New Books at YOUR Alexandria Campus Library: No Place to Hide from Our Book Enthusiasm Edition

YOUR Alexandria Campus Library is always getting new books, and we want you to share in our excitement as these freshly processed books take their maiden voyages on our shelves.

Don't like new books? Sorry, we can't be friends.

Here are some highlights from our batch of new books:

This book, influenced by some of Adichie’s own experiences in American higher education, is all about the ways that assumptions about nationality, race, and gender can stifle the individual. Read this highly acclaimed novel when you are in a contemplative mood.

Flowers are naturally beautiful but the paper versions created by these crafters might just have those organic beauties beat. Explore the art of flower making in this beautifully photographed manual.

Every great Mediterranean civilization has wanted a piece of this building since its formation. Learn all about the Parthenon as a piece of architecture, a prize of empires, and as a symbol in this history.

Music can shape human emotion no matter what the context or setting. Learn more about how composers create a richer experience for gamers with sound in this book.

Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald was one of the first people to converse with Edward Snowden after he fled the United States for Hong Kong to reveal NSA secrets. Read what Greenwald thinks about modern state surveillance, and its implications for democratic societies in this book. 

Come check out these new titles, or browse through our many other fresh volumes at YOUR Alexandria Campus Library.

Raise the Red Flag and Prevent Violence On YOUR Alexandria Campus

Tuesday, October 7^th the Alexandria Campus will be observing Red Flag Day with lectures on dating violence and prevention given by NOVA Sexual Assault Coordinator Negar Ehsani. The event will take place from 2-3 pm in the Women’s Center, in Bisdorf AA- 331.

Students interested in this important topic can visit YOUR Alexandria Campus Library for additional research and reference materials.

To learn more about the Red Flag campaign, and how you can prevent relationship violence in your community,  visit http://www.theredflagcampaign.org/index.php/. 

Fast Five Friday: Fall for a Good Book Edition

It's raining...books, hallelujah

Happy October, faithful readers! The staff of YOUR Alexandria Campus Library has been embracing the change of seasons with a beautiful and interactive autumnal display. 

Here are five items from our collection we think you might fall for:

Learn all about what those surly kids have been up to from this book.

Can affection for an object set you on your life’s path? This book is an enjoyable exploration of how the human mind can be shaped and inspired by its environment.

This German film from director Stephen Lacant follows the story of one man as he faces the consequences and reaps the rewards of traversing societal, familial, and personal boundaries.

Curl up with this Camus classic, which helped secure the 1957 Nobel Prize for Literature, about the amorality of man. Then take yourself out for a nice walk and try to cheer up. It might take a while.

Disgraced Oxford man Paul Pennyfeather is forced to take a teaching position at an abysmal boys’ school, and hilarity ensues in this comedy of manners from British novelist Evelyn Waugh. 

Throw Back Thursday: Happy 20th Anniversary, Bruce!

Our favorite Technology and Circulation Librarian, Bruce Carroll, just celebrated his 20^th year with the Alexandria Campus Library. 

Bruce always strives to deliver information with a smile

Bruce, here with retired librarian Jean Hogan, emphasizing some of the finer points of library etiquette  

Please come by and congratulate him on his two decades of brightening the lives of our students, faculty, and library staff. Way to go, Bruce!

Fast Four Friday: Have a Jolt of Java

September 29^th is National Coffee Day and your can celebrate this exciting day with YOUR Alexandria Campus Library. So come to campus on Monday and have a cup of fair-trade java on us while checking out some of these caffeinated titles.

Want to know how coffee is grown, harvested, shipped, roasted, traded, packaged, marketed, and consumed? This book has the entire life cycle of coffee covered.

Learn all about the dark and exploitative side of the coffee industry, as well as ways you can purchase the commodity fairly, in this exploration of the true human and environmental costs of our collective coffee consumption.

This multi-generational saga, written by Sierra Leonean author Aminatta Forna, is set on a coffee plantation in West Africa. The novel touches on themes of family, colonialism, and the consequences of war.

Finally, for a comprehensive guide to all things java check out this academic anthology.  It covers all aspects of the coffee industry, profiles both grower and consumer cultures, and ends with discussions of the future of coffee (please say coffee robots).

Faculty Training Opportunities at YOUR Alexandria Library

Your Trainers: The Faculty Librarians of the Alexandria Campus Library

Faculty Research: Are you conducting research for your dissertation, publication, or further education?  The Library may have resources to help you!  Contact Matt Todd (mtodd@nvcc.edu) to explore these possibilities.

