Meet our Dog Stars!

Posted on October 25, 2012 by RAL

In case you’ve missed the brightly colored Pug posters, the “Stall Stories” or our tweets and Facebook posts, therapy dogs are coming to the UGL next week—for real!

Research shows that interaction with dogs reduces stress by decreasing the level of cortisol and increases happiness by releasing endorphins. The Undergraduate Library, partnering with the International and Area Studies Library, will be hosting registered therapy dogs for students to walk, pet and play with as part of our ongoing stress reduction initiatives during midterms and finals. (If you think we’re crazy for letting pooches in with the patrons, read about Yale Law Library’s therapy dog!)

Dogs from the CU Registered Therapy Dog Group will be available in the UGL on Monday, Oct. 29 from 2-5pm and on Tuesday, Oct. 30 from 2-5pm and 7-9pm. We encourage you to come, de-stress, and make a new furry friend. If you’re on Twitter, feel free to tweet about your experience—we’ve even got a hashtag: #UGLBFF. (And while you’re at it, follow us @askundergrad.)

In the mean time, here’s a sneak peek at three of the dogs you can meet:

Raven, on the left

Raven is a 6-and-a-half-year-old Standard Poodle. She loves people of all ages, but prefers adults since they are the best petters. She does most of her therapy work at libraries (so she’ll fit right in at the UGL!) and at the Urbana Crisis Nursery. When she’s not working, she enjoys fetching frisbees and tennis balls.

Hunny is picture with medals from winning a rally.

Hunny, the rally champ!

Hunny is a 6-year-old Australian Cattle Dog mix adopted from Good Shepherd Humane Society near Eureka Springs, Arkansas. In addition to therapy visits, Hunny trains and competes in Dock Dog and APDT Rally Obedience venues earning a Junior Dock Dog and APDT Rally Championship titles. Hunny is also a canine star of the theater, most recently appearing in S.T.A.G.E. productions of “The Miracle Worker” and “Cranford.” Hunny shares her People and Paw Print Pond with five Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, two Labrador Retrievers, and five rescue cats.

Full disclosure: This isn’t Sam, but we’re sure he’s just as handsome as this Alaskan Malamute.

Sam is a 7-year-old Alaskan Malamute. He’s a very calm, large, furry, wolfy-looking dog who is quite content being petted. He has a Three Stooges sort of sense of humor, is very curious, and very typical of the Malamute attitude that anything that happens, he can take care of, so why worry. He also subscribes to the belief that you can never know when you might have to pull a sled, so nap whenever possible. Energetic isn’t an adjective one would use to describe this guy. He is casually obedient, selectively deaf, but utterly charming and sweet. He’s a conformation champion (so he’s quite stunning), loves agility obstacles though he hates to jump, and he isn’t too crazy about do-overs. He suffers from severe test anxiety, so understands what mid-terms can do.

If these dogs look like good cuddle BFFs to you, stop by the UGL on Monday or Tuesday to say hello. Interested in learning more about therapy dogs? Check out Pet Partners (formerly the Delta Society) to learn more about the work that therapy dogs do.

UGL 101: Ask A Librarian

Posted on October 18, 2012 by CN

Somewhere, in the deep, dark night, a cry goes out for help. A student has an information need, and they can’t make it to the library to get help. Whatever shall they do? There is tearing of hair and rending of garments. All seems lost, until—what’s this? A tiny, yellow image of a running figure? A prompt inviting visitors to share their needs? Could it possibly be…a chat window that connects students to an actual live librarian in real time? It is! Hurrah! The day is saved!

A beacon of hope.

Okay, so maybe it’s never that dramatic. Most people don’t actually rip their clothes in frustration when they need help. Sometimes, though, you do have a reference or research question that needs answering right away, and you can’t make it to the library to ask our reference librarians for assistance. When that happens, you can use our handy dandy Ask A Librarian services to get the help you need.

