.
Graphic-rich websites intended for desktop computers and large
display screens do not necessarily translate well to smaller
mobile devices. Curtin Library Mobile is designed to be easy to
use and for viewing on small (mobile-sized) screens. For the
typical mobile web user, every byte counts because mobile
phones usually have much smaller data quotas compared to
home Internet plans, and users tend to pay data plan fees
in addition to standard usage charges. With this in mind,
the site uses minimal graphics to ensure faster and more
economical downloading by users.
Mobile web users are likely to browse websites in
search of information specific to their current situation,
or to satisfy particular goals. For instance, a student
handed an assignment can quickly connect to the
Curtin Library Mobile website to check the Library’s
opening hours for the day, search the catalogue for
research materials and even check for availability
of a computer to type up the assignment – all
from his or her mobile phone.
At launch, Curtin Library Mobile’s features
include:
Search the catalogue
A – Z database list
Opening hours
Computer availability (live updates)
Library podcasts
Past exam papers
Library blog
Borrower information
Contact Us
Feedback
About Curtin Library Mobile
The Curtin Library Mobile project
team will continue to expand and
develop Curtin Library Mobile to increase
satisfaction with the Library’s service. Visitors
will be encouraged to submit their feedback via an online
form accessible on the site. This feedback will contribute to the
site’s ongoing development and improvement.
CONSIDERING A
SWITCH TO MENTAL
HEALTH NURSING?
nursingandmidwifery.curtin.edu.au
nursing.murdoch.edu.au
Curtin Library Mobile:
http://m.library.curtin.edu.au
Nursing & Midwifery
AT CURTIN
and MURDOCH
Scholarship and
Commonwealth funded
places are now available for
the Postgraduate Diploma
in Mental Health Nursing
delivered through Curtin
University of Technology and
Murdoch University.
The course is hosted at both
Universities and delves into the
complexities of mental health, mental
health nursing practice and health
research.
Applications close:
Monday 30 June 2008
For more information:
9266 2261 Curtin
9582 5556 Murdoch
CRICOS Provider Code 00301J (WA), 02637B (NSW)
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library.curtin.edu.au

From left to right: Repository Manager Julie Woodland with team members Oscar
Gomez-Bodilla and Agnieszka Pietrus
New position to drive Curtin’s
institutional repository
Julie Woodland was appointed
to the newly created position of
Repository Librarian this year.
Her role is to manage the growth
and development of the University’s
institutional research repository,
including adapting the repository to
accommodate alternative research
outputs to print publications.
She assists with the Library’s
support for the University’s
Excellence in Research for Australia
(ERA) requirements. The Library’s
foresight in pursuing an institutional
repository ahead of other Western
Australian universities accelerated
the use of this avenue of peer-topeer
communication so Curtin is
now well-positioned to support ERA.
“espace, Curtin’s institutional
repository, enhances the impact
of academic research by making it
more visible and freely accessible to
the worldwide research community,”
says Julie.
Citation statistics can be retrieved
by the click of a mouse so Curtin
academics know instantly how
many file downloads they have had
of their full articles or summaries.
The Repository Librarian supports
academic staff during the process of
depositing material into espace and
smooths the way for researchers by
dealing with copryight issues as part
of the access process.
Responding to feedback from
academic staff, the Library
streamlined the depositing process
so that material lodged through
Script is automatically processed
into the repository.
If researchers have material they
feel falls outside of Script deposit,
they can contact Julie to include
their material in espace, including
video, audio and computer files.
The Library is also keen to assist
researchers who wish to deposit
a copy of their research data
and datasets into espace for
preservation and access.
Julie will be responsible for
keeping a watching brief to advise
on developments in eResearch,
digital repositories, scholarly
communication and open access
publishing.
Julie can be contacted via email
J.Woodland@curtin.edu.au or by
phone 9266 4203.
Quick Quiz
?
Do you know the answers to these
interesting library facts?
The Library answered almost as
many enquiries in first semester
2009 as there are seconds in a day.
(Hint: there are 86,400 seconds in
a day)
The Library has almost as many
visitors per year as the entire
population of Perth metropolitan
area. How many people visited the
Library in 2008?
The total number of loans issued
last year was more than the number
of sales of Madonna’s #1 single
‘Music’ in its first week of release.
How many loans were issued?
If all the books in the Library were
stacked upright side by side they
would stretch from Curtin to Naval
Base going south or North Beach
going north. (Hint: How far can half
a million books stretch?)
For answers see backpage
Web tool gives access
to three million records
On 18 March, Curtin University
Library became the first library in
the world to access Blackwell’s
new Collection Manager, a
web-based tool that provides
access to information needed
for continued growth of the
collection.
Collection Manager provides
access to more than three
million bibliographic records.
The acquisition function allows
Library staff to create orders,
check on the status of orders,
add titles to the database and
choose editions that best suit
our clients’ requirements.
Used as an acquisition tool, it
saves staff time and increases
accuracy because detailed
bibliographic records make
purchasing academic titles
easier.

