Did you know that you can create a desktop icon that links to Econlit, the American Economic Association’s (AEA) electronic bibliography of economics literature from around the world?
For instructions, see the AEA web site. Note: In their instructions, the URL for access to MIT’s subscription is http://libraries.mit.edu/get/econlit.
This Libraries have changed our access to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Our IMF data products, namely:
are now accessible via Global Insight.
For details on how to extract IMF data via Global Insight, see: http://libraries.mit.edu/dewey/ifs.html.
Welcome to the MIT Libraries! We look forward to meeting you. Join us for an event and learn what the Libraries have to offer.
Orientation: Fall 2010
Undergraduate Students || Graduate Students || All Students
Academic Expo
What: An expo of MIT’s academic departments and programs. The Libraries will be ready to answer your questions and offer information about our resources and services. Pick up handouts and goodies.
When: Wednesday, September 1, 2:00 – 3:30 pm
Where: Johnson Athletics Center (W34). Look for the Libraries’ banner.
Freshmen Explorations: Ice Cream Social
What: Build your own ice cream sundae!
When: Thursday, September 2, 2:30 – 3:30 pm
Where: Lipchitz Courtyard (Building 14); rain location: hallway in front of Hayden Library (Building 14)
Hitchhiker’s Guide Library Tours
What: A walking tour of all the MIT Libraries, with special gifts for the first 10 attendees at each tour.
When: Saturday, August 28, 1:30 p.m, Thursday, September 2, 11 am and *Thursday, September 2, 2 pm
*this tour also stops for ice cream outside the Hayden Library, courtesy of the MIT Libraries
Where: Meet in Lobby 7
Graduate Student Orientation: Grad School 102
What: An introduction to the MIT Libraries services and resources.
When: Tuesday, August 31, 3:30 – 3:50 pm
Where: 34-101
11th Annual New Graduate Student Reception
What: A reception for new graduate students, with beverages and light
refreshments provided.
NOTE: Tickets may be purchased for $5 at the Graduate Student Council Information Booth.
When: Wednesday, September 1, 5 – 7 pm
Where: Barker Library Dome (Building 10-500)
Health & Wellness Fair
What: Libraries’ staff will be ready to answer your questions and offer
information about our resources and services. Pick up handouts and goodies.
When: Friday, September 3, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
Where: Kresge Oval, outside the Student Center
24/7 study rooms in Hayden and Dewey libraries will remain open
All MIT Libraries’ locations, with the exception of the 24-hour study facilities in Hayden and Dewey Libraries, will be closed Friday, July 2 through Saturday, July 10, as a cost saving measure to meet Institute budget reductions.
During this period the Libraries’ website, Barton, Vera, and access to electronic licensed resources will be available. However, most library staff will be on furlough and will not be available to offer assistance. A small number of staff will be on-call to address any reported system outages; reasonable attempts will be made to bring systems back online as soon as possible.
While it will continue to be possible to make online requests for some MIT Libraries’ services or materials, these requests will not be acted upon until the Libraries reopen. Due dates for materials on loan have been adjusted to reflect this closure – no items will be due during this period and fines will not accrue. We apologize for any inconvenience.
See: http://libraries.mit.edu/hours for a complete list of individual library hours. Please send questions, comments or concerns to budgetfeedback-lib@mit.edu.
Hayden Library — home to the Humanities & Science Libraries — is open till 2am daily during Finals
from Thursday, May 13 to Friday, May 21:
weekdays, 8am-2pm and Saturday & Sunday, May 15 & 16, 10am-2pm.
Extended hours are for the MIT community only.
Hayden will close Friday, May 21 at 7pm. Summer hours begin May 22.
Photo by Christopher Harting
The MIT Libraries’ Summer Hours will begin on Saturday, May 22, 2010.
Barker, Dewey, and Hayden (Humanities & Science) Libraries:
Monday-Friday 10am – 6pm,
Saturday closed, Sunday 1 – 6pm
Rotch Library:
Same hours as above except Sunday closed
Lewis Music Library:
Monday-Friday 11am – 5pm,
Saturday-Sunday closed
For a complete list of locations and hours see the Libraries’ website.
