INFORMATION SERVICES
December 2002
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Announcements from the Bulletin, Today, Notification-L

12/27/02, SilkyMail Problems
Silkymail is now working again after about a week of difficulties. Earlier this morning our network staff was able to clear up a full partition on the server it runs on, which seems to have done the trick. This problem affected users of Silkymail, but not those who run the full Mulberry program from off campus.

If you are interested in installing the Mulberry client onto your home computer you can download the Windows version from http://www.macalester.edu/crash/Software/PC/Mulberry/Configured/Mulberry_v205.exe and the Macintosh version from http://www.macalester.edu/crash/Software/Mac/Mulberry/Configured/mulberry2.0.5.sea.hqx. [Notification-L]

12/20/02, Information Services Midyear Progress Report
The Information Services departments - C.I.T., Library and Media Services - collaborate on setting annual goals for our enterprises. How are we doing? A midyear progress report toward our 2002-03 goal statement (and the goals themselves) may be found at http://www.macalester.edu/infoplan/. [Bulletin]

12/20/02, Please Change Your Greeting!
When you leave for your holiday break, please change your voicemail greeting. It's easy and a nice courtesy to your callers. Access your voicemail box - then, instead of pressing 1 to listen to your messages, press 4, then 3, then 2 and follow the prompts. When you get back to campus, the first time you access your voicemail box, it will alert you to your "vacation" greeting and tells you to press 2 to delete it. Then you're back to your original greeting. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call Telecommunications at x6566. [Bulletin]

12/20/02, LESTER Tip #7: Linking to Library Catalogs
LESTER is Macalester's Web portal, providing a convenient and personalized way to access a wide variety of campus and Web resources. Use your regular network/e-mail username and password to log in to LESTER at http://lester.macalester.edu.

LESTER's Research tab includes a "Library Catalogs" channel with a link to CLICnet, the library catalog for Macalester and other members of the CLIC consortium. A CLICnet library catalog search can be initiated from within LESTER using the quick search form on the "Library Catalogs" channel. Click on the paper and pencil icon to customize your library catalogs display and include links to other library catalogs such as the University of Minnesota. [Bulletin]

12/20/02, Library Hours During Break
The Library is closed from Friday, December 20th at 4:30 PM until Monday, January 6th at 10:00 AM. [Bulletin]

12/20/02, Interlibrary Loan Services During Break
Interlibrary loan services will end at 4:30 PM Friday, December 20th and we will start up ILL services again Monday, January 6th at 10:00 AM. Electronic requests placed during the break will be processed Monday the 6th. [Bulletin]

12/20/02, Two New Library Services: Annual Reviews and Refworks
Annual Reviews. The library now has online access to the 18 titles we get in print. Full content online access goes back for most of the titles to 1996 or 1997. Point your browser to http://www.annualreviews.org/aronline/.

Refworks. In January the library staff will be conducting a training session on a new product we have purchased. Refworks is a web-based product that allows individual users to manage bibliographic citations and format citations by a wide variety of styles. There are many special features of this product. You need to set up your account on campus in order to access it from off-campus. We are just in the process of implementing the new service, so there are many features that aren't currently available, but will be during January. If you can't wait and want to check this out, see http://www.refworks.com. Select UserLogin and set up your own account. Training will be available during Faculty/Staff workshops on January 9, 1:00 to 2:30 PM. [Bulletin]

12/12/02, System-wide Outage of 12/12
During the evening of Wednesday, December 11, we experienced a four-hour system-wide outage when power was cut to the data room. Literally every system - the Novell servers, CARS, e-mail, Internet access - even off-campus telephone lines were all cut. Power was restored at about 11:20 PM, and the last system to be brought back up, the e-mail server, was brought back up at 12:25 AM on 12/12. [Notification-L]

12/10/02, More CARS Downtime Today
Regrettably, the CARS administrative system is still having some problems. Most of these problems are happening "behind the scenes," and therefore may not be visible to all CARS users. All CARS users are asked to please exit the system by 4:30 PM today (Tuesday December 10). After that time, the system will be shut down for repairs. We are working with the vendor to isolate and fix these problems. We are sorry for any inconvenience this downtime may cause. If you have questions, please contact Database Manager Ramón Rentas at x6633. [Notification-L]

12/09/02, Server Woes Today
The Admin server stopped responding today just a little while ago. As soon as the problem was found, the server was rebooted. Both Corporate Time and the email server rely on Admin, so they probably weren't working for a little while, either. Things should be back to normal now. [Ed. note: this posting went out at 1:59 PM.] [Notification-L]

12/09/02, CARS Downtime Today
The CARS administrative system is still experiencing some problems. All CARS users are asked to please exit the system by 4:30 PM today (Monday December 9). After that time, the system will be shut down for repairs. We are working with the vendor to isolate and fix these problems. We regret any inconvenience this downtime may cause. If you have questions, please contact Database Manager Ramón Rentas at x6633. [Notification-L]

12/06/02, Collegium Musicum in the Harmon Room
Collegium Musicum Macalestri plays Loeillet, Telemann and Gibbons at noon Thursday, December 12, in the Harmon Room, Library.

