Snowden 'til 2 2008

On the evening of December 5th, the Snowden Library hosted our annual Snowden 'til 2 extravaganza. There were a total of sixteen professors hosting study sessions. The Creative Arts Society (CAS) brought in a Wii and hosted a Play-Doh smashing table just outside of the library. Special appearences were made by Snowden and Santa throughout the night. A good time was had by all.

Snowden sighting at Christmas party

Snowden made an appearance at the Lycoming College Holiday event. The event was well-attended and organized by the Class of 2011. Snowden checked out the action around Jack's Corner, then took a moment to do a bit of holiday shopping in the bookstore.

Student Spotlight - November 2008

Chandra Besong

1. What’s your year, major and hometown?
Year: 2012
Major: Undecided
Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts

2. To what campus organizations or clubs are you a member?

• Black Student Union
• Habitat for Humanity
• Campus Activities Board
• Etc.

3. What was the last book you read?
Breaking Dawn from the Twilight Series

4. What do you like to do for fun?
Sing, Read, Draw, play my guitar, and hangout with friends

5. What have you learned while working at the library?
Where to find books in a university library, and I like to help others.

Student Spotlight Archives

Web 2.0 Workshop held at Lycoming

Snowden Library planned and hosted a workshop for the Susquehanna Library Cooperative on October 31. The guest speaker was Jody Condit Fagan from James Madison University. Members of the planning committee were Janet Hurlbert, Mary Broussard, Sue Beidler, Alison Gregory and Tami Hutson. Instructional services librarians presenting on the program were Mary Broussard with a poster session titled "Integrating Virtual and Physical Games: Library Instruction in a Small Academic Library" and a panel presentation, "Widgets: Web Coolness for Non-Techies;" Alison Gregory with a poster session, "Sleeping with the Enemy: Wikipedia in the College Classroom;" and Sue Nelson with a panel presentation, "Zero in with Zotero."

More pictures of the event can be found on the library's Flickr page. Links to many of the presentations can be found on the workshop's Web site.

Harry Potter Night

The library hosted our annual Harry Potter Night on the night of October 24. There was plenty of butterbeer and pumpkin pasties to go around. In addition to the food, students competed in costume, crazy sock, and trivia competitions and the Horcrux Hunt obstacle course. Many Lycoming staff and faculty dressed up as characters from the books and came to help make the night a success.

More pictures from the evening can be found on the library's Flickr page.

Digitization, Digitization, Digitization!

Snowden Library and the College Archives recently participated in a mass digitization pilot project with 13 other libraries, large and small. The digitization was done by the Internet Archive, a non-profit organization whose purpose is to build an Internet library that offers permanent access for researchers, historians, and scholars to historical collections that exist in digital format.

Looking forward to Lycoming’s bicentennial celebration in 2012, we chose to digitize a selection of College yearbooks from different decades of the twentieth century and the History of Lycoming College and its Predecessor Institutions, published in 1958.

Check out our yearbooks and the College history on the Internet Archive site by clicking here. You can browse through the books using the “flip book” viewer, and you can also download PDF copies of each book. The most exciting thing is that now these books are available to anyone, any time, and they’re full-text searchable, too!

Sample page from 1948 Arrow Yearbook.

The program is coordinated by PALINET, a network of more than 600 libraries, archives, and museums in the mid-Atlantic region, with a goal of making electronic copies of interesting books available to the public via the internet. Funding for the project came from the Sloan Foundation.

Moving Journals

The library continues to move physical materials around in order to best meet our community's needs. Our latest shifting project is to move certain print chemistry journals to permanent storage. These journals are all titles that we currently have access to online, but will retain the print as back-up. The titles are as follows:

All volumes to storage:
Analytical chemistry
Biochemistry
Discussions of the Faraday Society
Faraday Discussions of the Chemical Society
Inorganic chemistry
Journal of organic chemistry
Journal of physical chemistry.A & B
Journal of the American Chemical Society
Journal of the Chemical Society Faraday transactions*
Journal of the Chemical Society Faraday transactions I*
Journal of the Chemical Society Faraday transactions II*
Organometallics
Transactions of the Faraday Society

Volumes from 1995-2003 to storage, keep others in library:
Analytica chimica acta
Tetrahedron
Tetrahedron Asymmetry
Tetrahedron letters

Volumes from 1998-2005 to storage, keep others in library:
Chemical Society reviews

Volumes from 1997-2004 to storage, keep others in library:
Chemical Communications

Volumes from 1997-1999 to storage, keep others in library:
Dalton Transactions

*No online access: For the three titles that we have no online access we promise 24 hour delivery Monday through Thursday. Requests for material on Friday through Sunday can be retrieved on Monday.