Please note all libraries will be closed Memorial Day weekend (May 29-31) and for a week during the Independence Day holiday (July 2-9).
WHEN: Friday, April 30, 12 – 1pm
WHERE: Digital Instruction Resource Center (DIRC), 14N-132
Zotero is a free, open-source program for Firefox that helps you to collect, manage, cite, and share your citations and files. With one click, you can save PDFs and citations for most articles, then cite them in Word or OpenOffice. Make a searchable PDF library, and find out how to publish dynamic bibliographies and collaborate by using group collections. In this hands-on session, learn tips and tricks on how to use Zotero more efficiently to save you time and energy. Bring a laptop or use one of our computers.
Please pre-register for this session.
Contact Remlee Green with any questions.
WHEN: Wednesday, April 21, 12 – 1pm 
WHERE: Digital Instruction Resource Center (DIRC), 14N-132
EndNote web is a web-based product available to MIT users as part of the Libraries’ subscription to Web of Knowledge. Come learn how to use Endnote Web to manage your citations, create bibliographies and more.
Contact Peter Cohn with any questions.
WHEN: Friday, April 16, 12 – 1pm
WHERE: Digital Instruction Resource Center (DIRC), 14N-132
EndNote is a “personal bibliographic software” package which allows you to create and manage a database of bibliographic references. Learn how to find and use information more effectively in our hands-on workshop.
Please pre-register for this session.
Contact Howard Silver with any questions.
Building on an existing collaboration between the MIT Libraries and Harvard College Library (HCL), undergraduate students at Harvard and MIT may participate in a pilot program which, for the first time, enables reciprocal borrowing privileges for undergraduates at the two institutions.
As of April 5, 2010 Harvard undergraduates will have borrowing privileges at MIT Libraries and MIT students will enjoy similar privileges at participating Harvard libraries. The program, which will be evaluated after 14 months, offers undergraduates from both institutions access to the complementary circulating collections of each institution’s libraries.
MIT undergraduate students may apply online for an HCL Special Borrower card. Once confirmed, students may obtain a photo ID from the Widener Library Privileges Desk. The card gives the bearer borrowing privileges at participating HCL libraries including:
MIT graduate students and faculty have existing borrowing privileges at HCL libraries and may also apply for cards online.
WHEN: Friday, April 9, 1 – 2pm
WHERE: Digital Instruction Resource Center (DIRC), 14N-132
Learn how to use the Libraries’ resources and databases to research your own articles or find past articles written about MIT. This workshop will show you how to connect from your desktop to a wealth of online resources licensed to MIT, such as LexisNexis, Factiva, Proquest, historic newspaper databases and more. The experts at the Libraries will show you best techniques. This workshop is tailored to MIT communications professionals, or those with an interest in journalism and science writing.
Contact Anita Perkins with any questions.
WHEN: Friday, April 9, 12 – 1pm
WHERE: Digital Instruction Resource Center (DIRC), 14N-132
Take the popular search engine to a new level. Learn basic searching as well as tips and tricks that will make you truly love Google.
Contact Georgiana McReynolds with any questions.
WHEN: Thursday, April 8, 5 – 6pm
WHERE: Digital Instruction Resource Center (DIRC), 14N-132
Using citation management software to create and maintain a collection of references is becoming more common and important in today’s academic world. These software packages allow users to search databases, retrieve relevant citations, and build a bibliography to be added to a paper or thesis or stored for future reference. But which software package should you use, and how do you get started?
Please pre-register for this session.
Contact Mat Willmott with any questions.
WHEN: Thursday, April 8, 12 – 1pm
WHERE: Digital Instruction Resource Center (DIRC), 14N-132
For researchers struggling to manage their data, basic strategies will be provided for:
Contact Amy Stout with any questions.
Paul Samuelson and Economics: Evolution of a Classic
A Memorial Exhibit: April 1 – May 6, 2010
Dewey Library (E53-100)
“Good questions outrank easy answers.” Paul Samuelson
Please join us for a memorial exhibit in honor of Institute Professor Emeritus Paul A. Samuelson, April 1 – May 6, 2010.
