Snowden Writes...

Student Spotlight - January 2012

2012-01-13T10:45:00.002-05:00

Katelyn Traxler - Circulation Assistant

1. What’s your year, major andhometown?

I am a Junior with a major inphotography & a minor in psychology. I live about a half hour away fromcampus in Lock Haven.

2. To what campus organizations orclubs are you a member?

I am amember of UCM.

3. What was the last book you read?

“ThePact” by Jodi Picoult

4. What do you like to do for fun?

I love to be outside & alsoto write poetry. Time with family and friends is always greatly appreciated.

5. What have you learned whileworking at the library?

I’ve learned that just like manythings, working at Snowden is an opportunity to go an extra mile for someone,even if it is only helping them find a book. I’ve met many new people &enjoy it.

Student Spotlight November, 2011

2011-11-15T09:36:00.001-05:00

Stephanie Bowen, Circulation Assistant

What’s your year, major andhometown?
I’m ajunior Archaeology and Americans Studies Major from Boyertown, Pennsylvania.
To what campus organizations orclubs are you a member?
I ampresident of the Campus Girl Scouts and the SMART program, as well as acommunity service scholar.
What was the last book you read?
The Help byKatheryn Stockett
What do you like to do for fun?
I liketo read, bake and watch movies.
What have you learned whileworking at the library?
Askingquestions is just as important as answering them.

Student Spotlight October 2011

2011-10-05T08:52:00.002-05:00

Duong Pham- Circulation Assistant

What’s your year, major and hometown?
I’m a junior Accounting and Finance major from Hanoi, Vietnam
To what campus organizations or clubs are you a member?
Resident advisor, member of Lycoming College Choir, President of MAG, in charge of PR in Accounting Society.
What was the last book you read?
In Another Life by Marc Levy
What do you like to do for fun?
I like to hang out with my friends, chit chat with my parents, cook, and read.
What have you learned while working at the library?
I’ve learned a lot about customer service and I can now photocopy with the best of them!

Student Spotlight September 2011

2011-09-02T10:55:00.001-05:00

Molly Lakis- CMS Student Assistant (including summer and semester breaks)

1. What’s your year, major andhometown?

Sophomore. Criminology w/psych +Spanish minor. So.Williamsport, PA

2. To what campus organizations orclubs are you a member?

Gamma Delta Sigma, CSO, Play byFaith

3. What was the last book you read?

Mercyby Jodi Picoult

4. What do you like to do for fun?

Horseback riding, ballet

5. What have you learned whileworking at the library?

Library of Congress!

Student Spotlight March 2011

2011-02-24T14:56:00.004-05:00

Brandy Hale - Circulation Assistant

What’s your year, major and hometown?
I’m a junior history and American Studies major. I grew up in Clearfield, PA but moved to Scranton recently.

To what campus organizations or clubs are you a member?
I’m a member of the choir, chamber choir, tour choir, band and United Campus Ministries.

What was the last book you read?
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

What do you like to do for fun?
Bake, read, watch movies, and have lazy days with my fiancé and dog.
What have you learned while working at the library?
Librarians are nowhere near as scary as they are portrayed when you’re a kid.

Student Spotlight January 2011

2011-01-11T16:04:00.004-05:00

Kayla Sassaman - Student Assistant ILL

1. What’s your year, major and hometown?
I’m a junior creative writing and music major from Selingsgrove PA.

2. To what campus organizations or clubs are you a member?
I’m a member of Lycoming Choir and Tour Choir.

3. What was the last book you read?
The last book I read was The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

4. What do you like to do for fun?
I like to sing, play piano, read, write and just hang out with my friends!

5. What have you learned while working at the library?
I’ve learned how important it is that all libraries work together so students can get any resource they need.

Student Spotlight November 2010

2010-11-17T15:35:00.002-05:00

Caitlin Flattery - Circulation Assistant

1. What’s your year, major and hometown?
I’m a junior French major and Biology minor from Syracuse, NY.

2. To what campus organizations or clubs are you a member?
I’m a sister of Beta Phi Gamma and a member of Republican Club.