You might have seen the Ask A Librarian chat window, pictured above, on the UGL homepage. It also appears, with some minor variations, on the main library gateway page, and on the search results page within many different databases—look for it! No matter where it shows up, and no matter where you’re surfing from (be it home, a coffee shop, up a tree—wherever!) it will connect you to a live librarian who is ready to help you with your question. Just start typing in the message bar where prompted, press enter, and a librarian will respond. From 9 am to midnight Sunday-Thursday, 9am-5:30pm on Friday and 10am-6pm on Saturday, real librarians sit and eagerly await your inquiries. Go ahead and ask them!

Chat boxes may look different on different pages.

The chat box may also look like this. They all work!

If you don’t want to use the chat box we provide on our sites, you can add us on AIM, Yahoo, MSN, or Google Talk, and chat with us that way. Our screen name is the same on all four platforms: askillinois. You can also add the main library to your account; their screen name is askuiuc.

If you’d rather not use IM at all, fear not! We have other ways for you to get in touch with us. For instance, you can also text us! Send your question to 217-686-4361, and we’ll text you back with an answer. Be aware that standard messaging rates apply.

All these options are available to you if you need a librarian and can’t come to the library to ask your question. If you can make it to the library, though, stop by our reference desk and ask us in person! We’re directly in front of you when you enter the main doors, near the circulation desk. You’ll know us by our spiffy blue vests. You can also stop by during Office Hours to get research or writing help—no appointment necessary! Whatever method you prefer—we’ve got you covered.

Office Hours @ the UGL

Posted on October 11, 2012 by HJL

Research and Writing Help you can Believe in!

It’s that time of year. The leaves are turning orange and red, the sun is setting a little earlier, and you’re getting busier. Papers are getting assigned, projects are almost due, midterms are almost upon us. Because we want you to rock the socks off all your classes, the UGL is here to help you in any way we can. Starting this month through December 4th, you can visit us for some one-on-one research and writing help during Office Hours @ the UGL.

You always have the option of stopping at the Research Desk or chattin’ us up through IM, but if you need some one-on-one research time away from the noisy traffic of the library, Office Hours is here for you. Every Monday from 2-4 and every Tuesday from 7-9, UGL librarians are waiting in room 291 to answer all your burning research questions. We can help you with any part of your research process, too, whether you’re just getting started, need more sources, or don’t know if the ones you have are credible. Quick question or in-depth research? We’ll help with both. And bonus: Writers Workshop tutors will be there too. So you can come get help with your research and your writing, all in one stop!

The best part? You don’t need to make an appointment. Just stop in and let us know how we can help you. To make sure you get the most out of your visit though, here are a couple tips:

First, if you have a specific assignment you’re working on, bring any assignment details you have with you. The more we know about what you have to do, the better we can help!
Second, if you’ve done any work on the assignment so far, make sure to tell us, so we can start from the best possible place.

Don’t let your research get the better of you. Visit Office Hours @ the UGL and get help you can believe in!

Procrastination? Test Anxiety? There’s a workshop for that.

Posted on September 24, 2012 by CN

You don't have to panic when surrounded by work.

School stressing you out? Get some help from a profesh!

College is your place to learn about your chosen field and how to succeed in it. It’s preparation for the challenges of your future, but it’s also a challenge in and of itself. You can go to school to learn how to navigate through the realms of psychology or physics or theater, but where can you go to learn how to navigate going to school? You can come to the Counseling Center Paraprofessionals workshops in the UGL, that’s where!

Sponsored by the Division of General Studies and presented by professionals and students like you from the Counseling Center Paraprofessionals program, these workshops can help you figure out how to work through rough spots that may pop up in your college career. Doing your best in school requires you to juggle a lot of different stresses and anxieties – “When am I going to find the time to do all this? How do I handle all these tests?” – and the CCPs are here to help. Previous workshops have focused on deciphering your class syllabus and getting the most out of office hours; here’s a list of what’s in store for the following weeks!

All workshops are from 7-8 PM in room 295 of the Undergraduate Library.

Wednesday, Oct. 3 – Overcoming Procrastination
Do you keep putting off until tomorrow things you could do today? Have a habit of waiting until the last minute, and then scrambling to get things done? Is procrastination beginning to impact your grades? Come learn how to conquer procrastination in easy, practical steps!

