Diebold Error

A very common printing error is triggered when students need to authorize the J-Card policy in the SIS system.  We have placed signs (see below) near printers upstairs and downstairs to help students trouble-shoot this problem.  Most likely we will still need to assist the student with his or her immediate needs, since the policy takes 24 hours to apply.

Practice Material for COMPASS Test

This is the season for pre-admission testing.  Many of our new students are required to take the COMPASS test to determine their placement in Communications, English and Math classes and  what learning support might be needed.  To learn more about that process, and the new admissions criteria that went into effect in 2012, see the Testing Center website at: http://testing.gpc.edu/placement.htm#.Ucn0cdhsG70

We have a print review guide in ready reference and stacks: http://gilfind.gpc.edu/vufind/Record/237061, but many of those needing review do not have borrowing privileges yet.  The testing center has assembled some helpful prep materials on this page: http://testing.gpc.edu/materials.htm.  The math materials are especially good because they have answers for students to check their reasoning and computations. (Math also tend to be a high anxiety area for some students.)

A New Face at the Reference Desk

Hello, Dunwoody librarians!  I am Margaret Nugent, the new part-time reference librarian.  After a few years off to spend time with my two young daughters, I am happy to be back behind the reference desk.

I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with my Master of Science in Information Studies in 2005. I have worked in several types of libraries-academic, legal, public-and always enjoyed helping people find the information they were searching for.  I am looking forward to working with a diverse student body at GPC.  When I was in high school, my mother returned to a local junior college to resume her college degree after a 15 year hiatus.  I hope that I can help all students, traditional and non-traditional, achieve their academic goals during their college careers.

I am originally from Texas, but have lived in Atlanta for almost 5 years.  I moved here when my husband, a native Atlantan, started work as an associate at a law firm.  We had previously lived in Houston, Austin, and Corpus Christi, Texas. 

While most of my time is spent playing, cooking, and cleaning for my daughters, Leona (4.5 years old) and Joni (turning 3 in July), I also enjoy running, watching a little TV with my husband, Adam, when the girls are asleep, and playing the piano when they are not.  I am excited to be running my first Peachtree Road Race this July 4.

It is only my first week, but I can already tell GPC is going to be a wonderful place to work.

Printing in the New iCollege

 No doubt we will discover many things about Desire2Learn, the new platform for iCollege, in the weeks and months ahead.  One thing discovered by a few of the staff is that printing is a bit different now.

When a pdf displayed in a content frame of the old iCollege, we instructed students to use the print icon/tool at the top of the frame rather than using a File>Print command.  Remember how, if they didn't follow those directions, they would often print a blank (or almost blank) page? Well, those directions are SO last season. (Wink)

 Here's the new way--and it's different for each type of content:

1. A .docx opens in MS Word in a new window which is that obviously outside of iCollege. For this content, simply use the file>print function to send the document to Pharos.
2. A .pdf opens within the content frame in iCollege, but it's actually being opened by an Adobe Reader; therefore to print, we need to look for the tools within that application.  Usually there is a floating toolbar, the kind that appears when we want to print a .pdf from one of the databases. To see it, just wiggle (very technical term) the mouse in the lower section of the document. Another option is to put the cursor within the document, right click, and give the print command from there. Either way works to send the document to Pharos.
3. If the instructor typed content directly into iCollege using the WYSIWYG .html editor, then use the print icon on the top of the content frame to print that page in Pharos.

Hope this helps avoid some frustration for you and the students.   Please let me know of other quandaries about the new iCollege so we can investigate and help each other.

Summer Services for Students Page

Many thanks to Gayle and Emmy for updating  the blue and white services for student sheet found at each side of the ref desk.  It's amazing how much investigation went into finding hours and other info that we are often asked about.  Our collective wisdom allows for clarification and enhancements. For example, there was some confusion about all the "spots"--Jag Spot, Media Spot, etc. so the sheet now has a brief explanation of those services.  (Though we missed doing the "Business Spot," which is essentially the JCard Office and the one place students can now do color printing. We'll include that in the fall update.)

Services for Students – Summer 2013

Service	Hours	Location /Phone/URL
Student Contact Center Advising and Counseling	M-Fri 8 AM- 4:30 PM Self-service 24 hours See website for hours B-Building	678-891-3535 (call center) http://tinyurl.com/mrbechp (student services) http://tinyurl.com/kvozc9e (ARCS)
Jag Spot (Computer Lab)	M-Th 8 AM- 9 PM F  9 AM- 2 PM	Dunwoody E160 770-274-5220 http://www.gpc.edu/oit/jagSPOT
Media Spot (in JagSpot)	M-Th 9 AM- 9 PM F  9 AM- 2 PM	Dunwoody E180 770-274-5036 http://mediaspot.gpc.edu/
Business Spot	M - TH 8 AM - 4 PM F 9 AM – 1 PM	Dunwoody B1500 770-274-5480
Tech Help for Students	M – Th  7 AM – 7 PM F  7 AM – 5 PM	678-891-3460 http://www.gpc.edu/oit/servicedesk/
Learning & Tutoring Center	M- Th   10 AM - 8 PM F     12 PM - 4 PM	Dunwoody LRC-3200 770-274-5244 http://depts.gpc.edu/~gpcltc/
Testing Center	M, W-F 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM T   9:30 AM – 5 PM	Dunwoody C-1261 770-274-5440 http://testing.gpc.edu
Bookstore	M- Th 8:30 AM – 5 PM F   8:30 AM – 2 PM	Dunwoody B1360 770-274-5170 http://bit.ly/XBuKlU
Campus Cafe	M- Th 7 AM – 7 PM F    7 AM – 2 PM	Dunwoody B1400 C/D Atrium
Fitness Center Weight Room	Check Schedule or Call Brandi Meriwether	Dunwoody F1300 770-274-5465 http://bit.ly/1b98yau
Student Health Center	Mobile Unit- Check  Schedule	http://tinyurl.com/jwy6saw

Other Important Numbers

Public Safety                                     770-274-5315 (Dunwoody) (or 5500 for non-emergency)

                                                                678-891-3940 (Emergency Dispatcher) (or 5511 / Nora)

FAFSA Code                                       001562

Dictionary of Literary Biography

This much used and loved reference resource is available in both print and electronic forms. As you old-timers are aware, the print set was moved downstairs along the back wall near the restroom.  Students can use the cumulative index volume with the yellow dot to find references for their author of interest.

Because Gale publishes this work, we also have a handy-dandy finding aid through the Literature Resource Center database.  The Literary Index found in the database gives all volume numbers in the DLB (plus many other reference works) where an author is mentioned. For instance, here are the DLB entries for Sherman Alexie:  Dictionary of Literary Biography, volume(s) 175, 206, 278.  Just hand the volume numbers to a student, with instructions to the massive blue set on the back wall downstairs.

But wait, there's more!  Also in the Literature Resource Center, students can read the full text of the DLB articles online! Here's a screen shot of a person search on Alexie:

 

As you can see, #3, #5 and #11 are the DLB articles.   We've got something for everyone!  Print for those who like to feel the pages and electronic for those who want to do the research from home in their jammies.

Ask US!

As we welcome students for the summer session, the ASK ME volunteers might stop by the ref desk to ask for a button.  You'll find those buttons in the drawer with our name plates.

AND feel free to put one on when you are at the desk. You know the answers to many of the questions new students have and will give them a warm welcome to the GPC community. You'll see copies of  the FAQs given to all the volunteers, along with important phone numbers at the desk.

Thanks!