TED-ED a new Online Learning Platform

TED, the non-profit organization famous for "Ideas Worth Spreading,"  launched a new online learning platform today as part of its new  TED-Ed education initiative (http://ed.ted.com).

Back in March, TED launched a YouTube Channel channel dedicated to educational videos (http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDEducation).

The new education platform launched today, TED-Ed features a suite of tools that allow teachers to create their own lessons based on TED videos or any video found on YouTube.  

Teachers can use the pre-made lessons created by TED, customize the TED lessons for their own classes or create new lessons using TED videos or videos found on YouTube.  The TED created videos come with supplementary resources including multiple-choice questions, open-answer questions, and links to more information about the subject.  Teachers can "flip" or customize the TED-Ed lessons to suit their particular curricular needs.  If a teacher "flips" a lesson or creates their own lesson from a TED or YouTube video, the new lesson is given its own private web page that can be distributed to students.  Individual student progress can then be tracked as they complete the assignments.

"The new website is all about what teachers and students can do with those videos," says TED-Ed's Logan Smalley.  "The goal of TED-Ed is for each great lesson to reach and motivate as many learners as possible.  The new website goes a step further, allowing any teacher to tailor video content, create unique lesson plans, and monitor students' progress.   By putting this new technology to use, we hope to maximize time in class and give teachers an exciting tool for customizing  - and encouraging - learning."

More information about TED-Ed can be found at:

The Digital Education Revolution, Cont'd:  Meet TEC-Ed's New Online Learning Platform

TED Launched Revamped Education Platform

TED-Ed Hits the Classroom with New Video Website

Alumni on 5 Exhibition, Opening Reception 4/20 5-7pm

Alumni on 5: Alumni in the Library Exhibitions

"Games, Wars + Summits"

The Spring exhibition looks at this year's Critical Encounters focus, 'Rights, Radicals + Revolution' and the upcoming NATO summit in Chicago in May 2012.

Are you radical? Do you play games?  Do you war?  What revolution have/would you join or lead?  Is your art a medium for discussing politics, fun, social issues and community engagement?

Opening Reception
Columbia College Chicago Library
624 S. Michigan Ave., 5th Floor
Friday, April 20, 2012
5pm-7pm

Exhibition Hours:
During Regular Library Hours
April 20, 2012-August 2012

Shows Organized and Curated by:
Jodi Adams (BA '08)
Stephen DeSantis (MFA '08)

Finals Fridays begin this week!

The Library is once again staying open late on Friday nights! This week is the first of Finals Fridays when the Library will be staying open until 8pm. The last three Fridays of the semester (4/20, 4/27, and 5/4) we will be open from 8:00am to 8:00pm. Reserve textbooks and computers are always accessible for use and Librarians will be available to help with any research questions. Come join us and finish off those last few projects!

VAST Streaming Video Available!

 

New in the Columbia College Library

VAST:  Academic Video Online 

 http://emils.lib.colum.edu/login?url=http://vasc.alexanderstreet.com/ 

(please use this full URL when adding to syllabus, Moodle, email, etc.)

The Vast: Academic Video Online database from Alexander Street Press currently provides faculty with over 13,000 video titles from a wide range of disciplines, with new titles being added on a regular basis.  By 2013 VAST expects to have over 20,000 films available for faculty and students.

Faculty can easily provide links to high-quality video in their syllabus and embed links or video clips in their Moodle class.

Disciplines covered in VAST include:

• American History
• Area Studies
• Art and Architecture
• Business and Economics
• Counseling and Therapy
• Dance
• Education
• Ethinic Studies
• Ethonography
• Health
• Humanities
• Law & Criminal Justice
• Opera
• Politics & Current Affairs
• Psychology
• Religion & Philosophy
• Science
• Theatre
• Women & Gender Studies
• World History
• World Language & Literature

 With the VAST platform features you can:

• Create and share custom clips and playlists
• Speed-Browse the video with a visual TOC
• View synchronized scrolling transcripts alongside each video, search the transcript while watching, and jump forward and backward to search your term
• Cite whole videos or your custom clips using permanent URLs
• Email, share, and embed links in Moodle
• Access the videos with your mobile device (iPhone, iPad, Android)

To add a specific video to your class:

• Select the video you want to use
• Click on the Embed/Link option

 

• Copy the PERMALINK and past it into your syllabus or Moodle class

How Do I Print?