Samuelson was a defining figure of twentieth-century economics who both transformed many of the fundamentals of the discipline and shaped the department here at MIT. He is widely recognized for increasing the rigor and use of mathematics in the discipline and for introducing Keynesian economics to a wider audience. He received numerous awards over his lifetime, including the Nobel Memorial Prize in economics in 1970; and the National Medal of Science in 1996; and in 1947 the John Bates Clark Medal, the American Economic Association’s award for the best American economist under the age of 40.
Hosted by Dewey Library for Management and Social Sciences, the exhibit highlights the development of Samuelson’s influential textbook, Economics, the best-selling economics textbook of all time. Over its nineteen editions, it has sold nearly four million copies and been translated into 40 languages.
The exhibit features books, archival documents, and photographs from the collections of Dewey Library; the Institute Archives; the MIT Museum; and Samuelson’s personal collection, courtesy of the Department of Economics. Items include:
Note: This exhibit is being held in coordination the upcoming memorial service for Paul A. Samuelson.
For more information contact: Katherine McNeill, Economics Librarian, 617-253-0787, mcneillh@mit.edu.
WHEN: Friday, April 2, 1 – 2pm
WHERE: Institute Archives, 14N-118
Ever wonder how to find out more about the history of MIT, locate the thesis of a famous MIT alum, or get historic background information on an MIT department, lab or program?
Many answers can be found in MIT’s Institute Archives, keepers of MIT’s administrative records, faculty papers, theses, and MIT publications dating back to the 1800s. With MIT’s 150th anniversary approaching, this is a particularly timely workshop for MIT communicators.
Contact Nora Murphy with any questions.
All sessions take place in the Digital Instruction Resource Center (DIRC), 14N-132, with the exception of the Institute Archives session on April 9, which will take place in 14N-118.
Pre-registration is required for some, but not all sessions. See below for details.
Using the Institute Archives to Research MIT History
Friday, April 2, 1 – 2pm
14N-118, Institute Archives
Ever wonder how to find out more about the history of MIT, locate the thesis of a famous MIT alum, or get historic background information on an MIT department, lab or program? Many answers can be found in MIT’s Institute Archives, keepers of MIT’s administrative records, faculty papers, theses, and MIT publications dating back to the 1800s. With MIT’s 150th anniversary approaching, this is a particularly timely workshop for MIT communicators.
Managing Research Data 101
Thursday, April 8, 12 – 1pm
For researchers struggling to manage their data, basic strategies will be provided for:
Managing Your References: Overview of Endnote, RefWorks and Zotero
Thursday, April 8, 5 – 6pm
Using citation management software to create and maintain a collection of references is becoming more common and important in today’s academic world. These software packages (EndNote, RefWorks & Zotero) allow users to search databases, retrieve relevant citations, and build a bibliography to be added to a paper or thesis or stored for future reference. But which software package should you use, and how do you get started?
Please pre-register for this session.
Ga-Ga for Google
Friday, April 9, 12 – 1pm
Take the popular search engine to a new level. Learn basic searching as well as tips and tricks that will make you truly love Google.
Research Techniques for Writers and Editors
Friday, April 9, 1 – 2pm
Learn how to use the Libraries’ resources and databases to research your own articles or find past articles written about MIT. This workshop will show you how to connect from your desktop to a wealth of online resources licensed to MIT, such as LexisNexis, Factiva, Proquest, historic newspaper databases and more. The experts at the Libraries will show you best techniques. This workshop is tailored to MIT communications professionals, or those with an interest in journalism and science writing.
EndNote Basics
Friday, April 16, 12 – 1pm
EndNote is a “personal bibliographic software” package which allows you to create and manage a database of bibliographic references. Learn how to find and use information more effectively in our hands-on workshop.
Please pre-register for this session.
