The JKM Library Blog

The JKM Library's blog has migrated to a new platform! For over a decade, we published to a Chatham University owned Wordpress instance. This served us well until Chatham made the decision to sunset those instances and migrate to Squarespace. We took this opportunity to reevaluate our own blogging platform and decided to move to a tool we already subscribe to and use daily: Springshare.

Springshare is focused on libraries and offers unique functionality to fulfill the specific needs of libraries of all kinds. This includes building subject guides with library resources seamlessly integrated, building and managing library websites, calendars, room reservation management, FAQ pages, reference tools, project management workflows, and more. Springshare also provides a blogging tool.

Because we use Springshare products to manage the majority of our digital (and much of our physical) operations, moving to Springshare for the blog was an easy choice.

All posts dated prior to this one have been recovered, reformatted, and reposted here by our Head of Technical Services Dan Nolting. These posts originated on our Wordpress instance, and you may find formatting issues with them due to the nature of the migration. 

Moving forward, all blog content for the JKM Library will be posted to this feed and will feature: library updates and announcements, information about library services and resources, book and film reviews, information about events, updates about the library building, and more. Blog content is written by all library staff, including full time and part time librarians and student employees.

If you have questions about this blog, reach out to the librarians by emailing reference@chatham.edu. 

September 2021

Subscribe: https://bit.ly/JKMNews 

The JKM Library has recently begun a new monthly newsletter that sends the goods directly to you inbox! That is, if you’re subscribed… What you can expect to find in this new newsletter of news includes (but is not limited to): information about upcoming events, ways you can find textbooks for free, announcements about the library building and services, updates from the University Archives, highlights of library resources, secrets of the universe, and more! Faculty can expect important information about critical resources and services, like course reserves, in-class library instruction, and incorporating library digital resources into Brightspace course modules. We really aren’t joking about the secrets of the universe thing. We do actually include those. But you’ll have to subscribe to learn what they are.

September 2020

In order to protect the health and safety of our JKM Library patrons, we have instituted a reservation system for all library seats in the building. This includes our group and individual study rooms, as well as study tables, study carrel desks, comfortable seating, and computer lab seating. Starting Monday, September 14, all patrons entering the JKM Library building will need to have a reservation in addition to presenting their Chatham IDs and temperature screening cards. Spaces should be reserved in advance of entering the library via this link: https://chathamlibrary.libcal.com/reserve/. Use the dropdown menus at the top of the screen to select different library spaces. Additional protocols and requirements are in place as well: Padding has been added to each reservation to allow for air circulation before use by the next patron. Patrons must leave their space promptly at the end of the reservation to allow for that padding to work. Patrons are restricted to 3 hours of reservation time in the library building per day, which can be split into two separate reservations. Reservations may be made up to 28 days in advance. Patrons are expected to wipe down their reserved areas after use. Wipe dispensers have been installed on all four floors of the library (near the elevators plus extra ones in the labs and classrooms). Please do not move furniture, including chairs. It has been arranged for appropriate social distancing. Masks must always be worn in the library building unless alone in a group or individual study with the door closed. No food is allowed in the library building. Drinks with lids are permitted. Meetings with OAAR or Career Development do not require reservations through the library’s system, but if you would like to remain in the library after a meeting, you will need one. Library staff is monitoring adherence to campus health & safety protocols, providing friendly reminders, and following appropriate reporting procedures as necessary. If you have any questions or need guidance while you learn the new reservation system, please contact the library or a librarian. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we make every effort to keep the library as safe as possible for you! 

March 2020

JKM Librarians are eager to continue to support faculty, students and staff as we experience the current move to virtual instruction. In keeping with current policy and out of an abundance of caution, librarians will provide remote services only. The library building will be closed for the time being, although at this time 24 hour space is still accessible.
Our Ask a Librarian chat service and Zoom will allow us to continue to provide reference, instruction and consultation services. We will continue to monitor the situation and post information on our home page. https://library.chatham.edu/friendly.php?s=home
We will staff the Ask a Librarian chat service during the following hours:
8:00 am – 10:00 pm Monday – Thursday
8:00 am – 5:00 pm Friday
1:00 pm – 7:00 pm Saturday
12:00 pm – 10:00 pm Sunday
Access our Ask a Librarian chat service on our home page: https://library.chatham.edu/friendly.php?s=home
The Archives and Special Collections will provide remote reference through email.
We have hundreds of thousands of eBooks, journals, and videos available in our databases and searchable from our home page. We can help you locate material that could
perhaps substitute for print resources.
Librarians are available for consultations about classes and student support and can be reached by email (jkmref@chatham.edu) or by chat (Ask a Librarian)
We can provide instruction via Zoom.
If you have any items checked out, we suggest you hold on to them – due dates are flexible.
Take care and stay well,
Jill Ausel, Library Director

October 2015

Hi Everyone! 

