The librarian is: BLOGGING | Journalism Library, Columbia University

The Journalism Library Blog has MOVED! This site is no longer being updated as of July 2009. Come find us at our new location:

https://blogs.cul.columbia.edu/journalism

See you there!

The Poynter Institute Resource Center provides a variety of subject bibliographies and tip sheets, as well as links to journalism organizations and libraries with journalism resources. Check out the tip sheet for Reporting, Writing & Editing!

Library resources for MA students, handouts from Evidence and Inference course, Fall 2008 -

• Columbia
• Beyond Columbia

Q: What library services will I have access to after I graduate? Will I have access to Lexis Nexis and Factiva?

A: For 3 months after graduation, all graduates will continue to have access to the same resources that were available to them when they were students. Columbia University alums are welcome to use the libraries on campus after obtaining the Alumni Library Card upon graduation at the Library Information Office. Lexis Nexis and Factiva are currently not included in the list of electronic resources available to alumni, but there are many benefits and services available at Columbia University Libraries, including access to ProQuest newspapers. For a full listing of electronic services available to alums, click here.

Q: May I use photographs downloaded from AccuNet/AP Multimedia Archive on my personal blog? May I copy a journal or newspaper article in its entirety to my personal blog?

A: All materials obtained from Columbia University Libraries databases are for research, instructional, and educational uses only. Please see the Copyright and Fair Use category on this blog for further information.

Photos from the AccuNet/AP Multimedia Archive may be downloaded for class-specific projects only, and you must credit the AP in your project.

With journal articles, you may incorporate bibliographic citations into your personal blog, but copying the entire article would be in direct violation of our database license.

Q: Will my Columbia ID give me access to the Medical Library?

A: Yes! With you Columbia ID, you may access the Medical Library and all libraries on campus.

More Questions and Answers from Orientation Library Sessions coming soon!

Graduating in May, 2006? Congratulations!

You may be wondering what will become of your access to Columbia’s excellent electronic resources once you are no longer a student. This blog post will give you the definitive answers on the topic - accept no conflicting information!

Part I: Good News and Bad News

The Good News: Upon graduation, there is a “grace period” of approximately three months during which you continue to have access to the databases you know and love (Factiva, LexisNexis, etc.) via the same channels as before - you connect via the library’s link to them, type in your Columbia UNI and password, and you’re in. During this grace period, you may also continue to check books out of Columbia libraries.

The Bad News: You will NOT receive a warning at the end of the grace period - your access simply expires. Library staff are not notified of the exact date on which the grace period ends, so you need to remain aware that, come August or September, you can no longer count on access to these resources.

How to tell when you have been cut off? Simple! Once the grace period ends, your UNI and password will no longer work to log you in to the databases you had been using.

Part II: Alumni Access to Columbia Libraries

Once you have graduated from Columbia, you enjoy alumni library privileges. You are eligible for an alumni ID card, which is good for lifetime access to all of Columbia’s libraries (remember, when you’re on campus, you have access to databases!), and you have electronic access to a selection of databases that Columbia licenses specifically for alumni use. Find out about all this on the Alumni & Friends Portal of the Libraries’ website.

Part III: Can I Still Ask Questions?

Yes, I am always happy to answer research questions from alumni (you may want to identify yourself as such when you send me an email), and will be happy to suggest whatever sources I can to which you have access (since, as I mentioned above, after the grace period ends, you will not be able to access databases). But: I cannot do research for you, or email you materials from Columbia’s licensed databases.