Transitions

There is a general trend in libraries to move towards digital resources, particularly within journal articles. It is often cost-effective for us so we can provide you with more titles, and it is also more convenient to have full text access from any computer in the world.


One concern that recently arose prompted this post. The concern was traditionally some professors require students to browse tables of contents of recent issues of scholarly journals to pick a paper topic so they are finding out what's going on in the current scholarly dialog. With print, you just opened up an issue with a recent date. Online, the databases are designed to help more with subject searching than browsing. But it is possible and usually very easy to do!

Start with our Periodicals A-to-Z List and look for the journal title that was recommended, for example Personality and Individual Differences. You will see we have full text access to this journal through the Science Direct database from 1995 to present. Click on the Science Direct link. You will then have the option to select which volume and issue you want, and will be able to read all of the titles for that issue, just like a traditional table of contents!

Each database vendor may offer slightly different options, but this is pretty similar throughout our database offerings.

If you have any questions, please contact any librarian (particularly me, Mary Broussard) and we'll be happy to help further!

Student Spotlight - October 2008

Annie Haas

1. What’s your year, major and hometown?
I 'm a Junior Business Management and Marketing Major from Turbotville, PA.

2. To what campus organizations or clubs are you a member?
President of the Marketing Association, Study Buddies & IMS Scholar

3. What was the last book you read?
The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz

4. What do you like to do for fun?
Dance

5. What have you learned while working at the library?
I can photocopy with the best of them!

Student Spotlight Archives

Banned Book Week Winners

Congratulations to Chelsea Holbert and Professor Sarah Silkey, our two winners from the Banned Books Week raffle! Chelsea won a $5 gift certificate to the campus bookstore, and Prof. Silkey won a $2 gift certificate to Jazzman's.

Catcher in the Rye won favorite book with 11 votes. Close runners up include The Giver, Of Mice and Men, each with 10 votes, and Go Ask Alice with 9 votes.

The favorite controversial author was J.K. Rowling with 26 votes. Runners up include Stephen King with 17 votes, John Steinbeck with 13 votes, Mark Twain with 12 votes, and Lois Lowery with 11 votes.

We had a record number of votes this year (136), so thank you to all who participated and helped make this year's Banned Books Week a success!

Salinger, Vonnegut & Silverstein

Although my list of favorite books is a long one, three of my favorites appear on the banned book list: A Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Slaughter-House Five by Kurt Vonnegut and A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein. These titles actually have quite a bit in common other than the fact they are on my favorite list and the banned list. Both Salinger and Vonnegut’s main character are outsiders of sorts and the journey they each take is one of personal growth and insight into the human condition. They are asking the questions to which everyone wants the answers. In the same manner many of Shel Silverstein’s poems are also seeking answers. I have read each of these books several times at different periods in my life and with each reading discovered new insights and ideas. These books speak to each of us in a unique and illuminating way and should be on the “Must read” list, not on the Banned Book list.

--Wilma L. Reeder

Shel Silverstein

I grew up on Shel Silverstein and am always horrified to find out not everyone was. Where the Sidewalk Ends is another book that I have given as a gift countless times, because I hope it will delight others as much as it continues to delight me. He is banned because at one time he wrote for playboy, or people were afraid children would do the silly things he describes in his poems, like break dishes to avoid having to wash them.

When I was little, my mother would read a few poems to me before bed. My favorite was "The Worst," which I begged her to read over and over. It's a description of a big, ugly monster, and the last line is "And he's standing right behind you!" She would build the anticipation up, then say that line very loudly and quickly, pointing over my shoulder. I screamed and jumped every single time. She read it to me again when I was in high school and I couldn't help screaming once again. I couldn't help myself, I still love the poem.

--Mary Broussard

Huckleberry Finn

We studied Huckleberry Finn in my 8th grade English class. It wasn't necessarily the kind of book I would have chosen to read at that age - - I would have preferred Wilma Cather or O'Henry or Charles Dickens. But the detailed study of the book opened my eyes to examining literature critically, and it is interesting how often I think back to that chapter in my education. Several years later I learned that the book had been banned at various times and in various places. I didn't understand why - - - I still don't!

