Grossmont College Library

Grossmont College Celebrates its 50th Anniversary

2011-11-29T15:21:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to...us! Grossmont College is celebrating its 50th anniversary this school year. Next time you're in the library, take a moment to look at the library's 50th Anniversary Slideshow that is running on the monitor by the Center Gate. Interested in finding out more news about our celebrations? Check out the college's 50th webpage:
http://www.grossmont.edu/50years/

Let Your Fingers do the Walking: Take a Web-based Library Tour

2011-11-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

If you'd like an easy way to learn about the library, take a look at our new web-based library tour. Go to our Library 1st Floor webpage where you’ll see a list of links that correspond to the numbered locations on the map. Click on the links to listen to audio information about the library, or read a transcript of the audio file. When you’re done exploring the 1st floor, click on the link to the Library 2nd floor to learn more!

Library Launches New “Resources for Online Students” Webpage

2011-10-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

Do you remember that line from the Aladdin movie about the genie’s powers, “Phenomenal cosmic power…in an itty bitty living space”? The library recently launched a new webpage called Resources for Online Students, and it puts the power of the library at students’ fingertips by gathering together on one itty bitty page all the links to library resources that they are likely to need to complete research papers. There are quick links to article databases, library catalog, websites, citation help, and more. Take a look here: http://www.grossmont.edu/library/onlinestudentresources.asp

Textbook costs got you down?

2011-09-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

If you still need to get a few textbooks for your courses this semester, why not consider renting them? One source for textbook rentals is our own Grossmont College Bookstore. You might also try San Diego Book Renter (http://www.sdbr.bookrenter.com), Chegg.com, or CampusBookRentals.com . There are a growing number of companies that offer textbook rentals. So if the price of textbooks has got you down, consider renting! You may even be able to find some free textbooks at Bartelby.com or Gutenberg.org

Is there a research paper in your future?

2011-09-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

The library is here to help! We have several ways for you to get your questions answered and get the help you need. If you're on campus, stop by the Reference Desk any hour that the library is open and ask one of our friendly librarians. If it's the middle of the night, never fear--there's still a way for you to get the research help you need: try our AskUsNow virtual chat service. It's available 24/7. Just look for the AskUsNow button available on the Library's Home Page.

New Library Audio Tour!

2011-08-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

Learn about your library by taking the new, self-paced audio tour. Using your camera enabled phone or other mobile device you can download a free QR app, and then scan the QR codes posted in the library to hear about various services. Don't have a smartphone? No problem! Pick up a script at the Reference Desk, and you'll be ready to take the tour. Learn about Reserves, the e-chat café, Circulation, Reference, using printers, the Media Desk, and other services offered in the library. Stop in any time to take the tour and learn about all the library has to offer!

Summer Hours

2011-06-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

Summer school is in full swing, and the library is here to help. We're air conditioned, have plenty of computers and comfy chairs, and we have a research librarian on duty every hour that the library is opened, just waiting to help you with your research paper. The library is open M-Th 8am-6pm. Here's a link to the library hours page: http://www.grossmont.edu/library/hours.asp Come on in and visit us!

Term Paper Clinics for Spring 2011

2011-04-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

Got the term paper blues? Come on into the Library's Term Paper Clinics for some expert help:
Research Help in LIL (70-267)

Here are the dates/times:
5/2 Monday 10 am to Noon
5/3 Tuesday 11 am to 1 pm
5/4 Wednesday 10:30am to 12:30 pm
5/5 Thursday 8:30 am to 10:30 am
5/9 Monday 10 am to Noon
5/10 Tuesday 11 am to 1 pm
5/12 Thursday Noon to 2 pm

If a picture is worth a thousand words…

2011-04-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

…how much are 9.8 million freely usable pictures, images and other media files worth? Contrary to popular belief, not everything you find on the Internet is free for the taking. Copyrighted materials abound. Anyone who has ever tried to find photos, artwork, or other images that have no copyright restrictions for use in their projects will tell you that. If you need to create Web pages or web-based videos for class projects, you'll want to make sure that the images you use aren't infringing on any copyrights. Wikimedia Commons can help with that. Wikimedia Commons is a database of freely usable media files such as copyright-free photographs, diagrams, animations, music, spoken text, video clips and media of all sorts. Its primary purpose is to serve as a central repository for Wikipedia projects, but the media files it contains can be downloaded for use by anyone. Spread the word. Wikimedia Commons is a great source of freely licensed media. Check it out at: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

For those reference questions that just can’t wait: 24/7 Reference Chat

2011-03-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

It’s often difficult for online students to come into the library to get research help. On campus students may find themselves needing research help while working on a paper at 1am. What’s a student to do? Why, take advantage of the library’s 24/7 reference service, of course! The Grossmont library subscribes to a service called AskUsNow! Students can get expert help from a Grossmont librarian during all hours the library is open. For after hours, or for those times when it’s more convenient to chat online, students can get research help by going to the library homepage (http://www.grossmont.edu/library) and clicking on the AskUsNow! icon. It’s as simple as that! Give our AskUsNow! service a try. Because sometimes, questions just can’t wait.

