Tag Archives: library

“Looking at Library Research” – You’re Invited

Submitted by Carrie Macfarlane

Please join us at next week’s workshop called “Looking at Library Research.” It’s part of the CTLR Pedagogy Roundtable Series.

Thursday, June 11
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Looking at Library Research, Library 230
Presenters: Brenda Ellis, Joe Toth, Andrew Wentink

Conveners: Carrie Macfarlane and Terry Simpkins

Has the way you do research changed over the past few years? Have you noticed a change in the research your students are doing? Finding information has become easier than ever, but sifting out the best information remains a challenge even for experienced researchers. In this roundtable we will examine some of the changes in the resources libraries provide and in how they provide them, as well as discuss how these mesh (or don’t!) with student and faculty expectations.

The New Library Eco Book Bags Have Arrived!

Submitted by Elin Waagen

After many months, the new library eco book bags have arrived! We hope to roll them out next week after finalizing a few details. The idea is to replace the use of plastic bags at the Circulation Desks, and to foster re-use of recyclable bags. Borrowers can take a bag when they borrow books and return an empty bag when they return their books.

Bags were funded primarily by an Environmental Council Grant in partnership with LIS.

Last spring we held a contest to solicit design ideas and the winning design was selected in a blind judging by LIS Administration.
Eco Bag Winner 007

Nikhil Ramburn (pictured here holding the new bag) was selected as our winner. He will receive a book bag and a $100 gift certificate to the College Bookstore. Congratulations, Nikhil!

Many thanks to the Environmental Council, Jack Byrne, Carol Peddie and Mary Backus for their support of this project, and to Alyson Bourne ’08 and Emily Gustavson ’08 for their help in writing the grant during their busy senior year.

Question: Why don’t you keep the book jackets on books?

Answer: (provided by Joseph Watson) We understand and agree that some book jackets are desirable, but to be pragmatic, especially in these times of tight budgets, we do not feel like we can justify the extra time and expense required to retain the jackets permanently. The old fashioned library answer might be “Book jackets are used by the publisher to sell the book in a book store setting and they are not necessary in an academic research setting where most people consult the library catalog to find books rather than browsing the shelves.” and to a great extent this is still true. In fact, we recently enhanced the catalog so it is now possible to view book covers, dust jackets, author biographies, table of contents, and sometimes even reviews for most newly published books. Dust jackets stay with the book until it is removed from the New Books shelf and anyone borrowing the book at that point is welcome to keep the jacket. Discarded jackets are left for reuse on a bulletin board near LIB140… they’re great for making collages or decorating dorm rooms.