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To keep the Columbia community informed of the latest acquisitions, digital initiatives, exhibitions and events at one of the most dynamic research libraries in the nation, the Columbia University Libraries system has launched its first on-line newsletter, Library News.
"Keeping the community informed about the many exciting developments taking place in the Libraries continues to be one of our highest priorities," said Elaine Sloan, vice president for information services and University librarian. "An on-line newsletter provides the perfect vehicle to highlight all that is happening here--from the acquisition of new electronic journals and finding aids, to the creation of new digital tools for teaching and research, to the extensive renovations taking place in Butler and beyond--in the most timely fashion."
Libraries have dramatically changed with the advent of the Internet. Recognizing the potential of this new medium, Columbia was one of the first universities to launch a digital library in early 1990. Since that time, the University Libraries have maintained momentum by building a broad array of electronic resources, while continuing to develop its rich print collections.
According to Tony Ferguson, associate University librarian, "Librarians do their best to identify resources for their faculty and students. They also encourage members of the community to make requests for new materials. Whether these requests are for print or electronic titles, librarians do their utmost to acquire them for use by the entire University."
The Libraries' new electronic newsletter includes links to ground-breaking new initiatives such as the Electronic Publishing Initiative at Columbia (EPIC); the Center for New Media Teaching and Learning, which offers assistance to faculty members interested in incorporating digital technologies in their teaching; links to the newest library exhibitions and events; and listings of the latest on-line resources, such as Early English Books On-line (EEBO), a database of images from more than 96,000 printed books in early English from 1475 - 1700, a collection that includes the first quartos and folios of Shakespeare, the first printed editions of the Canterbury tales, and works of Bacon, More and Newton; and new services, including Borrowdirect , a collaborative project allowing the users of the Columbia, University of Pennsylvania and Yale libraries to borrow materials directly from one another's collections.
The libraries will continue to produce a print version of the Libraries' newsletter three times a year.
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