During May 2010

Here @ ZSR

Digitization Goes Open Source

In our continuing commitment to exploring and utilizing community developed, open source software, one of the digitization stations located in Digital Production Services has been converted from Microsoft Windows XP into a Linux station running Ubuntu 10.04. Instead of using proprietary software to scan and edit the items we digitize, such as Adobe Photoshop, we... Continue reading “Digitization Goes Open Source”

ZSR Library running pilot project for thin clients

We all know how central cloud computing is to ZSR Library. Now that we are completing our migration at the server level we are beginning to think about what cloud computing could mean for our public and staff library computers. As a first step in examining this question we are participating in a thin client... Continue reading “ZSR Library running pilot project for thin clients”

Is your computer ready to be virtual?

There has been a trend emerging in computing for several years called Virtualization. Virtualization simply means that rather than running a single “computer” on a piece of hardware you can run multiple computers on one machine. Virtualization offers some interesting opportunities such as the ability to distribute and scale your applications in a cloud environment,... Continue reading “Is your computer ready to be virtual?”

Starbucks Rewards

If you are not a frequent user of Starbucks, you can just skip this post all together. But if you are one of the many staff that make Starbucks a part of your daily or (if you are really disciplined) weekly routine, there are some hidden treasures you can get with your Starbucks gift card... Continue reading “Starbucks Rewards”

ILL Direct Request – Empowering the Patrons

After some arduous testing, scripting and rescripting, I am happy to announce that ZSR is officially offering Direct Request for our patrons. OCLC ILL Direct Request gives our patrons the ability to send ILL requests directly to potential lending libraries without ILL staff’s intervention. This is a big leap forward for the ZSR ILL department,... Continue reading “ILL Direct Request – Empowering the Patrons”

Mold Remediation and Prevention- ALCTS Webinar

This webinar was presented by Michele Brown, Book Conservator at Cornell thought ALCTS as part of ALA Preservation Week. Mold is a fungi which reproduces by spores and is found everywhere. They also contain carbon. Mildew is just a form of mold. All substrates can support mold, both inside and outside our bodies. Molds can... Continue reading “Mold Remediation and Prevention- ALCTS Webinar”

Senior Showcase Highlights Undergraduate Research

L to R: Anna Nicodemus, Mallory Durr, Courtney Vris On Tuesday, April 20, the Z. Smith Reynolds Library hosted the inaugural Senior Showcase, an event honoring exemplary research completed by Wake Forest College undergraduates. Students shared their thesis research in a three-part lecture in the Allen Mandelbaum Reading Room. The 2010 honorees were: Anna Nicodemus... Continue reading “Senior Showcase Highlights Undergraduate Research”

Storage Facility to Preserve Materials, Make Them More Accessible

ZSR staff member Scott Adair examines the shelves during a visit to the Library Service Center at Duke University. The Wake Forest facility will use a similar high-bay shelving system. The Z. Smith Reynolds Library building exceeded its storage capacity over a decade ago. Despite the rise of electronic media, the library still buys thousands... Continue reading “Storage Facility to Preserve Materials, Make Them More Accessible”

Returning a Book Now More Convenient Than Ever

The Z. Smith Reynolds Library has installed two additional book return sites to make returning materials to ZSR even easier. The Coy C. Carpenter Library on the Bowman Gray Campus kindly donated two surplus book returns for ZSR use, and the Facilities Department spruced them up before installing them. One return site stands just to... Continue reading “Returning a Book Now More Convenient Than Ever”

Teaching With Technology

Following a successful pilot and with the approval of the Committee on Information Technology, Wake Forest University will transition from Blackboard to Sakai, a free and open-source online collaboration and learning management system. Sakai will offer some new features including wikis, blogs and chat. Sakai orientation sessions for faculty will be offered throughout the summer.... Continue reading “Teaching With Technology”