To print (and photocopy!) in the Library you need a Columbia Campus ID card, with Columbia Cash on it.

With your ID and Columbia Cash, you can print in the Library and campus computer labs. Printing costs $.10 / page for black and white, $.50 / page for color. Black and white printers/copiers are on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors. The color printer is on the 1st floor, the color copier on the 4th floor.

To print with coins or bills, purchase a GoPrint/OmniPrint card from the machine on the 1st floor.

Make it Happen

• Get a Columbia ID Card


• Add Columbia cash to your ID card


• Find printers and copiers in the Library using the Floor Directory

Help

• Columbia ID cards and Columbia Cash: Campus Card Office, (866)955-6764


• Printing and copying in the Library:
  Ask A Librarian.

Photo "Ink" by Flickr user Dollar Bin / Creative Commons licensed BY-2.0

Your chance to see who runs the world!

The NATO Summit

May 20-21, 2012
McCormick Place Chicago

NATO will be holding its 25th summit in President Obama’s hometown of Chicago, United States, on 20-21 May 2012. It will deliver on decisions that were taken at the Lisbon Summit in November 2010, driving forward key Alliance policies and reaffirming the transatlantic link.

Chicago Global Crossroads

Key links on this site handle every question you might have about this historic event. What is NATO, who’s going to be here, who’s running this show, what’s going to be happening where…oh yeah…and most important, “this affects me how?” Transportation! Yikes!
Summit related events start as early as April 17th. 

Not be missed…in our neighborhood

• Madeleine Albright
  May 2, 5-7pm ($20)
  Auditorium Theater at Roosevelt University
  
  
  
  
  A principal architect behind the NATO enlargement and the alliance’s 2010 Strategic Concept, Secretary Madeleine Albright now serves as co-chair of the host committee for the 2012 Chicago NATO summit. She joins The Chicago Council to reflect on the historic events featured in her latest memoir and to discuss the key lessons from her family’s harrowing flight from Prague in the prelude to World War II.
  
  
• Chicago’s Kids and Kites Day at Cricket Hill
  May 19, 10am-4pm (FREE…grab a little one and go!)
  Event Details
  
  
  
  
  The 14th Annual Chicago’s Kids and Kites Day will be linked to NATO…a fun-filled day to celebrate the joys of being a kid. From running around outdoors, flying FREE paper kites and enjoying family-focused programming including face painting, crafts, balloon artists and more.
  
  NATO is providing 5,000 kite kits for children as well as pictures of flags and fun facts about representative countries to help inspire children as they decorate their kites. In addition, the festival will also feature a workshop on the history and tradition of Afghan fighter kites. Also, the Big Kite Candy Drop will take place during the afternoon, weather permitting.
  
  

Mac Virus Alert Update

Apple has just issued a Java security update that will help protect your Mac Computer against the Flashback malware.  Check the Apple Pull-down menu for the Java Security Update to get this newly released security patch.

Their software update has the following message attached:

This Java security update removes the most common variants of the Flashback malware.  This update also configures the Java web plug-in to disable the automatic execution of Java applets. Users may re-enable automatic execution of Java applets using the Java Preferences application. If the Java web plug-in detects that no applets have been run for an extended period of time it will again disable Java applets.

This update is recommended for all Mac users with Java installed.

For details about this update see: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5242

Finding Frankenstein

Looking for Frankenstein?

Are you a First Year Seminar student, looking a free copy of the book Frankenstein?  The library copies may be checked out, but you can still get a free copy of this book!  Just go to Project Gutenberg to access a free digital copy of Frankenstein.  You can read the book online or download an eBook to be read on your personal eReader.  

You also might want to check out this all things Frankenstein glog:  http://mslev.edu.glogster.com/frankenstein/ which has downloadable audio versions of Frankenstein, more links to downloadable eBooks, background information about Mary Shelly, a link to the 1910 silent movie and, of course, the Mary Shelly Frankenstein quiz!

