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March 19, 2007

CINAHL and SPORTDiscus Now Easier to Use

We are pleased to announce that using the Thompson Library’s CINAHL and SPORTDiscus products has just become easier. Until recently, the Thompson Library had separate subscriptions to CINAHL Plus with Full Text and its supplementary database CINAHL Select, as well as SPORTDiscus with Full Text and its supplement SPORTDiscus Select. It was possible to search each database and its supplement simultaneously, but with some loss of flexibility in search techniques.

EBSCO, the publisher of these databases, has now integrated the content of CINAHL Select into CINAHL Plus with Full Text, and the content of SPORTDiscus Select into SPORTDiscus with Full Text. You will now be able to access the content of each set of databases searching a single resource. I have removed the links to CINAHL Select and SPORTDiscus Select from the library’s website.

If you have any questions about the transition, please contact Paul Streby, the Thompson Library webmaster.

Posted by pgstreby at 04:03 PM | Comments (0)

March 14, 2007

Unlawful File Sharing

You may have seen this message from the University's Chief Information Technology Security Officer in Ann Arbor:

    On Friday, March 9, and Saturday, March 10, the University of Michigan received notification that the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) intends to sue or receive settlement from more than a dozen members of the U-M community engaged in unlawful peer-to-peer file sharing of music over the Internet. The RIAA has designated these individuals through IP addresses, and the University is in the process of identifying and notifying them.

    This action is part of an increased effort to curtail unlawful peer-to-peer file sharing. As a result, individuals who engage in this practice are more likely than ever to be identified and sued by the RIAA. Most have settled these lawsuits out-of-court, typically for $4,000-$4,500.

    The University does not condone unlawful peer-to-peer file sharing. Individuals who engage in it are violating a variety of University policies including Standard Practice Guide 601.7 - Proper Use of Information Resources, Information Technology, and Networks at U-M. This reminder also has been sent to all faculty and students.

    Faculty, staff, or students who have installed peer-to-peer file sharing programs on their computers and are concerned that they might be unwittingly sharing files illegally should visit the University of Chicago's useful web page that describes how to disable file sharing on a variety of programs (http://security.uchicago.edu/guidelines/peer-to-peer/).

    U-M maintains a web page (http://www.copyright.umich.edu) that describes the University's position on illegal sharing of copyrighted materials and also includes a growing list of FAQs. All members of the University community are encouraged to study the materials on this page.

    Lawful downloading of music is possible through sites such as Apple iTunes, MSN Music, Rhapsody, Ruckus, etc. Details about a number of these sites are available at:
    http://mp3.about.com/od/wheretobuymusic/a/all_profile.htm and http://mp3.about.com/od/freemusicdownloads/tp/freeandlegalmp3.htm.

      Paul Howell
      Chief Information Technology Security Officer

Don't make yourself the target of a lawsuit - remember that copyright law applies to everybody!

Posted by pgstreby at 09:48 AM | Comments (0)