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News Archive

Archive of news items previously appearing in faculty resource guides

news

This is an archive of news items that originally appeared in faculty resource guides for the disciplines listed below.

architectureArchitecture biologyBiology & Biotechnology chemistryChemistry computer scienceComputer Science data scienceData Science
engineeringEngineering kinesiologyKinesiology mathematicsMathematics physics & astronomyPhysics & Astronomy


2025 News Items


August 2025

 Library Budget Cut

The library budget has been cut permanently by more than $900,000. Some the outcomes of this cut include the following:

Personnel
1 librarian and 1.5 OPE staff positions eliminated (all presently vacant).

Collections (Journal and Database Subscriptions)
Several databases, journal packages, and individual journal subscriptions will be eliminated. A full list will be available on our Cancellations and Withdrawals web page later in the fall semester. This list will include:

  • AIP: American Institute of Physics Journals (journal package) — includes 11 Physics journals.
  • Cambridge Journals (journal package) — more than 400 journals covering a wide variety of disciplines including Computer Science, Engineering, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Medicine, and Physics & Astronomy.
  • Compendex (database)
  • Sage Journals (journal package) — more than 1000 journals covering a wide variety of disciplines including Engineering and Life & Biomedical Sciences.

Please reach out to me if you wish to discuss in more detail our cancellations and their impacts.

View Cancellations & Withdrawals


Posted to: architecturebiology & biotechnologychemistrycomputer sciencedata scienceengineeringkinesiologymathematicsphysics & astronomy


 New Administrative Position

The library will be hiring for a newly-created administrative position: Director of Operations & Budget.

The two primary areas this new role will be responsible for include Access Services and library-wide budget (non-collections). This position will be funded from one of the two presently vacant Associate Dean lines (or possibly from other vacant lines).


Posted to: architecturebiology & biotechnologychemistrycomputer sciencedata scienceengineeringkinesiologymathematicsphysics & astronomy


  Scopus AI

We now have access to Scopus AI, a premium addition to our Scopus database subscription. Scopus AI is a generative AI tool that provides topic summaries based exclusively on the peer-reviewed literature (abstracts and metadata from 2003 forward) within the Scopus database. Scopus AI identifies the peer-reviewed sources for the claims in its summaries, and indicates its confidence level in addressing your query.

Tip: Just as general AI tools are not replacements for standard research, Scopus AI is not a replacement for a standard Scopus search and hands-on-review of results; but it can be a useful starting point to explore new or unfamiliar topics.

To use Scopus AI, login to Scopus as usual, and click the "Scopus AI" tab above the main search box. 

Login to Scopus

Scopus AI Features and FAQ


Posted to: architecturebiology & biotechnologychemistrycomputer sciencedata scienceengineeringkinesiologymathematicsphysics & astronomy


July 2025

 Change to Video Orders

Starting August 1, 2025 Gleeson Library will only accept requests to stream licensed videos which are available on the following platforms: KanopyAlexander Street, and Swank Digital Campus. In addition, the library has adopted a cap of $150 for a one year license or $350 for a three year license per title. While the library is unable to purchase video files and host them locally or add new platforms, we will carefully evaluate requests to purchase DVDs as long as they don’t exceed $150 per title. Faculty must use the Video Request Form to submit license or DVD purchase requests.


Posted to: architecturebiology & biotechnologychemistrycomputer sciencedata scienceengineeringkinesiologymathematicsphysics & astronomy


June 2025

 Inspec with Full Text.

Our subscription to Inspec—the database covering research in computer science, physics, and engineering—has been upgraded with access to 1,500 full text journals.

Search Inspec with Full Text


Posted to: computer scienceengineeringphysics & astronomy


April 2025

 New Library Search Interfaces.

Gleeson Library will launch new, more intuitive interfaces for Fusion and EBSCOhost databases on June 16. The update offers improved design, accessibility, and features.

Users must manually migrate any saved alerts and folders. See the Fusion and EBSCOhost Database Updates guide for more information, FAQs, and a link to preview the new interface.

