Before You Request that Dissertation in ILLiad. . .

Way to Akiba secret area
By Stéfan Le Dû from Nantes, France [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Lately, we have been getting numerous requests through interlibrary loan for dissertations, and we have been cancelling the requests since we do have access to them in the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global database. Don’t get me wrong. We love our Discover! search feature. It covers about 95% of the databases that we subscribe to in a single search, but what falls in the other 5%? Well, access to full text of dissertations is part of the uncovered material, so before you click on that Request through interlibrary loan option, take one more step.

When you see this dissertation it’s time to perform one more search.
Just follow the instructions for “How do I obtain a copy of a thesis/dissertation online through the Leatherby Libraries?

We want you to have the fastest access to the information you need. If you need any assistance with locating a thesis or dissertation, just contact your Brandman library staff. We’re here to help.

Textbooks from the Library: What We Can and Cannot Do

Blackcat-Lilith
By The original uploader was DrL at English Wikipedia (Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.) [CC BY-SA 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

With the beginning of the Spring II session, you may feel as if you are performing a balancing act between the needs of your wallet and the needs for textbooks for your courses. To save money, many of you will want to request your textbooks through ILLiad, our interlibrary loan system, but textbook requests can be a bit challenging. We completely understand and would like to help you as much as possible, but there are limitations to what we can do. In general, the Leatherby Libraries does not have available copies of your required textbooks, and even if we do, there may be some drawbacks. Here are some things to keep in mind as you try to save your hard-earned cash.

  1. If you would like to search the Leatherby Libraries Library catalog (books, e-books, media, and more) to see if we own your required textbook, please do. Do not use the Discover! search option. If the library does not own a copy, we cannot get it for you.
  2. If the library owns the book, read the status carefully.
    catalog_detailAs you can see from this example, two copies are for library use only, and the third copy is already checked out, so the book is not available, and we cannot send it to you.

If you follow these steps before submitting an ILLiad request, it should reduce the number of cancelled requests and alleviate some your stress. Textbooks are expensive, but they are a necessary part of the education experience. We will do what we can, but sometimes, our wallets just have to take the hit.

Welcome to Spring II! Answers to Your Questions

Gillie helping to jam the printer (467241015)
By Dwight Sipler from Stow, MA, USA [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

With only eight, short weeks to complete your assignments, we know that you need your resources as soon as possible, but sometimes, you need a little help figuring out how everything works. You need to be able to log on to the Leatherby Libraries website http://www.chapman.edu/library and access the databases from home. You also need to be able to request items to be sent to your home. When we receive requests, we make every effort to process them within 24 hours. Depending upon whether or not we own the item requested, it could be fulfilled within 1 day for Leatherby Libraries items, 3-4 for electronic journal articles not owned by the Leatherby Libraries, or 2-3 weeks for books not owned by the Leatherby Libraries. These turnaround times do not include weekends or holidays.

Since we want you to receive your research materials in a timely manner, we want your requests to go smoothly. Here are some of the common issues that arise and the solutions that can have you receiving your materials in time for that big paper.

Problem: I cannot log in
Logging into the databases doesn’t have to be a test of your patience if you remember these simple tips:
• Your username is the portion of your Brandman email address up to the @ symbol. For example, my email address is lrosen@chapman.edu, but my username is simply lrosen.
• Your password is the same one that you use to access your Brandman Blackboard portal.
• Do not try to start by logging in at My Library Account. My Library Account will only tell you what items you have checked out and when they are due. Trust us. The site will let you know when you need to log on by popping up a logon screen.

Problem: My set-up for an ILLiad (interlibrary loan) account was rejected
Many of the issues that we encounter with the set-up of ILLiad accounts can be solved by remembering these guidelines:
• Your username should be the portion of your email address up to the @ symbol. For example, my email address is lrosen@chapman.edu, but my username is just lrosen.
• You MUST use your Brandman username, so do not make-up one for your account. Save twilightsparkle or raidersfan for later.
• You MUST provide your Brandman email address. If the email in your ILLiad account request is not your Brandman email, the request is cancelled.

Problem: My ILLiad request was cancelled
Occasionally, you may submit a request through ILLiad and receive a cancellation notification email. Do not despair. Please read the email, and you may find out that:
• The article or book that you requested is available electronically through the Leatherby Libraries. We’ll even tell you which database it’s located in.
• The article or book that you requested is available electronically through an internet search engine such as Google. We’ll even provide you the link, so you can access it even faster.
• You did not supply enough information about the book or article that you need. For books, please supply the title and author(s). For articles, make use of the Request through interlibrary loan feature in our databases. The information will automatically populate for you.

We realize that, even if you have done everything correctly, there may still be a snag. Please make use of your Brandman librarians, Lugene Rosen lrosen@chapman.edu (714) 532-7736 or (800) 344-5756 ext. 2 or Cotton Coslett coslett@chapman.edu (714) 532-7720. Our goal is to make your access to the resources that you need as quick and painless as possible. Let us help you make your student life easier and less stressful.

Citation Reminder

Ares I-X launch 08
By NASA/Sandra Joseph and Kevin O’Connell [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Before you take off and submit your final assignment, be sure to double-check your citations. Use the Citation Guide or contact one of your Brandman librarians. The Leatherby Libraries is here to help.

Something To Think About: Jiddu Krishnamurti

Old book bindings
By Tom Murphy VII (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.–Jiddu Krishnamurti

As you come to the end of the Spring I session, know that what you have learned is simply a step along the way. Keep stepping!

Turning a Spotlight on Transformational Leadership

LuminatoatHarbourfront
By Bahman (Flickr) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

Many Brandman students are on the leadership path, so here is a searchlight focus on how to search for information about transformational leadership.

1. Start on the library homepage. Type transformational leadership into the Discover! search box and click on “Search”
2. The first result you receive should be a Research Starter.
research starter
Research Starters are a great way to get some background information as well as some suggested search terms and a bibliography. Getting this type of basic information can deepen your understanding and provide a clearer vision of how you want to approach the topic. Discover! has many Research Starters covering a myriad of topics.

Now that you have that background information, you can narrow your topic in many ways.

1. Add the Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals limiter
2. Place the term in quotation marks: “transformational leadership”
3. Change the dropdown limiter from Select a Field to SU Subject Terms
4. Change the date range
5. Add additional terms

As always, when you need assistance, ask a librarian. We’re here to help.

Something To Think About: Charles Darwin

Cats attacking toilet paper
By Original photo by Dan4th, http://www.flickr.com/photos/dan4th/. Cropped and brightened by Melchoir (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dan4th/2261418225/) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

In the long history of humankind (and animal kind too) those who learned to collaborate
and improvise most effectively have prevailed.
–Charles Darwin

Even distance education students need to create study groups and cohorts to collaborate.