The Voice

Issue date: 3/12/07 Section: Inside WCC

Media Credit: Kawther Mohammed Ibrahim Rashid (left) and Mohanad Ali, (middle), receive help from librarian Thomas Perriard.

The Bailey Library in the Gunder Myran building has had many new facelifts to benefit students at Washtenaw Community College.
Four new databases have been added to the library's list of helpful tools: Access Science, African American Experience, ARTstor, and United Streaming Video.
Along with the new databases, the Fall 2006 student focus group at WCC has "provided the Bailey Library staff with invaluable input about students' needs," said Victor Liu, Dean of Learning Resources.
The cost of the new databases comes out of "funds within the library that pay for books, journals, and databases," said Liu.
The average price for all the new databases is about $15,000 a year. This means, if the library feels that the databases haven't been used enough, it can terminate the use of the databases, new or old.
Following are measures that have been taken to ensure that students have a pleasurable time when they come to the library that can be found through the homepage (http://www.wccnet.edu/resources/library/findarticles_databases.php):

Two new search boxes
These are for searching all books and references within the library. This is to ensure that students have an easier time searching materials with a one-click experience. For a more detailed search experience, students can click on the "Find Articles" or "Find Books" links on the left side of the screen.

Access to MelCat
This is a "statewide library network" that contains more than seven million books across Michigan, said Liu. This allows students from on and off campus to search for books that may not be held or already checked out from WCC. Students search for the book, select the "Get this for me!" link, fill in the information, and the book will arrive at the library in five to seven days.

Laptop security cables:
At the request of the librarians at the checkout counter, students can check out security cables that attach to their laptops, with the other end wrapped around a table or chair. "This is good for students who worry about their laptops when they want to use the bathroom, or grab a book off the shelf," said Andrea Hamphill, Reserves Technician.

Instant Messaging
The WCC librarians have created screen names on chatting programs to help students with library questions from home, a different set of computers on campus, or anywhere else the student may be. The screen names for the librarians are WCCLibrarian (on AOL/AIM and Yahoo!), WCCLibrarian@hotmail.com (on MSN Messenger), and WCCLibrarian@gmail.com (Google Talk).
The only other way students will know about the new databases is if they ask for help. Eman El Shaikh, a regular library patron, noted that, "if students knew how to use them, I'm sure they'd be a great resource, but they tend to go unnoticed because no one knows they're there or what they can offer." She furthered her explanation and stated the new databases have "so much potential to work."
This is where the most helpful resource comes in handy, though the services are not new in the least bit. Asking the reference desk for help will make researching much easier for students.
The four new databases have yet to be used by many instructors or students, although instructors like Jennifer Baker, professor of the Arts Department at WCC, anticipate the help to be provided by through the new databases. Baker will most likely use ARTstor after she tests out its uses, she said.
"It's a great resource," Baker added. "I am excited about it."

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