Mendel Music Library - FAQ

Mendel Music Library

FAQ


Vinyl Phonograph Records - handling and usage

NOTE: Always handle your records along the outer rim and/or center. Never handle your vinyl by touching the playing (i.e., grooved) surface! Your fingers contain oils that will transfer to the record surface and will act as a magnet, pulling in contaminants, which, in turn, will degrade sound quality during playback. The oils from your hands - if not cleaned from the record - will permanently set to the vinyl's surface. (If you have ever seen a record with a finger print that will not come off after cleaning, it is the result of the oils having set in.)

SO… As you remove the record from the outer and inner sleeves, hold the record by placing your thumb on the edge of the disc, and the rest of the fingers of the same hand on the center label for balance. Use the fingertips of both hands along on the edge of the record to place it on or remove it from the turntable.

EQUIPMENT:

Headphone Amp:

  1. Turn master Power switch to ‘On’;
  2. As the record plays you can adjust the volume (“Phono Volume”) to a desired level BUT…
  3. Please DO NOT adjust any of the other switches on the amp!

Turntable:

  1. Open the lid on the listening station;
  2. Place the record on the turntable, handling the records as suggested above;
  3. Push ‘Power’ button on the left side;
  4. Push ‘Start/Stop.’ The turntable will start rotating. *PLEASE DO NOT manually lower the tone arm onto the record!*
  5. Lift up the cueing lever at the base of the tone arm;
  6. Move the tone arm to the desired position over the record;
  7. Lower the cueing lever down. The tone arm descends slowly onto the record.
  8. Adjust the volume on the amplifier.

When you finish listening:

  1. Lift the cueing lever up;
  2. Return the tone arm to the arm stand;
  3. Lower the cueing lever;
  4. Push the ‘Start/Stop’, then ‘Power’ buttons;
  5. Turn off the amplifier;
  6. Return the record to the sleeve, handling it as suggested above.
  7. Close the lid of the player to prevent dust from settling on the turntable.

Microform Reader Instructions

Start Up Instructions

  1. Log on to the computer. Username: scanpro2; Password: ScanPro2000; Domain:LIBSTAFF.
  2. Load the microfilm onto the microfilm reader following the diagram on top of the ScanPro. Caution: The clasp inside the slot on the take-up reel is stiff, so please hold the film with your fingers on opposite sides of the slot and slowly slide the film laterally into place, ensuring that the film slides completely onto the reel before attempting to scroll.
  3. Turn on the ScanPro microfilm reader. (The power switch is on the bottom right corner of the rear of the machine.)
  4. Open the PowerScan software on the computer and wait for the device to be ready.

Film Controls

  1. In the PowerScan software, select the icon for the type of film/material (“35mm” for most microfilms).
  2. Begin by turning the right side take-up reel manually.
  3. Scrolling: use the film control console on the lower right side of the computer screen.

    a. Slow scroll = click the blue bar in the center and drag it to the left (reverse) or right (forward). 
    b. Fast scroll = click and hold down on either set of double arrows. Caution: Please do not use the fast scrolling method when nearing the beginning or end of the roll, as this may damage the film.
  4. To center the film within the view of the computer screen, you can manually slide the reader tray towards you or away from you by gently holding the front edge of the carrier tray (curved black metal portion in the front).
  5. To switch between negative and positive displays, click on the “Film Type” icon.

    a. Positive Film: black text on clear background. 

    b. Negative Film: clear text on black/blue background.
  6. Troubleshooting Tip: If the scanner light shuts off or the screen image does not refresh when the film is moved, close the PowerScan software and open it again —you do not need to do anything to the scanner machine itself.
  7. For additional tips on adjusting the image, see the Adjusting the Image instructions at the end of this guide.

Printing / Saving

  1. Adjust the green marquee box to select the portion of the image you wish to use.
  2. Tip: Make the marquee slightly larger than the image you wish to use to avoid unwanted cropping during scanning/printing.
  3. Note: If the film is moved at all, the computer will take a moment to adjust focus – do not attempt to save or print the image until the green marquee reappears and the image is refreshed.
  4. To print an image, click on the icon for Printer #1 in the PowerScan program.
  5. Save to Hard-Drive: To scan and save to the hard drive, click on the “Scan to Drive #1” icon. Be sure to select your preferred file type (jpeg, pdf, pdf multipage, or tiff) before saving.
  6. Save to Another Location: You may also save directly to a removable USB device or CD/DVD-ROM. 
    a. Insert a USB device and click on the “Scan to Drive #2” icon to save to a USB device.
    b. Insert a CD/DVD with free space and click on the “Scan to Drive #3” icon to save to CD/DVD-ROM.
  7. Save Multiple Pages: If you wish to save multiple pages in one pdf file, choose “pdf multipage” from the “Save as Type” dropdown menu in the “Save As” window—a small counter window will appear in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. You may continue scanning as many images as you want (click on “Scan to Drive #1” for each additional image); when you are finished, click “Finish” on the counter window to complete the file.
  8. Auto-Scan: This feature allows you to direct the software to automatically scan each frame on the film and save it to the desktop. For further information, see the “Using Auto-Scan” document.