Monday, Oct. 8 – Test Anxiety Solutions
Does your mind go blank during tests? Do you suffer from clammy hands, sick stomach, and racing thoughts before a test? Do you prepare perfectly only to perform very poorly on your tests? Come get help to rid yourself of test-related panic!

Wednesday, Oct. 17 – Overcoming Sleep Difficulties
Tossing and turning every night? Unable to get good sleep no matter what you do? Finding yourself unable to concentrate in class/studying because you’re tired? Come hear about proven ways to reclaim your rest!

Wednesday, Nov. 28 – Preparing for Finals
With finals just around the corner, come learn how to set up your study schedule now as well as how to be ready to tackle those tests!

We Want You! (To register to vote!)

Posted on September 17, 2012 by HJL

Image of the Voter Registration Machine in the Lobby of the Undergrad Library

Voter Registration Machine, conveniently located in the lower level lobby of the UGL

In 2008, college students played a vital role in propeling Barack Obama into the White House, and into history. Turning out in numbers larger than any since 1972 when the vote was first offered to 18-year-olds, the Millenial generation showed that they have the power to impact the world.¹ Are you registered to vote for this year’s election? Whether you are or not, stop by the UGL this week and find out what you can do to make sure your voice is heard.

This week (through Thursday) you can register to vote at the UGL. Representatives from the Champaign County Clerk’s office will be here from 2-8 PM to help you join the ranks of Illinois voters. They’ll be set up on the right as you enter the upper level of the UGL, just across from the Circulation desk. In addition to helping you register, they can also answer any questions you might have about the registration process, voting, polling places, absentee ballots, etc.

Registering is a cinch! Just come prepared. You will need your driver’s license as well as basic information: address, phone number, previous voting address, and any prior name(s).

If you miss the voter drive, don’t worry! The UGL can still help you do your patriotic duty. We have a voter registration station [pictured above], conveniently set up in the lobby of the lower level. Here, you can fill out the form electronically, print it, and drop it in a secure box. You’ll need all of the same information for the electronic form as you do for the registration drive (so be prepared to provide your driver’s license number).

There are few dates you’ll need to keep in mind if you aren’t able to register to vote during this week’s drive. The last day you can register to vote is October 9th. That means that if you want to use the registration machine the UGL, give yourself a week or so to make sure your form can get processed. Also, if you’re planning on voting by absentee ballot from your hometown, your request has to be received by October 30th. Questions about how that’s done? Stop by the Registration Drive and get those answers and many more!

¹Lipka, S. and Wideman, R. (2008). Young Voters Overwhelmingly Favored Obama, Swinging Some Battleground States. Chronicle of Higher Education, 55(12), A21-A23.

UGL 101: Printing S.O.S.

Posted on September 13, 2012 by RAL

*UPDATED 10/31/2018*

UGL 101: an introduction

One of the most convenient services the UGL offers to patrons is printing. We’ve got black and white, color–double-sided, and even large format (11×17). And you have the convenient option to charge your print jobs (10 cents/page for black and white; 40 cents/page for color) to your IlliniCash account or pay for them in cash.

However, like anything technology-based, sometimes you have to run through the process a couple of times before you get the hang of it. Also, occasionally we run into a few snags. We’ve put together some FAQs on printing–and what to do if you are having trouble.

What’s the first thing I need to know when I’m ready to print?
Great question! The first thing to check when you’re ready to print is that you’ve selected the printer that corresponds with how you want to pay. After you tell your document/file/image/PDF to print, you should get a printing menu that will let you select 1 of 4 printers:

Library B&W
UGL B&W Pay at Circulation Desk
Library Color
UGL Color Pay at Circulation Desk

If you want to charge it to your IlliniCash account, you will choose the Library option that matches which ink you want (black & white or color). If you want to pay with cash at the Circulation desk, choose a printer that says “pay at circulation desk.”

Okay, got it. What next?
If you chose either of the “pay at circulation desk” options, you’re almost done! Hit “print” on the print menu, then head up to the circulation desk (the one on your left as you walk into the upper level). You’ll tell one of our lovely library employees what print job you sent; they’ll tell you how much it costs; and after you turn over the coins, they’ll turn over the print job. Voila!

