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S&E Library News
We now have a total of 24  new public use computers with flat screen monitors.  Some Microsoft applications are available, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

We have enhanced one of Group Study Rooms with a plasma screen monitor. Students and Faculty are welcome to use it, though a reservation is required. The room seats from 4 to 12 people.

Central Library News
UTA Central Library to open 24 hours 5 days a week
The UTA Central Library will be open 24 hours a day from Sunday through Thursday starting Jan. 13, the first day of the spring semester. The library will be open and staffed around the clock from 9 a.m. Sundays to 8 p.m. Fridays. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Extended hours are offered only at Central Library and only to the UTA community. A security officer will be on location each night, and a MavExpress card will be required for admittance after midnight. Non-UTA users will be asked to leave at that time. Services such as circulation, course reserves and interlibrary loan pickup will be available during the late night hours. Library laptops may be checked out, and Sam's Click Internet Café will be open for computer use.

Popular Reading Collection
Have some spare time to read for relaxation or pleasure, try the Popular Reading collection.  No need to go to your local public library now.
Starting in January 2003, the McNaughton popular reading collection resides on the north end of the Central Library's 2nd floor, in front of the entrance to the Minority Cultures Collection. There, one will find shelves with books in their original dust jackets. Be prepared to be lured to the books by their authors names as much as by the inviting colors, intriguing fonts and artwork or cover photos of the authors or subjects. These books are selected from various popular book review sources such as THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERS and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY.

To find the collection online, go to the "New in PULSe" Link in PULSe where you can click on "Popular Reading." The books come in once a month, so a search of the past 4 weeks will reveal the newest books in the collection.

Columbia Shuttle - STS-107
STS-107 Investigation Reference Page - from NASA Human Spaceflight Web site.

Trial Databases
Books 24x7 
UTA Libraries are providing users with a trial period to test Books 24X7. This database contains online versions of technical and business reference books. Publishers include Microsoft Press, Osborne/McGraw Hill, Sybex, and Artech House.
The trial period starts 17 February 2003, and lasts through 14 March 2003. Please send any feedback about this resource to Barbara.

New Databases
Current Index to Statistics Extended Database
is a bibliographic index to publications in statistics and related fields. References are drawn from 1,300+ journals (174,000+ articles in journals), proceedings and edited books (42,000+ articles) and other sources.  This database is a joint venture of the American Statistical Association and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. Core journals include: Probability in the Engineering and Information Sciences.  Journals with selected article coverage include: Astrophysics and Space Science, Engineering Cybernetics, (Transl of Tehniceskaja Kibernetika), Engineering Economist, IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, and Reliability Engineering & System Safety.

EngNetBase
CRC Handbooks now online!
Chapman & Hall/CRC handbooks in engineering disciplines. Electronic versions of over 130 books in areas
including aerospace, civil, HVAC, electrical, materials, optics, industrial/manufacturing, biomedical, and
computer engineering. All books can be searched for specific terms, or handbooks can be read individually
using the Adobe Acrobat® Reader.

Factiva.com (Find on Databases All page, click on F, scroll down for Factiva.com)
Internet Explorer 5.01 or higher (Windows) or Internet Explorer 5.1 or higher (Macintosh) required. Dates of coverage vary by title. Updated daily. Factiva.com combines the Dow Jones Interactive and Reuters Business Briefing databases, offering the latest news from these leading business resources. Business and finance are covered in over 8,000+ sources from 118 countries and 22 languages. And with more than 120 continuously updated newswires, Factiva provides breaking news from around the world. Key newspapers include:The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, Financial Times, Handelsblatt, Les Echos, South China Morning Post, Australian Financial Review, etc. Business magazines include: The Economist, Forbes, Fortune, Time, Newsweek, Finanz & Wirtschaft, Satellite News, BusinessWeek, and more. 

ProQuest Digital Dissertations
1861- to present. Updated monthly. . The Dissertations Abstracts database contains citations for dissertations and theses from institutions in the North America and Europe. Citations for dissertations published from 1980 forward also include abstracts. Citations for master's theses from 1988 forward include abstracts. Titles published from 1997 forward have 24 page previews and are available as full text PDF documents. Full-text available in PDF can be viewed using the Adobe Acrobat® Reader.

Patent Searching?
"A new patent is issued somewhere in the world every 10 seconds, ..." from Patents as Scientific and Technical Literature by Richard D. Walker, ©1995.  Amazing!  Do you have an idea or invention you think is patentable?  Is there a contrivance or device already in existence, but you think it could be improved upon?  Do you just want to keep up with the latest technology?   We have access to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database.  Searching is free and full-text of patents can be retrieved without charge.  If you are interested, I can assist you in the patent search.

Instruction Services
Distance Learning:  Do you plan on teaching a distance learning class during the coming semester? To help your students find research-related items more easily, contact your subject librarian to develop a webpage specifically tailored for course needs. It can include links to individual articles for course readings, relevant webpages, instructions for accessing online resources from your home, and more.

For that matter, I am available to conduct library instruction sessions for any of your classes or research groups.  I am mobile, that is, I can come to your classroom or lab.  I can also arrange for these sessions to be held in electronic classrooms in Nedderman Hall, Ransom Hall, or the Central Library.  I would more than happy to help you help your students develop their research skills.  I can generalize the session or customize it to a particular assignment.  If interested for this semester or any future semester, please contact me.

Congratulations to: 
MAE Faculty for Activities, Grants, Participation, and Publication:  
Drs. George Dulikravich, John Mills, Panos Shiakolas, Bob Woods, Frank Lu, Dereje Agonafer, and Kendall Harris.
Awards: Dr. Frank Lu for the John De Young Outstanding Teaching Award and the Civilian Research and Development Foundation Grant for working on finding innovative solutions to minimize the impact of terrorist threats.
Belated congratulations to Dr. Seung M. You, for being named a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Fellow is the highest elected grade of membership within ASME and recognizes exceptional engineering achievements and contributions to the engineering profession.

If I missed anyone, please accept my apologies and let me know who you are so I can brag about you.

Welcome
A belated welcome to Dr. Atilla Dogan.

Library Liaison
Hi, my name is Barbara Howser.  I am the liaison for the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering.  I provide library instruction sessions to classes, small groups, or to individual students to enhance their research skills. I am also available to meet with you to discuss how the library can more effectively meet your research and instructional needs. For more information, please contact me by e-mail or telephone 817-272-7519.