Finishing

  1. Rewind the film. Caution: The auto-rewind and high-speed scrolling features are not recommended, as they may damage older films. Please do not use the fast-speed scrolling method when nearing the end of the roll as this may damage the film. Turn the right side take-up wheel manually to remove the last few inches of film.
  2. Close the PowerScan program, turn off the microfilm reader, and return the microfilm to the 1st floor circulation desk.
  3. Be sure to re-save your scanned file via e-mail attachment, removable media (thumb drive), or on your H drive (authorized Princeton users only). Files saved to this computer may be deleted at any time —the library is not responsible for lost data saved on public computers.

Adjusting the Image

  1. If the image is backwards, you can reverse it by clicking on the Mirror icon.
  2. There are two ways to adjust the orientation of the image – see the Quick Start Guidefor tips on “Film Orientation” and “Rotate 90°”.
  3. If the image is slightly tilted, you may make adjustments via “Auto Straighten,” “Manual Straighten,” or “Line Straighten” – see the Quick Start Guide for directions to using “Line Straighten.”
  4. See the Quick Start Guide for tips on adjusting “Brightness” and “Contrast”.
  5. Tip: For microfilms of manuscripts in particular, you may want to experiment with different brightness and contrast settings to avoid missing fainter details and pencil markings.
  6. To adjust resolution, click on the top icon in the 3rd column from the left. This will only affect the resolution of the printout or saved file and does not change the quality of the real-time image on this computer.
  7. Spot-Edit: This feature allows you to specially enhance designated portions of an image for printing and scanning.

    a. Click on the Spot-Edit icon.
    b. Use the cursor to draw a pink marquee box around the portion of the image you wish to enhance.
    c. Double click a corner of the marquee box to lock it into place.
    d. Make you adjustments to the highlighted portion of the image, using the normal image adjustment icons.
    e. Repeat steps a-d for any additional spots you wish to edit. Tip: Click inside a pink box to activate it for editing.
    f. Scan or print the image.
    g. Click on the cancel button within the Spot-Edit icon to exit the Spot-Edit feature (repeat this step if using multiple edit boxes).

Scanner Instructions & Tips

Please note that digital scans may be emailed or saved to a flash drive only. The scanning station is not equipped with print capabilities.

User Guide for Basic Scanning 

(jpeg, tiff, bitmap, pdf)

  1. Place the document or image on the scanner (being careful not to press too hard on the glass).
  2. Make sure the scanner is turned on (power button is on the lower left corner of the scanner).
  3. Open the program “EPSON Scan” (to log on, user = pws2008password = pw$2008).
  4. Make sure the “mode” at the top of the program window is set to “Office” (this is default).
  5. Select your image type (color, grayscale, or black & white).
  6. Select the paper size using the drop-down menu for “Size” (letter 8.5"x11" is the default) and the orientation of the image (portrait or landscape).
  7. You can change the image resolution if desired (smaller resolutions are best for Web and email, larger resolutions are better for items you intend to print).
  8. If you wish to preview and select the portion of the image to scan, see the Advanced Scanning Guide, steps 8-9.
  9. When you are ready to scan and save the image, click on “Scan.” A “File Save Settings” window will appear.
  10. Under “Image Format,” select the desired file type (jpeg, tiff, bitmap, or pdf) from the drop down menu. Note: for more advanced options (including saving a TIFF file for use on a Mac), see the Advanced Scanning Guide, step 13.
  11. Click “OK” to scan and save the file. **Note: If you choose to save as a PDF file, a window will open after each image is scanned, allowing you to scan another image to the same file (select “Add page”, place the next page/image in the scanner, and select “Scan”). If you are done, you can simply select “Save File”.
  12. Close the preview window and scanner software when scanning is complete and be sure to re-save your scanned filevia e-mail attachment, removable media (thumb drive), or on your H drive (authorized Princeton users only). Files saved to this computer may be deleted at any time—the library is not responsible for lost data saved on public computers.
 
