First Wednesday Grand Prize Winner!

On behalf of the Marywood University Library, I would like to congratulate Pamela Costello on winning the grand prize drawing for First Wednesday at the library. The prize can be claimed at the library front desk! The prize is a nice little mug filled and surrounded by various chocolates. We would like to thank you for attending the event today, and hope that you will come back in the future for more fun and the chance to win the grand prize again! Once again, congratulations!

First Wednesday Report

Hello everyone!

I come bearing news of a wonderful First Wednesday event held at the library today! A flurry of students poured in all day, enjoying free coffees with their food purchases, enjoying tasty fortune cookies (that were both delicious and motivational), looking over the great Chinese New Year display (right next to the cookies, so how could you miss it?), and taking part in the activities all day long.

I would now like to let you in on the report that Annette Fisher sent my way (she is the Information Literacy Coordinator at the library):
______________________________________
Study Abroad
The first event for our very first FWL was a discussion on Study Abroad with students who had studied abroad and the Director of the Marywood program, David Crisci. This discussion was spirited and lively because students told of their experiences in Italy, Brazil, and Chile. Several topics were covered including financial aid, how to implement your study abroad, culture, and education. David Crisci will soon be overseas recruiting students to our campus so talk to him soon if you want to know how to successfully launch your study abroad. An interesting tidbit from the discussion: one of the student speakers had never even traveled in an airplane. Imagine his excitement with his engagement with the land of his grandparents!

Diversity
The next presentation, led by Madeline Levy-Cruz, highlighted the outreach of the Office of Diversity Efforts. Initiatives from the Office include: Diversity United and the International Club. This Office also works with the Office of International Affairs on campus. There are several endeavors that are in the works for the month of February including: Movies, the weekly Black History Quizzes, Library Displays, and a capstone feature on 2/24 highlighting a Fashion Show, Step Performers, and a performance by singer, Tara Watkins. The week of Feb. 20th will feature a Scavenger Hunt. The homepage of the Office of International Affairs is welcoming--check it out; there are many things to do with the this Office, so get involved.

Storytelling
Stories of foolishness and wisdom were presented in the Storytelling session. Annette Fisher, Information Literacy Coordinator and Storyteller, told the stories: "The Contest between Wisdom and Luck"(an old Yiddish tale with an ending that begs the question: so what would you choose in your life: wisdom or luck?) and an Irish tale about the laziest/most hardworking girl in all Ireland--(or was Eileen just in the right place at the right time?) Stay tuned for more storytelling as Annette presents other sessions during National Library Week. How convenient for this Storyteller that the actual theme for NLW is "Create your own story @ your library."
______________________________________

I sincerely hope that everyone had a great time! I'll be reporting the winner of our grand prize drawing shortly, so stay tuned!

New Database

It is my pleasure to announce the addition of a new database for use by all Marywood students, faculty, and staff. It is not yet on the database page (on the libray's website), but will be shortly. The database is called the "Catalog of Digital Historical Newspapers (NewspaperCat) and is available at: http://www.newspapercat.org

From the authors:
"NewspaperCat is an online database providing links to over 1000 full-text digital newspapers in the United States and Caribbean. The project's current coverage, which began with the Southeastern United States, is growing rapidly and will soon cover all fifty states. The purpose of NewspaperCat is to improve access to historical newspapers digitized by libraries, archives, historical societies and other non-profit organizations that remain buried within search engine returns such as Google PageRank. These newspapers represent a rich source of primary research material for researchers, students, and the general public. The project to build NewspaperCat was funded by the George A. Smathers Libraries and developed with the cooperation of the Digital Library Center of the University of Florida."

Hopefully this new database will come in handy for everyone! Enjoy!

Marywood Library Facebook Page goes LIVE!

The Marywood Library Facebook Page is now LIVE! Invite your friends to the one stop place for all of the information about our library! The library blog will automatically import itself here, and all posts made here will go directly to our Twitter account. Let us know what you think should be added to this page or changed and we will be sure to get on it.

Link:
Facebook Page

First Wednesday Diversity Presentation

As per the previous post, I would like to add a little bit more information about the diversity presentation that will take place on Wednesday, from 12-1. This information comes directly from the diversity office!

"The Diversity Office will talk about the diversity clubs and projects at Marywood. We will also share our vision about the opportunities on campus."
Intern Madeline Levy-Cruz will present.

Location: LRC 319

Be sure to join us for the diversity presentation as well as all of the other fun activities slated for Wednesday! Hope to see you all there!