If you chose to pay with IlliniCash and select one of the Library printers, after you hit “Print,” a little box will pop up, prompting you to login. This is where you should enter your Net ID and password, wait for another little box to pop up, showing the price that will be charged to your student account and hit “print” again. This will let you know that your job had been sent to the release station.

Release Stations: The Black & White Release Station is next to multiple printers across from the Circulation Desk on the upper level. The Color Release Station is behind the black & white station, by the window into the court yard. Login at the release stations with your Net ID/password. You should see your print jobs waiting in your queue, and from there you can send the ones you want to the printer.

Release stations. Check. Once I do that step, where will my print job come out?
If you’ve printed black & white, your documents will come out of one of the printers near the black & white release station. If you printed in color, they will come out from one of the printers near the color release station. Of course, this is only if you chose the login to pay option. Any print jobs for which you paid cash will be printed at the Circulation Desk, and one of the employees will snag them for you!

Okay, but I’ve never printed in the UGL before. Which computers can I print from?
Get ready to have your mind blown: You can print from ANY of the PCs in the UGL. They will all give you the option to login to pay, or pay at the circulation desk–even the PCs on the lower level! There are two exceptions: the Macs along the north wall on the upper level (next to the Media Commons) print to the CITES lab. And the computers in the CITES lab send printing jobs to the CITES printers (the CITES lab is on the upper level of the UGL, way in the back corner, past the gaming center).

I am trying to print a PDF and it won’t work. Help!
We have had a few issues with PDFs, so you are not alone! It seems that if you are trying to print a PDF file directly from Compass, it doesn’t always want to work. The best work-arounds we have found for problem PDFs are to try saving it to the Desktop and then re-sending the print job from there. You can also try to save the PDF as an “image” instead of a PDF. If neither of these options are working, please come find a library employee, and we’ll help you out!

I am trying to print an image and it won’t work. Help!
Check the file type on your image. Occasionally, image file types such as .tiff won’t send to the printer. If you can, re-save it as a .jpg or .png file and see if that will help. Sometimes, printing directly from Microsoft Window’s photo viewer doesn’t work, either, and you can try saving your images to the desktop and printing from there. If you’re still having trouble, ask us!

I sent my job to print, but when I went to the release station, it’s not showing up.
Okay, double-check which printer you selected. A lot of time, students will want to charge the printing to their student account, but if they accidentally selected a “pay at circulation desk” printer, it won’t show up in the queue on the release station. You have to print with a library virtual printer if you want to use the release stations. If you sent it to the correct printer, you can try re-sending the job (don’t worry about getting charged twice – the only print jobs you get charged for are the ones that are released from the print-release station!). If there are lots of people printing at the same time–like in between class–sometimes it takes a little bit longer for the jobs to be processed.

If you’re still having problems, please ask one of the super cool peeps who work here! Help is available at the Circulation Desk, the Research desk (both right next to the printers) or online via our chat service. Printing shouldn’t be an exercise in frustration, and we’re here to help it go smoothly. If you have any questions we didn’t cover here–or suggestions for making printing less painful–leave ’em in the comments!

Update August 27 2013: We now also have laptop printing. Rejoice! Check out the how-to page and avoid the release stations altogether.

Diverse Partnerships

Posted on September 10, 2012 by RAL

Diversity Services Display is downstairs in the lower lobby of the UGL.

Whoever said there’s no such thing as a free lunch clearly hasn’t heard about the Lunchtime Discussion Series presented by the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Relations.

Throughout the semester, the OIIR–in partnership with the Asian American Cultural Center, the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, La Casa Cultural Latina, LGBT Resources Center, Native American House and the Women’s Resource Center–provide nourishment for your body and your brain with lunch and meaningful discussion. Held throughout the semester from noon-1pm (events take place on all week days, so something’s bound to work in your sched), bring a friend or two (or meet some new ones) as a wide variety of topics and issues are discussed while you nosh on lunch.

The UGL is happy to work with the OIIR thoroughout the semester as one of our partner organizations. If you can’t make any of the lunches, stop by the Partners Desk on the upper level to chat with reps from the cultural houses and organizations and learn more about their missions and services. Watch the UGL Events Calendar for dates and times.

