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.