Thursday, August 24, 2006

What have we been reading over the summer?

Trafalgar?

YOUR Librarians have been busy getting your Library ship-shape for fall. We've ordered & processed new books, added new electronic resources, installed new furniture, reconfigured computers, cleaned, redecorated, and more. But we also found some time to do some reading. Here's a sample of what the Library staff have been reading over the summer.

Roy Adkins's Nelson's Trafalgar: The Battle That Changed The World (Alexandria Circulating DA88.5 1805 A35 2005)



Alan Bennett’s Untold Stories.

Alan Bennett began his career in postwar Britain with Beyond the Fringe and most recently wrote the play The History Boys that is currently on Broadway and in film production. In Untold Stories he writes of his family in what the Washington Post called “a masterpiece of reminiscence.”

Stanley Wolpert's New History Of India (Alexandria Circulating DS436 .W66 1989)

Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude (Alexandria Circulating PQ8180.17.A73 C513 2003)

Chitra Benrjee Divakurani's Sister of my Heart.

Timothy Egan's The Worst Hard Time : The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl (Alexandria Circulating F595 .E38 2006)

From Publishers’ Weekly:
" tells an extraordinary tale in this visceral account of how America's great, grassy plains turned to dust, and how the ferocious plains winds stirred up an endless series of "black blizzards" that were like a biblical plague: "Dust clouds boiled up, ten thousand feet or more in the sky, and rolled like moving mountains" in what became known as the Dust Bowl.

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's The Book of the Dead

Dean R. Koontz's The Husband (Available in Alexandria's new Popular Reading Section: PS3561 o55 H87 2006)

Lee Child's Without Fail

Andrea Smith's The Sisterhood of Blackberry Corner

Lynne Truss's Talk To The Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness Of The World Today, Or Six Good Reasons To Stay Home And Bolt The Door (Alexandria Circulating BJ1533 C9 T78 2005)

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

New Magazines

Your Library is always acquiring new resources for research, study, entertainment, and to keep you informed. In addition to new books and new electronic resources, the Library constantly evaluates its collection of print magazines, journals, and newspapers. Recently, we've added some new magazines to our collection.


To see just some of our new magazine titles and read reviews, check out our new magazine page:

http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/library/magazines/

To browse new and continuing magazines, visit our magazine section on the upper level of the Library. Don't miss some of our new international and foreign language titles: Stern and Focus from Germany, the Sunday Times from the UK, EP[S] (El Pais Weekly) from Spain, and more!

Friday, August 11, 2006

What's NEW at YOUR Library?

Summertime saw some exciting changes at Your Alexandria Campus Library.

Our Computers Got Smart!

For the first time, all 44 computers in the Library now offer a full-range of computing services. All of our computers are equipped with the Microsoft Office suite (word processing, PowerPoint presentations, spread sheets!), disc drives are enabled, and email is available on all stations. All the computers are networked to a printer (10 cents per page for students). And, of course, all of the computers will still serve all of your research needs. Come to the Library to access vast electronic resources, find full-text articles, search the catalog for books, read reference books online, and search the World Wide Web.

We redecorated!

Notice anything different? We broke out of institutional off-white and brought some color into Your Library. Check out our new color scheme in the entrance and career area of the Library.

New Furniture in the Library Classroom!

The Library Classroom (Bisdorf Room 327) got a facelift as well. A new paint job, brand new computer desks, and a new Electronic Instruction system will enhance library classes, research instruction, Student Develpoment Workshops, and LBR110 classes.

Study in Style!

You'll find new, sturdy, study carrels on the Library's main level providing convenient, comfortable study space. Also check out the DVD and VHS players, which also got a face-lift and brand new carrels to make viewing and listening more inviting.

Study in Comfort!


Go upstairs and give our new chairs a test-drive (a test-sit?). These chairs have specially angled bottom rungs to allow for a variety of sitting positions. Study longer, study better, in the Library's improved study spaces.

New Books, New Videos, New Databases!

Your Library is constantly expanding its collection of books, magazines, videos, and electronic resources. All summer the Library Staff have been working hard acquiring new books to support research at the Campus. Check out some of our new titles:

http://www.nvcc.edu/home/mtodd/CurrentNewBooks.htm

We've also added some cool new databases to our existing collection of over 200 electronic resources. Check out ArtSTOR to find full-color fine-art images. Find full-text newspaper articles from the Washington Post and the New York Times dating all the way back to the 1850s! Find full-text encylopedias in Oxford Reference Online. Or find hundreds of thousands of full text articles online:

http://www.nvcc.edu/Library/databases.htm

Don't miss the Library's growing collection of Feature Films, on VHS and DVD -- including classics, foreign language films, and award winners, and international titles.

http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/library/video/titlesvhsdvd.pdf

Stop into YOUR Library soon. Check out our new additions. Take advantage of our continuing commitment to assisting students, faculty and staff to succeed here at NOVA. Find one of our Librarians to help you with research or coursework.

Find Us. Find It. Find Out.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Book Lovers Day

Read a Good Book!


August 9th is Book Lover's Day. "Borrow a book and start reading it! Lend or give a book to somebody you love." Sponsored by "a writer, on behalf on all writers, readers, librarians, booksellers, and publishers."

So stop by Your Library TODAY and find a good book.


Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Beauregard Radio

The Alexandria Campus launches it's new podcast radio project. Catch up on news and buzz from around the campus and "listen to our story in our unique voice".

http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/Calendar/podcast.htm







Check out Episode One for some useful copyright info from YOUR Alexandria Campus Library.