EndNote Web
Wednesday, April 21, 12 – 1pm
EndNote web is a web-based product available to MIT users as part of the Libraries’ subscription to Web of Knowledge. Come learn how to use Endnote Web to manage your citations, create bibliographies and more.
Zotero Basics
Friday, April 30, 12 – 1pm
Zotero is a free, open-source program for Firefox that helps you to collect, manage, cite, and share your citations and files. With one click, you can save PDFs and citations for most articles, then cite them in Word or OpenOffice. Make a searchable PDF library, and find out how to publish dynamic bibliographies and collaborate by using group collections. In this hands-on session, learn tips and tricks on how to use Zotero more efficiently to save you time and energy. Bring a laptop or use one of our computers.
Please pre-register for this session.
Please contact Anita Perkins with questions about any of the IAPril 2010 sessions.
The MIT Libraries have purchased over 19,000 Springer eBooks published from 2005 through 2010 with coverage of every scientific discipline, as well as some coverage of architecture, humanities and many of the social sciences. Several heavily-used book series and reference works are included; among them are: Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Lecture Notes in Mathematics, Lecture Notes in Physics, NATO Science for Peace and Security, Studies in Computational Intelligence, Topics of Current Chemistry, Springer Handbook of Robotics, Handbook of Materials Modeling, and Springer Handbook of Nanotechnology.
The Libraries selected Springer eBooks for its first major system-wide electronic book service because of Springer’s favorable licensing and business terms that will directly benefit MIT users, including broad academic use rights, perpetual ownership, unlimited concurrent users, and participation in Portico, a third party archive. In addition, each book chapter is available as a PDF file without digital rights management (DRM). This means they can be downloaded, printed, and transferred to a PDA or Kindle.
Springer also offers “MyCopy”, a service where the members of the MIT community can order their own personal copy of many of these books by using the print-on-demand option at a significantly discounted price of $24.95 for books up to 800 pages.
Links to these ebooks are beginning to appear in Barton, our library catalog. You can also search or browse them directly or from off-campus.
Check out all of the MIT Libraries IAP events for the week covering Monday, January 18 through Friday, January 22. Also check out the complete listing for all of our sessions.
Using Elevation Data and Hydrographic Tools in a GIS
Middle East Blogsphere: Who Are They? Where Are They Archived?
GIS Model Builder for Programmers
Demystifying Fair Use – An Interactive Workshop for Users of Copyrighted Content
Cool Tools for Science & Engineering Research
Making Your Own Videos for the Web & MIT TechTV
Managing Your References: Overview of EndNote, RefWorks and Zotero
NOTE: Some sessions have limited availability or may require advance sign-up requirements. If you have further questions, please see individual listings for appropriate contact information.
Check out all of the MIT Libraries IAP events for the week covering Monday, January 18 through Friday, January 22. Also check out the complete listing for all of our sessions.
Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Bookbinding in the Japanese Tradition
Career Research: Targeting and Researching Employers
A Sampling of Interesting Images from Rotch Visual Collections
Introduction to Spatial Statistics using GIS
Mapping and Using US Census Data
Cool Tools for Science and Engineering Research: Meet the Developers!
Making Your Own Videos for the Web & MIT TechTV
Introduction to Company and Industry Research for Engineers and Scientists
Site Selection – Making Spatial Decisions Using a GIS
The International Music Score Library Project and the future of digital repositories
NOTE: Some sessions have limited availability or may require advance sign-up requirements. If you have further questions, please see individual listings for appropriate contact information.
Check out all of the MIT Libraries IAP events for the week covering Monday, January 11 through Friday, January 15. Also check out the complete listing for all of our sessions.
