Library Suggestion Blog

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology is book series by Springer and this is series very useful for researches. Its my kind request to make some arrangement so that VCU people can download the full text.

From: a staff member

Lynne Turman, Head of Tompkins-McCaw Library Collections, replies...

Thank you for the suggestion. According to the publisher, the online version of this book series is not available to purchase individually. It is part of a larger package of e-books from Springer. VCU Libraries is interested in obtaining the Springer collection but the cost is over $200,000 for one imprint year. We will continue to try and negotiate more favorable pricing. Thank you again for taking the time to contact us with your comment.

Posted by at 1:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I love the Reference skill section of the library, however my ability to read many of the books there is limited due to a hectic schedule. Can you please purchase another copy of Learning Outside the Lines for check out. This resourceful book is one among several others that reads like a novel and is difficult to read during time I have while on campus. I appreciate the library's efforts to improve the student experience here at VCU.

From: a library patron

Cristina Ramirez, Collection Librarian for Social and Behavioral Sciences, replies...

Thank you for the suggestion to add a copy of "Learning Outside the Lines: Two Ivy League Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD give you the Tools for Academic Success and Educational Revolution" by Jonathan Mooney and David Cole to the stacks. The Student Skills Section in Cabell Library Reference has been a popular section for students to browse and learn news skills, techniques, and concepts. We will purchase
an additional copy for normal loan checkout. We appreciate your recommendation and are glad that you have found this and many other titles beneficial and helpful from the collection.

Posted by mespencer at 8:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I came across this online encyclopedia by wiley interscience - encyclopedia of reagents for organic synthesis. It is pretty helpful but I don't think it is available to us VCU students. Please see if you could make this available to us. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/mrwhome/104554785/HOME

From: a graduate student

Lynne Turman, Head of Collections at Tompkins-McCaw Library replies...

Thank you for the suggestion to subscribe to the online version of the Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis. A one-year subscription to this reference work is over $6,000 and the print copy can be purchased for $8,500. The present budget for new acquisitions is insufficient to fund a subscription or print copy at this time. However, we are always interested in hearing from you about items to consider in the future. For your convenience, materials in any format may be requested by submitting the Purchase Suggestion Form ( https://www.library.vcu.edu/phpapps/forms/purchase ) located on the VCU Libraries web site. Again, thank you for your interest in helping VCU Libraries build the best collection of resources to serve the University's research and academic communities.

Posted by at 1:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Please purchase a subscription to Current Protocols in Cytometry. It contains information on a number of important techniques needed for both patient care and research at the VCU School of Medicine.

From: a faculty member

Lynne Turman, Head of Collections at Tompkins-McCaw Library replies...

Thank you for the suggestion. We welcome and actively solicit suggestions from VCU faculty and students for enhancements to our collections. Many factors go into the decision to subscribe to a particular journal, including reputation, journal impact factor, cost, relevance, etc. The cost for a subscription to Current Protocols in Cytometry is over $4900. We will place this title into consideration for new journals in the future, depending on budget allocations.

You may find two other resources useful for locating information on this topic: Nature Protocols and Cold Spring Harbor Protocols. Both are new subscriptions and contain numerous full-text protocols on research methods. VCU Libraries has a site license for access to these titles back to 2006.

Posted by at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Do VCU alumni have access to checking out books? I read through the different patron types but I do not believe I fit in any of the categories anymore. I graduated from VCU 2 years ago and am now doing graduate work through a different school. I am currently living back in Richmond and am working on my thesis and wanted to see if there was anyway I could use Cabell Library's resources. Thank you for your help!

From: a library patron

Kimberly Separ, Director of Development and Community Relations, replies...

Thank you for your inquiry and for your interest in the Friends of the Library donor program. The Friends of the Library donor program is open to VCU alumni, individuals, families, community members, and friends. The Friends of the Library are donors who support the mission, programs, collections and services of the VCU Libraries. The Friends are committed to helping the VCU Libraries build its resources and collections to provide for the ever-expanding needs of Virginia Commonwealth University's world-class teaching and research missions. Additionally, the Friends fund and promote an exciting series of community lectures and events, including the annual Friends of the Library book sale. Donations made to the VCU Libraries are tax deductible as allowed by law.

Additional information about donor levels and privileges, including borrowing privileges, is available online. Thank you for your support of VCU and the VCU Libraries!

