Category Archives: library

VT Historic Sites Pass now available at the Circulation Desk

Now available for checkout from the Davis Family Library Circulation desk: a family pass (up to 8 people in one vehicle) for free entry into a Vermont Historic Site. This means you can go see and of these historic sites – the Bennington Battle Monument, President Calvin Coolidge, Chimney Point, Hubbardton Battlefield, Senator Justin S. Morrill, Mount Independence, Old Constitution House, President Chester A. Arthur, and Eureka Schoolhouse and Baltimore Covered Bridge – for the bottom line price of zero dollars! At that price, you can’t afford to NOT go learn some history!

New Library Water Fountain Helps the Environment and Those with Disabilities

In case you are wondering what that noise is on the main floor of the Davis Family Library today, it is the installation of a new ADA-compliant water fountain that is designed to fill water bottles too.  The Library Space Team successfully applied for an Environmental Council grant to cover the cost for one.  The fountain will count the number of times a water bottle / glass is filled.  Next time you are thinking of buying bottled water, think instead about using a refillable container (and thus avoid landfill waste or the energy and financial costs of recycling).  It will also be the only ADA-compliant fountain in the Library, so if someone in a wheelchair needs a water fountain, be sure to direct them to this one, which is just opposite the print copy room on the main level.

 

Exam hours for the Libraries

The Davis Family Library will offer extended hours starting Sunday, December 4th. We will open at 9 am that day and be open 24 hours through Friday, December 9th, when we will close at the regular 11 pm. Saturday, December 10th will be regular hours, 9 am – 11 pm. 24/7 will resume on Sunday starting at 9 am and the library will close at 10 pm on Sunday, December 18th. A Middlebury College ID will be required to enter the library after 11 pm during this period.

Armstrong Library will maintain regular hours, with extended hours on Friday and Saturday, December 16th and 17th.

Full hours can be found at go/hours.

New Public Library_Printers

ITS has replaced the printers with paper decks in Davis Library 142, 242 and 303 along with the two in Armstrong library. The new devices are Konica Minolta multi-function copier/printers. They look very similar to the Library_Color printers in LIB 142 and Armstrong lower level, but they only print in black and white. We have removed all print-release stations since users can now log into Papercut using the touch screen on the device.  Signage has been posted on the wall above each machine providing the new instructions.

 

 

 

Has an ebook disappeared on you?

Looking for an ebook you used recently but that seems to have vanished? Let us know right away; we can probably get it back. Our major ebook program is undergoing some changes due to soaring costs and increasing publisher restrictions on usage. A large number of titles will disappear from our catalog this week. The process is designed to leave available anything that’s been used recently, but because of behind-the-scenes technical work, there’s a lag between the vendor’s most recent usage reports and the actual catalog-record deletion. As a result, you may have used a title in the last two weeks and now can’t find it again. Just ask us to recover it, and if our supplier still has it available, we will!

We also added a new collection recently, with more than 140,000 ebooks from EBSCO. Check it out!

Has an ebook disappeared on you?

Looking for an ebook you used recently but that seems to have vanished? Let us know right away; we can probably get it back. Our major ebook program is undergoing some changes due to soaring costs and increasing publisher restrictions on usage. A large number of titles will disappear from our catalog this week. The process is designed to leave available anything that’s been used recently, but because of behind-the-scenes technical work, there’s a lag between the vendor’s most recent usage reports and the actual catalog-record deletion. As a result, you may have used a title in the last two weeks and now can’t find it again. Just ask us to recover it, and if our supplier still has it available, we will!

We also added a new collection recently, with more than 140,000 ebooks from EBSCO. Check it out!

@MiddInfoSec: Information Security is Everyone’s Responsibility!

It is important for each of us to be aware of the increasing security risks to our increasingly connected lives. From laptops and tablets to smartphones and wearable technology, and 24/7 access to our personal data, the risk of sensitive information being exposed is very real.

  • Be Data Aware:

 Travel with, save, or record ONLY the data that is necessary and essential. Always redact or remove unnecessary sensitive data. Always keep your data backed-up and encrypted, when possible.

  • Protect Your Device:

Add a passcode to your cell phone, tablet, or laptop right now! iOS devices automatically encrypt your data once a passcode has been set. Android devices can encrypt your data with a few minor settings changes.

  • Use Strong & Unique Passwords or Passphrases:

Especially for online banking and other important accounts.

  • Use Multi-Factor Authentication when available:

Middlebury is introducing MFA for O365 and other services in 2016. Use MFA wherever possible.

  • Check Your Social Media Settings:

Review your social media security and privacy settings frequently. Enable MFA whenever possible. Keep your social media accounts current or close them.

  • Educate Yourself:

Stay informed about the latest technology trends and security issues such as malware and phishing. Visit http://go.middlebury.edu/infosec for more information. For targeted training visit: http://go.middlebury.edu/infoseced .

  • Get Trained:

Contact ITS – Information Security at infosec@middlebury.edu to set up a training session for your department.

@MiddInfoSec: Keeping Your Password Secure

Did you know that most passwords are easily broken? A few “secrets” can help you make a stronger more memorable password.