Fair Use & Copyright:  Are you flummoxed by Fair Use?  Not sure what current interpretation of copyright provisions mean for your classroom & teaching?  Contact Matt Todd (mtodd@nvcc.edu) for a conversation about this.

Stroll in the Stacks:  Take a tour of the library’s print collections with Paul Chapman (pchapman@nvcc.edu).  Recommendations for additions to the collection welcome!

Developing Research Assignments:  If you’re thinking about developing an assignment that includes a research component, contact Anne Anderson (aanderson@nvcc.edu) to discuss ideas, what library resources are available, and how those resources can fit into the assignment to meet your objectives.

Adding Library Resources to Your BlackBoard Site:  Want to provide access to a library database in your BlackBoard site?  Contact Anne Anderson (aanderson@nvcc.edu) for help getting these links set up so that they will work both on and off campus.

Online Research Guides:  Does the library have an online research guide for your discipline?  Chances are we do!  We can even develop a custom research guide for your course or for a specific assignment.  Contact Katie Hoskins (khoskins@nvcc.edu) to find out more, or see http://libguides.nvcc.edu/subjects

Library Resources in Your Discipline:  Is there a library database you’ve been wanting to get better acquainted with?  Want to see what’s new online?  Liberal Arts: Contact Anne Anderson (aanderson@nvcc.edu) or Bruce Carroll (bcarroll@nvcc.edu), STB contact Katie Hoskins (khoskins@nvcc.edu) for a closer look at what resources are most useful for your discipline, and how to get the most out of them.

New Books at YOUR Alexandria Campus Library: Bones and Souls Edition

The staff at YOUR Alexandria Campus Library cannot contain our excitement as we roll out another allotment of books.

Let’s go over some of the highlights, shall we?

Have you ever wondered about how All Hallows Eve became associated with skeletal imagery? This eye opening book on the veneration of saintly bodies makes the connection explicit. It might also haunt your dreams.

This uplifting book explores LGBTQ identities through the use of personal narratives. Therapists Ellen Riggle and Sharon Rostosky designed this book to be an affirming resource for LGBTQ individuals, their allies, and for the communities that surround them.

 Philosophy scholar Dean Kowalski designed this book, which pairs films and cultural theories, as a way to introduce and explain influential ideas in moral philosophy.You can now think of your day at the cinema as both entertaining and an enlightening exploration of the field of ethics.

Jonathan Howard’s novel features a crazed scientist who robs graves, allies himself with vampires, and is currently trying to win himself out of a pact with the devil. Read this novel if you are in the mood for humor, adventure, and a wickedly good time.

Marine biologist and conservationist Callum Roberts gives readers a detailed state of the world’s oceans in Ocean of Life, and what he reports is grim and alarming. Learn more about the threats to global waters from this passionate and disturbing book.

Fast Five Friday: Academic Skills Edition

We’re several weeks into the new academic term and there is definitely an autumnal atmosphere settling over the Alexandria campus. The air outside is getting cooler and crisper, the leaves of the trees that surround our campus are changing color, and all seems golden.

The more scholastic signs of fall are also evident inside our buildings, especially inside YOUR Alexandria library. Our students are busy at work searching our stacks, online resources, and service desks for the information they need to complete their many assignments. It is generally in these first busy of the fall term that our users reach out for extra help, so the staff at YOUR Alexandria library curated a list of books designed to strengthen and improve our students’ academic skills.

Students transitioning to NOVA from high school or work can benefit from the insight and advice put forth in Mark Rowh’s manual on community college success. Topics covered include choosing a degree path, enhancing study skills, striking a school and work balance, and handling the transfer to a university.

If you are a college student you are required to read, constantly. Use this primer to learn how to read effectively, retain more information, and maximize your understanding of the course readings you are assigned.

Most students, and non-students alike, dread making presentations. Give yourself a leg up on public speaking by using the methods outlined in this Harvard Business Review manual. 

What separates a mere student from true scholar? It is the ability to synthesize information and to research. Learn how to properly conduct a true research project using the guidance found in this book.

Success in college is possible, regardless of your academic past. Use this book to cultivate new study habits that will help you thrive in the collegiate environment.

Remember, there are people on the Alexandria campus invested in student success. There are also many other books and resources in YOUR Alexandria campus library that can empower you to be the best student that you can be. So come into the library, check out our student success resources, and emerge a better scholar!