Posted by mespencer at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

How about replacing all the missing books you have? That would be a great idea. Then maybe, just maybe I wouldn't have to search through 20 books before I found ONE that was available to read.

From: a library user

Patricia Selinger, Head of Preservation replies...

There could be several reasons why the book you are looking for is not on the shelf: someone is currently using it in the library, it is in the reshelving process, it is checked out, it is lost. For these reasons, among others, the VCU Libraries is making a significant investment in electronic books that are not subject to the circulation process and to loss, damage, and theft. The reshelving area on the 3rd floor is a good place to look if you don't find your book on the shelf. Books are picked up throughout the library during the day and brought here along with those received from Circulation. Shelves in the sorting area are labeled with call number ranges for sorting. Books are sorted into call number order onto carts. If the specific book you want is not available, we recommend Interlibrary loan.

Teresa Doherty, Head of Circulation and Information Services, adds...

If a book is listed in the library catalog as being "available," then it should be on the shelf -- not checked out to another patron, or in repair, or on order, for example. If a book isn't on the shelf where it should be, here are some suggestions:

• Check on nearby tables and photocopiers, as other patrons may have been using the book you need.
• Check the reshelving area on the third floor.
• Fill out a "Where's My Book?" tear-off sheet available on the ends of shelving units throughout the library stacks. You can drop the form off at the Circulation service desk on the first floor. Circulation staff will search for the book and let you know when it has been found.
• Patrons can borrow materials from our library consortium partners in the Richmond area. Library staff at the circulation service desk or reference desk can help you check the catalogs of these other libraries and explain how to use a RALC Borrowing Pass (Richmond Academic Library Consortium) to borrow materials from them.
• You can also use our Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery services offered through ILLiad to borrow materials not available through VCU Libraries.

Thanks very much for taking the time to post to the Suggestion Blog. We hope that this response is helpful to you.

Posted by mespencer at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am trying to locate a textbook I can use while I am waiting for the one I ordered to arrive. I think it would be SUPER helpful if the libraries had textbooks that students could use AT the library (so a student doesn't check it out for weeks)for situations like this or if a student couldn't afford textbooks, etc. I saw the library carries my Immunobiology book but it is checked out until NOVEMBER! That is almost the entire semester which is completely unhelpful to other students. I am specifically looking for a graduate school class textbook: Microbiology 7th edition Prescott, Harley and Klein

From: a graduate student

Lynne Turman, Head Tompkins-McCaw Library Collections replies...

VCU Libraries has a long-standing policy of not purchasing course textbooks. Course textbooks change from year to year and become outdated quickly. Sometimes a text that has been purchased for the Libraries collection is later adopted as a course textbook. If one student checks out this book, the remainder of the students in the course will not have access. VCU Libraries provides Course Reserve Services to help with this problem. Faculty can request that the VCU Libraries copy of a text be placed on Reserve and can choose the time period for each loan - from 2 hours to 7 days. Instructor or department owned textbooks can also be placed on Reserve. More information on Course Reserve Services is available on the web at http://www.library.vcu.edu/reserves/

Posted by at 5:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am a student within the sciences and was wondering what has to happen in order for a new journal to be added either electronically or within the library. Global Biogeochemical sciences is a great journal and yet we do not have access to it. Thanks!

From: a graduate student

Ronke Lawal, Collection Librarian for Engineering and Science, replies...

Thank you for your suggestion. Materials in any format may be requested by submitting the Purchase Suggestion Form located on the VCU Libraries Web site. We take requests from our community very seriously. Many factors must be considered in the decision to subscribe to a journal, including relevance to the curriculum, reputation, accessibility, and cost. Because of budget limitations, we are not able to subscribe to all resources that faculty and students request. However, your request will definitely be considered. Once again, thank you for your interest in VCU Libraries.

Posted by mespencer at 1:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hello to all! I would like to make a suggestion on computer availability at JBCL. I do use the statistics page to watch for available computers throughout the day, which I have to admit that it is a very cool solution! Therefore using Twitter or text messaging type of system to get update on availability of computers will be useful. For instance, users can text "JBCL FLOOR 1" and send it to a number so they can get info at that moment.So nobody has to be cussing around because there is no available computer to work on paper/homework,etc.

From: an undergraduate student

Jimmy Ghaphery, Head of Library Information Systems, replies...

We are glad that you are enjoying and using the Computer Availability system. The system is powered by LabStats, a commercial software product, and it is run by our colleagues in VCU Technology Services. At present, LabStats does not have text message or RSS functionality. Your suggestion is a very good one, and we have shared it with Technology Services. We will certainly keep this in mind for the future.