Power Up!: Strategies for Getting Energy Information
Power Up with Maps! GIS and Energy Resources
Bioinformatics Software Tool: BIOBASE
Managing Your References: Overview of EndNote, RefWorks and Zotero
Publishing Smart: A Hands-on Workshop on Journal Quality Measures and Publisher Copyright Policies
Protocols and Methods: Recipes for Successful Research
Bookbinding in the Japanese Tradition
Using Wikipedia to Create Meaningful Learning Experiences
Power-up!: Energy Industry Resources
BrainNavigator Demo: Interactive Atlas & 3D Brain Imaging Software
Writing and Formatting Your Thesis: Don’t Let WORD Get You Down
Making Your Own Videos for the Web & MIT TechTV
Finding Research Datasets: ICPSR and the Harvard-MIT Data Center
Tips & Techniques for Searching for Images Online
Keeping Current: Using RSS Feeds to Stay Ahead in Your Research
NOTE: Some sessions have limited availability or may require advance sign-up requirements. If you have further questions, please see individual listings for appropriate contact information.
Looking to gain skills in working with statistical analysis software packages? The following classes will be taught by the Harvard-MIT Data Center (HMDC) Statistical Consultant during IAP. Note: there will be time at the end of each session for individual assistance, so feel free to bring your research questions.
WHERE: All statistical software workshops held in 1-115.
SPACE IS LIMITED. TO REGISTER, CONTACT Katherine McNeill.
Get an introduction to Stata, the statistical analysis software package commonly used at MIT. With hands-on exercises, learn how to import and analyze datasets. Novices welcome!
WHEN: Wednesday, January 20th, 10am-1pm
Learn techniques for data management using Stata. Perform hands-on exercises and learn how to create cross-sectional, time-series, and panel datasets from several data files. Topics include importing data into Stata, labeling data and variables, converting data from string to numeric format, appending and merging datasets, and collapsing and reshaping a dataset. Prerequisite: a general familiarity with Stata (such as taking the Intro. workshop).
WHEN: Friday, January 22nd, 10am-1pm
Get an introduction to R, the open-source system for statistical computation and graphics available on Athena. With hands-on exercises, learn how to import and manage datasets, create R objects, and generate figures. Novices welcome!
WHEN: Monday, January 25th, 10am-1pm
This hands-on class will provide a comprehensive introduction to estimating the linear regression model using ordinary least squares in Stata. Topics for the class include multiple regression, dummy variables, interaction effects, hypothesis tests, and model diagnostics. Prerequisites include a general familiarity with Stata (such as taking the Intro. workshop), the linear regression model, and the ordinary least squares estimation.
WHEN: Wednesday, January 27th, 10am-1pm
Get an introduction to SAS, a powerful statistical software package available on Athena. With hands-on exercises, explore SAS’s many features and learn how to import, manage, and analyze data. Novices welcome!
WHEN: Thurssday, January 28th, 10am-1pm
This hands-on class will provide a comprehensive introduction to graphics in Stata. Topics for the class include graphing principles, descriptive graphs, and post-estimation graphs. Prerequisite: a general familiarity with Stata (such as taking the Intro. workshop).
WHEN: Friday, January 29th, 10am-1pm
Can’t make these times? Attend these workshops at Harvard or view the slides on your own.
Check out other Social Science Data Services IAP sessions as well as the MIT Libraries’ full schedule of IAP sessions.
Need data to answer a research question? Interested in analyzing raw datasets with micro-level records about individual respondents?
This hands-on workshop will familiarize you with the resources of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) and the Harvard-MIT Data Center, which provide access to datasets in the social sciences and related fields. Topics will include the structure of data files, finding and downloading datasets, and understanding data documentation.
NOTE: Advance sign-up is required. Registration due by January 11. This session is limited to 20 participants.
WHEN: Thursday, January 14, 1 – 2:30pm
WHERE: DIRC, 14N-132
Contact Kate McNeill with any questions and/or to register.
Check out other Social Science Data Services IAP sessions as well as the MIT Libraries’ full schedule of IAP sessions.
The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), the world’s largest archive of digital social science data, now is accepting applications for its annual summer internship program and 2010 research paper competition.
ICPSR is accepting applications for its annual summer internship program for undergraduates which will take place from June 7-August 13, 2010.
For more information, see ICPSR’s page on the program or contact Katherine McNeill, Data Services and Economics Librarian, at mcneillh@mit.edu
ICPSR is sponsoring three competitions to highlight the best student research papers (undergraduate and master’s) using quantitative data. The objective is to encourage students to explore the social sciences by means of critical analysis of a topic supported by quantitative analysis of a dataset(s) held within the ICPSR archive and presented in written form.