--Janet Hurlbert

Headless Cupid & Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret

I saw two of the books on the list that I read a number of times when I was a kid. Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume and The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder. I still have my original copies to give to my daughter when she gets into Young Adult fiction (which I hope she does or I just won't know where she came from!). In fact, I'll probably read them again when I get them out for her. My mom always read what I was reading and loved them as much as I did. They are both such interesting stories and touch on topics that kids deal with growing up. Why people feel the need to ban them is beyond me.

--Lisa Barrett

Banned Books Week 2008

Today officially kicks of Banned Books Week 2008. This was started by the American Library Association in 1982 to raise awareness of all of the books various people have tried to censor in our history. Most of these efforts are in schools and public libraries, but it occasionally affects academic libraries as well.

I love this week each year because I love to read and many of my favorite books are on the lists of most frequently challenged books. I have invited other members of the library staff to submit stories about their favorite banned books, and those will appear here this week, starting with my own.


Also, vote for your favorite banned book. Your vote will enter you into a raffle to win a $5 gift certificate to the campus store. Faculty and staff's votes will be entered into the raffle to win a $2 Jazzman's gift certificate.


You can also join Amy Rogers (professor in the Education Dept.) and myself for a discussion of banned books in schools. We will talk about the history of book censorship, censorship in schools, and how schools and teachers should handle complaints. This program will take place in the library's classroom on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. and will include drinks and food from frequently banned books.



I will never understand how anyone could argue with To Kill a Mockingbird, which I often argue is one of the best books ever written. It transcends gender, racial, and age differences... it has something to appeal to everyone. There are such powerful messages about growing up and respecting people who are different than you, and it was so ahead of its time when it was written. The argument is against the racial slurs that appear in it, but it is very bad people who say those in a very painful scene. I have given this book as a gift so many times, particularly to my non-American friends. It is one I wish everyone would read, and learn from.

-- Mary Broussard

Presidential Election Display

Come see Obama and McCain at the Snowden library... or at least life-size cardboard stand-ups of them! In our newest display, you'll find these as well as magazines with lengthy articles on the two candidates.

Also, check out this great video from Common Craft called Electing a US President in Plain English. It briefly and clearly explains the presidential election process.

Double-sided printing

The library got selected to host a "pilot" double-sided printer. If you use any of the library computers on the first floor, select the LIBRARY1 printer. Under print preferences, you can select "duplex".

The LIBRARY1 printer is the one closest to the library offices, on the south side of the library.

You will still have two pages deducted from your printing allotment, but you will be saving trees and making lengthy articles feel lighter in your backpack!

We Listen!

We are preparing to do a large survey called LibQUAL+ this winter, but we do smaller surveys on an annual basis. There is also a suggestion box near the circulation desk, and you can always e-mail a librarian... my e-mail address is broussm@lycoming.edu and you can send me any feedback you have about the library.

We make many decisions about the library based on student feedback! I can't stress that enough. In the past, we have made the following changes based on student feedback:

• Longer hours (from 8 a.m. to 7:30 and from midnight to 1 a.m.)
• Added our own IM reference service
• Moved the Ask-a-Librarian button on the Web site
• Added colorful directories, new signs for the Circulation Desk and the Research Help Desk (formerly known as the Reference Desk), as well as interactive maps on our Web site.

I'm sure if I asked the librarians who have been here longer, they could come up with an even more impressive list. Of course, there will always be some things that are beyond our control. These include the number of computers in the library, late-night food service, and additional outlets for laptops. We will continue to work on the latter two issues, but progress will be slow.

So please let us know what you think about the library, its resources, and its services. We care!

Featured as a Reference Universe Case Study

The Snowden Library has been featured by Paratext, the company who makes the Reference Universe database. The feature is a case study where they interviewed librarian Mary Snyder (Broussard) about the innovative ways that the Snowden Library uses Reference Universe in the classroom and on the Web site. We are the only "baccalaureate" library they have created a case study for so far and will use this to market to other four-year college libraries.

Reference Universe is a unique and highly useful database that makes using the reference book colletion much easier. As other databases index journal articles, Reference Universe indexes entries in reference books. With just a few strokes of the keyboard and a click of the mouse, one can be pointed to titles of specific reference books, then specific volumes and page numbers to the relevant articles. Try it out today from our Reference Portal page!

Advice for Freshmen

This is the first of a new series of podcasts (audio interviews) where I ask upper classmen to give the incoming freshmen advice about the library, and then general advice about adjusting to college life. I have started by interviewing two student workers.

Freshman Orientation 2008

First Interview

This is the first of a series of podcasts in which librarian Mary Broussard will interview Lycoming professors about books that changed their lives. This first interview was with Professor Cullen Chandler in the History Department, who talks about The Hobbit.