3. What was the last book you read?
For class? Peter Fritzsche’s Life and Death in the Third Reich. For fun, François René de Chateaubriand’s René et Atala.

4. What do you like to do for fun?
I like to hang out with my friends, craft and run.

5. What have you learned while working at the library?
I've learned how important the library services are to college students, so it’s important to do as much as possible to provide them with the help they need

Student Spotlight October 2010

2010-10-13T19:44:00.002-05:00

Stephanie Figueroa - Instructional Services Assistant

1. What’s your year, major and hometown?
I am a Freshman Biology/Pre-Vet major from Frederick, MD.

2. To what campus organizations or clubs are you a member?
At the moment, just Pre-Health Society, but I want to get more involved.

3. What was the last book you read?
I just re-read The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares

4. What do you like to do for fun?
Watch movies, read, hang out and do crazy things with my friends, and talk to my family whenever I can.

5. What have you learned while working at the library?
I’ve learned how hard all of the library staff work to make Snowden Library, and Lycoming, the places they are. For my job, I’ve learned how to work the copy machine, the right way to shelve books, and the layout of the library.

Student Spotlight - March 2010

2010-03-12T10:46:00.006-05:00

Melanie Shutt - EZ Borrow and Circulation Assistant (including Summer and Semester breaks)

1. What’s your year, major and hometown?
Junior, Economics and Education certification, Montoursville Pa
2. To what campus organizations or clubs are you a member?
Lycoming College Choir
3. What was the last book you read?
Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
4. What do you like to do for fun?
Read, knit, bake, and cook
5. What have you learned while working at the library?
I really enjoy working at the library, I have learned a lot about customer service and the inner-workings of the library.

Snowden 'til 2

2009-12-16T13:47:00.005-05:00

Display: Holiday Greetings

2009-11-19T15:56:00.002-05:00

The College archives current display on the fist floor of Snowden Library, titled "Holiday Greetings and Stocking Stuffers," presents a lovely collection of artifact jewelry donated by alumni and faculty emeriti, as well as presidential greeting cards from years past.

2009-11-11T09:46:00.000-05:00

Snowden Library’s celebrates the International Year of Astronomy 2009, which is a global celebration of astronomy and its contributions to society and culture. This marks the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo. The display is located on the first floor near the copier and features books and periodicals about Galileo, telescopes, and the history of astronomy.

Harry Potter Night

2009-10-29T09:03:00.001-05:00

Picture The Past

2009-10-29T09:02:00.001-05:00

The College Book Chat Society

2009-10-29T09:01:00.000-05:00

Student Spotlight - October 2009

2009-10-21T13:59:00.003-05:00

Megan Bullick – Document Delivery student assistant.

What’s your year, major and hometown? 2012, Creative Writing & French, Phoenixville, PA
To what campus organizations or clubs are you a member? Choir
What was the last book you read? EnFance by Nathalie Saurraute
What do you like to do for fun? Read, write, play violin/piano; Hang out with friends.
What have you learned while working at the library? Never give up! Hard work pays off.

Snowden Library Supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2009-10-17T12:52:00.001-05:00

Picture the Past

2009-10-17T12:50:00.000-05:00

Library Displays

2009-10-14T17:32:00.006-05:00

An archival display located on the first floor of the Snowden Library is titled FLASHBACK : A CENTURY AGO AT LYCO. The year is 1910 and highlights student life and activities through photographs, student newspaper articles, a musical organization, and school catalog. Check out the fabulous hats and clothing on the women.

MOONWALK ONE...."We came in peace for all Mankind"
July 20, 1969

It is time to return to the Moon, this time to stay!

Display materials provided by: Dr. David G. Fisher
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Chair, Department of Astronomy and Physics
Space Flight Historian

Picture the Past

2009-10-09T08:47:00.000-05:00

2009-10-09T08:46:00.000-05:00

National Information Literacy Awareness Month

2009-10-09T08:42:00.000-05:00

1970 Homecoming

2009-10-05T09:58:00.000-05:00

1902 Women's Basketball Team

2009-10-05T09:53:00.000-05:00

Library Displays: Welcome to the Class of 2013

2009-09-10T13:55:00.002-05:00

Two exhibits on the main floor of the Snowden Library highlight our archival materials.