Research Help

2011-03-09T15:35:00.000-08:00

Is that research paper you need to write starting to nag at you? Librarians love to help with research papers! Come on in to the Reference Desk in the Library for research help, or use our 24/7 AskUsNow! reference chat. Click on the AskUsNow! icon located on the library homepage: http://www.grossmont.edu/library

Online Reference Books Let You Do Research at Home

2011-02-14T09:58:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the library has a collection of online reference books, making it the perfect choice for research from home? Our Credo Reference database has over 500 reference eBooks. Think of it--entire sets of encyclopedias, subject dictionaries and more can be easily searched and read from your home computer! Research doesn't get much easier than that. Check it out by going to the library's Database List and then clicking on Credo Reference.

Textbook Rentals

2011-02-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

If you still need to get a few textbooks for your courses this semester, why not consider renting them? One source for textbook rentals is our own Grossmont College Bookstore. Another source is San Diego Book Renter: http://www.sdbr.bookrenter.com There are a growing number of companies that offer textbook rentals. So if the price of textbooks has got you down, consider renting!

Use our new laptops in 2nd Floor Group Study Rooms

2010-11-22T14:04:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the Library now has laptops with webcams that you can use in the Library's 2nd Floor Group Study Rooms? Now when you need to work on a group project or you have an assignment that requires you to create a video-recording,you can check out a laptop from the Media Desk and use it in one of our 2nd floor rooms.

Got the Term Paper Blues? Help is on the way!

2010-11-16T09:48:00.001-08:00

Do you have a research paper due soon? Here's a golden opportunity you won't want to miss: Term Paper Clinics, held in the Library Instruction Lab (70-267)

Wed., 11/24/10 9am-11am.
Mon., 11/29 10am-noon.
Tues., 11/30 9am-11am.
Wed., 12/1/10 12:30pm-2:30pm

Doing the research for a paper can be challenging. Students often need help navigating through the subscription databases provided by the Library, so here's a chance to get help from a friendly librarian.

Looking for a Career?

2010-10-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

Remember when you were a kid and people would ask you,"What do you want to be when you grow up?" If you're still looking for the answer to that question, have we got a resource for you! Take a look at the library's new Career eBooks web page:
http://www.grossmont.edu/library/careerbooks.asp

Visit your library Monday, October 4, 2010

2010-09-17T13:23:00.000-07:00

On this day Grossmont College Library, along with libraries across California, will participate in Snapshot: One Day in the Life of California's Libraries by collecting information, comments, and photographs from events in a typical library day.

We want you in the picture! Stop by the Reference Desk on Oct. 4. We'll be collecting statistics and patron quotes and submitting these to the California Library Association.

Come help us advocate for libraries!

Renting versus buying textbooks: Which is better?

2010-09-15T15:28:00.000-07:00

Is it better to rent your textbooks? Would you save even more money if you bought the book and then sold it when you’re done with it? Where’s the best place online to buy cheap textbooks? If these questions are keeping you up at night, you’ll want to check out Book.ly, a website that lets you buy, rent, or sell textbooks.

Book.ly’s goal is “to make buying and selling books easier, faster, and more cost effective.” They specialize in college textbooks. When you search for a textbook, you’ll see a comparison of purchase, rental, or eBook prices from numerous retailers.

Book.ly is worth a look: http://book.ly/

For an in-depth look at eTextbooks, click on Traditional Textbooks vs. eTextbooks--Which is Right for You?

Discount software: Microsoft Office 2007

2010-08-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Do you need to purchase Office 2007 but want a good price? Students are eligible to purchase Office 2007 and other software at a discount from these sites: http://www.uscollegebuy.com/s.htm
www.campustech.com
www.journeyed.com/SELECT

Textbook Hints

2010-08-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

Grossmont College Bookstore is a great place to get textbooks – but what if yours has not yet come in? You have Ross Books of course, but….did you know …..