E-ZBorrow will be down for a portal update Saturday morning, October 31, from 7am to noon. Because of this, you will not be able to access E-ZBorrow Saturday morning. As long as everything goes to plan, the newly updated E-ZBorrow will be even easier to use!

August 26, 2015

Library Closing at 5pm Friday Aug. 28
The Library will close at 5pm this Friday, August 28 so that the carpets in the building can be cleaned. Regular hours will resume on Saturday.
We apologize for the inconvenience.

August 2015

Library (and 24/7 space) CLOSED Monday August 10
The JKM Library, including the 24/7 study space, will be closed all day this Monday, August 10 due to a planned power outage.
Reference Librarians will be available to assist you with all your library and research needs during the hours of 8am to 10pm. To contact a librarian:
IM us at JennieRef, or use the chat box on our website.
Text us at (724) 919-4645
Email us at jkmref@chatham.edu
To contact a specific librarian, use the following email addresses:
Jill Ausel, Library Director: jausel@chatham.edu
Am Lee Heinlen, Access Services Librarian: aheinlen@chatham.edu
Dana Mastroianni, Reference and Web Librarian: dmastroianni@chatham.edu
Dan Nolting, Head of Technical Services: dnolting@chatham.edu
Molly Tighe, Archivist and Public Services Librarian: mtighe1@chatham.edu
Kate Wenger, Reference Librarian: kwenger@chatham.edu
Please note that this power outage includes most campus classroom buildings and all computer labs. We have checked with IT, and it is extremely unlikely that any lab
space or printers will be available for student use on Monday. If you need computer or printer access, please make sure to do so off-campus or get everything done the day before.
 

May 2015

alertUpdate 5/18/2015 2:10pm: The upgrade is complete, and off-campus access to library databases is now working. If you have any difficulties, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone: 412-365-1670, by email: jkmref@chatham.edu, or by IMing us on our website here: http://library.chatham.edu/.
On Monday, May 18th, we will be upgrading EZproxy, which is the tool that allows you to access our library databases from off-campus. This will mean that access to the databases from off-campus will be spotty at best and possibly down all day.
If you normally have to log-in using your Chatham username and password while on-campus (this often happens for computers connecting to the wireless, as well as the occasional desktop computer), that access will be affected as well.
We hope to have the upgrade completed in as timely a manner as possible. Thank you in advance for your patience.

April 2015

As of April 13 [2015], the 24×7 lab will be extended to include rooms 103, LCC1, and the large lab (101) during the hours the library is closed. This provides you with a variety of open tables and computer access as well as group study and individual spaces.
We’re sure many of you are thinking “Great! But where’s the bathroom?” For your comfort and convenience, the Eddy Theatre lobby will be open. The Eddy doors nearest the Library will remain unlocked as well as the wheelchair accessible entrance on the other side of the building.
Please note that during the summer, there will not be an expansion – only the original 24×7 room will be available. The doors to Eddy will remain open, however.
[Note: Updated 5/11/2015 to state that the expansion will not happen during summer]

September 2014

July 2014

June 2014

February 21, 2014

October 17, 2013

October 2013

February 2012

We’ve had a few questions from some of you who will be spending Spring Break catching up on schoolwork. Never fear, we’ll be here. Our library hours stay the same over Spring Break, and the librarians will be just as available as they always are to help you with your research. So, if you have work to do over break, why not do it at the library? Our hours are:
Monday – Thursday: 7:45am – midnight
Friday: 7:45am – 7pm
Saturday: 8am – 7pm
Sunday: noon – midnight
 

October 12, 2011

The JKM Library will be open during regular hours for Fall Break:
Monday-Thursday: 7:45am – midnight
Friday: 7:45am to 5:00pm
Saturday: 8:00am to 7:00pm
Sunday: noon to midnight
Enjoy your time off! If you need us, we’ll be here.

August 2011

The JKM Library has added yet another database: Science Direct – Health & Life Sciences Journal Collection! This collection will be useful to students, faculty, and staff interested in the fields of biological & agricultural sciences, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, environmental science, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and more. Please be aware that while this database contains almost 1,000 full-text journals, it is not entirely full-text. You will get results from books in your search, but the library does not subscribe to any of those. However, you can check our catalog to see if we have them in print, or order them through E-ZBorrow. If there’s an article you want that’s not available full-text, order it through Interlibrary Loan!

February 2011

SciFinder Scholar is now working off campus. Once you log in, there will probably be a message about a certificate that is out of date. You can just override that, and you should be able to get into the database. Any questions, just let us know! MarketLine is still not working off campus. You can access the company reports by going into Business Source Elite and clicking on Company Profiles in the upper left corner of the screen. If you need an industry or country report from MarketLine please feel free to call the reference desk at (412) 365-1670 or send us an email (jkmref@chatham.edu), and we’ll be happy to send you the report you need.