NOVA Celebrates 50 Years

Please join the Alexandria Campus in recognizing our "Fab Fifty", 50 individuals (students, faculty, staff, alumni) who have made enduring and notable contributions to the College over its history.

There will also be a Celebration Concert TODAY at the Schlesinger Center featuring the NOVA Chorus, NOVA Band, the Jazz Ensemble,  the Mannassas Symphony and an address from President Scott Ralls.

The Alexandria Campus Library kicked off the campus's 50th celebrations with a retrospective student art show in September.

Revenge of the Fifth

The Fourth has fallen to the Fifth.  #revengeofthe5th.

Glittering Images: A Journey Through Art from Egypt to Star Wars.  N5303 .P29 2012 

Myth, Media and Culture in Star Wars: An Anthology.  PN1995.9.S695 M97 2012

Star Wars and History.  PN1995.9.S695 S74 2012

Star Wars: The  Visual Dictionary.  PN1995.9.S695 R49 1998

Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imganination.   PN1995.9.S695 S87 2005

De-Stress a Success

During Final Exams the De-Stress 4 Success student Club brought activity stations to the Library.

Students were able to take study breaks and de-stress with coloring, origami and fiendish puzzles.

The origami was particularly popular, and contributed to an end-of-semester "origami garden":

Extended Hours Continue at YOUR Library This Week!

FINALS WEEK

May 2 - May 8

Monday May 2: 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Tuesday May 3: 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Wednesday May 4: 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Thursday May 5: 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Friday May 6: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Saturday May 7: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Sunday May 8: CLOSED

*We're still serving coffee and snacks at 10 PM!

INTERSESSION SCHEDULE

May 9 - May 14

Monday May 9: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Tuesday May 10: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Wednesday May 11: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Thursday May 12: CLOSED for Professional Development

Friday May 13: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Saturday May 14: CLOSED

SUMMER SCHEDULE

begins May 15

Mondays - Thursdays: 8:30 AM - 9:00 PM

Fridays: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM

Saturdays & Sundays: CLOSED

Closing Music Playlist: Deep Archive

Throwback Thursday:

In the mists of time, when the librarians first walked upright, devised the Dewey Decimal System, and struck upon the idea of playing a "closing song," Library patrons were treated to the same song every night:

That's right, the dulcet (not to say saccharine) tones of the TV von Trapp children crooned Library users out the door with a rendition of "So Long Farewell."

Those were simpler times.

The closing song was even played on one of these:

The red boom-box dutifully belted out the Sound-of-Music Goodbye song for many a year,

Then one fateful evening, the apparatus blew up:

OK, so it wasn't that dramatic but there were sparks, and the boom box went to amplifier heaven.

After that, a couple of Library staff whose musical tastes were a little... more modern than Julie Andrews took over and the play list evolved.

Celebrate National Poetry Month with Book Spine Poetry (and win $50!)

It's not too late to enter the National Poetry Month Book Spine Poetry Contest in YOUR Library!

Five finalists will be announced on Monday, May 2

Winners announced on Wednesday, May 4 

YOUR Extended Library Hours Start Today!

It's ALMOST OVER!!!

Please make a note of our updated library hours for the last week of classes:

Monday April 25: 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Tuesday April 26: 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Wednesday April 27: 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Thursday April 28: 8:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Friday April 29: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Saturday April 30: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Sunday May 1: CLOSED

To help fuel your studies, YOUR library will be serving coffee and snacks at 10 PM.

The Closing Music Playlist

Library regulars will be aware of one Alexandria Campus tradition:  the nightly playing of the closing song.  About 5 minutes before the Library closes, users are alerted to the impending cessation of service with a serenade of appropriately themed music.

The librarian on duty is responsible for selecting the song of the night.  Some librarians select from a fairly fixed play list, some swap it up every shift.