. Free use of textbooks is possible in your library? Check the Reserve area of the library for your textbook. If we don’t have it, you might want to ask your instructor if he or she can place their copy on reserve in the library.

. You can fill out a "Textbooks on Reserve Request Form" at the Library. We will purchase as many requested textbooks as our funds allow. Textbooks will be purchased based on student demand and made available in our Reserves section. Request forms must be completed by Augst 31st at 8:00pm. Questions? Just ask at the Reference Desk!

· You can rent textbooks for much cheaper than buying them? Check out http://www.chegg.com

· You can compare prices of textbooks from online booksellers? There are a number of comparison sites: try http://www.addall.com/ for starters.

A couple of useful additional hints:
ISBN:
The ISBN of the book is not always best to use when searching for a book – you might have the ISBN of the hardcover, but what if there is an ISBN of a soft cover that is cheaper? You won’t find it. Try the title instead.

Correct edition of your text:
There may be quite a few editions of your textbook for rent or sale – check to make sure you are ordering the correct one. That’s an advantage to using our bookstore – they always have the correct edition.

Selling a text:
Our bookstore is, of course, a great place to sell back your text. But if for some reason you can’t sell it there, there are a number of sites that purchase used books – http://www.valorebooks.com is one you might check out.

Term Paper Clinics

2010-07-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

Do you have a paper due in a couple of weeks? Could you use a little help with your research? Come on over to the library for our Term Paper Clinics to get expert help! No need to sign up, just drop on by the library and stay for some or all of the scheduled times:

Wednesday, July 14th, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Room 70-267 (on 2nd floor of library)
Wednesday, July 21st, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Room 70-267 (on 2nd floor of library)

Grossmont College Library open an extra hour daily!

2010-07-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

The students requested it ... and they got it!

The good news is that Grossmont Library is open one hour earlier every day for the rest of the summer. Rather than opening at 9 am, from Wednesday July 7 through the end of the term, Thursday July 22, we will open at 8 am.

That's one extra hour per day to peruse library databases, meet friends in the library's e-chat cafe, or create a Word document on library computers.

Keep that feedback coming - we *do* listen!

More term paper help!

2010-05-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

Our instruction librarian, Michelle Blackman is ready to help with research and other term paper difficulties this week in room 70-267 on the 2nd floor :

Tuesday 5/18 from 3 to 5PM;
Wednesday 5/19 from 8 to 10AM.

Library hours and term paper help

2010-05-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

The semester is almost over and you are undoubtedly busy studying for final exams and writing papers. If you would like some term paper help, our instruction librarian, Michelle Blackman, is waiting to lend a hand in room 70-267 (2^nd floor of the library) on 5/11 from 11AM to 1PM, 5/12 from 12PM to 2Pm and on 5/13 from 8AM to 10AM.

The library hours remain the same till the end of this semester, Monday – Thursday from 8AM to 8PM and Friday from 8AM to 3PM. During the Summer semester from June 14^th till July 22^nd the library will be open Monday through Thursday from 9AM to 8PM, except holidays.

Free Tax preparation help

2010-04-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

Tax Day is coming! There is one more week to file your federal and state taxes. If you did not do it yet don’t worry; there are many places in San Diego where you can get help. You can even file online if you click here: http://www.myfreetaxes.com . The toolbox on the right gives useful information about what documents you need for preparing your tax report, what deductions exist for students and families with children and also what happens after filing your taxes. If you rather would like to talk with someone, just type in your zip code to find the closest help center. The local county and public branch libraries provide tax forms, or online help here: http://sdpublic.sdcounty.ca.gov/portal/page?_pageid=93,298379&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL and here: http://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/searching-the-net/taxforms.shtml .Good luck!

New! Library Research Goes Mobile!

2010-02-22T14:27:00.000-08:00

Would you like to use your smartphone to find research articles and then email the articles to yourself? Some of Grossmont Library's most popular databases can now be searched right from your mobile phone, using EBSCOhost Mobile.

Just go to the Library Homepage (http://www.grossmont.edu/library) and click on the Databases link in the left menu. You’ll be prompted to login with your username (firstname.lastname) and your password (if you're a student, it's your six digit birthday--MMDDYY; if you're faculty or staff, it's the password you use to connect to campus email). At the top of our list of databases, click on "Mobile Ebsco" to be taken to an application that is tailor-made for the smaller screens of mobile devices.