 Steel engraving for frontispiece to the revised edition of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, published by Colburn and Bentley, London 1831. The novel was first published in 1818.

 

 

Come hear Jim DeRogatis 4/23 7-9pm

Join The Friends of the Library as we welcome Jim DeRogatis, journalist, author and English Department faculty member for our spring Signature Showcase.  The title of his talk, The Curated Experience: We Don't Need No Stinking Critics... Or Do We? will set the stage for a lively discussion about what he knows best - the music scene.  Copies of several of Mr. DeRogatis' books will be available for sale and signing after the program.

Monday, April 23rd, 2012                                                       

7:00-9:00pm

Columbia College Chicago Library, 3rd Floor North

624 S. Michigan Ave. 

Chicago, IL 60605

Born in Jersey City, New Jersey, the year the Beatles arrived in America, Jim DeRogatis began voicing his opinions about rock ’n’ roll shortly thereafter. He is a lecturer in the Professional Writing Program of the English Department at Columbia College Chicago, and together with Greg Kot, he co-hosts Sound Opinions, the world’s only rock ’n’ roll talk show, originating from WBEZ Chicago and syndicated to more than 100 stations nationally via PRX. He spent 15 years as the pop music critic at the Chicago Sun-Times before moving into academia full-time in the spring of 2010, though he still writes entirely too much music criticism and journalism for his Pop N Stuff column on the WBEZ Web Site.

DeRogatis is the author of nine books, including Staring at Sound: The True Story of Oklahoma’s Fabulous Flaming Lips (Broadway Books, 2006); Turn On Your Mind: Four Decades of Great Psychedelic Rock (Hal Leonard, 2003, a greatly expanded edition of the book originally published as Kaleidoscope Eyes: Psychedelic Rock from the '60s to the '90s, Citadel Underground, 1996); Milk It! Collected Musings on the Alternative Music Explosion of the ’90s ( Da Capo, 2003), and Let It Blurt: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs, America’s Greatest Rock Critic (Broadway Books, 2000). 

For more information about Jim DeRogatis and his work, go to: http://jimdero.com and http://www.soundopinions.org/.

Art in the Library Reception 4/12 5-7pm

Art in the Library Opening & Reception

Thursday, April 12, 2012, 5:00-7:00pm
Columbia College Chicago Library
624 S. Michigan Ave.
3rd Floor North

 Join us - Thursday, April 12, 2012 from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. for the Art in the Library Opening and Reception for the Spring 2011 Exhibition in 3rd floor north.
Light refreshments will be served.

Vision. Sound. Movement.

The Art in the Library program at Columbia College Chicago provides an open, supportive and inviting setting to showcase the talent and creativity of our own community of artists. Since its inception in 2002, Art in the Library has offered library visitors the opportunity to experience the rich cultural diversity and progressive attitudes which thrive in the Columbia environment.

Presenting the work of Columbia College Chicago students, faculty, staff and alumni, the Art in the Library program exhibits works in all forms of visual arts, including sculpture, painting, drawings, and paper and book arts. Exhibitions by different artists are shown quarterly on a rotating basis.

The Art in the Library Committee welcomes all Columbia College Chicago artists to submit work for consideration.

Please visit the Art in the Library website for more information including submission guidelines, artwork forms, and examples of current and former exhibits.

Mac Virus Alert

Mac owners can usually breath a sigh of relief as news of a new computer virus hits the internet. But this week, a new, fairly nasty bit of malware called Flashback has been unleashed on unsuspecting Mac owners. The virus exploits a vulnerability in Java and then continues to download additional software before passing confidential information off to hackers or other remote internet users. Make sure to update your Mac system software and read these articles for further information and security suggestions:

 Flashback Central: How to Find, Protect Against, and Eliminate Scary Apple Malware

 Nasty Virus Attacking Macs

Secure your Mac from FlashBack Infection

National Library Week, April 8-14

This week is National Library Week 2012, a time to celebrate libraries, librarians and all that we do.  Libraries touch many lives and provide a wide variety of resources and services free of charge. 

