From Utopia to Etopia at the SCU library

Southern Cross University’s Lismore library holds more than 200,000 books and nearly 10,000 current journal titles, but the library took a leap into the future this month by subscribing to two new electronic services, the 'ebrary' and the Web of Knowledge.

University Librarian Alison Ransome said the ebrary and the Web of Knowledge extend the library services into a new age.

"Our clients need us to be flexible, so we work a lot with electronic delivery. The ebrary offers a collection of ten thousand electronic books, full-text and online. The Web of Knowledge is an extensive index of research articles under subject areas within science, social sciences, humanities and the arts," she said.

The services are available free to students on campus, external and offshore via their university Internet connection. Students can access whole books for the first time on ebrary, either reading off the screen, printing chunks of it as they wish, or cutting and pasting sections. They can customise their search to select pages within books as well.

"You don't have to read or browse a whole book online if you don't need to," Ms Ransome said. "The ebrary service lets you be very specific with your research by letting you select just the section you want."

Next Saturday's open day at SCU’s Lismore campus is a chance to see the changing culture of information in the northern rivers. Displays of local alternative communities from 30 years ago will be on view next to computers featuring the latest in information technology.

Visitors can try the new technologies, or immerse in days gone by looking at the displays of events such as the Aquarius Festival at the Lismore campus Library from 10am till 3pm on Saturday, 23 August.

Library staff will be on hand to conduct tours.

Media contact: Kath Duncan or Sara Crowe in the SCU media liaison unit, Ph: 02 6620 3144.