User Guide for Advanced Scanning 

(provides more options for file quality and format)
  1. Place the document or image on the scanner (being careful not to press too hard on the glass).
  2. Make sure the scanner is turned on (power button is on the lower left corner of the scanner).
  3. Open the program “EPSON Scan” (to log on, user = pws2008password = pw$2008)
  4. Set the “mode” at the top of the program window to “Professional” (“Office” is the default).
  5. On “Auto Exposure Type”, choose “Photo” or “Document” from the drop-down menu. (This refers to the ORIGINAL item you are scanning.)
  6. From the “Image Type” drop-down menu select the scan you desire (color, b&w, or grayscale).
  7. Select the desired image resolution (lower resolution for Web and e-mail, higher for printing).
  8. Click on “Preview” (**Note: If you do not use preview to select the portion you wish to scan, the program will often scan the entire length of the scanner bed, which may result in unwanted blank space.)
  9. Use the cursor to draw a marquee box around the portion of the image you wish to scan. (If you need to draw a new box, click on the “Erase marquee” icon just below the “Marquee” label in the upper left-hand corner of the Preview window).
  10. When you have selected the portion of the image you wish to scan, click on “Scan”.
  11. A “File Save Settings” window will pop up, allowing you to choose the file type and the dimensions of the image you wish to produce.
  12. Under “Image Format,” select from the drop down menu the type of file you wish to create (PDF, bitmap, jpeg, tiff, etc.).
  13. The “Options” button allows you to modify the dimensions and file size of the image that will be saved. For a JPEG, you can adjust the image compression and file size. For a TIFF, you can switch between Windows and Mac formatting. For a PDF, you can select the “Paper Size” and the image will be saved to display and print out at that page size (white space will fill any gaps around the border of the scanned image). Then you can select the paper orientation (landscape or portrait). **Tip: if you select “Actual image size” the file will be automatically fitted to the screen when you read the PDF, without a white border.
  14. When you are ready, click ‘OK” in the “Plug-In Settings” window; then click “OK” in the “File Save Settings” window and the scan will begin. **Note: If you choose to save as a PDF file, a window will open after each image is scanned, allowing you to scan another image to the same file (cllck “Add page”). If you are done, you can simply click on “Save File”. (The option to “Edit Page” allows you to re-arrange and delete pages; this is also easily done within the versions of Adobe products installed on this computer.)
  15. Close the preview window and scanner software when scanning is complete and be sure to re-save your scanned filevia e-mail attachment, removable media (thumb drive), or on your H drive (authorized Princeton users only). Files saved to this computer may be deleted at any time—the library is not responsible for lost data saved on public computers.

NOTICE CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS:

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyright material. Persons using this equipment are responsible for complying with the law and will be liable for any infringement.


Printing at Mendel Music Library

Q: Where can I print in the Mendel Music Library?

A: There is a print station on the first floor in the media/study room and one in the second floor reading room.

Q: Where can I purchase a flash drive at Princeton so that I can copy files from a library computer?

A: Flash drives are available at the PUstore on Nassau Street, or from the OIT Solutions Center in Frist.

Q: Do patrons who are not affiliated with the University get printing privileges?

A: In line with other branch libraries on campus, we are no longer subsidizing free guest printing in Mendel Library. Only authorized Princeton users get free printing on campus. You will need to visit Firestone Library to acquire guest access privileges. Library guest users will be given a quota depending on the length of time of their access privileges. Their annual quota will not exceed that of the undergraduates.

Q: Is there a limit on the number of prints I can make?

A: Yes. The undergraduate quota is 2,700 sheets of paper and the graduate student quota is 3,000 sheets. Both graduate and undergraduate students get 200 color sheets as well.

Q: How do I keep track of my printing quota?

A: Information available at this page: https://faq.library.princeton.edu/faq/11455

Q: How do I get my student print quota adjusted if a print job goes bad?

A: You can call the OIT Help Desk (609-258-HELP) and have your print quota adjusted if the printer malfunctions. If you are worried that you will go over the quota then you will need to call the OIT Help Desk. The OIT Help Desk can and will adjust quotas in an emergency. You will need to make a case in advance for why you need more than the standard quota and that request will need to be authorized by an academic office. You may also opt to email the Help Desk at: lsupport@princeton.edu. A short and simple explanation of the issue will take care of it, though the reinstatement won't be immediate, but on the next business day.

Q: What do I do if my print job does not work or if the printer is flashing a message about an error, toner low or otherwise?

A: See the staff at the Circulation Desk for assistance.

Q: How can I print from my laptop to a Papercut print release station?

A: Instructions on how to print to a print release station can be found here:
http://library.princeton.edu/services/technology/printing-laptop

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