Dos

  • Longer is better – use at least 8 characters with upper and lower case, numbers and symbols.
  • Create an easy-to-remember passphrase  with four or more words substituting special characters for some of the letters.
  • Use a unique password for each service or account.
  • Change your password or passphrase regularly:
  • Be sure you’re on the correct website before entering your password or passphrase
  • Set a password for access to your mobile device

Don’ts

  • Don’t include personal information such as usernames, account numbers, address or phone numbers in your password or passphrase.
  • Don’t reuse the same password for multiple services
  • Don’t use a single word, in any language
  • Don’t use consecutive repeating characters or a number sequence
  • Don’t share your password or passphrase – even with managers, co-workers or the Help Desk
  • Don’t send your passwords through email

Tools

@MiddInfoSec: Don’t Get Hooked

You may not realize it, but you are a phishing target at school, at work, and at home. Phishing attacks are a type of computer attack that use malicious emails to trick targets into giving up sensitive information. Ultimately, you are the most effective way to detect and stop phishing scams. When viewing email messages, texts, or social media posts, use the following techniques to prevent your passwords, personal data, or private information from being stolen by a phishing attack.

  • Verify the source. Check the sender’s email address to make sure it’s legitimate. Remember that the name of the sender is not the important part. The sender’s email address is what you are really looking for. If in doubt, forward your message to phishing@middlebury.edu.
  • Read the entire message carefully. Phishing messages may include a formal salutation, overly-friendly tone, grammatical errors, urgent requests, or gimmicks that do not match the normal tone of the sender.
  • Avoid clicking on erroneous links. Even if you know the sender, be cautious of links and attachments in messages. Don’t click on links that could direct you to a bad website. Hovering your mouse over a link should disclose the actual web address that the link is directing you too, which may be different from what is displayed in the message. Make sure this masked address is a site you want to visit.
  • Verify the intent of all attachments with the sender before opening them. Even when you know a sender, you should never open an attachment unless have checked with the sender to verify the attachment was sent intentionally. Word and Excel documents can contain malicious macros which could harm your computer. Other files, such as zip files and PDF files, could download malware onto your system. Always verify the intent of attachments with the sender before you open them from an email.
  • Verifying a message is always better than responding to a phish. If you ever receive a message that provides reason to pause, it is always better to forward the message to phishing@middlebury.edu or to send a separate email to the sender to verify its intent, before clicking a link or opening an attachment that could potentially impact the security of your computer..
  • Change your passwords if you have fallen for a phish. If you think you have fallen for a phishing attack, change your password at go/password and then contact the helpdesk at x2200. It is also a good practice to change your personal passwords outside of the College.

 

Watch for phishing scams. Common phishing scams are published at sites such as http://IC3.gov , http://phishing.org ,https://www.irs.gov/uac/Report-Phishing. These resources will also allow you to report phishing attacks if you should fall victim outside of the College. Again, if you think you have fallen victim to a phishing attack, always start by changing your passwords.

Middlebury’s Google Apps for Education – Account status

As we continue to integrate Middlebury services with cloud providers like Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365, we are aware of possible account conflicts that may arise. In particular, on Monday, April 25th, we will begin automatically syncing Middlebury Google Apps accounts for all students, faculty and staff with @middlebury.edu or @miis.edu addresses. This may result in conflicts for those who have been using stand-alone Google services with an account that you set up to use your Middlebury address but was not provisioned by ITS in our Middlebury Google Apps instance.

What if I have registered my @middlebury.edu address for stand-alone Google services?

If you have been using stand-alone (ie. not Middlebury Google Apps) Google services with your @middlebury.edu address, you have what Google considers to be a “conflicting account” and you will need to rename your account to a non-middlebury.edu address after the update.

Do I need to do anything now?

After the accounts are synced, any documents (Docs, Sheets, Slides, or files in Google Drive) that you created with your personal account will be transferred to a new account to resolve the conflict. Afterwards, you will not be able to transfer ownership to anyone in the middlebury.edu domain. So if you have any documents under a personal stand-alone account with institutional data that should remain associated with the College, you need to transfer ownership to someone with a Middlebury Google Apps account now.

How can I tell if the account I’m using now is a personal or institutional account?

Try logging out and logging in again. If you enter your Google account password at Google’s login page, that’s a personal stand-alone account and the above considerations apply. If instead you enter your Middlebury e-mail and password at our new login page, that’s an institutional account and you’re all set. You can also watch this video.

Can I still access Google’s services for my personal use?

You can choose to maintain a separate account for your personal use of any Google services under a non-middlebury.edu address. If you have multiple Google accounts, the username that appears at the upper right corner of most Google services will help you ensure that you’re using the intended account.

What if I have questions about this?

Please email any questions about this change to helpdesk@middlebury.edu.  Or create an helpdesk ticket.


Defining and avoiding conflicting accounts
https://support.google.com/a/answer/185186

Help with your conflicting account:
https://support.google.com/accounts/troubleshooter/1699308?rd=2

Moving your personal data between accounts:
https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/1109839?hl=en&ref_topic=30035


 
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