Karen Cary, Head of Collection Management, replies...

Thank you for taking the time to send your comments and suggestions. Your observations about library space and print journals and magazines housed on the first floor of Cabell Library are well taken. In fact, the online format is the default for all journals and magazines received by VCU Libraries. Generally, whenever the electronic format is available for a title and the cost is not prohibitive, the online format is selected. Print titles are scrutinized on a regular basis for the availability of an electronic format. As these are discovered, titles are converted from print to the online form. Currently, there are still many publishers that do not provide their journals in an online format.

In time, more and more publishers may decide to issue their journals and magazines electronically. We will continue to migrate journals and magazines to the online form as this change takes place. Again, thank you for your interest in VCU Libraries.

Posted by mespencer at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

How wonderful it would be if VCU Libraries extended its audience to the world in regards to VCU's digital collections? As a graduate of VCU, 2006 and 2008, I intend to stay connected to VCU and its Libraries. One of my favorite parts of VCU Libraries is its digital collection of historic Richmond images. Recently, Oregon State University provided an example of its digital archives on Flickr (www.flickr.com). Flickr is a website with photo storage, sharing and organization, making photo management an easy, natural and collaborative process. Get comments, notes, and tags on your photos, post to any blog, share and more! (quote Flickr) Please consider adding VCU and Richmond, VA's rich history to Flickr to broaden your audience!

From: a Friend of the Library

Alex Lorch, Acting Head of Special Collections and Archives, replies...

Thank you for the comment regarding our digital collections archive and your suggestion to use Flickr to broaden our digital collections' audience.

Indeed, your comment is very timely. VCU Libraries has been working over the past two years to add a number of its fine collections to its digital library. Earlier this month we were pleased to announce the launch of the VCU Libraries Digital Collections most recent addition: images of the Jackson Ward Historic District.

The Jackson Ward neighborhood and its buildings hosted a thriving African American community from the post-Civil War period through the early 20th century. However, efforts at urban renewal and other projects since the 1950s brought the wrecking ball to many of these architecturally and historically significant buildings. We hope to add several other Richmond and VCU-related collections in the next year.

As I'm sure you are aware, our digital library is available world-wide to anyone with an Internet connection. Very recently, however, Special Collections and Archives has decided to identify some collections to post to the Flickr site on a trial basis. As staffing permits, we will begin to upload some of these materials into Flickr in the next several months.

Thanks, again, for your interest in the VCU Libraries and for your commitment to us as a Friend of the Library. Please let me know if I may assist you with future questions or comments.

Posted by mespencer at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

An item in your digital collection, Rarely Seen Richmond, is mislabeled: photo is of Confederate Soldiers & Sailors monument (as printed on the postcard) on Libby Hill, but instead it's labeled "Lee Monument."

From: a library patron

Alex Lorch, Acting Head of Special Collections and Archives, replies...

Thank you for visiting the VCU Libraries Digital Library Collections and for your comment about the mislabeled postcard in the Rarely Seen Richmond Collection. We will correct the information as soon as possible.

Posted by mespencer at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A few weeks ago I filed a request for National Enquirer to enter the library's permanent collection of periodicals. My request was denied on the basis that it is a rag and has no academic merit. I strongly disagree with this verdict and am wondering if there's any way I could petition this further. I can't help but feel that National Enquirer is an enriching publication, no less worthy than say, Vogue or Harper's Bazaar. National Enquirer provides unparalleled insight into a dimension of culture most of us are totally unaware of. I firmly believe that it would be welcomed by students interested in American studies, mass communication/media, and beyond.

From: an undergraduate student

Karen Cary, Head of Collection Management, responds...

We appreciate your interest in the collections at VCU Libraries, including your request for the National Enquirer. The guiding principle of collection management is to develop collections that support the University's academic programs. Collection management librarians choose materials that best serve two primary University functions: instruction and research.

We develop collections to reinforce and enhance the quality of instruction across the curriculum. University faculty rely upon VCU Libraries' collections to prepare course materials and student assignments. Likewise, students use these resources for course-related study and to complete assigned projects.

Because research is also vital to the University's mission, VCU Libraries provides faculty and students with collections resources that promote the intellectual inquiry and experimentation that form the research process. The role of VCU Libraries is to obtain the information essential to our researchers' investigations.