Listen to author Brad Meltzer, 2012 Honorary Chair of National Library Week and host of the History Channel's series, "Decoded" as he talks about the importance of libraries:

Tell the staff at your favorite library how important they are to you.  Your support will be appreciated!

National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use.  For more information, go to: http://www.atyourlibrary.org/national-library-week.

Edible Books winners!

On April 3rd, the Center for Book and Paper Arts and the Library held the 13th Annual Edible Books and Tea. The event, which was open to the public, was part of the International Edible Book Festival held annually around the world on or around April 1st. Participants were asked to make food that integrated text, drew literary inspiration, or looked like a book.

As always, the event drew a large crowd. The creative minds created unique and tasty representations of their favorite books.

The winners are:

Best in Show:
Title: #4 Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Artist: Loni Diep
Book author: Jules Verne
Ingredients: Seafood, rice, and seaweed


Best Presentation
Title: #9 Mr Popper's Penguins
Artist: Lillian Fahrner
Book authors: Richard and Florence Atwater
Ingredients: Eggs, black olives, carrots, and sugar cubes


Best Visual Pun
Title: #17 Toast World
Artist: Claire Sammons, Grad Student in Book and Paper Arts
Book author: Daniel Clowes
Ingredients: Toast with a cinnamon stencil


Most Book-like
Title: #13 BB the Bada$$ Bookbinder
Artists: Greta Bach, Jessica Wagner, and Jamie Weaver, Grad Students in Book and Paper Arts
Book author: Josep Cambras
Ingredients: Funfetti cake mix, gum paste, cream cheese icing, and food coloring


Most Likely to be Devoured
Title: #6 Popeye's Source of Strength
Artists: K.V. & Jan Chindlund
Comic Strip: Elzie Crisler Segar
Ingredients: Spinach, feta cheese, onions, eggs, and phyllo

Technology help in the Library

Locked out of Oasis? PowerPoint presentations really dull? Can’t quite get the hang of making a pie chart?

Library assistance (powered by the Columbia Client Services Department) for tech software challenges is available!

Tuesday through Thursday, 10am-2pm at the desk on the Library 2nd floor.

Reserve Study Rooms Online!

Did you know any group of two or more can reserve a study room in the library?

Book a library study room online now!

Just click on the "study rooms" button on the library home page to fill out our online form:

http://libcal.colum.edu/booking/studyrooms

That's it! You can reserve a room from your phone or any computer.

Earth Hour - Sat. 3/31 at 8:30pm

Saturday, March 31 at 8:30 pm is Earth Hour.
Join the movement and turn it all off for 60 minutes.


Want to learn more about Earth Hour?  Visit http://www.earthhour.org/.

Edible Books, Tues April 3, 6-8pm

Edible Books & Tea - 13th Annual
Tuesday April 3, 6:00-8:00 p.m.  
624 S. Michigan Ave
3rd Floor North

Entry fee is $10, or FREE if you RSVP and bring an edible book. Enter the event using the downloadable form, available here.

(Used by permission: Illustration by Ivan Brunetti, cover for The Comic Book, a section of Nickelodeon's Monthly Magazine.)

Co-sponsored by the Center for Book and Paper Arts and the Columbia College Chicago Library. Proceeds benefit the Center for Book and Paper Arts equipment fund and the Friends of the Library.

Get Free eBooks!

Picture by Michael Porter

Spring break is right around the corner so what a great time to load up your eReader with FREE eBooks!

Free eBooks


Here is a list of places where you can download eBooks for free:


Project Gutenbenberg


Gizmo's Free Books Online


Many Books


ePub Books


Internet Archive


Bartleby: Great Books Online


Free e-Books


Scribd

More Online eBook Resources


50 Cool Search Engines for Serious Readers


100 Useful Links for ebook lovers


20 Best Websites to Download Free eBooks

Comparison of eReaders


Not sure which eReader to get?  Here are some places that can help you sort out the different options:


Comparison of eBook Readers on Wikipedia


The eBook Reader


Reader Comparison Guide


Do you know a good website for downloading free eBooks?  Please share it with us!