The first display welcomes the Class of 2013 to Lycoming College and features freshman activities and photographs from past orientations and crossing thresholds programs.

The second display honors the Class of 1984. We welcome our 25th year alums with a display featuring commencement photos, yearbooks, sports programs, and reports of activities relevant to the students of that era.

Student Spotlight - September 2009

2009-08-31T14:28:00.003-05:00

Cristina Sorrells, Archive Assistant

1. What’s your year, major and hometown?
I am a junior, though I transferred in for my sophomore year. My major is Archaeology. Currently, I live in Bridgeton NJ.

2. To what campus organizations or clubs are you a member?
I am secretary of the Japanese Cultural club, a member of the Republican Club and president/secretary of Shotokan Karate.

3. What was the last book you read?
The last book I read for pleasure was Star Trek: The Captain’s Table Book 4

4. What do you like to do for fun?
My hobbies are reading, playing The SIMS 2, knitting and watching Japanese Anime and Korean Dramas.

5. What have you learned while working at the library?
Working in the library in the Archives has allowed me to learn many things about the history of Lycoming College that are not common knowledge, especially in regards to the old buildings and former students. I have also gotten to see how artifacts can be properly archived and preserved which will help greatly in my future endeavor to be an archaeologist.

Gail

2009-08-06T14:29:00.002-05:00

Gail Spencer will be leaving the Snowden Library after many years of service to our students, faculty, and staff. The circulation desk has won high marks on user satisfaction thanks to Gail's personal touch.

Library Display: Our National Parks

2009-05-20T10:35:00.002-05:00

Planning a trip? Snowden Library has books and government publications on display featuring nature at our national parks. Established in 1872 by an Act of Congress, the National Park System of the United States now comprises 390 areas covering more than 84 million acres. Located on the first floor, the display includes park location information, park handbooks, and numerous field guides for various flora and fauna, such as wild flowers, marine mammals and butterflies.

Bookmarks at the Second Annual Williamsport Autism Walk

2009-04-16T15:53:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, April 4th, Snowden Library was a part of the 2nd Annual Williamsport Autism Walk. The Autism Walk took place in Lamade Gymnasium and, in addition to the walk itself, offered games and crafts for the participants. The library sponsored an activity table for the participating children to color their own bookmarks. Snowden (the library's mascot) also made an appearance.

Library Week & READ Poster Contest Winner

2009-04-10T08:43:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Megg Pitt, the winner of our second annual READ poster contest! It is being unveiled this week as a celebration of National Library Week.

Library Display: Graduating Student Assistants

2009-04-10T08:05:00.003-05:00

In the display on the main floor of the Snowden Library, the staff shows appreciation for our five graduating student assistants: Gwyneth Bertelson, Ashley Clees, Stuart Kuentzel, Mark Masland, and William Reed. The display features a READ poster, photos, biographies and memorabilia celebrating their college careers. The books that each student selected to be dedicated in their name for the library's collection are also included.

Archives Display: College Mace

2009-04-10T07:54:00.002-05:00

The display for the College Archives on the main floor of the Snowden Library highlights the story of our Lycoming College mace. Presented to the college by the graduating class of 1963, the mace is carried at all official academic functions as a symbol of academic authority. Included is a list of all faculty mace bearers throughout the years, along with photographs of those faculty fulfilling this prestigious honor.

To stay informed about the College Archives, follow Archive News.

Yellow Wallpaper

2009-04-10T07:16:00.002-05:00

Dr. Andrew Leiter and Dr. N. J. Stanley presented a program of selected readings, from Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper," with added commentary, Tuesday afternoon, April 7th. in the Lycoming College Archives. Dr. Leiter introduced the readings by providing background about the author's life and late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century society's views of women. Dr. Stanley performed dramatic readings from sections of the story, which is written from a first-person perspective, interspersed with insightful comments from Dr. Leiter. The Women's and Gender Studies Committee of Lycoming College sponsored the program.