Students often ask what songs we play and who the artist is.  Here is a selection of from this semester's playlist:

Girlfriend in a Coma.  The Smiths

Friday I'm in Love.  The Cure

Come with me now.  Kongos

Tubthumping.  Chumbawumba

Pompeii.  Bastille

Imperial March.  John Williams

Taro, Alt-J

Chan Chan, Buena Vista Social Club

Side of the Road, Lucinda Williams

Goodbye, Farley Granger

   Send Me on My Way – Rusted Root

   I Was Born (A Unicorn) – The Unicorn

Werewolves of London – Warren Zevo

\Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear

Daylight – Matt & Kim

Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode

Conquest of Spaces – Woodkid 

National Library Week 1965

It's Throwback Thursday AND the College is celebrating it's 50th anniversary this year, so it's time to look at National Library Week in 1965:

Card Catalog???  What's that?  Who remembers the Vertical File (hint:  it used to be our internet).  Audio Visual Materials is what we used to call YouTube.

50 years on, and these things still apply.

National Library Week

Please join Your Alexandria Campus Library in celebrating National Library Week (April 10 - 16).

 

This year's theme is "Libraries Transform" so get on in here and be transformed!

 

Also, help yourself to a free bookmark.

Kim turns 35

Congratulations to the LTR office manager and library sergeant major, Kim Gross, who celebrated 35 years employment at the College.

She just shook the President's hand!

Congratulations, too, to the Alexandria Campus Faculty emeriti:

[l-r: Paul McVeigh, Robert Brunner, Lisa Moran, Bill Schran, Barry Sellinger, Jon Burton]

Hail!

Throwback Thursday

The Library has always been a place that is devoted to feeding the senses as well as the mind, and through its existence the Alexandria Campus Library has hosted student art, pop-up art shows, topical book displays, course and curriculum marketing, program events as well as displays of material of special interest.

On this Throwback Thursday, we look at Library Displays then-and-now!!

THEN:

 Apparently there were Washington football fans in the library back in the day [above]

We're not even sure what this display, circa 1970s, is all about [above]

NOW:

the De-Stress 4 Success Club took over the Library display space to promote their motivational workshops:

You might say we've come a long way.

"Oddest Book Title of the Year"

We waited until after April Fool's to post this, because it is real.

Bookseller magazine nominates an "oddest book title of the year" prize.  Past winners include How to Poo on a Date and Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes.






This year's nominees include Transvestite Vampire Biker Nuns from Outer Space:



Although the Alexandria Campus Library does not own any of these titles, you might try:

How to crochet : the definitive crochet course complete with step-by-step techniques, stitch libraries and projects for your home and family.  TT820 .T872x 2001

Withnail and Us: Cult Films and Film Cults in British Cinema.  Available online.

Or watch the video:

Withnail and I.  Alexandria AV PN1997 .W5845 2001

Languages Week Celebrated at Alexandria

The World Languages Department at the Alexandria Campus hosted Celebrate Languages Week, March 14 to 17. The week kicked off with the screening of two films, “The Postman,” in Italian and “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,” in Spanish, which were followed by discussions moderated by professors Nadya Malagò and Eddy Arana. On March 16, Professor Lama Hamdan showed the Arabic language film “Amreeka” and led the discussion that followed.

 

Matt Todd, Patricia Escamilla-Hamm (mother of former NOVA student Patrick Hamm) and Martha Davis.

Professors Martha Davis, Laura Franklin and Dali Tan hosted an international poetry reading on Tuesday. World Language students recited poems in Russian, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese. This event also featured a display of selected texts from a new collection to the Alexandria Campus Library donated in honor of former student, Patrick Hamm. Hamm was an avid reader and caring friend who took pride in his Mexican heritage. After he died suddenly on October 9, 2015 at the age of 32, his friends from his fall 2014 Spanish 202 class raised $500 to purchase Mexican and Mexican-American literature and nonfiction, in Spanish and English. Each book contains a bilingual bookplate indicating that it was donated in Hamm’s honor.

Shonette Grant, Terry Nealon (CEO of Fishtree) and Martha Davis.

On Thursday three events were featured. In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, Terry Nealon, Alexandria resident, native of County Mayo, Ireland, and CEO of the educational software firm, Fishtree, presented a “Celebration of Irish Culture and Language.” An International Karaoke Contest followed the presentation. Professor Amanda Trostle hosted the event, and Franklin and Hamdan served as faculty judges. The first, second and third place winners sang in Spanish, Chinese and French, respectively, and were presented with gift cards. Celebrate Languages Week activities concluded with a session of international board games for students of Spanish and Chinese, including Scrabble en español and mah jongg.