First Wednesday (February 9th, 2011)

As per the e-mail everyone received, the details of First Wednesday (well, second Wednesday this time around - not our fault, blame mother nature!) are now available. Here they are (slightly modified) from the e-mail everyone received. Soon to follow will be a post with a bit of extra detail regarding the diversity presentation!

________________________________________
Study Grounds is having a FWL special. They will be offering free small coffee with any purchase. Coupons will be available at the Library Front Desk on Feb 9.

We will also be celebrating the second week of the Chinese Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) with a special treat! So mark your calendars!

The new lineup is as follows:

11am to 12 noon First installment of our new Real World Series: Travel, Study and Learn Around the Globe: Everything You Wanted to Know about Our Study Abroad Program (location: LRC 319).

David Crisci, Assoc. Director of the Office of International Affairs will do the Real World series together with students who have had study abroad experiences

12 noon to 1pm Office of Diversity presents: Diversity United.(location LRC319)

Diversity United is a Marywood organization that encourages academic excellence and promotes cultural awareness among its members and the campus community at large. Hear more about this wonderful program by attending this presentation. More details will follow.

1pm to 2pm Storytelling Workshop with Annette Fisher (location LRC 319)

Stories have always been part of Annette Fisher's life. From hearing stories about her grandmother's "old country" to studying under Master Storyteller, Laura Simms, storytelling is a rich resource in Annette's life. Stories can be used in curriculum building, in healing ministry, and in robust politics; they surround us and transform us. Having a Masters in Library Science and a Masters in Public Administration is part of Annette's story. Each of us has a story. After all, there is always a yarn to weave, a tale to tell, and a story that just has to be told. Learn to weave your own story at this workshop!

2pm to 3pm The first presentation in the Marywood Faculty Discussion Series on The Politics of Art/The Art of Politics (location: comfy chair area by the Hot Spot sign on library main floor)

Sr. Mary Ann Zimmer, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, will present: ""Micro-Politics: Conversation, Metaphors, and Power." Lets think about and discuss how power is used in everyday life and in the metaphors we use to speak about academic work.

3pm to 4pm Learn Sign Language - the first of several workshop offerings on sign language (location: LRC 319)

The Library's very own Marcia Shaffer will lead this workshop. Marcia has a M.A. in Teaching from Marywood University, and has taught elementary levels K-12 where she tried to incorporate sign language whenever she could in her teaching.

4pm to 5pm Enjoy an hour of guitar and voice performance (location: area next to the Library Front Desk)

Charles Truitt, Assistant Professor of guitar and music theory in the Department of Music, Theater and Dance, will perform selected guitar solos, and will join with mezzo-soprano Carol Tome to perform the six Lute Songs by contemporary Czech composer Petr Eben. The duo will also perform a set of three Songs of the Tide by Australian composer Richard Charlton.

First Wed @ Library moved to Feb 9 due to snow

Stay tuned for program details on the new date!

First Wednesday - February 2nd!

As per the e-mail everyone should have received, here is the schedule for the first "First Wednesday" on Wednesday, February 2nd!


11am to 12 noon First installment of our new Real World Series: Travel, Study and Learn Around the Globe: Everything You Wanted to Know about Our Study Abroad Program (location: LRC 319).

David Crisci, Assoc. Director of the Office of International Affairs will do the Real World series together with students who have had study abroad experiences.

12 noon to 2pm A Drawing Social - "live" music and art in one place
(location: area next to the Library Front Desk).

Drawing Social directed by Ted Michalowski combines a drawing group with a live musical performance: the performers being the subject as well as the entertainment. Those who attend are free to draw, write, or kick back and enjoy. This special Drawing Social Features a solo performance by Jamie Orfanella on didgeridoo and shakuhachi. More information about this event is posted in the previous blog post.

2pm to 3pm The first presentation in the Marywood Faculty Discussion Series on The Politics of Art/The Art of Politics (location: LRC 319)

Sr. Mary Ann Zimmer, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, will present: ""Micro-Politics: Conversation, Metaphors, and Power." Lets think about and discuss how power is used in everyday life and in the metaphors we use to speak about academic work.

3pm to 4pm Enjoy an hour of guitar and voice performance (location: area next to the Library Front Desk)

Charles Truitt, Assistant Professor of guitar and music theory in the Department of Music, Theater and Dance, will perform selected guitar solos, and will join with our own Carol Tome on mezzo-soprano to perform the six Lute Songs by contemporary Czech composer Petr Eben. The duo will also perform a set of three Songs of the Tide by Australian composer Richard Charlton.