Treasure Hunt: Finding a Book With a Call Number

Use this tutorial to learn how to locate a book using its call number.

Treasure Hunt: Associate Yer Card!

YOUR Alexandria library has a new printing system, and associating your NOVAcard is the key to success!

Watch this video to learn how YOU can associate your NOVAcard to the Fastprint system.

Treasure Hunt: Searching for Your Booty...Call Number

What is a call number?

A call number is a unique series of letters and numbers assigned to a book in a library. The easiest way to understand call numbers is by thinking about them as addresses. Our library is a large space made up by many different subject areas. Our library catalog functions as a map of that space which library goers can use to locate books. The call numbers found in the catalog point people to the unique location of each book in the library, in just the same way that addresses on a map indicate the location of individual buildings.

Decoding a call number

Ever wonder what a call number means? Let’s break down the call number for The Book Thief, a young adult novel by the author Markus Zusak:  

The letters PR in this call number let us know that it is English Literature, while the numbers following indicate that the book is a work of fiction containing some elements of fantasy. The second third and fourth line of this call number refer to the author and to the book itself. The letter Z stands for Zukas’ last name, while the rest of the two lines are unique to The Book Thief as a work of fiction. The fifth line indicates that 2006 is the year that this edition of the book was published, and the final line of this call number indicates that this the second copy of this novel in the library system.

YOUR CLUE

Go to the blue Library of Congress Subject Heading Poster located at the back of the circulating shelves in the library.

Find and then write down the two letter subject designation for archaeology as listed on the poster. Complete the call number with the following elements: 77 .U5 X15 2006. When you find the book, you will find your next clue!

New Books at Your Alexandria Library: Time for Lunch!

A fresh semester and new books means that the staff members at YOUR Alexandria Library are as giddy as kids hopped up on sugar at a birthday party. Here are some highlights from our latest crop of new acquisitions.

Megan Elias’ book outlines the social history of our country’s most public meal. Learn how Americans forge bonds, tackle poverty, work, and fight for equality during our midday meals.

Iraqi war veteran Kevin Powers’ collection of poems examines the impact of violence, love, memory and loss on the soldier’s psyche. New York Times book critic Michiko Kakutani described this volume as “a classic of contemporary war fiction” while other critics compare Powers’ gifts to those of Owens, Hemmingway, and O’Brien. 

Popular history solely credits Charles Darwin with the theory of evolution, but fails to take into account the influence of fellow scientist Alfred Russell Wallace on both Darwin and the general understanding of early evolutionary thinking. Author John van Wyhe attempts to correct the popular view by exposing readers to Wallace’s own deeply important scientific voyages and observations, and by teasing out the relationship between Wallace and Darwin that led them both men to present similar material at the July 1, 1958 meeting of the Linnaean Society.

Before Abraham Lincoln was a president, a commander of a wartime army, a polarizing figure, or a martyr he was a practicing lawyer in rough, rustic, and rural Illinois. Editors Roger Billing and Frank J. Williams curated a collection of essays that explore how Lincoln understood the law, and how that understanding influenced his subsequent political career.

The Wild West was full of drugstore cowboys, drummers, charlatans and snake oil salesman who treated the aches, pains, and ailments of their fellow citizens by dubious and often deadly means. Wayne Bethard writes entertainingly about the colorful and dangerous history of patent medicine and quackery on the America western frontier.

OOPS!: Finding 14 Week Dynamic Session Classes

You forgot to register on time. Maybe you were away for the summer. Maybe you meant to register on time, and you lost track of the date. The situation is not ideal, but the staff of YOUR Alexandria Campus Library understands that these things can happen. Students who missed registration for the regular 16 week classes have options. So do not despair, YOUR Alexandria Campus Library is here to show you how to find open 14 week Dynamic session classes to register for.

To find an open 14 week class, log into MyNOVA, choose "Class Schedule," and then select "Class Search" from the list of options.

Once on the search page, begin to carefully input criteria for the type of classes you require. Students who wish to take on-campus 14 week sessions need to select the Fall 2014 term, a subject and course number, a campus, and the "In Person" mode of instruction in the module. It is also important for searchers to check the "Show Open Classes Only" box near the bottom of the course search section, as shown in the example below.

After entering the basic information in the class search module students will need to click on the "Additional Search Criteria" option, and enter the additional information needed to recall only open 14 week dynamic session results. To do this students must select "Dynamic Sessions" from the drop down sessions menu. They must also make sure to list Alexandria as their class location.

