The 25 most beautiful college libraries in the world

This slideshow is currently making the rounds on teh interwebz. While Reeves sadly didn't make this list, it still makes for a smile-inducing clickthrough. Enjoy!

http://flavorwire.com/240819/the-25-most-beautiful-college-libraries-in-the-world#1

Hours over break

Somewhat belatedly, the library's hours for the next couple of weeks:

Dec. 12-16: 8:00 AM - 4:50 PM

Dec. 17 & 18: CLOSED

Dec. 19 - 22: 8:00 AM - 4:50 PM

Dec. 23 - Jan. 1: CLOSED

Merry Christmas!

More finals fun

Had to share what I found while clearing up the coloring relaxation station last night. Love it!

Finals!

Late nights at the library. Get comfy!

Remember: Christmas story time tomorrow!

6:00 - 7:00 PM tomorrow evening!

I'll be reading The Pirate's Night Before Christmas. It's going to be a good time. Don't miss out!

Late Nights for Finals

The library will be open two extra hours-- until 12:50 AM-- on Monday, December 5th and Tuesday, December 6th.

In keeping with tradition, expect cookies, tea, and some high-octane coffee to help you power through the last projects before break. See you then!

Thanksgiving break hours

Tuesday, November 22nd: 8:00 AM - 4:50 PM

Wednesday, November 23rd: 8:00 AM - 4:50 PM

Thursday, November 24th -

Sunday, November 27th: CLOSED

Have a wonderful holiday!

Lost book amnesty event

We care about our books (and CDs, and DVDs...) and would like to have as many returned as possible before our automated system transition during Christmas break. If you find library materials that are months overdue, please bring them to the library November 20 - December 9 and your fines and fees will be forgiven.

Christmas story time!

Bring your kids to the library from 6:00-7:00 PM on Friday, December 2nd, for snacks and a chance to hear some favorite holiday books read aloud!

All children and accompanying adults are welcome. If you would like to volunteer to read a story, please let Kelly know at clever@setonhill.edu.

What about the ones we don't sell?

We're often asked what happens to the books that don't find homes during the annual book sale. The short answer is that we send as much as possible to Better World Books.

If you're not familiar with BWB, go check out their site. We think you'll be as impressed with this company as we are! They describe themselves as "a for-profit company with a social mission where every purchase you make helps to change the world."

We send our leftover books to them and they in turn try to sell those books online; you may have seen them as a seller in various used-book marketplaces online. If a book sells, the proceeds are split between BWB's administrative costs, a small payment to our library, and a donation to a literacy partner organization (ours is Worldfund, an organization that supports students in Latin America). Books that can't be sold are recycled; BWB prides themselves on never sending anything to a landfill.

Better World Books sells both new and used books (and they throw in free worldwide shipping). AND, for every book sold, they donate another book to someone in need. Pretty great, right?

So how can you help? Well, you can donate books (they pay the shipping for your donation, too). You can sell your old textbooks through BWB. And, when you're buying books, either search directly through the Better World Books website or make a point of choosing them in the Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Half.com marketplace.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from the staff at Reeves Library!

Homecoming book sale

The library's annual book sale begins tomorrow, Friday October 21st! Stop by the library to score great finds-- this year's sale will include decades of Life magazine, among other fun stuff!

We're pricing by height this year; stack up the items you'd like to purchase at the front desk for measuring, and pay just a dollar an inch.

Friday 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Saturday 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Sunday 1:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Monday 9:30 AM - 8:00 PM

Information Literacy: Real-World Example

I stumbled across a great example of information literacy on Saturday while flipping through the November 2011 issue of Runner's World magazine.

One of the letters to "Ask Miles" was from a reader whose friend is always telling her that running is going to destroy her knees and that his doctor said so.

I loved the response from "Miles."

In a game of your-word-against-someone's-physician, the M.D. is always going to win. So raise the stakes. See his "my doc," and raise him a "peer-reviewed, long-term research and epidemiological study."

He then suggests a couple of studies that indicate distance runners actually have healthier knees than the population at large.

The friend's doctor has some measure of authority when speaking on medical topics, so "Miles" is right about needing to find sources that are even more authoritative if the reader wants to win the argument.

(I'm the second runner, with the navy blue jacket and the red cap!)