Also during Celebrate Languages Week, and under the direction of Professor Elizabeth Bull, the French Club decorated the Liberal Arts Division display case with images of La Francophonie.

From Intercom: http://blogs.nvcc.edu/intercom/2016/03/28/languages-week-celebrated-at-alexandria/

Throwback Thursday

Online discovery system?  Electronic databases?  MARC records?  Metadata?

Forget all that and journey back in time to simpler days when we used hand-typed card catalogs:

We're not sure when this picture was taken, but we're pretty sure it depicts Library Specialist Emerita Marion Mirehouse,

Oh, the good old days.

International Languages Week

The Alexandria World Languages Department celebrated International Languages week from March 14-18.  The Library pitched in to support International Poetry Reading, featuring student readers reciting poems in Russian, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese.

The International Poetry Reading also featured the dedication of a new collection to NOVA Alexandria’s Library donated in honor of former NOVA student, Patrick Hamm, an avid reader and caring friend who took pride in his Mexican heritage.

After Patrick died suddenly on October 9, 2015 at the age of 32, his friends from his Fall 2014 Spanish 202 class raised $500 to purchase Mexican and Mexican-American literature and non-fiction, in Spanish and English. Each book contains a bilingual bookplate indicating that it was donated in Patrick’s honor. Patrick’s friends take comfort in knowing that the the books will be enjoyed by generations of students to come.

Pictured above with a sample of the collection of the donated books are L to R: Matt Todd (Library Director), Patricia Escamilla-Hamm (Patrick’s mother) and Martha Davis (Assistant Dean, World Languages).

It's a mad mad world

Midterm Madness came and went with committed studying, consumption of much coffee, and eating of many many Oreo cookies.

Over 170 students stayed late with us and took advantage of the Library extended hours.

Coming next week:  Spring Break!!!

Time for a little respite (although one student assures us that "Spring Break is a cruel joke!  I have too much to catch up on!").  From Monday March 7 - Friday March 11 the Library will be open 8.30am - 5.00pm and closed Saturday March 12th.

Normal hours, and the second 8-week session (register now!) resume March 14th.

Will your Spring Break look like this?

Lights, Camera, Action!

Professor Lucy Gebre-Egziabher visited the Library last week to speak with students interested in film classes offered on campus. Professor Gebre-Egziabher will be teaching two eight week film during the second Spring 2016 session. Many of the titles used in these classes are available on reserve in the Library! Movies included in the class curriculum include: Do the Right Thing, Pulp Fiction, Moonrise Kingdom, Amelie, and many more. Check out the flyer below for class details and transfer information. Register before these classes are full!

If you'd like to learn more about Professor Gebre-Egziabher's exciting film background, she will be giving a presentation tomorrow on her experience teaching film in Ethiopia as a Fulbright Specialist. Join us in room 196 from 2 PM - 3 PM. Snacks and refreshments will be served.

***Please note that the flyer below lists an incorrect room number. The presentation will take place in room AA-196 at 2 PM.***

***Please note that the flyer above lists an incorrect room number. The presentation will take place in room AA-196 at 2 PM.***

Midterm Madness

Extended Hours!!  February 29 - March 4.

There will be more time to prepare for midterms next week as the Library once again maintains extended hours.

Madness.  Get it?

The Library will be open 

Monday - Thursday 8.30am - 11.00pm

Friday 8.30am - 6.00pm

Snacks will be served at 10pm!

Come study with us!

Hello from Willi

The Library Fish:

Willi is reading:

Fish that fake orgasms : and other zoological curiosities.  QL50 .W23 2007

Grasses for the Masses 2

The Grass is back!



On Wednesday, February 17th, Library Specialists Michelle Jerney-Davis and Kevin O'Hagan installed a grass growth chamber in the Library Living Room to help save the Chesapeake Bay! The Grasses for the Masses program enlists volunteers across the region to grow Wild Celery (Vallisneria Americana) as part of a continued effort to clean up the Bay. This is the second year in row we’ve had grass growing in the Library.