In addition to Fusion, 77 EBSCOhost databases will implement the new interface, including: 

  • Academic Search Complete
  • APA PsycInfo
  • Architectural Digest Magazine Archive
  • Art & Architecture Source
  • Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
  • Business Source Complete
  • Engineering Source
  • Environment Complete
  • Inspec
  • SPORTDiscus
  • Urban Studies Abstracts

More Information and FAQs


Posted to: architecturebiology & biotechnologychemistrycomputer sciencedata scienceengineeringkinesiologymathematicsphysics & astronomy


 Discarding VHS Collection

Gleeson Library is planning to deaccession our VHS collection of 1,155 items. We are no longer able to support this obsolete format. None of the tapes has circulated in at least two years, some for much longer or not at all.

Please see the list of VHS holdings under consideration for discard. If there are any you feel are essential to retain, please inform your library liaison Randy Souther by May 15.

We are working with the office of Environmental Sustainability to recycle the tapes.


Posted to: architecturebiology & biotechnologychemistrycomputer sciencedata scienceengineeringkinesiologymathematicsphysics & astronomy


 New database added: JSTOR Global Plants.

Global Plants is the world’s largest database of digitized plant specimens and a locus for international scientific research and collaboration.

Go to JSTOR Global Plants


Posted to: biology & biotechnology


February 2025

 New transformative agreement with Oxford University Press, and extended agreements with Cambridge University Press and Springer.

Transformative agreements allow you to publish your articles open access with no fees or reduced fees. Our current agreements are with Oxford, Cambridge, Elsevier, Springer, Association for Computing Machinery, and American Chemical Society. 

View our Transformative Agreements


Posted to: architecturebiology & biotechnologychemistrycomputer sciencedata scienceengineeringkinesiologymathematicsphysics & astronomy


January 2025

 ProQuest Ebook Central subscription ends February 1, 2025

ProQuest Ebook Central is one of our major ebook providers, and its cancellation will affect more than 250,000 titles in our collection.

If you rely on any specific ebook title for assigned readings in your courses, or for your own teaching or research, please check the ebook status below, and notify me promptly ( randall.souther@usfca.edu ) if the ebook is from ProQuest Ebook Central. Gleeson Library may be able to provide alternate access to frequently used ebooks.

See the link below to check the status of any ebook in question.

Check the Status of an Ebook


Posted to: architecturebiology & biotechnologychemistrycomputer sciencedata scienceengineeringkinesiologymathematicsphysics & astronomy


 

2024 News Items

October 2024

  Anatomical Models

The library has acquired a 2nd "Full Disarticulated Human Skeleton" anatomical model to help with high demand by students in Anatomy classes.

See Anatomical Models


Posted to: biology & biotechnologykinesiology


September 2024

 New Addition: Annual Book of ASTM Standards

We have added the complete 87-volume set: Annual Book of ASTM Standards to our print collections. The set contains more than 12,000 engineering standards. 


Posted to: engineering


 New Addition: Engineering Standards research guide

Step-by-step guide for searching and retrieving standards from the Annual Book of ASTM Standards, as well as standards from other publishers. 


Posted to: engineering


August 2024

 Cancellations and Withdrawals

The library has had to cut more than $50,000 from our materials budget this coming year, and larger cuts are likely next fiscal year. See our Cancellations and Withdrawals page for a partial list of cancelled databases and journals.

See Cancellations and Withdrawals

Important cancellations include:

  • Link+ — book borrowing and lending service (books can still be borrowed via our Interlibrary Loan service).
  • ProQuest Ebook Central — more than 250,000 academic ebook titles.
  • Passport GMID — international consumer and industry market research.
  • Credo InfoLit — information literacy tutorials and videos

Posted to: architecturebiology & biotechnologychemistrycomputer sciencedata scienceengineeringkinesiologymathematicsphysics & astronomy


 New Information Desk in the Library

The library's Reference Desk has been closed, and reference services have been moved and combined with circulation services at the Information Desk at the entrance of the library. Reference librarians will be on-call — just ask at the Information Desk.


Posted to: architecturebiology & biotechnologychemistrycomputer sciencedata scienceengineeringkinesiologymathematicsphysics & astronomy