Digital Dissertations - New name, new platform

ProQuest Digital Dissertations, renamed ProQuest Dissertations and Theses [PQDT] is now accessed through the ProQuest platform along with ABI/INFORM Global, CINAHL and Nursing and Allied Health. The look is new but you get there by the same routes as before, i.e. the usual links from the Library's database page .

ProQuest advertise several improvements to the service resulting from this migration amongst which:

- Cross-searching between PQDT and other ProQuest databases
- Citation software support for EndNote
- Immediate PDF downloading
- Multi-language interface
- Emailed search alerts for subscribing users when new
material in their chosen fields is added to PQDT 

Please note: After July 2007, PQDD Free will no longer exist. PQDT subscribers will be directed to the ProQuest platform for database access, and non-subscribers will be directed to Dissertation Express for copy purchases.

SourceOECD training July 11th at 9.30am

2 hour training session on SourceOECD in UCD on July 11th at 9.30am. Contact Arlene

SourceOECD provides:
SourceOECD is the OECD's Online Library of Statistical Databases, Books and Periodicals. The aim is to provide a single e-library offering online access to all OECD books, reports, annuals, working papers, loose-leaf binders, periodicals and databases.
Source OECD comprises 20 thematic book collections, 24 periodicals, 3 reference titles, 24 OECD statistical databases and 10 IEA statistical databases – all in full text.
Access to SourceOECD is funded under the IReL initiative.

Trial ebook database - MyiLibrary

Coutts eBook collection, MyiLibrary: trial 11 June - 7 July.
Access here

MyiLibrary offers content from publishers such as: McGraw Hill, John Wiley, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Springer and Elsevier.
It provides access to intergovernmental publications. Subjects covered include Education, Law, Medicine, History, Science, etc.
The collection holds 70,000 titles at the moment.

Can you have a look at MyiLibrary and make any academics/researchers in your areas who might be interested aware of the trial?
Purchase of the collection will depend, as usual, on relevance, feedback and available resources. Could you send any comments you have to either me or Arlene.

CURL/RIN study of Researchers and Academic Libraries

The recent study, entitled, Researchers’ Use of Academic Libraries and their Services - a report commissioned by the Research Information Network and the Consortium of Research Libraries in the UK is available here.

This is a broad-ranging study which examines how researchers use academic libraries. The issues raised, from the point of view of the provision of digital resources, include: the perceived emphasis placed by libraries on support for teaching and learning rather than support for researchers; the fact that many researchers appreciate the online services, but don't necessarily realise they're supplied by the Library; and, differences in value placed on eJournals versus other digital resources in the Library.

As for non-digital topics, it has been found that the perception of the Library differs depending on the researcher's discipline. Arts and Humanities researchers are still the group who most value the services provided in Library buildings although the number of their physical visits to the Library building is in decline. On the other hand, visits to the buildings are necessitated by the fact that the objects of research for Arts/Humanities researchers are often held in the Library.

Plenty of figures and food for thought.

Univ. of London Research Lib. Services (ULRLS)

New at ULRLS, an electronic catalogue for archives and manuscripts which contains descriptions of more than 2,000 unique collections searchable online. The subjects encompassed by the ADLIB database include world history and culture over more than 1,000 years and a significant amount of material in Romance languages. The catalogue is available online for researcher consultation.
Information received from the French Studies Library Group