April 2009
Working together

When I was a student here at UW Tacoma in the mid-’90s, group work was just becoming popular. Now, in 2009, nary a class goes by that doesn’t require it. The Library has tools available to help groups work together. We are lucky that many database providers offer methods to easily save, share and annotate searches for groups in need of journal articles and book chapters. Additionally, we have added a variety of resources to help facilitate the kinds of work that groups do outside of database searches: writing papers, creating presentations and making spreadsheets.

Here's an introduction to just a few of our best tools and resources for collaboration. Don’t hesitate to come in or send students into the Library for more information or orientations.

Database tools

• myEbscohost (located in the upper right-hand corner of the Ebscohost search page)

Set up an account here to:

• Save preferences.
• Organize your research with folders.
• Share your folders with others.
• View others' folders.
• Save and retrieve your search history.
• Create email alerts and/or RSS feeds.
• Gain access to your saved research remotely.

 

• Refworks

RefWorks is a web-based personal citation database and bibliography creator that allows you to import, store and share your research citations with a group. Also, it automatically formats your bibliographies into whatever style you need (APA, MLA, Chicago, and many more).

• ArtStor

This tool enables users to work with approximately 700,000 images in the digital library for research and pedagogical purposes. Key features of the application include the ability to:

• Browse content by collection, classification, or geography
• Search content by keyword or advanced search terms (e.g., date and geographic origin)
• View images and image data
• Print and save images and related data to other hardware (e.g., CD, memory stick, hard drive)
• Create groups of images for later retrieval and presentation
• Organize image groups into shared folders
• Direct other ARTstor users to images or image groups
• Upload personal images and sound files to the ARTstor platform
• Export images and image groups to ARTstor's offline image viewer (OIV) presentation tool
• Save citations for images or image groups, and email or print these, as well as export them directly into EndNote, ProCite, RefWorks, Reference Manager, or a text file

Library resources

• Collaborative study rooms
  LIB 251, LIB 252, LIB 136A
  Features: table and chairs for a small group, whiteboard, wall-mounted collaborative computer with a pose-able monitor
• Collaborative presentation room
  LIB 239
  Features: mobile desks, whiteboards, projector, ergonomic wall-mounted computer, wireless mouse/keyboard and projector remote (available at circulation)
• Computer Classroom
  LIB 139
  Features: nine computer stations in a classroom format, instructor station, projector (remote available at circulation). This classroom is also a GIS lab. The lab is open from noon to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Chihuly Room
  Second floor tower
  Available for group use after 5 p.m. and on weekends. The signup sheet is available in a binder kept on a bookshelf endcap near the room's entrance. Features: whiteboard, large round table with chairs and an excellent view of Tacoma.
• TeamSpot Studio
  First floor, near the Reference Desk
  Features: TeamSpot software that allows groups to:
  • Collaborate through a shared desktop displayed on a large plasma screen, visible to all group members.
  • Easily share or move files, online materials and real-time data between computers via drag and drop.
  • Edit documents across computers by copying text from one computer and pasting it in on another.

Tip of the month

Come by the Library to learn about our collaborative spaces. Register today (via email to tbostell@u.washington.edu ) and Tim Bostelle, the head of Library Information Technology, will lead you on a tour and demonstration of the different group study and presentation rooms and give a brief demonstration of how groups can use the library's laptops (or your own) in combination with the TeamSpot Studio to streamline your group's work flow.

TeamSpot tours will be offered today at noon, tomorrow, April 29, at 10:30 a.m., and May 6 and 7 at noon. Registration is required. Please RSVP to Tim Bostelle: tbostell@u.washington.edu

Book Dirt is the inside scoop on the UW Tacoma Library and everything it has to offer, provided by Carole Svensson, the Library's assistant director. Got an idea for a book to feature in Book Dirt? E-mail Carole at svensson@u.washington.edu.