Interlibrary loan temporarily unavailable

UPDATE 10/27/09: ILL is back up; thank you for your patience!
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Our interlibrary loan system, ILLiad, is currently inaccessible. Users trying to log in receive an error message that the "username is not in the database." The problem appears to be an authentication issue on MTSU's end, and it will be fixed as soon as possible.

We apologize for the inconvenience and ask that users hold their ILL requests until ILLiad is working again. As much as we would like to, we don't have the human resources necessary to enter the requests manually. If you have a question about an ILL book that you already have, call the ILL office at 904-8549.

Win an IPOD!!!!

The James E. Walker Library opened in 1999. In just 10 short years in the building, the Walker Library has changed a great deal. We’ve added hundreds of computers and databases and purchased thousands of books. Librarians have taught hundreds of classes how to use the Library and do better research and assisted thousands of students and faculty at the reference desk. Students have studied here, met their friends here and even slept here!


Help us celebrate 10 years in the building by telling us "My favorite thing about the James E. Walker Library is...." Email us at favorites@ulibnet.mtsu.edu or you can fill out a card at one of the desks located throughout the Library and we will automatically enter you in a drawing to win an IPOD and other prizes.

Enter by Nov. 30. Email entries/Cards will be drawn for doorprizes on December 1st, 2009, so tell us your favorite Library thing today!

Pop Up Books on exhibit in Special Collections

Places Pop Up !

Come see the new exhibit in Special Collections, fourth floor, James E. Walker Library. Both the Reading Room and the Exhibition Room are open to the public from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Thursday and from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm on Friday.

ALL SORTS of books and all sorts of subject matter are published with pop-up features, but books about places are especially well-suited to the pop-up form. Famous buildings and cities, fascinating natural phenomena, distant realms real and imagined all lend themselves to books with pop-up elements and other
movable features.

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS seeks to collect historically important as well as outstanding examples of contemporary pop-up and movable books. Some of our most interesting "new rare" editions describe places and employ moving parts to convey their particular character. Our current exhibit presents a selection of these. They should give viewers a good idea of the variety of books dedicated to places that pop up.

Time change for Football on Saturday

The Blue Raiders play host to the Mississippi State Bulldogs Saturday, Oct. 17, Floyd Stadium here on campus. Gametime has been adjusted to accomodate a national television broadcast by ESPNU.

Kickoff is now scheduled for 11:30 AM.

Homecoming 2009

Dust off the air guitar and get ready for “A Rockin’ Raider Homecoming” to bring out the rock star in us all on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2:30 pm.

There are Homecoming activities all week from Oct 19-24, including t-shirt swap at the Alumni House, fight song competition, chili cook-off, parade and more.

Visit the SGA page, http://www.mtsu.edu/sga/homecoming.shtml or http://mtalumni.com/ for a list of Homecoming Activities.

Alumni, join the Library and all colleges in Walnut Grove (between Cope and Peck Hall) from 11:30 - 1:30 pm, Sat. Oct. 24th for tailgating before the big homecoming game and to catch up on what's happening around campus.

Lunch, including BBQ chicken, pulled pork, hotdogs, chips, potato salad, cole slaw, cookies, and drinks will be served in a food tent right next to the Alumni tent for $6 per person and $4 per child.

Fall Break Hours

MTSU Walker Library
Fall Break Hours*

Sat, Oct 17 - closed
Sun, Oct 18 - closed
Mon, Oct 19 - 8am to 4:30pm
Tues, Oct 20 - 8am to midnight

Enjoy your Fall Break!


*see complete library hours on our website
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photo credit: sgs_1019 on Flickr

The MTSU-Nobel connection

The 2009 Nobel Prizes are being announced this week, and it's a pretty good year for Americans. Seven of the 11 winners announced so far (the prize in Economics has yet to be awarded) hold U.S. citizenship.

But did you know that MTSU has a few claims to Nobel fame?

James M. Buchanan, the 1986 winner of the Nobel prize in Economics, is a 1940 graduate of MTSU, or as it was called then, the State Teacher's College. A study room on the 4th floor of the library is named for his family and houses displays of his work.

Muhammad Yunus, co-winner of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, held his first teaching job in the economics department of MTSU from 1969-1972. Yunus developed the concept of microcredit, or very small loans to spur entrepreneurialism among impoverished people in the developing world.

And perhaps it's a stretch, but we could also claim former Vice President Al Gore, who was co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, as one our own. After all, he taught a course here on community building for several semesters beginning in 2001. The Gore Research Center on campus houses the papers of his father, Albert Gore, Sr., an MTSU alumnus and former Congressman.

So who will be our next Nobel laureate? Could it be you?

Finding Full Text Articles

Confused about how to obtain the full text of an article when you see a promising citation or abstract in a database? Never fear, your helpful librarian has heard your cry of frustration and wants to help.

Sometimes, the full text of an article is available in the database--just look for a "full text" or "PDF" link. Otherwise, use the Article Linker or Find Fulltext link to see if the article is available in print or online in another database.

Have you used Article Linker before and that's what prompted the cry of frustration? It can be a bit complicated. This illustrated guide to Finding Articles shows how Article Linker works. Or, auditory and visual learners may prefer watching this 3.5 minute narrated, captioned video.

Still need help, or too frustrated to watch or read a tutorial right now? Visit our Need Help? page and ask a librarian.

Please turn down your music

Many people listen to music on MP3 players while in the library. This is cool. But when listening to music in a confined space, ask yourself this:

1) Have several people given me the stink eye?
2) Are people moving away from me, giving me enough room to perform an impromptu flamenco dance?
3) Are my ears bleeding?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, your personal music may be leaking loudly into a very public space. Most offenders seem surprised that their music is loud enough to be heard by others, so if in doubt, try this: while at your preferred volume, remove your earbuds and with your fingers, cover the part that should be in your ears. Can you still hear any sound? If so, your music is loud enough to disturb others.

Please be considerate of this shared study and work space.

Lexis Nexis Webinars

Lexis Nexis conducts webinars that will help you use this important resource more effectively. These upcoming webinars will provide tips for getting the most out of LexisNexis® Academic and more. Upcoming webisodes include:

- Using LexisNexis Academic for Business Research
- Finding Sources in LexisNexis Academic
- Using LexisNexis Academic for Legal Research
- News in LexisNexis Academic

All available from the convenience of your desk… choose the day and time
that is right for you. Register for a webinar today!