The one-woman play "The Yellow Wallpaper" will be performed in the Welch Theatre on Saturday, April 18, by the North Shore Theatre Group, a professional company from Oyster Bay, NY. Curtain: 8:00 P.M.

Annual Read-In

2009-03-18T13:08:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, March 14, Snowden Library hosted the 5th Annual Lycoming College Read-In. Eight student groups each volunteered to read aloud for one hour from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald; to participate, the groups donated money to the Lycoming County United Way and raised $120! Our thanks to the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs for providing refreshments for the participating readers!

For more photos from the event, see the library's Flickr page!

Student Spotlight - March 2009

2009-03-17T12:17:00.003-05:00

Helen Murphy

1. What’s your year, major and hometown?
I am a junior history and psychology major from Philadelphia, PA.

2. To what campus organizations or clubs are you a member?
I am part of the Lycoming College Choir as well as a member of the campus girl scouts.

3. What was the last book you read?
His Excellency by Joseph J. Ellis

4. What do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy watching movies, playing board games, going to the mall and just spending quality time with my friends. I also enjoy volunteering at the local cat shelter.

5. What have you learned while working at the library?
One of the most important things that I have learned from the library is where to find all of the books. This knowledge has helped me assist patrons as well as help myself find books and sources for papers.

Student Spotlight Archives

Snowden Library's most recent READ poster

2009-02-27T13:40:00.003-05:00

Featuring Christopher Dahlheimer, Bryan Kopesky, Thomas Barger, and Michael Maurer.

Other READ posters can be found in our online gallery.

Kids Night Out

2009-02-16T15:53:00.002-05:00

Snowden Library librarians and the real Snowden took part in Kids Night Out sponsored by the Class of 2011. A reading corner provided guests with a spot to look at books and a chance to hear some stories read aloud.

Food in the library!

2009-02-02T09:50:00.004-05:00

After a number of requests for food on our annual 10 at 10 survey, and focus groups, we have finally been able to respond. The library has recently acquired several vending machines. One offers chips and candy bars, and one is for cold bottles of various Pepsi products. These machines can be found on the north side of the library.

On the other side of the library, near the elevators, there is a Flavia machine. This serves hot drink like coffee, tea, and hot chocolate (known as a "chococcino"). You can even do fancier drinks like flavored lattes, cappuccinos, espresso's, and mochaccinos. Cost ranges from $.75 for drinks that only require one packet, and $1 for drinks with flavors.

You have to select your drink and flavor packets from the drawers and insert them into the machine as directed. Instructions can be found above the machine. If you feel nervous, please ask any library employee and we'll be happy to help. Many of our student workers also know how to use it!

Librarian Mary Broussard is a huge fan of the Milky Way Chococcino!

Student Spotlight - January 2009

2009-01-13T13:50:00.004-05:00

Kim Calvert – Library student assistant

1. What’s your year, major and hometown?
Senior, Mathematics major, Commercial Design minor, candidate for secondary education. Rose Valley, PA

2. To what campus organizations or clubs are you a member?
Amis, P-SPEA, and Mascots anonymous

3. What was the last book you read?
“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” by Mark Haddon

4. What do you like to do for fun?
Snowboard, canoe, hike, take pictures, hang out with my super, awesome boyfriend, take motorcycle adventures, and get sucked into Lifetime movies with my Mom.

5. What have you learned while working at the library?
How to manual feed colored paper through the printer so no one prints on my colorful paper. It actually saves a lot of time and cuts back on the waste of paper. Very neat!