Where is that !*#@ book??
Several Library staff presented papers reflecting various
aspects of this year’s theme of Innovate, Collaborate
and Sustain at the biennial EDUCAUSE Australasia
Conference. This high profile international event
draws together practitioners from higher education,
information technology and libraries to collaborate and
share information.
Colin Meikle’s paper Where is that !*#@ book??
described Library initiatives to inform clients when
books they have recommended or recalled are
available, and thus reduce the time books sit idly on
shelves. As well as emailing and texting clients when
books are available, the Library created a catalogue
subset containing titles received within the previous
seven days and set up weekly RSS feeds for predefined
searches on this subset so that clients can receive
alerts of new titles within their areas of interest.
The Library’s Green Library Project was a paper by
Constance Wiebrands and Kate Conway, discussing
how to overcome some of the barriers encountered in
trying to make Library practices more environmentally
friendly. Many areas were identified where significant
improvements could be made. These included the air
quality in the building, reduction of energy and water
consumption, use of recycled and sustainably produced
consumables, better recycling and toilet facilities and
raising staff awareness of environmental issues.
Library provides support for academic staff
Faculty Librarians from left to right: Karen Rickman
(Humanities), Terry McGowan (Business), Kate Conway
(Science) and opposite: Diana Blackwood (Health).
Faculty Librarians provide
specialist research support to help
researchers identify and access
relevant information from their
desktop. They can also advise on
Library policy and procedures or
simply provide a contact point within
the Library.
There are a number of other
services that academic staff
members can take advantage of:
• The ability to borrow an unlimited
number of items for up to 6
months at a time with the option
to renew the loan after that. (The
same loan length and limits as
Harvard University!)
• Access to a designated room in
the Robertson Library reserved
for use by staff and VC list
members. (Especially useful for
sessional staff!)
• Alerting services and RSS
feeds from some databases
and electronic journals such as
Science Direct, ProQuest and
Wiley InterScience.
• E-Reserve services to provide
students with ‘anywhere, any
time’ access to the required
course reading.
• Silent work and computer areas
in the Robertson Library.
These are just a few of the services
and resources the Library makes
available to academic members of
staff. For more details please see
the Library’s website for services for
researchers and teaching staff.

Photographer: Adrian Lambert, Acorn Photo
iZone a winner with judges as well as students
The iZone at Robertson Library, a technology-rich selflearning
area for students, was recently recognised at
the WA Architecture Awards with two awards.
The Architecture Award in Interior Architecture was
presented to Taylor Robinson Architects for the
planning and fitout of the iZone. The refurbishment
involved creating a variety of spaces to accommodate
individuals, groups and presentations within vibrant,
contemporary surroundings, and has proved very
Online course to guide researchers
InfoScholar was implemented at
Curtin in February 2009 as an
online course to guide postgraduate
students and staff as they develop
more advanced literacy skills.
The 11 modules cover the effective
and efficient use of information
resources, processes and systems
to meet current and future research
needs:
• Identifying information sources
• Planning a search strategy
• Searching catalogues
ANSWERS TO QUICK QUIZ
• Searching databases
• Tracking research
• Searching the internet
• Evaluating information
• Keeping up-do-date
• Managing information
• Writing and publishing
• Citing sources
InfoScholar is a collaborative
venture across ATN universities:
Curtin, QUT, RMIT, the University of
South Australia and the University
of Technology, Sydney.
The Library answered 76,289 enquiries in first semester 2009.
1,523,574 people visited the Library in 2008.
The Library issued 421,610 loans in 2008.
22.62 km of shelving in the Library holds more than 500,000 books.
popular with students.
The architects also won the Mondoluce Lighting Award
for the use of artificial lighting to provide variety in light
source and effect, concealment and exposure.
Library and Properties staff worked hard to coordinate
efforts with the architects to ensure the quality of the
new facilities was of the highest standard, while still
maintaining services to students and staff.
New Patron for
JCPML
The Hon. Paul Keating became
patron of the JCPML in July,
taking over from Foundation
Patron Hon. Gough Whitlam.
Mr Whitlam said, “It has been
a privilege to serve as the
Foundation Patron of the
John Curtin Prime Ministerial
Library. Margaret and I always
enjoyed our annual visit to the
Library. I am delighted that
Paul Keating has agreed to be
the new patron of the Library.
Paul’s insights, eloquence and
enthusiasm will ensure that the
pre-eminent role of the JCPML
in Australian life will continue for
many years.”
Library Contact Details
Curtin University Library
Curtin University of Technology
Kent Street, Bentley WA 6102
GPO Box U1987 Perth WA 6845
For borrower information and reference queries: Phone 9266 7166
SMS a Query to 0421 261 139
Website: http://library/curtin.edu.au and click on Contact us box for email options
http://library.curtin.edu.au/about_us/corporate/index.html for corporate information