If any of this sounds appealing, you can also swing by the bulletin board display in the lobby of the lower level of the UGL (pictured above). It’ll be up the month of September and features QR codes linking to more info about the individual organizations, printed schedules of this semester’s lunches (including topics and locations), and books on campus diversity that you can check out!

(Pro tip: Keep your eye on that bulletin board, as each month a different display promoting multiculturalism and diversity is featured.)

UGL 101: Reserves & My Account

Posted on September 3, 2012 by HJL

UGL 101: An Introduction

So you made it through your first week of class, hopefully with only one wrong turn or two on the way. Now you just have to make sure you have everything you need to have a successful semester. Here at the UGL, we can help with that!

We have plenty of space for you to study, either by yourself or with a group. We have computers, printers and scanners to help you get the semester started on the right foot. You can also check for course resources. Many instructors will put books or films on reserve for classes, and the UGL can help with that, too.

If you need a book (or media item) that your instructor has put on reserve, first you’ll need to search the reserves. You can get to the reserves search page from the UGL homepage:

screenshot: course reserves link is directly under Easy Search box.

Make sure you know the name of your instructor or the class number (you can search by either). Once you’ve located your reserve item, make sure you write down the Call Number if it’s a book or media item. Books and media are kept at the Circulation Desk (when you go to pick it up, bust out that call number, which is what the library staff need to find the item on the shelf), but there are also reserves online—which you can access from the comfort of your own computer. (Don’t have a computer? You can borrow a laptop or MacBook from the UGL, too, and use them for 2 hours.) Most book and media items on reserve can be checked out for 2 hours at a time, and must be kept in the library.

If you’re having trouble finding a course item on reserve, check out our Reserve Tips page, or Ask A Librarian.

Once you’ve mastered searching for and borrowing books, don’t forget to set up your library account, aka My Account. With this account, you can check due dates for borrowed materials, check the status of requested items, and renew your checked out items, among many other things. Find the link to My Account from the UGL homepage.

The My Account link is located in the center menu of the UGL homepage.

Once you get to the login page, simply fill in the basic information. It will be helpful to have your iCard on you, because you’ll need the “Library” number listed on the bottom right.

Screenshot: Your "borrower ID" is the 'Library' number on your I-Card. Choose U of I as your I-Share library.

Once you’ve signed up, you can use My Account to stay on top of all of your Library activity. And of course, you can always stop by and see us in person. We’re here to help you every step of the way!

Was this info helpful, but it didn’t answer all of your burning questions about how things work in the UGL? Never fear! We’ll be bringing you a series of “UGL 101” posts on all the “must know” stuff about the library. Stay tuned! (Or leave us your questions in the comments, and we’ll get back to you!)

New Year, New Look

Posted on August 29, 2012 by RAL

Friendly research librarians and GAs await you at the relocated research desk.

“This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change.”

While this quote may be attributed to the prolific Taylor Swift, it’s actually pretty true–and the Undergraduate Library is no exception. Classes just started, but if you’ve already made your way to the UGL (or if you’re planning on doing it soon–which you totally should!), you may notice that a few things are a little different.

For starters, our Research Desk has moved! Now, it’s directly in front of you as you walk in on the upper level (just next to the printers). The librarians and graduate assistants who staff it are no longer sitting behind a tall desk with a bulky computer–instead, we’ve got a mobile iPad so we can better help out anywhere in the library. However, our knowledge and services are still the same–so please stop by with any questions you have about using the library, finding a book, doing research for a homework assignment or how to get to Room 66 (or anything else you can think of).

Our Circulation & Reserves Desk is in the same place, and our wonderful staff and student assistants are also here to help you check out books and movies, find course reserves and use our loanable technology items (among many, many other things). They can also help you activate your I-Card if you are a new student or have a new card this year.

We also updated our printing procedures last spring, so here’s a refresher on how to print in the UGL (we’ve got black & white and color, and you can pay cash or charge it to your student account).

We’re pretty stoked about the new look and the new year, and we hope you are, too! If you’ve got any suggestions, let us know here or in the comments!

Undergraduate Library Blog

Information and Updates on Getting the Most out of the UGL

Tag Archives: services