Unfortunately, budgetary constrictions limit our ability to purchase all resource materials useful to students and scholars of every discipline. In the case of the National Enquirer or any other resource requested by a member of the VCU community, there is a way for you to further petition your request. You may contact me at kcary@vcu.edu or by phone at (804) 828-8773. I would be happy to meet with you to discuss your request.

Posted by mespencer at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Public Library of Science (PLoS) journals are high-impact, on-line scientific journals. Has the VCU library considered to become a PLoS institutional member? Becoming one, faculty at VCU would be able to publish scientific articles with a discount. Currently, non-members pay between $1300-2850 per article which with institutional discount would be significantly lower. Perhaps you could find out how much it would cost and what the discount rate would be?
From: a faculty member

Lynne Turman, TML Collections Librarian, replies...
New models of scholarly publishing are emerging in response to the escalating prices of traditional journals and the pressure on budgets of academic libraries. Public Library of Science (PLoS) is an example of an Open Access (OA) publisher whose business model relies on author publication fees and other support to make medical and scientific literature freely available to the public. Institutional memberships in PLoS provide a 10 percent discount on publication fees for affiliated authors. Costs for such a membership are based on the number of articles published in PLoS journals and the number of articles in PubMed from a particular institution. It is estimated that a membership for VCU Libraries would be in the range of $2000 - $3500 per year.

Although we do not currently have a membership to PLoS, VCU Libraries is a Supporting Member in BioMed Central, another pioneering OA publisher, and a founding member of SPARC, the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition. VCU authors who publish in BioMed Central journals receive a 15 percent discount on author fees. VCU Libraries has considered PLoS membership but has decided not to subscribe for the time being as we evaluate the impact of BioMed Central and other experiences in OA. In the future we may be able to consider expanding support for VCU authors through programs such as PLoS if it is determined that the costs provide significant incentives and benefits to our faculty.

For more information on scholarly communication issues such as OA, journal pricing, and author rights, visit the VCU Libraries Copyright and Publishing website. Thank you for contacting us with your comments regarding PLoS.

Posted by at 2:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Purchase suggestion: Living in storms : contemporary poetry and the moods of manic-depression by Thom Schramm Type: Book Language: English Publisher: Spokane, Wash. : Eastern Washington University Press, 2008. ISBN: 9781597660310 1597660310 OCLC: 166378618 Related Subjects: American poetry -- 21st century. | Manic-depressive illness -- Poetry.
From: An interested student

Kevin Farley, PhD, Collection Librarian for the Humanities, responds....
Thank you for your recent suggestion to add Living in Storms: Contemporary Poetry and the Moods of Manic Depression, by Thom Schramm, to the literature collection at James Branch Cabell Library. The intersection of literature and medicine -- art and healing -- is an increasingly important focus of literary studies. This book has been just recently published, and since it is from a university press (Eastern Washington University) we will be happy to add it to the collection when our ordering cycle resumes this coming July.

We welcome suggestions for enhancing the collections. You can also make suggestions using our Purchase Suggestion Form online.

Posted by Donna E. Coghill at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Provide better instructions for staff to access the Safari online books from the catalog. I can't find any way to access the full versions of the books, but according to the catalog, I, as a staff member, can get them online. Very frustrating.
From: a staff member

Lynne U. Turman, Head, Tompkins-McCaw Library Collections, replies...
Thank you for your interest in using Safari Books. This is a new collection of electronic books on all aspects of computers, programming and the web. You can find the titles listed in the VCU Libraries Catalog or go to the list of Databases A to Z and look for Safari Online Books.

Search tip: try using the Catalog tab marked eResources and type your topic into the search box along with the word "safari." For instance, "java and safari" will retrieve a list of over 50 titles! Choose your title and click on the link for Internet access. From off-campus you will be prompted for your VCU eID information, then you will be instantly taken to the opening page of the book. The table of contents will appear on the left and you can jump to a specific section or chapter. Alternatively, you can click on the button marked Start Reading Online to view the full content from the beginning. On each page you will see other options for navigating, such as Text Zoom and Previous/Next Page. You can also turn the pages virtually by clicking along the borders of each page.

Thanks for contacting us with your question. We hope you will enjoy using this new collection of ebooks!