E-books in the Grossmont Library

2010-01-28T11:29:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed the ever changing “eBook of the Month” link on the library home page? The link takes you to the Netlibrary page, http://www.netlibrary.com , which is the home page for thousands of eBooks. You can search there by title, author, keyword, publisher or available foreign languages.
If you can’t find the book you have to read for your class, or just simply curious, it is worth to check what titles Grossmont Library has access on Netlibrary. To find them, click on “type” to choose “electronic book”, on the library catalog page, under “advanced search”. http://opac.gcccd.edu/uhtbin/webcat
By filling in the keyword, title, author, or subject information, you’ll see if you can read the book immediately online.
If you are hesitant to read online or like the idea of having a physical book, I’d like to introduce a list of the most appealing advantages of eBooks:
They have:
Extra features - you can follow links for more information, search and highlight text, print out short paragraphs, etc.
They are:
Instantaneous - you are only a couple of clicks away from reading them 24/7.
Portable - if you have a laptop and internet connection, you can connect to the Grossmont library page or Netlibrary from anywhere.
Easy to use - easy to find books in catalog and easy to access them by link, no check-out required and no late fees either; text size and font size can be changed for easy reading.
It sounds like a perfect solution, isn’t it? However, as everything this has some limitations, as well.
For example, copyright issues can effect how much you can print, or you have to have an internet connection and a computer or reading device to actually read eBooks. You can’t lend your copy to your friend and if you like the smell and feel of a physical book, you won’t experience it with eBooks.
However, in this fast paced time the convenience of eBooks gives you enough reason to give them a try. Good luck and if you have any questions don’t forget to ask the librarians!

What do you really need to know about information literacy?

2009-10-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

When you’ve found a good topic for your paper, you want to look for sources that give you reliable and true information. Your best bet is to look up specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries, or ask the reference librarian.

‘Great,’ you think, ‘I just check Wikipedia.’ Well, first of all the authors of the entries may or may not be experts on the topic. Secondly, anybody can edit the pages, anytime. Wikipedia can be a good source to quickly look up a topic, but always use other sources, as well. It is your job to find dependable and true information. Did I mention that you can ask the reference librarians in your library for help?

But if you insist on doing it yourself, you may want to look at several criteria, such as authority, currency and accuracy of the information, the author(s) point of view, the coverage and value of the information. This link explains it further with examples (2 minutes): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWnm7GmeG74&feature=related

Now imagine you got an assignment to write a paper about cephalopods, and you came across this great page http://www.zapatopi.net/treeoctopus .

Would you use this website for your research paper?

Getting started with Microsoft Office 2007

2009-09-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

Need to write a paper on one of the library computers? Our computers have Microsoft Office 2007 installed on them, and some of the features may be different from what you're used to. Watch this short video to learn about the basic features in Office 2007 and you'll soon be on your way.

What Does Office 2007 Look Like

animatedexplanations.com

e-Reserves lets you read Reserve articles from home

2009-08-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

It used to be that you had to come to the library to get Reserve articles—but now the library comes to you! By using e-Reserves, you can read articles and book chapters that your instructor has placed on electronic reserve right from your own home computer. It’s easy to find these through the library catalog on the web both on and off campus.

To learn how to use e-Reserves, here's a handy handout:

Or you can watch this short video

Deals on computer software/hardware

2009-02-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

As a Grossmont College student, you can get some great deals on computer hardware and software!

Check it out at: www.collegebuys.org

New library tutorials available!

2009-01-29T11:26:00.000-08:00

Here's a new tutorial that helps you manage your library account online:

I-Link My Account Video Clip
I-Link My Account

Textbook Hints

2008-09-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

· You can rent textbooks for much cheaper than buying them? Check out http://www.chegg.com

· You can compare prices of textbooks from online booksellers? There are a number of comparison sites: try http://www.addall.com/ for starters.

A couple of useful additional hints:
ISBN:
The ISBN of the book is not always best to use when searching for a book – you might have the ISBN of the hardcover, but what if there is an ISBN of a soft cover that is cheaper? You won’t find it. Try the title instead.

Correct edition of your text:
There may be quite a few editions of your textbook for rent or sale – check to make sure you are ordering the correct one. That’s an advantage to using our bookstore – they always have the correct edition.

Selling a text:
Our bookstore is, of course, a great place to sell back your text. But if for some reason you can’t sell it there, there are a number of sites that purchase used books – http://www.valorebooks.com is one you might check out.

E-Chat Cafe

2008-09-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

This fall, we established a new e-chat cafe on the main floor of the library. In this area, you can chat with your friends or chat on your laptop, while sipping your double latte.

Let us know what you think about this new area! Click on Comments and let us know.