Monday, December 10, 2007

Finals Week in the Library

Anyone who has doubts about the Library as an important space on campus should visit now, when the place is filled to the brim with students studying. Where else do they have that is fairly quiet, has great natural light, and most important of all, accessible and student-centered librarians to help with last minute completion of assignments?

Now is a great time for faculty to work with the library staff to plan Spring semester course materials. We offer electronic reserves, library instruction sessions, traditional collections of books and media, and the list goes on. Something new this semester is a pilot project providing access to digital media in conjunction with the Maryland Digital Library. A group of about 10 faculty sent specific titles to me to lease in digital format for this year, and they will give us feedback on how well it worked in their teaching.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Let it snow!

It's beginning to look a lot like winter around here! As I write this, the windows in the library that overlook the pond resemble a shaken snow globe. The view outside near the New Books area reveals a tree laden with scarlet berries dusted with feathery snow. Students are rushing around in the library completing their final projects. Holiday decorating in the display cases contributes to the festive atmosphere. It's my favorite time of year!

On a less whimsical note, Library staff hosted a visit from Steven Bell of Temple University who spent Monday December 3rd with us. Steven met library staff, college administration, and faculty to listen to their thoughts and concerns about the Stevenson campus library renovation. The next phase of planning will involve student input: we hope to duplicate the University of Rochester methodology, using anthropology techniques to learn how Villa Julie students use the library. It should be fun and informative.