For details, see ICPSR’s page on the competition or contact Katherine McNeill, Data Services and Economics Librarian, at mcneillh@mit.edu.
Are you wondering what an RSS feed is and how it can help your research?
Want to learn more about using GIS, EndNote or RefWorks?
Need to find chemical information, social science data, or patents?
Want to kick back and enjoy a film festival, improve your bioinformatics search skills, or learn how to make your own videos for the Web?
Look no further! Take a peek at all of the MIT Libraries IAP Activities offered in 2010.
Hayden Library — Humanities & Science — will be open till 2am each night during Finals
from Thursday, Dec. 10 to Friday, Dec. 18th:
8am-2am daily, except Saturday & Sunday, Dec. 12 & 13, 10am-2am.
The extended hours are for the MIT community only.
Harriet Ritvo, MIT’s Arthur J. Conner Professor of History, will discuss her latest book The Dawn of Green: Manchester, Thirlmere, and Modern Environmentalism on Wednesday, December 9th at 4 p.m. in the Institute Archives (14N-118).
In The Dawn of Green, Ritvo reveals how today’s environmental movement can be traced to Thirlmere, a bucolic reservoir in the English Lake District, and the 19th century battle around it that pitted industrial progress against conservation.
Ritvo is also the author of The Platypus and the Mermaid, and Other Figments of Classifying Imagination and The Animal Estate: The English and Other Creatures in the Victorian Age.
During her talk she will show materials used in her research and sign copies of her book. This event is sponsored by the MIT Libraries’ Institute Archives & Special Collections, and the MIT History Faculty. It is free and open to the public.
Members of the MIT Community are encouraged to schedule the room (14E-311) for groups of three or more at Hayden’s service desk on the 1st floor or call 253-5671 to make a reservation. Features include a large blackboard and a wall-mounted flat-screen monitor for presentations.
14E-311 was formerly the Women’s Studies Research Room. That collection has been moved into the Hayden stacks, including the new Women in Science, Technology & Medicine Collection in the center section of the Humanities Library, 2nd floor reading room.
Looking to gain skills in working with statistical analysis software packages? The following classes will be taught by the Harvard-MIT Data Center (HMDC) Statistical Consultant and start next week! Note: there will be time at the end of each session for individual assistance, so feel free to bring your research questions.
1. Introduction to Stata
Get an introduction to Stata, the statistical analysis software package commonly used at MIT. With hands-on exercises, learn how to import and manage datasets. Novices welcome!
When: Friday, October 23rd, 2-5pm
2. Data Management in Stata
Learn techniques for data management using Stata. Perform hands-on exercises and learn how to create cross-sectional, time-series, and panel datasets from several data files. Topics include importing data into Stata, labeling data and variables, converting data from string to numeric format, appending and merging datasets, and collapsing and reshaping a dataset. Prerequisite: a general familiarity with Stata (such as taking the Intro. workshop).
When: Friday, November 6th, 3-5pm
3. Introduction to Regression Using Stata
This hands-on class will provide a comprehensive introduction to estimating the linear regression model using ordinary least squares in Stata. Topics for the class include multiple regression, dummy variables, interaction effects, hypothesis tests, and model diagnostics. Prerequisites include a general familiarity with Stata (such as taking the Intro. workshop), the linear regression model, and the ordinary least squares estimation.
When: Friday, November 13th, 3-5pm
4. Introduction to R
Get an introduction to R, the open-source system for statistical computation and graphics available on Athena. With hands-on exercises, learn how to import and manage datasets, create R objects, and generate figures. Novices welcome!
When: Friday, December 11th, 1-4pm
Where: All workshops held in the Sloan Trading Room in the basement of E52: E52-010.
Space is limited. To register, contact: Katherine McNeill, mcneillh@mit.edu.
Can’t make these times? Attend these workshops at Harvard or view the slides on your own.
Brought to you by Social Science Data Services: http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/subjects/data/
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