Posted by Donna E. Coghill at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The occupational therapy department at VCU recently started it's distance education occupational therapy doctorate (OTD) program. It has been frustrating to the OTD students that the major journals in our field (American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Occupational Therapy Journal of Reserach, and Occupational Therapy International) are not available electronically. While Illiad is a great system for ordering articles, they do not always make it to the students quick enough to incorporate into dicussions or assignments. What are the chances of getting access to these journals electronically in the near future?
From: Stacey, faculty

Lynne Turman, Head of Tompkins-McCaw Library Collections responds....
VCU Libraries is aggressively building its collection of online journal titles to meet the needs of all students and faculty in our Schools. The shift from a primarily print collection to an electronic one incurs additional expense as publishers often charge more for the online version of a journal. We attempt to monitor new distance learning programs and plan for changes to our journal subscriptions but cannot always provide an online version due to budgetary constraints. Distance education students can request copies of articles at no charge through the Illiad service.

In the case of the 3 titles you mentioned, I am pleased to report that all of these will become available online in January, 2007. Until that time, you should continue to use Illiad to request needed articles.

Posted by Donna E. Coghill at 12:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This is to suggest the university library to acquire the following new book: A Java Library of Graph Algorithms and Optimization by Hang T. Lau, published by CRC Press, October 2006, ISBN: 1584887184. The book provides a most valuable library of computer programs for researchers in mathematical sciences and engineering, solving problems in graph theory and optimization.

Ibironke Lawal, Collection Librarian for Engineering and Science, replies....
Thank you for your suggestion to acquire A Java Library of Graph Algorithms and Optimization. This new title already had been slated for our collection and should arrive on the shelves of Cabell Library in the near future. Our Collection Management department is always eager for purchase ideas via the Purchase Suggestion Form. Please let us know if there are additional new titles you would like us to consider adding to our collections.

Posted by Donna E. Coghill at 3:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I would like to suggest/request that the library subscribe to the Journal "Autophagy". This is a hot new area of research and this is the flagship journal. The website is online here.
From: Steve, graduate student

Lynne Turman, Head ofTompkins-McCaw Library Collections responds....
Thank you for the suggestion to add Autophagy to the VCU Libraries journal collection. Many factors go into the decision to subscribe to a particular journal title, including reputation, journal impact factor, cost, relevance to our curriculum, etc. Because of budget limitations, we are not able to subscribe to all journals in a specific subject area or all journals from a particular publisher. However, we are very interested in hearing your suggestions for titles, especially in new areas of research. A personal subscription for Autophagy is available for a reasonable cost of $59, but the institutional rate that VCU Libraries would pay is significantly higher -- $750 for the web version with no paper copy.

We will place this title into consideration for new journals in the future, depending on budget allocations. In the meantime, please take advantage of the ILLiad service to obtain copies of needed articles.

Posted by Donna E. Coghill at 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A more extensive collection of books on CD/Audio. I go home every weekend and I'd really like to enjoy a book on the way there and back, and I definitly do NOT want to listen to Shakespeare on Route 95!!
From: Jennifer, undergraduate student

VCU Libraries Humanities Librarian Kevin Farley replies . . . .
VCU Libraries strives to provide the maximum support possible for the University's academic programs, which represent a multi-disciplinary and diverse curriculum. Collection decisions will always be curriculum-defined, with collecting emphases evolving as academic programs change and develop. This includes supporting the needs of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, and supporting the academic community in carrying out teaching and research activities. Unfortunately, current budget constraints preclude the collection of audio books other than those that are directly supporting a curriculum. It is also not uncommon for academic libraries to have few audio books. Public libraries, however, often emphasize the collection of audio books as one of their most popular formats for borrowing. While VCU Libraries has very few unabridged books on tape, we do have approximately 800 spoken word recordings on cassette, most of which are short works that would be highly suitable for commuting, such as poetry, plays, lectures, and conference proceedings.

An additional comment was supplied by Beth Burton, Manager, Circulation and Information Services ....
I wanted to make you aware of a great service offered by VCU Libraries that still might meet your needs for information and entertainment on your trips home—for free!

While VCU Libraries does not have a great collection of audio books, there are ways to take advantage of other libraries' collections, at no cost to you, and with very little inconvenience. The service is called Interlibrary Loan (also referred to as ILLiad). Stop by, call, or email the Circulation and Information Services Desk or the Research and Reference Desk at Cabell Library, and we’ll show you the simple process that can get you the audio books you’re looking for by using ILLiad.