No Florida? Do Springbreak in Chicago!

SATURDAY 24 - Creative Chicago Expo
Creative Chicago Expo (FREE ADMISSION) started yesterday! It's at the other CCC (Chicago Cultural Center, enter on Washington or Randolph at Michigan Avenue). Today's focus is on the needs of creative individuals.
10am-4pm

SUNDAY 25 - Bell'Italia and John Waters
Bell'Italia?
This week's FREE performance series honors the Italian neighborhood, particularly Little Italy, with music, dance, colorful costumes, food and art...what's not to like?
Or perhaps this is your cup of chai...

Glessner House Museum, located at 1800 S. Prairie Ave. will host the premier of feature-length documentary film, Of Dolls and Murder narrated by JOHN WATERS. $15.00...not free but with all the money you're saving by not being in FL, you should totally go!


MONDAY 26 - Relax!
Chill out today...everyone needs some down time...do some yoga or tai chi!

TUESDAY 27 - World Theatre Day
175 Days to Love Chicago: World Theatre Day 7pm
Join in the 50th Annual World Theatre Day celebration as local, national, and international theatre-makers come together with theater patrons and friends to explore the importance of cultivating a global perspective.

WEDNESDAY 28 - Clark House Museum
Clarke House (Chicago's oldest house) is doing FREE guided tours today on a first come, first serve basis. There's a limit of 12 per tour, so get there early. This is one of oldest establishments in the South Loop area...great if you didn't make it to the other "oldest establishment", the Glessner House, on Sunday night.

THURSDAY 29 - Nature Museum
Illinois residents get a free pass today at the Peggy Notabaert Nature Museum...the butterfly room is not to be missed!

FRIDAY 30 - Morbid Curiosity
MORBID CURIOSITY (MC) at the Cultural Center...MUST SEE!

MeMo Installation: research based project by artist and speculative designer, Jessica Charlesworth (4th floor lobby) and the big kahuna Richard Harris Collection which showcases nearly 1,000 works including creations by many of the greatest artists of all time; explores the iconography of death across a variety of artistic, cultural and spiritual practices from 2000 BCE to the present day.
Revive from all that darkness with some light(ness) in cupcake form at Sugar Bliss Cafe (55 E. Washington)...typical Friday flavors include pure chocolate, chocolate capuccino, vanilla coconut, lemon drop and more!
Head back to CC for more culture, if it's raining...there are SEVEN more cool exhibits unrelated to MC!
Or if it's sunny, GO STRAIGHT TO MILLENNIUM PARK for some rays! Tomorrow's another day:)

SATURDAY 31 - Roller Derby!
Round up the group and head for some rock'em-sock'em action at
UIC Pavillion 525 S. Racine 6:00PM, 2 matches:

2nd WIND V NAPTOWN B & ALL-STARS V NAPTOWN A

Take advantage of ME+3 ticket price break...$20 each. Yes it's pricey but oh so FUN!!!

SUNDAY 1 - Maxwell Street Market
All jokes aside, check out the MAXWELL STREET MARKET, a Chicago tradition of bargains and bargaining with an international flavor on Desplaines St. at Roosevelt Road from 7am-3pm. Shopping, food, music and MORE DANCING!!!

ANY DAY FILLERS:
If you've got a Chicago Public Library card, then you might just try to snag a MUSEUM PASSPORT. The passport is good for the general admission fee of up to FOUR people at once.

So, pick your adventure:

• Witness the birth of a star
• stare down menacing moray eels
• come nose to antennae with fragile butterflies
• sway upon the rigging of a huge schooner
• wander galleries and marvel at both ancient and modern art
• journey backward to a time when dinosaurs ruled the earth
• step back just far enough to trace the growth and changes of Chicago and the nation

Then call the nearest public library to reserve a pass. [Good luck!!!]

Keep in mind that Columbia College students always get a free pass at the Museum of Contemporary Art located one block east of Michigan Ave at Chicago Ave. Just show your Columbia Card.

