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Isothermal Community College P.O. Box 804, Spindale NC 28160 (828) 286-4636 fax (828) 286-8208 For more information, contact Director of Information Services & Technology Susan Vaughan | ||
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Library Staff
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Library Services CMC Consortium & Catalog |
Interlibrary
Loan Periodicals Holdings list Movie Classics video list | ||
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Library Services for Students
Page 6
Electronic Resources
Public access to the Internet, to Microsoft Office software, and to the electronic resources reviewed below is provided in the library via twenty computer terminals in the lobby. Printouts may be made for a fee.
Use of Library Computers
Anyone wishing to use a library computer can do so by entering the appropriate code from the list available on each monitor. The Guidelines for Use of Library Computers and the college's Computer Resources, Internet, and Network Use Policy (http://www.isothermal.edu/library.guidelines.htm) appear on the following screen, and users must click "I Agree" to proceed. A timer with a 60-minute limit then starts, although it is renewed automatically when the limit is reached unless most computers are in use at that moment, or if you have been on the computer for three hours or more. In that case, the computer will log you out automatically. Computers also automatically turn themselves off at the library’s closing times.
IMPORTANT: Be sure to save any open document that you are creating to a floppy disk or other storage device whenever a message appears warning that the end of a session is approaching; otherwise, your work may be lost when the session ends, even if the computer resets to give you extra time. Floppy disks are available at the Circulation desk for $1.25; in addition, reformatted used floppies are often available for free.
To print, follow instructions displayed on the screen; print jobs are sent to printers at the circulation desk. To retrieve a print job, come to the circulation desk and tell the library staff what identification you used for the print job, and they will print it out for you in return for a fee. The charge for black and white prints is $.05 per page; color prints are $.25 per page.
Please keep in mind that the library staff will be glad to instruct and assist you in performing research on the Internet or in using electronic resources.Microsoft Office Software
The library provides Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, Access, Power Point and Front Page) for use by the public on library computers. Users of these programs are expected to have some experience in their operation, as the library staff can offer only minimal assistance. Those who intend to use Microsoft Office programs are advised to bring (or purchase at the Circulation desk) a floppy disk on which to save their work.
Library Website and Links to Electronic Resources
In addition to our online catalog, the college library website (http://www.isothermal.edu/library/) contains excellent resources for research, and assistance for students performing research, evaluating information sources, writing papers, and documenting resources. The library webpage can be accessed from the Isothermal home page, which is set as the browser home page on many campus terminals, by clicking on "Quick Links" at the top of the screen, scrolling down, and clicking on "Library," or by adding "/library" to the end of the college URL (Internet address). When using computer stations in the library lobby, various electronic resources can be accessed by clicking the appropriate link on the menu, or by using the URL listed here.
NC LIVE (http://www.nclive.org) -- This collection of databases is made available to North Carolina public and academic libraries by the state of North Carolina via the Internet. These databases index encyclopedias, directories, proceedings, almanacs, worldwide library catalogs, and many academically oriented magazines and journals useful for research. EBSCOhost and NetLibrary are among the vendors that provide access to complete articles from over 16,000 newspapers, journals, magazines, and encyclopedias, indexing for over 25,000 periodical titles, and access to over 25,000 online print and audio books.
NC LIVE is available from the library computers, from any campus Internet-connected computer, and off campus via remote access password. (See password information below.) At the NC LIVE home page, use EZ Search to search multiple databases one at a time. Or, click Browse Resources and select from databases organized by:
Subject (database listed by very broad subjects, such as Business, History, Literary, etc.)
Type (databases sorted by format: newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, etc.)
Alphabetic (an alphabetical list of all databases with short descriptions)
Vendor (databases accessed by vendor name, such as EBSCOhost)
Not EZ-Searchable (any databases not searchable using the EZ Search function)
Note: The first three choices and the last choice will allow you to choose a specific database, but you will still be sent through the vendor's "gateway" to the product, and you will need to follow onscreen instructions to get to a search screen. Going to a vendor site like EBSCOhost's allows searching multiple databases at the same time.
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for off-campus use of NC LIVE and may be obtained at the Circulation desk or requested at the library website (http://www.isothermal.edu/library). Passwords are changed by NC LIVE twice a year; a request must be made for each new password. Password expiration dates are posted on the library homepage. |
Research Starts Here! (http://www.isothermal.edu/library/res.html) -- This library webpage contains help for researching and writing papers, including help for choosing topics, tips on finding information using metasearch engines, and links to sources of information by topic, including Great Links to Research Topics and Topical Research Guides. The page also provides a section on evaluating sources of information to help students discriminate between scholarly work and propaganda, and particular aspects to consider when evaluating sites on the Internet. The Research Starts Here! page also links to Documenting Resources, a page with information on how to document print and electronic resources using MLA and APA documentation styles.
Internet Links for Research (http://www.isothermal.edu/library/intres.htm) -- A library webpage containing links to Topical Research Guides, hot paper topics, quick facts, statistics, online magazines & journals, and links for special assignments.
The library staff will be glad to help you use these electronic resources.
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