Let's try out my favorite test, the EAR check (Expertise, Accuracy, and Reliability), on the studies he suggests.

Expertise: While the friend's doctor knows a lot about the human body, he may be a GP rather than an orthopedic specialist. A peer-reviewed study of the long-term effects of running on knees has likely been conducted (and reviewed) by doctors who have specialized in this particular area of medicine.

Accuracy: Currency is important here. These sources are recent and have not been superseded by later discoveries. The peer-review process helps to ensure that the facts are correct and that there are no glaring omissions or biases at play.

Reliability: These sources are well-documented. The references lists show previous research that has been conducted on the topic and sets these new studies in context. "Miles" has also followed good standard practice here and has suggested two different studies that independently came to the same conclusion.

I think the reader has a good shot at winning the debate with her friend. Hmm, maybe I should send copies of these studies to my well-meaning but worried mom...! =)

P.S. If you're interested in running but find it too intimidating, why not give the super-popular Couch to 5k program a try? With the blessing of your doctor and a decent pair of running shoes, you-- yes, YOU-- could be running a real race just 9 weeks from now!

Pop culture on research

There's a discussion unfolding right now on one of the email discussion lists I follow. Someone asked for pop culture references to research, and people are coming up with quite a lot.

Book-Bella's research skills are vastly inferior to those of Movie-Bella, as explained in one fun blog post. (Bella's information literacy is possibly all that improved in the transition to film!)

Here's a paper about the information-seeking behavior of characters in The Big Lebowski.

Other researching heroes (I haven't seen most of these, but I'm sure Adam has!):

• Lots of library research in Harry Potter (just how many times did they sneak into the Forbidden Section?)
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a classic example often mentioned in libraryland
• Supernatural is another show that frequently features research
• The movie Seven (though apparently Morgan Freeman violates patron privacy by going into circulation records...)
• Veronica Mars had a loose respect for the privacy of certain records, too, but she also used newspapers and subscription databases
• Someone uses microfilm in The Ring!
• ER characters frequently mention MEDLINE searches

Any others? 

 

Announcing...

Our new announcements screen.

Look for it behind the circulation desk (where you check out books).

Coming soon to a library near you!

We are excited to announce the addition of approximately 1300 new DVD and Blu-ray titles to our video collection, made possible by a donation from Seton Hill faculty member Dr. Mike Atherton. This donation comes from the collection of his brother, R. Patrick Atherton. This generous addition to our film collection will provide our students, faculty, and staff with a wide variety of choices to meet their entertainment and learning needs.



The donated collection includes an eclectic mix of mainstream and art films from global cinemas as diverse as the United States, Canada, France, Spain, Germany, England, India, Japan, China, and Korea, and covers practically every conceivable genre.

Lovers of American cinema can enjoy contemporary hit films such as the Terminator series, Pulp Fiction, The Sixth Sense, or The 40 Year Old Virgin, while those who prefer the classics can opt for Citizen Kane, Ninotchka, The Asphalt Jungle, or Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

For those of you who don’t mind subtitles, you can experience the beauty of other languages by watching films in Spanish, French, German, Czech, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Bengali, and more. For those of you who don’t like subtitles, you’re missing out.

Immerse yourself in the entrancing world of Japanese cinema with the epic action of The Seven Samurai, the intergenerational conflict of Tokyo Story, the almost tactile beauty of Woman in the Dunes, or the notoriously disturbing horror of Audition. Check out French actor Jean Gabin in classics such as Port of Shadows, Pepe le Moko, and Grand Illusion, and see why he can rightfully challenge Steve McQueen and Humphrey Bogart for the title of King of Cool. Watch the gripping true story of the Nazi regime’s last days in the German film Downfall, with Bruno Ganz in a harrowing portrayal of Adolf Hitler. Or experience the stylized, moody melancholy of Wong Kar-Wai’s romantic masterpiece In the Mood for Love.

We have films spanning the careers of American filmmakers like Buster Keaton, Orson Welles, Martin Scorsese, and the Coen Brothers, French directors Jean Renoir and Alain Resnais, India’s Satyajit Ray, and Japan’s Akira Kurosawa and Shohei Imamura.

While not all of the donated items have been added to the collection, every title mentioned above is currently available, and more are being added every week.

So whether you’re a devoted cinephile or a casual viewer, there’s something for you in our growing collection. Stop in and take a look!