New books.  Check out the new books received in January at http://www.engrlib.uc.edu/books/jan2002.html .

The  move.   We began operating in the newly renovated space January 3.  The space is wonderful, and being used as we had hoped.  Serious students gravitate to the Quiet Reading Room featuring the Faig murals conserved through a gift from Professor Emeritus Jim Morand (Civil and Environmental Engineering) and his wife Diane.  The elegance of the room creates a hushed atmosphere.  Those who need to talk gravitate to the group study rooms.  Thus the noise of yore, about which we received many complaints, is contained.

The space.  A floor plan of the space can be viewed at http://www.engrlib.uc.edu/plan/plan.html .  Soon it will be "clickable" in order to provide detailed information about each area.  Notice that we have "chunked" the book collection by call number.  The QA's (math and computer science) are in the Southeast Stack Room, and the T's (technology) are in the southwest stack area.  All other circulating books are across from the classroom.  On the Upper Stack level (mezzanine) you will find non-electronic bound journals from 1985 on.  The older volumes are at the storage facility called SWORD (SW Ohio Regional Depository).  Individual articles can be requested from SWORD using our request form at http://www.engrlib.uc.edu/cgi-bin/SWreq.pl .  Current issues and the most recent year of bound volumes are located in the Quiet Reading Room.

Open stacks.  The book stacks are open for browsing.  You no longer need to place holds on AVAILABLE books.  In fact holds on engineering books for pick-up at the Engineering Library will be canceled.

Orientation tours.  Starting next week on February 7, we are offering short orientation tours on Thursdays and Fridays 4-5 p.m.  Meet in the Library Classroom, 850D.

Copying.  We await more photocopiers and connectivity for using Bearcat cards.  Meantime only cash copying is available.  EquiTrak is being phased out.  Departments with EquiTrak cards will have to contact Gary Johnson at the UC Bookstore to learn more about department and contract charging.

Chemical Abstracts.   No longer do you have to visit the Chemistry/Biology Library to use Chemical Abstracts' SciFinder online.  There is now a station in the Reference area which provides access.

--Dorothy Byers

Send comments to: Dorothy F. Byers, Head, Engineering and Mathematics Libraries