Collegium Musicum Macalestri, directed by Carleton Macy, specializes in instrumental and vocal music from the Medieval period through the Baroque. The program will include: "Sonata a Tre" by Jean Baptiste Loeillet, "Sonate" by Georg Philipp Telemann and "Two Fantasias" by Orlando Gibbons. Performers include Ethan Gans-Morse, recorder, Carleton Macy, recorder, Shoshana Daniels, viol da gamba and Astghik Poladyan, harpsichord. [Bulletin]

12/06/02, That Bright Orange Book
Yes, the Macalester Employee Directory. It not only contains the phone numbers and locations of all departments, staff and faculty members, but also of students. Please keep it handy and use it if you don't know a campus number. Habitually calling the switchboard is costly of staff time and of our ability to serve others. Please also check your own information provided in the directory and notify Human Resources at x6280 or Telecommunications at x6566 if there are errors or needed changes. [Bulletin]

12/06/02, Computer Replacements
The second round of the 2002-03 Microcomputer Fund is approaching. Full details may be found on the CIT Web pages at www.macalester.edu/cit/general/funding.html.

This fall we will initiate a two-pronged approach which, we hope, will make the process less cumbersome for all concerned:

     A. Automatic replacements

Computers with Macalester ID number 12650 or below will have been in service for four years or longer as of December 31. We will seek to identify these computers in our inventory, and try to automatically replace the older one with a newer version of the same equipment. If no changes are contemplated, there is no need to apply to replace these computers. We will contact your department directly in coming weeks with a list of what our inventory shows, so as to minimize the chances of missing something.

     B. Applications

Please apply to the Micro Fund if any of the following circumstances apply:

  1. A new need has arisen for which there is currently no computer (including new staff or faculty without startup funds), "new requests;"

  2. Someone wishes to replace a computer that is not yet four years old;

  3. Someone wishes to replace a four-year-old computer, but requires a machine with capabilities significantly above and beyond the campus standard (please refer to what that standard is, on our Web pages);

  4. Someone wishes to replace a four-year-old computer, and also wishes to change platform (e.g. Mac to PC) or configuration (e.g. desktop to laptop), or

  5. Someone wishes to upgrade, rather than replace, an existing computer that is not yet four years old (e.g. by adding RAM).

The Micro Fund can afford one computer per faculty or staff member. The Micro Fund buys only standard computers and workgroup printers - not software, peripheral devices or non-computer equipment. Because of replacement volume and looming budget reductions, applications to replace computers that are not yet four years old are not likely to be awarded.

Application materials are on the Web as above. Please return all application materials to David Sisk in CIT on or before Friday, December 13. If you have questions about the Micro Fund, please contact David at x6745 or sisk@macalester.edu. [Bulletin]

12/06/02, Media Users: Please Plan Ahead
Faculty who plan to use media materials (films, videos, DVDs) during Spring semester should send your reserve requests to Kristi Wheeler at wheeler@macalester.edu by January 15. You may send requests via e-mail or use the on-line reserve form on the Media Services Website at www.macalester.edu/mediaservices/. Remember, we can respond to last-minute requests only if time is left after taking care of planned needs. [Bulletin]

12/06/02, LESTER Tip #5: A Channel for Every Course
LESTER is Macalester's Web portal, providing a convenient and personalized way to access a wide variety of campus and Web resources. Use your regular network/e-mail username and password to log in to LESTER at http://lester.macalester.edu.

LESTER uses a tab arrangement to divide the portal into sections: Start, Campus, Courses, News, Research and Tools. Each tab includes various "channels" of information. On the Courses tab, a channel appears for each course you are enrolled in (students) or each course you are teaching (faculty). Course channels feature convenient access to library reserves, course folders and e-mail lists. There is also an area for faculty to add web resource links and course announcements. Resource links and announcements will appear in the course channel for each student enrolled in the course. [Bulletin]

12/05/02, CARS Downtime Scheduled
The CARS system is experiencing some problems, and will be brought down on Friday, December 6 at 4:30 PM for maintenance. The system will be down the rest of the day. In the meantime, some scheduled reports may not run properly, and the CARS programmers will not be able to put any new reports or programs into production. We are working with the vendor to resolve the problems as soon as possible. [Notification-L]

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