4pm to 5pm Learn Sign Language - the first of several workshop offerings on sign language (location: LRC 319)

The Library's very own Marcia Shaffer will lead this workshop. Marcia has a M.A. in Teaching from Marywood University, and has taught elementary levels K-12 where she tried to incorporate sign language whenever she could in her teaching.


This event, as you can likely tell, offers a wide selection of activities. It truly has something for everyone! First Wednesday will occur on the first Wednesday of every month from here on out. We will also be launching our Facebook fan page in conjunction with the event, so be sure to "Like" us to show your support and get updates. You can also see updates on our Twitter page!

Be sure to invite your friends this Wednesday! Hope to see you there!

What is a DRAWING SOCIAL?

Drawing Social directed by Ted Michalowski combines a drawing group with a live musical performance: the performers being the subject as well as the entertainment. Every Sunday at AfA Gallery this event presents a different ensemble of progressive and experimental musicians in a venue allowing them to perform uncompromised to students, artists, and appreciators, with expectations extending beyond mainstream. Those who attend are free to draw, write, or kick back and enjoy. This venue fosters the interchange of art forms, valuing the development of culture within community over commodity. This special Drawing Social on Wednesday February 2 at Marywood Library Features a solo performance by Jamie Orfanella on didgeridoo and shakuhachi.
 

First Wednesdays @ The Library (FWL) Teaser

The first "First Wednesday @ the Library" is fast approaching. The debut for this event will be February 2nd, right here at the library beginning early in the morning.

Here a few things you can look forward to on these days:

• Live music performances
• Educational workshops with speakers sharing knowledge on almost any topic (such as sign language and storytelling to name a few)
  
• Faculty talks and discussions
• Door prizes

There will be even more postings as the day gets closer, so stay tuned so you can informed about what to expect!

Welcome back!

I would like to welcome back all of the Marywood undergraduate and graduate students for the spring semester! I hope all of you had a great holiday - kicking off the new year, celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa (or any other holiday you might celebrate) and spending time with friends and family. I also hope you all enjoyed the winter vacation (and most importantly stayed warm!).

This semester brings many new items for the library to celebrate. This February we will be kicking off our "First Wednesday" event, which will have a myriad of activities and other fun things. More will posted later about that. We will also be launching our official Facebook page in tandem with First Wednesday, which will streamline the blog and other relevant information all into one convenient location (with pictures of the library throughout history as well!).

Finally, we will be launching a product called LibGuides, though the date for this launch is still not set (it may even be Fall of 2011). LibGuides will provide students with information concerning almost every aspect of the library as well as research guides. Many guides will contain video tutorials and links to other helpful information. These guides will without a doubt help all students - whether you are a freshman needing information on using our resources or a seasoned student in need of advanced help.

With all that out of the way, I want to wish everyone a happy new year! We look forward to serving you for 2011 and beyond!

Library Frequent User Card

Over the last month, Marywood introduced a new program aimed at giving back to students who regularly utilize our resources. All current Marywood students (graduate and undergraduate), faculty, staff, and IHM members are eligible to participate (the general public is not eligible at this time).

When library patrons perform one of three activities, they will receive a hole punch in their frequent user card (or receive one if they do not have one). The criteria for a hole punch are:

1) Checkouts (including reserves, ILL, and holds)
2) Questions about reserves (Ex: "How do I access a URL reserve link?")
3) Ask Here Desk visits (the librarian will send the patron over to the circulation desk with an initialed note)

The following items are NOT eligible for a hole punch:

1) Directional questions
2) Looking up titles in the catalog
3) Copy card/printer questions/refunds/making change
4) Lose and Found inquiries
5) Checking room availability status
6) Computer related questions and sending faxes

After a patron receives 10 punches in their card, they need to write their name on the back of it and bring it to the Study Grounds. They will then receive a free drink and also be entered into a monthly drawing for a $10 gift card to the Study Grounds.

Thanks for utilizing the library, and enjoy the free drink when you get it!

Your library's on the phone

Students an get to the library the same way you do everything else — electronically.
Download the AccessMyLibrary College Edition mobile app here — now available for iPhone®, iPod Touch® and iPad®. After a simple, one-time log-in using their college-issued e-mail address, students have free, unlimited, 24/7 access to your library's reputable, authoritative Gale/InfoTrac online databases — anytime, anywhere!

The similar app from Ebsco is coming out soon.

New Business Database

For all the business students out there (and professors), we have some exciting news! We now have full access to a new database called, "Hoover's Online", which can be accessed here. This database is not yet available on the Marywood Library database page (as of this writing) but will be shortly. Nonetheless, full access is still available by clicking the link provided above. This database adds to the already numerous databases we have for business students, making research and teaching even easier than before!