Posted by Donna E. Coghill at 3:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

I have been needing to gain access to many Nature Reviews Neuroscience articles. I don't understand why we don't have access to all Nature Reviews journals. Could you please look into this so that I do not have to request these items via ILliad? Electronic access to the Journal of Neuroscience is also limited. Thank you.
From: staff

Lynne U. Turman, Head, Tompkins-McCaw Library Collections, responds....
Thank you for contacting us with your comments. I am pleased to tell you that VCU Libraries has access to both of these journal titles. Through our participation in VIVA, the Virtual Library of Virginia, we have access to all 7 of the Nature Reviews series, including Neuroscience, back to their inception. We also subscribe to the electronic version of Journal of Neuroscience back to volume 1, 1981.

You can connect to either of these journals through the Library Catalog or the E-Journals link on the Libraries homepage. If you experience any difficulty with accessing the titles, please contact the Service Desk at Tompkins-McCaw Library at 804-828-0636. Thank you again for taking the time to send us your comments.

Posted by Donna E. Coghill at 12:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I would like to suggest that the medical library carry electronic subscription to Radiotherapy and Oncology journal. Also, is it possible that the library can have more than a single copy of Holland and Frie's Cancer Medicine ed. 7? Thank you.
From: a staff member

Lynne Turman, Head ofTompkins-McCaw Library Collections responds....
Thank you for contacting VCU Libraries with your comments. We appreciate your feedback about library services and collections. I have some good news for you regarding Radiotherapy and Oncology. We already subscribe to the electronic edition of this title and you have access to issues back through 1995. You can locate the electronic version by searching the Library Catalog or by clicking on the E-Journals link in the right hand section of the VCU Libraries home page.

The Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine text is currently on order for Tompkins-McCaw Library. The book has been received and is presently being processed for the shelves. You can request that we expedite the processing and place it on hold for you by using a new feature in our Library Catalog. After you look up the title, there will be a link that says "Request this item." You will be prompted for your VCU eID in order to use this service. And you can check on the status of your request at anytime by using My Library Record. As for ordering a second copy, we do not normally purchase multiple copies of book titles because of the expense. In this case, the book costs $290 and a second copy would mean that we could not purchase additional titles in this subject area. If you are teaching a course that will use this book heavily, you might want to consider requesting that we place it on Course Reserve for the semester. The form for this service is available online. Also, we have a Recall service that allows you to ask that checked-out material be returned before the due date. Information and details about this service are located online.

Finally, our Collection Management department is always eager for purchase ideas via the Purchase Request Form. Please let us know if there are additional new titles you would like to have us consider adding to our collections.

I hope this satisfactorily addresses your comments. And again, thank you for taking the time to send us your comments.

Posted by Donna E. Coghill at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hey- the music CD collection here at Cabell is really improving lately--thanks! Do you plan to buy CDs produced by the VCU Music faculty, such as Rex Richardson and others? If you haven't considered doing that, please do!
From: A VCU faculty member

Kevin Farley, Collection Librarian for the Humanities, responds....
Thank you for your supportive comment about the Jazz holdings at VCU Libraries - we have been working very hard to improve this collection in the last year or so. We are especially interested in collecting recordings by VCU faculty members in the Department of Music, and will acquire the recordings you suggest when our ordering season resumes in July. Again, thank you for your encouragement and support, and please let us know if your have more suggestions and requests for enhancing this important collection.

Posted by Donna E. Coghill at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Our lab recently published an article in the journal Mammalian Genome ;
however, we do not have university access to this journal through the Springer site, even though we have access to most other Springer publications. Could you please consider subscribing to this journal? Additionally, I have had to request two articles this year from the same journal through ILLIAD. Perhaps we could subscribe just to the online version?

From: Kathryn

Thank you for the suggestion to add Mammalian Genome to the VCU Libraries journal collections. We welcome and actively solicit suggestions from VCU faculty and students for enhancements to our collections.

Many factors go into the decision to subscribe to a particular journal title, including reputation, journal impact factor, cost, relevance to our curriculum, etc. Because of budget limitations, we are not able to subscribe to all journals in a specific subject area or all journals from a particular publisher. The cost for a subscription to Mammalian Genome is almost $1200 this year.

We will place this title into consideration for new journals in the future, depending on budget allocations. In the meantime, please continue to take advantage of the ILLiad service to obtain copies of needed articles. If we can be of further assistance to you in identifying similar titles already in our collections, please contact us.

--
Lynne U. Turman, Head, TML Collections
Tompkins-McCaw Library, VCU Libraries

Posted by at 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)