Book Talk Event: Come Meet Frederick Downs

YOUR Alexandria Campus Library is pleased to highlight an author event taking place on campus. Author Frederick Downs Jr., author of The Killing Zone: My Life in the Vietnam War, will be giving a lecture on his book and military experiences on Thursday, October 23 at 3:30pm. Come join the discussion in Bisdorf AA 196.

Fast Friday: Fall Break News Flash

According to eye witness reports, an ax wielding man was spotted inside the Alexandria Campus Library last Saturday afternoon. The man felled two absurdly tall, prehistoric victims before dragging the remains to an awaiting pickup truck. 

While members for the Alexandria campus staff were somewhat saddened by the loss of these oxygen emitting life forms, there is no denying that the abundance of sunshine and the unobstructed views of the campus from the library's windows were welcomed developments.

Hark! What (abundant) light in yonder window breaks.

Did you notice?

RIP.

Throwback Thursday: It's American Archives Month

Did you know that October is National Archives Awareness Month? Well it is, and YOUR Alexandria campus library wants you to celebrate the crucial role that archives play in preserving institutional, social, and personal memories.

You can get a small taste of what archives can do from delving into the NOVA History Collection. Inside you will discover documents, photographs, and other records that track the college’s growth over the last four decades.

Residents of Northern Virginia are also blessed to be near so many notable state and federal archives. Besides the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution locals can visit a variety of places that specialize in preserving the history of civilizations, cultures, and families. Why not celebrate archives by visiting or interacting with some of the historical items held nearby collections?

Fast Five Friday: #TURNOUTFORWHAT Edition

On Tuesday, November 4^th the state of Virginia will be holding elections. YOUR Alexandria Campus Library wants you to know that the deadline to register to vote in the upcoming election is Tuesday, October 14^th. Interested and eligible citizens can register to vote online, at local election offices, at Department of Motor Vehicle Customer Service Centers, and at other Virginia government agencies. 

After you register make sure to check out these five library resources that outline the struggle for voting rights that included all American citizens.

Women in this country have only had voting rights for 95 years. Let that sink in, and then watch this inspirational film about the flinty women who bleed and fought to change that. 

One of the lasting legacies of the student movements of the 1960s is the right for 18 year olds to vote. Learn about the campaign for youth enfranchisement from this book. 

This landmark legislation did much to make certain that disenfranchised populations were offered the robust protections needed to protect their rights. Read about the passionate civil rights campaigning undertaken in the South that prompted the Johnson administration to draft and push through this act.

Use this volume as a primer on joining voices to promote a cause in a representative democracy.

This history outlines the social and political consequence of the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Less violence, more voices. 

YOUR Alexandria campus library has many other books and films that outline the battles fought in the name of political participation. So come in, check our collections, educate yourself about the issues and candidates in this election, and read up on our political system.  Remember, if you do vote on this November, you can take pride in exercising a right that so many fought for and suffered to secure. Voting allows you to decide what matters to you and then to take action.

Need some additional inspiration? Take it away, Little Jon. 

Throwback Thursday:YOUR Old School Library Catalog

For Throwback Thursday we thought we would showcase a crucial piece of library technology from the library’s past, its first catalog. This version is actually a 1968 copy of Books in Print. Books owned by the Eastern Campus Library were outlined in red, and the cataloging librarian would meticulously record the item’s call number in the margins. Patrons could then take this call number and locate the book on the shelves. 

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.