Join the Navy (Pier) crowd! Start with the interesting ride over via the #29 bus, continue with much walking around indoors and out. Finally, end with a stop at the PHOTOBOOTH, SIRI not included...seriously.

eBooks: Add Safari eBooks to your Moodle Class

Safari Tech Books Online is a collection of over 16,000 technology, digital media and business books available free of charge for Columbia College Chicago faculty, staff and students.  These books are great source for reference or supplemental reading and review material for your classes.  And, it’s easy to include links to these online books in your Moodle or OASIS class site for quick access by your students!

Start Reading
Last week I talked about how to browse the Safari Tech Books Online library and select an eBook to Start Reading.  Once you’ve clicked on the Start Reading button, you will see your eBook displayed in the reader window.  The interactive Table of Contents appears on the left-hand side of the page.  You can move directly to a specific chapter or page by clicking the listing in the table of contents.

 

Get the Right URL!

Once you’ve selected the chapter or selection you’d like to have your students read you need to get the correct URL to use in your Moodle class.  There is a URL button in the tool bar across the top of the reader window.

Click on the URL Button and the URL for that particular chapter will be displayed, ready for you to copy and paste into Moodle.

Don’t paste that URL yet!
Before you paste that URL into your Moodle link, it is very important that you add this to the beginning of the URL:

http://emils.lib.colum.edu/login?url=

This will allow your students to view the Safari eBook when they are off-campus.  It makes for a very long URL to paste into Moodle but it’s very important that you remember to add this prefix.  Without this prefix your students won't be able to authenticate into the Safari database.

So, the complete URL you need to paste into Moodle will look something like this:

http://emils.lib.colum.edu/login?url=http://proquest.safaribooksonline.com/book/-/9780240814254/chapter-1-essential-techniques/3


On to Moodle:
And here’s what the link will look like when you set it up in Moodle:

 

And here is what your students will see as they look at their class page: 

Using Safari Tech Books online and Moodle is a perfect way to provide your students with easy access to great online resources!

How Do I Find a Book?

Does the idea of tracking down a book in the Library fill you with dread? Help is on the way...

To find a book, you have to know two things: call number and floor. The call number is a series of numbers, letters, and a decimal point. Look for the call number in the book information in Library Search.

The Library has different collections (Scores, Career, Reserves, Film Scripts) on 5 floors. The biggest is the Main Collection on floors 3, 4, and 5. Call numbers of books in the Main Collection do not indicate which floor the book is on.

Here's a cheat sheet:

Main Collection Call Number Locations
001-739 - 3rd floor
740-799 - 4th floor
800-999 - 5th floor

Don't memorize that! Just check the floor guides near the elevators. Or use the floor directory.

1. Once you find the right floor, look for the first three numbers in the call number. These are in number order: 800 comes before 803, which comes before 810.

2. Now look for any numbers that come after the decimal point. These are in decimal order: 800.01 comes before 800.1, which comes before 800.25.

3. Then look for a letter, in alphabetical order: 800.01 G comes before 800.01 R, which comes before 800.01 Y.

If you can't find a book, ask a Library staff person for help. Hope this makes finding a book easier!

Trivia: What call number system does CCC Library use? Let us know in the comments! (Hint: decimal is part of its name.)

The "At Your Service" Faculty Expo

Next week the Library will host an exciting event just for Columbia College Chicago faculty:

AT YOUR SERVICE FACULTY EXPO
Tuesday March 20^th + Wednesday March 21^st, 2012
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Columbia College Chicago Library, 624 S. Michigan Ave.
3^rd floor north reading room

We’ll have prizes, refreshments, a relaxed environment for networking, and knowledgeable Library liaisons to answer your questions about services especially for you.

Faculty members will have the opportunity to win: an iPod Touch, a $50 gift card for Pockets, or a $25 gift card from Kingoberry and more!  

To participate, just fill out the attached form below and submit it to the 2nd floor Library Reference Desk between 8am Monday, March 12th,  and 1pm Wednesday March 21st, 2012.  Winners will be selected and announced at the Faculty Expo on March 21st.

 

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to connect with Library staff and resources. The Expo will be a great opportunity to learn more about the resources the Library has to enrich your teaching and research needs.  