Michelle adds distilled water to the growth chamber.


Kevin skims the loose dirt from the chamber surface.

The grass will grow all semester in the Library and then be transplanted into the Potomac River. Come and see our grass grow!

Want to learn more about efforts to save the Bay? Check out the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s website: http://www.cbf.org/

Coming Soon...

...to a Library near you (the Alexandria Campus Library).

Grass returns!  Beginning Wednesday February 17th the Library will once again support the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's "Grasses for the Masses" project to bolster aquatic grass populations and help save the Bay.  Stop by and visit our growth chamber in the Library Living Room.  The Library first grew grass for the Bay last year.

Essential Oils.  The Green Club will present on the environmental and health benefits of essential oils on Thursday February 18th from 12.30-2.

Al-Mutanabbi Pop-Up Student Art Show.  The Library will host a book-arts exhibit from February 18-29 featuring the work of student from NOVA and George Mason University.

Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here DC 2016 is a book arts and cultural festival planned for January through March 2016, throughout the Washington, D.C. area. Exhibits, programs, and events will commemorate the 2007 bombing of Baghdad’s historic bookselling street, and celebrate the free exchange of ideas and knowledge, to stand in solidarity with the people of Iraq, who have endured so much; and with people at home and abroad who are unable to make their voices heard.

Midterm Madness!!!  Back by popular demand: the Library will be open an extra hour from February 29th - March 4th to provide more study time for midterms and 8-week-session finals.  The Library will be open until 11pm Monday-Thursday and 6pm Friday.

Container Garden

How does your garden grow?  In pots!

Professor Cintas's BIO110 General Botany class is growing a variety of plants, and the Library is hosting:

Come by and see our garden grow, or check out a book on how to make your own contained garden:

The complete book of patio & container gardening.  SB473.2 .W55 2001

Time-saving gardener : tips and essential tasks, season by season.  SB450.97 .H88 2008

Urban agriculture : ideas and designs for the new food revolution.   S494.5.U72 T73x 2011

Apartment gardening : plants, projects, and recipes for growing food in your urban home.  SB453 .P358 2011

The edible balcony : growing fresh produce in small spaces.   SB419.5 .M58 2012

NOVA Nighthawks

Not sure what a nighthawk is?

Read all about it in

Peterson field guide to birds of eastern and central North America.  QL681 P45 

HELP!! The College is closed...

...and I have an assignment to submit!  I need to do research, find resources, and cite sources to complete my assignment.  What can I do???

Fear not!  Even when the College is physically closed, most Library collections and services are available online.

Go to the Library webpage to access

Resources:

* ebooks.  Search the Library catalog follow the ebooks link to find tens of thousands of online holdings
*online articles (hundreds of thousand of full-text newspaper, magazine and scholarly journal articles)
*streaming video

Research Assistance:

* Chat with a librarian.  24-7, real-time assistance with a real-live Librarian (Ask a Librarian > 24/7 chat)
* Online Research Guides.  You can find one-stop guides for finding information for your course subject, or in many cases for your specific class. (instructors' names are indicated -- look for yours!)
* Citation Help.  It's not everyone's favorite thing, but you gotta do it

**Note that even when the College buildings are physically closed for any reason, class activity continues via BlackBoard.  Consult your college email and course BlackBoard pages for more information**

Snow's OVER!

The College re-opened Saturday January 30 and normal services, hours, and operations resumed.

What did YOU do while you were snowed in -- binge watch?  Binge read?  a little of both?

The Library staff recommended some of these options from the Library collections:

How did YOU stay busy in the snowzilla?  Aside from going to class online.

Above:

Alexander, The Chronicles of Prydain. PS3551.L35698 A6 2011

Gallsworthy, The Forsyte Saga.  PR6013.A5 F56 2002

Forsyte Saga.  AV PR6013.A5 F56 2002b

Vikings.  PN1992.77 .V555x 2013

The Young Ones. AV PN1992.77 .Y64664x 2007