Take Your Daughters & Sons to Work Day

On the afternoon of April 24, the Snowden Library participated in Take Your Daughters & Sons to Work Day by inviting staff and faculty to bring their children to the library instruction room to color bookmarks and other fun activities. Here are some of the pictures from the event.

And the Winner Is...

Congratulations to Aaron Lay, the winner of the recent READ poster contest! The unveiling of his poster marks the beginning of National Library Week.

You Decide

WorldBook is letting you vote on the spine image for their 2009 edition. You can find the voting form here, and results will be announced in July.

Signs are Up

After several weeks at the printers and the mounters, we have our new signs on display at the Circulation Desk and above the Research Help Desk. The Research Help Desk was formerly known as the Reference Desk, and you will probably hear us using that term because old habits die hard.

The suggestion to change the name and add bullet points for what a student can do at each place was a recommendation from a student group we worked with in the fall. It is an example of how we use student suggestions to make the library more friendly to you (though we draw the line at plasma tvs and free pizza every night).

Becoming Personal

You will notice new signs on the reference desk in the morning when librarians are "on call" rather than sitting at the desk. Each sign will have a picture and name of the librarian on call, and tell you how to get a hold of her. Please do not hesitate to dial extension 4086 if you need help between 8-12 during the school week, we are are always very happy to come out and help you. It's what we're here for, and it's what we like to do best!

Blogging for Jobs

On Wednesday, February 13 at 9 p.m. in the library instruction room, the library will be co-hosting a program with the Career Development Center. The program is called Blogging for Jobs and will discuss how to use free, no-technology-knowledge-required programs to create a positive Web image of yourself for your job search. Refreshments will be provided.

This is not just for seniors. Planning ahead can help you organize the best stuff to put on your blog or social networking profile, and could help you with summer jobs and internships. So regardless of what year you are in, join us for this fun and educational program!

Google Gadgets for the Snowden Library

I have created two special Google Gadgets that will search the Snowden catalog for books we have, and another to search Reference Universe for reference articles. The Reference Universe gadget only works on campus, we are working to correct that.

You can find the Snowden catalog gadget here.

You can find the Reference Universe gadget here.

I suggest making a Library Resources tab with these two gadgets, and a bookmark gadget where you can add links to the library home page as well as the databases you use most often.

iGoogle

iGoogle is a really neat way to creat a your own personal Web home page. It provides the standard Google search bar at the top giving you easy access to the Internet, but also alows you to customize the graphics and choose tools that best suit what you do most often. For my iGoogle, I have a pet tiger, links to the Web sites I visit most, a quick search box to Dictionary.com, a to-do list, local movie listings, a box to learn Shakespearian insults, and more. If you have family or friends abroad, you can add a "world clock" so you always know what time it is where they are. If you have a G-mail account, you can preview your inbox right from your home page!

You can go to http://www.google.com/ig and login if you already have a Google account, or you can sign up for one very easily. It will remember you every time you use that computer if you request it to. Again, no need to know code, just click on the "Add Stuff" link and go through the thousands of games and tools available. With one click, you can add any gadget to your iGoogle page.

To set this as your homepage in Internet Explorer, click on Tools > Internet Options then enter iGoogle's Web address under "Home page". You cannot change the home page of public computers on campus, but you can sign into iGoogle from any computer.

The library will be exploring options for creating library tools for iGoogle to make using the Snowden Library even easier!

Widgets

A widget is an item such as a game, cyber-pet, clock, or news block that you can add to your Web site or social networking page. Widgetbox has thousands to choose from, including Tetris, a CNN news block, celebrity news updates on POPSUGAR, and customizable cyber-pets (my favorite is the tiger).

These require no technical knowledge, just click on the Get Widget button and choose the blog or social networking site you want to load it on. Not all widgets are supported on every site, but there are lots of options. You can also use sites such as MySpace and Facebook to send these to your friends!

New Signs

We will be adding new signs to the reference and circulation desks soon, and here is a preview. The signs are not only more attractive, they list the kinds of help you can get at each desk (though we're always happy to direct you to the right place!).

IM Reference Service

The Snowden Library is now offering research help through Instant Messaging during hours when a librarian is schedule to be at the reference desk. It can be accessed through any library Web page by clicking on the Ask A Librarian button on the left side of the page. It's quick, easy, you don't have to install any software, and if you are afraid we'll think your question is stupid, you can remain anonymous!