As with any database or research needs, feel free to stop by the "Ask Here" desk for help using the new database. I hope you all enjoy it and find it a useful tool for your research!

Research Assistance

By now, many of you have already been to the library and utilized a number of its resources. But at this point in the semester, you may not have had to do any research. You may ask yourself, "Where can I get assistance finding the materials I need to do my paper?!"? But fret not - help is available during much of the day right in the library!

To get research assistance, simply stop by the "Ask Here" desk, located just beyond the circulation desk when entering from the front of the library. If you have time and a reference librarian is available, you can get research assistance on the spot! If you would also like, you can set up a research consultation at a later date. Simply fill out a green "Research Consultation Information Form" (available at the Ask Here desk) and leave it with a librarian (you can also call 570-348-6264). A reference librarian will contact you to set up an appointment at your convenience (usually between 9 and 5). This appointment will generally last 30 minutes and involve guiding you through the varying methods of searching and acquiring sources.

Finally, you can simply e-mail via our convenient web form if you have general questions or need a quick answer or chat with a librarian online. Feel free to utilize some or all of the resources we have - help is as close as a few clicks away!

A Few Changes

Since last year, there have been a number of changes at the library that need to be noted for students:

1) The film collection is now located downstairs.

2) Music scores have been moved upstairs in the Juvenile section. This was done to open up the second floor area for student use.

3) The help desk is now located on the second floor, near the media center behind glass windows (with a giant "Help Desk" over it). While this change occurred later last year, it is still worth noting. The help desk can assist with all computer related problems, including connecting to the wireless, assisting with password resets and account information, general computer troubleshooting, and printer assistance. The team is made up of Marywood staff and work study students who work far into the night to assist everyone on campus. Please visit http://www.marywood.edu/helpdesk/index.html for more information about services offered, hours of operation, and contact information.

I hope this information helps! Stay tuned for next week's blog, which will cover where to get research assistance in the library.

Welcome Back!

Greetings!

I would like to welcome back all of the Marywood undergraduate and graduate students for the fall semester and welcome all of the new students to Marywood! I hope your summer was full of fun and relaxation!

To kick off the semester, the library will be holding a "Get to Know your Library" day on Thursday, September 2nd from 10-2. While this service is primarily for undergraduate students, graduate students are more than welcome to partake in the day. There will be cookies and coffee starting at 11 by the front doors, but quantities are limited, so it will be on a first come first serve basis. There will be tents around the library giving out information and other free goodies (including free books!).

Students should take advantage of this time to become acquainted with the library's layout and features, including the information and circulation desk, the ask here desk (where I work), the media center, and the computer labs. Students should also get their library ID number for book checkout (sign-up at the circulation desk) and printer cards (available for a dollar downstairs via an automated machine and usable all over campus).

Please don't hesitate to ask any of the librarians a question if you need help with something.

Once again, welcome back! I hope everyone has a productive and fun semester at Marywood!

Summer at the Library

Things are relatively quiet in the summer at the library. However, library staff are trying to get various projects underway including the shifting and moving of library materials and shelves. This moving and shifting will create a much open space near the library's reference collection in time for the new Fall semester.

NLW Winers

The Marywood Library would like to congratulate the following winners from National Library Week:

The Grand Prize winner is Daniel Miller

The two gift basket winners are: Sara Teeple and Kristen C.

You can pick up your prizes at the Marywood Library.

Again, congratulations to all who participated in the library raffles! Hope everyone enjoyed the great week of fun and activities at the library. We look forward to having an even better time next year!

Observations of the Lone Ask Here GA

As a worker at the Ask Here Desk since September, I have gotten used to the flow of people in the Library on an almost daily basis, and at different times of the day to boot. While I was not here on Monday, I can certainly say that Tuesday was different from the typical. The usual Tuesday morning here at the Library is quiet - very quiet. Low foot traffic, very few questions, and a sense that those who are here are still a bit groggy.

This Tuesday, however, the Library was lively. It had an energy that isn't seen until finals. People walking around participating in raffles, the tours, and listening to the eerie theremin. It didn't hurt that delicious pretzels with all the needed condiments were placed right at the front door.

Yes, it was a sight to see indeed. Participation was fantastic and students were full of energy. Oh, and the Ask Here Desk? It was flooded with questions (at least compared to the usual Tuesday). Even during the night shift I worked the energy continued. It was good to see students here in such numbers enjoying the events.

-Tim