After students press green search button on the bottom right of the page they will be directed to results that look like the example list below. Students can select the class that works best for them from the list of options, and then write down of all the relevant enrollment information like class number, section information, instructor, and date times. They will need to use this information when they add classes during the enrollment process. Remember, students have until 11:59 pm of September 2nd to register for 14 week sessions.

Need some inspiration to get over your initial disappointment about being locked out of the regular fall session classes? YOUR Alexandria Campus Library has also set up a helpful display featuring materials related to some of the great 14 week classes being taught this fall at the Alexandria Campus. So come into the Library, check out our display, and get to registering!

Treasure Hunt: Reserve Textbooks

How to Check Out a Reserve Textbook

Any NOVA student with an active student ID card can borrow reserve items at the circulation desk, as long as they do not owe any overdue fines on their library accounts. They must simply come to the circulation desk and ask for their class text by course name, course number, and book title or by their professor’s name. Students who borrow reserve items will be told exactly when their reserve textbook is due back by library staff at the time of checkout.

COMPLETE YOUR TREASURE HUNT

To complete your challenge you will need to write down a course name, its class number, the name of the professor, and the title of the required text on your postcard.  Then go to the circulation desk and see if that textbook is on reserve. Finally, hand in your completed postcard, and pick up your prize!

YOUR Alexandria Library: A Magical Place!

Do you love the Harry Potter series? Have you ever imagined attending Hogwarts? Are you looking for a fun and accessible way to explore theories of race, class, and gender influenced by intellectual giants like Freud and Marx? Then why not sign up for Professor Amey's English 245 course "Harry Potter and the Cultural Critics" being offered in Fall 2014?

Interested students, wizard and muggle alike, can come by the library and check out many of the texts and materials being utilized in the class. They can also marvel at the Library's full scale model of Hedwig the snowy owl. Remember, perspective students have until 11:59pm on September 19th to register for this and all other 16 weeks courses.

Remember to register, before your class slot disappears!

So come by YOUR Alexandria Library, and check out our many displays of magic.

Gearing Up for Fall with YOUR Alexandria Library

There are only a few more weeks until the start of the kick off of the Fall Semester, and YOUR Alexandria Library wants you to be ready. Here is a list of things students and library patrons absolutely need to know to fully prepare for the 2014-2015 Academic School Year.

Library Updates and Improvements

Our summer was spent making updates to our materials and improving patron services. YOUR Alexandria Campus Library added thousands of new resources to our collections, and enhanced our computer systems with important software updates over the break. Students can browse our shelves for these new items, search through new databases for new articles and ebooks, and explore the updates made to software at any of our computer stations. Our staff is really excited about the changes and improvements made to the library on behalf of our patrons. This means that students are absolutely encouraged to ask a staff members to highlight new materials or help them navigate upgrades made to our technology.

NOVA Cards and the New Print System

A key technical improvement made over the summer was the installation of the new FastPrint System. This system will allow students to quickly link to tens of multi-use machines across each individual campus, and then conveniently print, copy, or scan the documents they need.  Alexandria Campus Library staff is trained on the new system and ready to assist patrons with the FastPrint machines located inside of the library. 

One of the most important things students can do to get ready for the semester, and for using the new printing system, is making sure they have up to date NOVA cards with them at all time. It is important for two reasons. Students need NOVA cards to check out library materials. Students also need the NOVA card to pay for FastPrint services. Library staff members know from experience that a student with an updated NOVA card is well prepared to quickly utilize library materials and services.

Start Strong: Six Policy Changes

To be ready for the academic year, new and returning students will need to be familiar with policy changes mandated by the college that concern placement tests, developmental courses, student orientation, advising, registration, and due dates for tuition payments. We highly recommend that students review the policy changes here, to smooth their transition into the new academic year.

Save Your Seat: Important On-Time Registration Deadlines

Starting in the Fall Semester of 2014 all students MUST register for their classes by 11:59 the day before an academic session begins. Enrolling students MUST also remember to pay the tuition and fees for their classes by 5 pm the next business day to secure their place in each of their classes.

Graphic courtesy of Sarah McIntyre

Come See Us

As you prepare for the new school term please remember that there are always people here ready to help you. Our staff is expert at assisting students with research, and at connecting our patrons to the information they need to be a successful. So come check out the resources and services available to you at YOUR Alexandria Library!