Technology Tip of the Week - January 17, 2006

Using Your Departmental Folder - Never Lose a File Again!

A file server is a secure computer that can be accessed through the CCRI network capable of storing a large amount of data. CCRI has a file server for each campus. The Department of Information Technology has created unique folders on file servers for each department that are accessible only to members of that department through the network.

Why is this important?

Well, files stored in a departmental network folder can be reached from any computer on the network. This means that faculty and staff no longer have to bring a CD, USB drive, floppy or zip disk to a classroom or another campus with them. They can store their files on their departmental folder and then all they have to do is log in to the classroom computer or any staff computer with their domain account and they can get right to their files. Another big plus is that all the files stored on file servers are backed up every day - no more lost data!

How do I access my department's network drive?

Only CCRI faculty and staff who have domain accounts on the CCRI network can access their department's network drive. To get a domain account, a faculty or staff member needs to print out the form at: http://it.ccri.edu/forms/domain-acct-frm.shtml, fill it out, have your department head sign it and return it to the IT department. This account is different from your Pipeline account but should have the same username and password once it is created.

Once you have a domain account, you would log in to your computer on the Windows screen (Ctrl-Alt-Del). When you are logged in, click on the My Computer icon. You should see your departmental network drive listed under the Network Drives space. Double-click on it to open and view the files on this drive.

How do I store and retrieve files on this shared network drive?

You store and retrieve files on this shared network drive the way you would with any other storage drive. When you are in Word or PowerPoint, you would click on File - Save and then use the drop down arrow to choose your departmental network drive. If you wanted to open a file from this space, you would go to File - Open and then choose the departmental network drive from the drop down list.

How do I organize my files on a network shared drive?

The best way to organize your own files on a network shared drive is to create a folder with your name on it and store your files in the folder. To create a folder on a network shared drive:

Double-click on My Computer

Double-click on your departmental network drive under the Network Drives.

Right-click on any blank space on the drive and choose New - Folder. Type in your name as a label for the folder and click off the folder.

To store your files in this folder, double-click on it to open and save or retrieve your files.

Note: The files on a network drive are visible to any staff or faculty member in the department. If you don't want others to access your files it is best to password protect your files or to store them on CD or other removable storage medium.

For more information on network drives and password-protecting files, please see: http://it.ccri.edu/Documentation/depart-network-drives.shtml.

Article of the Week

Changing a Cultural Icon: The Academic Library as a Virtual Destination by Jerry D. Campbell, Chief Information Officer and Dean of University Libraries at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

"Academic libraries today are complex institutions with multiple roles and a host of related operations and services developed over the years. Yet their fundamental purpose has remained the same: to provide access to trustworthy, authoritative knowledge. Consequently, academic libraries—along with their private and governmental counterparts—have long stood unchallenged throughout the world as the primary providers of recorded knowledge and historical records. Within the context of higher education especially, when users wanted dependable information, they turned to academic libraries.

Today, however, the library is relinquishing its place as the top source of inquiry. The reason that the library is losing its supremacy in carrying out this fundamental role is due, of course, to the impact of digital technology. As digital technology has pervaded every aspect of our civilization, it has set forth a revolution not only in how we store and transmit recorded knowledge, historical records, and a host of other kinds of communication but also in how we seek and gain access to these materials ..." Read the full article at: http://www.educause.edu/apps/er/erm06/erm0610.as

What do you think about the future of our college and university libraries? What will they look like?

Feel free to post your opinions of the site in the Teaching Forum message board.

These tips are provided by the Department of Information Technology instructional support team. If you have any questions on these tips, or wish to offer your own, please feel free to contact Linda Beith at lbeith@ccri.edu. View an archive of past technology tips