Look for our ads in the Columbia Chronicle in this and next week's issues. For more information, contact: Cole Robertson at crobertson@colum.edu or x7427

 
The Official Rules for the At Your Service Faculty Expo Drawing: Participants must submit an entry form between 8am 3/12/12 and 1pm 3/21/12 to be eligible to receive a chance for a prize. Entry card must be filled out and placed in entry box (located at library 2^nd floor reference desk) for random drawing. One entry per person. No purchase necessary to enter or receive a prize. Odds of winning will depend on the total number of entries received. Library staff and family members are ineligible to participate. Entrants must be teaching at least one course at Columbia College Chicago at the time of the drawing. Contact information gathered can be used for further marketing efforts by the Library at a later date. Void where prohibited by law.

eBooks: Browsing Safari Tech Books

Have you had a chance to browse through the Safari Books Online digital collection yet?  Safari Tech Books Online is a collection of over 16,000 technology, digital media and business books that are available free of charge to Columbia College Chicago faculty, staff and students.

Browse Safari Online

The book selection in the Safari digital library covers a wide range of topics (click here for a complete listing of all the Safari Tech Book categories available).  You can browse for books by category, conduct a keyword search, view recently added titles, most popular titles or scroll through the 16,000 titles listed by date, popularity or alphabetical order.

Start Reading

Once you've found the book you want to read, click the START READING button.

This will take you to a page that contains an interactive table of contents, your eBook text and a selection of tools icons across the top of the page that will help you interact with your eBook.

You can find out more information about eBooks at Columbia here.  Happy Browsing!!

eBooks: Safari Books Online

Are you ready to go on Safari?
I’m hoping that you are familiar with the college’s subscription to Lynda.com and are already taking advantage of the hundreds of technology training videos available to Columbia faculty, staff and students free of charge.  But did you know that there are thousands of  technology ebooks available for you use for free through the  Safari Tech Books Online subscription at the Columbia College Chicago Library?

What are Safari Tech Books Online?
Safari Tech Books Online was started in 2001 by O’Reilly Media, Inc. and Pearson Technology Group with the aim of gathering the best technology books available and creating an on-demand digital library.  Today over 40 publishers participate in creating content for this online library of over 15,000 ebooks.  Look for books by publishers such as Adobe Press, Peachpit Press, Microsoft Press, APress, SAMS and more.

What kind of Technology eBooks are available?
One of the advantages of a collection like Safari Tech Books Online is their ability to keep the eBook content up-to-date.  It is easy for Safari to update the online library so that new eBooks can be uploaded as soon as they are released, letting you keep current in your training as software versions change.   You can view a complete listing of eBook categories available which include topics and products that range from Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop, to computer programming and Web Design, to accounting and project management, to Skype, Facebook and Twitter.


Where can I find Safari Tech Books Online?
All of the Safari Tech books are discoverable when you search the Library Catalog.  However, if you would like to see just the Safari Tech Book Online collection, click on the Databases A-Z link on the Library’s main page and then scroll down to the Safari Link under the S Tab.

More information about eBooks at Columbia can be found in the eBooks Research Guide.



We'd like to hear from you - faculty are you recommending Safari Tech Books online for your students?  Students - any of your teachers using the Safari Tech Books in your class yet? 

Representin' at "In The Mix 2012"

On Saturday, February 25, the Library participated in "In The Mix 2012", an open house for students of color hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs.  Pictured below are some of the many high school students who visited our table.  A big "thank you" to Sharla Rivera, a library school student from Dominican University interning for the Marketing and Outreach Department this semester, for her assistance.

Art in the Library Exhibit Opening and Reception

Emily Sperl, Photography

Please join us for our latest Art in the Library exhibition opening and reception on Thursday, February 16, 2012 from 5-7pm, Third Floor North. The Library is located at 624 S. Michigan Ave.

Art in the Library is an ongoing series (four times each academic year) of exhibitions featuring the art of Columbia College Chicago student, faculty, staff and alumni. 

Interested in showing your work in a future Art in the Library exhibition? Contact Larry Oberc at 312.369.7157 or loberc@colum.edu.