Microfilm & Microfiche

Hey everyone!

This is just a reminder for everyone for putting back microfilm and microfiche. Remember to count each piece of microfilm and microfiche as you put them away and also make sure to record them on the clipboard at the desk. I put away a bunch of microfilm today and Rich reminded me of this, so I just wanted to make sure everyone else didn’t forget like I did!

Have a great day everyone!

Shannon 

Fire Alarm Procedure

Hey everyone! Today the library's fire alarm went off, so I thought it would be a good time to remind everybody of the procedure we have for staff members when the alarm sounds:

Fire alarms must be taken seriously at all times. If the alarm sounds:

1.     Evacuate the building using the nearest exit. 

2.     Move at least 200 feet away from the building.

3.     Meet at the center of the walkway crossing The Green to “check in” with department staff.

4.     Re-enter the building when Public Safety indicates that it is safe to do so.

New Part with Mac Power Adapters

Have you noticed that the Mac Power Adapters now have a little black pouch attached to them? This is an additional part of each Mac Power Adapter kit.  Inside the pouch, there is a small adapter that converts between MagSafe and MagSafe2.  This allows the chargers to be used with new Macbook models. The MagSafe2 is compatible with the smaller power adapter ports on the newer Macbooks shown below.

If a user asks for a charger for a newer Macbook, they are now available on each of the power adapter kits.  Be sure to scan the additional part when going through the checklist!

New Three Day Loan Headphones

Hey everyone,

The three day loan headphones that used to be stored in those hard, black plastic boxes on top of a cabinet in the back have been replaced and are no longer available for checkout!

To replace them, we have four new Sennheiser HD 380 Pro headphone kits. These new kits have two parts, the actual headphones and a coiled cable that can be used with any 3.5mm headphone jack. The headphones are stored in black, hard-shell containers with the Sennheiser logo on the top. These new kits are currently located in the same desk drawer that the four hour loan headphones are stored.

If anyone wants to check out a pair of headphones for use outside of the library, then these new headphones are their only option!

Printing Brochures

Hello everyone,

Many users have been printing brochures this semester so I just wanted to give a simple method to do so that I picked up from John and Nico.

If you wish to print a color brochure so that both sides of the landscape brochure are upright in the same direction rather than reversed...

On Macs:

• In your Word document, go to File, Print
• Select Color, Double Sided
• In the drop-down menu directly below,  select Paper Feed to select which tray you wish to print from (2,3 for glossy paper and 4 for plain paper)
• In the same drop-down menu, select Layout
• Make sure Short-edge binding is selected in the Two-Sided drop-down box
• Select Print

On PCs:

• In your Word document, go to File, Print
• Select Color
• Under Settings, select Print on Both Sides Flip Pages on Short Edge
• Under Printer Properties, select the paper source tray corresponding with the paper type you wish (2,3 for glossy and 4 for plain paper)
• Select Print

What are 8mm, Hi8 and Digital 8 tapes and why a transfer kit?

We have a 8mm/Hi8/Digital 8 transfer kit that can be checked out for three days. What tapes does it take you may wonder? Answer: it's for Video8, Hi8 and Digital8 videotapes. The 8mm video format was developed in the 1980s to make home video cameras smaller. Before this, "camcorders" recorded to either VHS or Betamax tape, requiring a larger camera. The development of 8mm videocassettes allowed for smaller cameras. The original Video8 was entirely analog. Hi8 allowed for a special digital audio track. Digital 8 was a cassette the same size but with all digital signal, similar to a Mini DV tape. Most people who borrow the transfer kit have home video tapes. Here's an example:

The deck allows them to import these tapes into a video editing program via firewire. For more info. see the Wikipedia article on 8mm video format. Please note this kit does not transfer any audio only tape such as audio cassettes, 8-track, or reel to reel tape. Also it does not transfer 8mm or Super 8 movie film which was popular for home movies in the 1960s and 1970s.

iMovie: Green Screen

This morning I was helping a student with adding an image to the background of the green screen video clip he had already prepared. Luckily this student had already put his video together and had it ready to go for putting in the final touch... adding an image to the background of his clip. We found a high resolution image of space and I showed him how to take the video clip and drag it over top of the image and wait for the green (+) to appear. After multiple attempts this still didn't work. It turns out this was because we were using a clip that was already in the Project Library (as opposed to a clip from the (Event Library), for some reason this will not allow you to place the clip over the image.

So remember, the clip must be taken from the Event Library and then dragged and dropped into the project for it to give you the "Green Screen" option.