Student Spotlight Archives

Snowden 'til 2 2008

2008-12-08T14:09:00.001-05:00

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

2008-12-04T13:39:00.002-05:00

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

2008-11-14T14:25:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-04T09:48:00.002-05:00

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

2008-11-03T09:53:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-10-21T16:41:00.004-05:00

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

2008-10-21T13:23:00.004-05:00

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

2008-10-21T12:33:00.000-05:00

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

2008-10-14T08:57:00.004-05:00

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

2008-10-08T15:23:00.003-05:00

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

2008-10-01T12:33:00.001-05:00

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

2008-09-30T12:39:00.004-05:00

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

2008-09-29T08:39:00.001-05:00

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

2008-09-29T08:35:00.006-05:00

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

2008-09-28T10:29:00.004-05:00

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

2008-09-12T08:11:00.005-05:00

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

2008-09-11T13:26:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-09-03T19:22:00.002-05:00

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

2008-09-01T07:22:00.004-05:00

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

2008-08-26T11:56:00.006-05:00

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

2008-08-26T09:37:00.002-05:00

First Interview

2008-08-15T14:31:00.002-05:00

Flash Mp3 Playergreat free widgetsWidgetbox

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

2008-04-29T09:47:00.003-05:00

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...

2008-04-11T12:14:00.004-05:00

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

2008-03-12T19:20:00.003-05:00

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

2008-03-07T14:59:00.005-05:00

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

2008-02-26T14:36:00.002-05:00

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

2008-02-06T15:54:00.000-05:00

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

2008-02-01T09:59:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-25T11:02:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-24T16:16:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-21T16:51:00.000-05:00

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

2008-01-21T16:46:00.000-05:00

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!

"Snowden 'til 2"

2007-12-14T15:39:00.001-05:00

Harry Potter Night!

2007-10-31T09:09:00.001-05:00

Dickinson Seminary and Lycoming Football in years past...

2007-10-08T12:43:00.000-05:00

To view more pictures from Lycoming College Archives' Archival Picture Collection, please visit the following link: Archival Photo Gallery.

Everyday life in the library...

2007-09-25T10:09:00.000-05:00

"Class of 2011" Freshman Library Orientation

2007-08-31T09:38:00.000-05:00

Visit to OCLC's Preservation Service Center

2007-05-30T12:27:00.000-05:00

Library staff visited the OCLC Preservation Service Center in Bethlehem, PA, as part of the learning preparation for the Lycoming College student newspaper digitization project. The first step of the project was to have all the newspapers microfilmed, which has already been done. The project is now on the threshold of beginning next step, digitization.

Dean Piper's Retirement Reception in the College Archives on March 27, 2007

2007-03-28T12:16:00.000-05:00

Pictures from the Read-In on March 24, 2007

2007-03-28T12:04:00.000-05:00

Can you find what we have? Do you know what we offer?

2007-01-26T13:38:00.000-05:00

How do students know that we have two screening rooms, or that we have a collaborative study area, or a coffee machine? How do you find out about new services (or old services!) that the library has to offer? Please offer suggestions for communicating this information to students!

Janet Hurlbert
Director of Library Services

Snowden 'til 2

2006-12-13T09:45:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from Snowden 'til 2 program:

Student Library Committee and Santa

Dr. Chandler's study session
Dr. Buedel's study session
Dr. Berthold's study session
Students playing games
Snowden and a student
Librarians with Santa

Student Spotlight Archives

2006-10-14T09:02:00.012-05:00

Cole Younger (December 2006)
Sierra Armstrong (December 2006)
Samantha Volz (January 2007)
Gwyneth Bertelson (February 2007)
Esther Sandvik (September 2007)
Barbara Cuthbert (September 2007)
Karen Gerofksy (October 2007)
Kerri Werner (October 2007)
Emily Walters (November 2007)
Bill Reed (January 2008)
Ethan Lee (February 2008)
Sara Miller (March 2008)
Annie Haas (October 2008)
Chandra Besong (November 2008)
Kim Calvert (January 2009)
Helen Murphy (March 2009)
Cristina Sorrells (September 2009)
Megan Bullick (October 2009)
Melanie Shutt (March 2010)
Stephanie Fugueroa (October 2010)
Caitlin Flattery (November 2010)
Kayla Sassaman (January 2011)
Brandy Hale (March 2011)
Molly Lakis (September 2011)
Duong Pham (October 2011)
Stephanie Bowen (November 2011)