Happy Holidays!

With best wishes from YOUR Alexandria Library Staff:

The Alexandria Campus Library wishes you a Happy End to the Fall Semester and safe and happy Holiday Season.

Please note that during the Winter Break, the Library will be open special hours. Please also note that the College is closed from 22 Nov - 2 Jan.

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

See you in 2007.

Over 500 study early, study late!

During the two-week period (December 4 – 15) that the library offered extended hours for final exams, 509 students were served who were in the library early (between 8 and 8:30am) or late (between 10 and 11pm).

Coffee, tea and hot chocolate were served, along with cookies, as a late-night study break.

Many students expressed their appreciation for the longer hours and the hot drinks and snacks offered in the late evenings. Extended Library hours for final exams has become a popular Alexandria campus tradition.

Puzzled?

The Alexandria Campus Learning Resource Services (http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/lrc/) is here to help you suceed in your academic career! Visit the Open Computer Center for expert help with technology (http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/lrc/occ/), stop by the Testing Center if you need to take a placement test, and ELI test, or other scheduled curricular test (http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/lrc/testing/), visit your campus Library to consult with an expert on research (http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/library/). Faculty -- pay a visit to Instructional Support and Development (http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/lrc/isd/) to help YOU integrate technology into the curriculum.

Don't miss our eye-catching new billboard on the 3rd floor to find out more about Learning Resource Services on this campus.

Thanks to Library staff members Kim Gross (left) and Marion Mirehouse (right), and Learning Lab Supervisor Adella Brunner (not pictured) for designing and making over our billboard.

Open Early, Open Late!!

Once again YOUR campus Library is pleased to offer extended hours for the last week of classes and the week of final exams.

Dec 4th - 7th and Dec11th - 14th the Library will open at 8am and remain open until 11pm.

Stop in early or stay late (and join us for a Late Night Study Break after 9pm!).

Good Luck for exams!!

Hello from VLA

Coming straight from the Williamsburg Marriott.

Sylvia, Matt, and Brandee attended 2 days of sessions at the Virginia Library Association Annual Conference. They also presented a well-received interactive session on generational differences and distinctions at work. Matt presented on marketing (and posted the beginning of this message from the conference audtorium).

Library Staff Go to Virginia Library Association Conference.

Associate Director Sylvia Rortvedt, Collection Development Librarian Matt Todd, and Library Specialist Brandee Worsham head to Williamsburg, VA for the Virginia Library Association Annual Conference on Nov 9 - 10.

Sylvia, Matt, and Brandee will present on Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millenials and Matt will present separately on Marketing Your Library.

(if you're visiting our blog from VLA, please leave us a comment!)

Local News Comes To YOUR Library

The NOVA Libraries are pleased to announce the latest addition to our electronic resources. NewsBank features full-text regional newspapers from all around the country, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Baltimore Sun, the Washington Post (which we also have in ProQuest), and the Washington Times. This is going to be an excellent source for finding local information! Here’s how to get to it: From the Library’s Articles page (http://www.nvcc.edu/library/databases.htm), select NewsBank, then America’s Newspapers.

One outstanding feature this database has is the ability to select just the specific regional or state newspapers you want to search, and it even features a clickable map to direct your search by regions. This database is very user-friendly. We hope you will have occasion to use it for research or direct your students to this excellent resource. If you have questions about this or any of your library's resources, stop by the library and chat with one of YOUR librarians.

Hat-o-ween!

Alexandria Campus Library staff celebrate Halloween on 31 Oct.

What a good-lookin' lot of librarians!

Extreme Makeover for Library Homepage!

The NOVA libraries are proud to announce the appearance of their new web page, which went live on Sunday 29 October. The library web page acts as a portal to access print, electronic, and web sources. The new design is geared to enhance usability and increase the ease and efficiency of navigation. Terms and titles have been simplified to better represent content. Use the library web page to search for books, access full-text articles online, or find websites appropriate to college-level research. New features include an FAQ, an online form to request books from other campuses, enhanced information for individual campus libraries, and an online suggestion box. Your librarians hope the new web page will make access to information more transparent and efficient, and will enhance student and faculty research.

Eat Your Veggies!

October is National Vegetarian Awareness Month.

Read up on the history of vegetarianism as a lifestyle, on bioethics and farming, explore the philosophical underpinnings of vegetarianism, or even find recipes for your next veggie meal.

To read more, visit our Hot Topics Page:

http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/library/hottopics/veggies.htm

Happy Trafalgar Day!

On 21 October 1805, Admiral Lord Nelson and the British Navy crushed the combined French and Spanish fleets off the coast of Spain at a place called Trafalgar.

(Above: Nelson's flagship, HMS Victory, in Portsmouth Harbour on Trafalgar Day)

Read more about Nelson andTrafalgar at YOUR Library:

Adkins, Roy. Nelson's Trafalgar: The Battle That Changed The World. DA88.5 1805 A35 2005

Churchill, Winston. Heroes Of History. D107 C63

Howarth, David. Lord Nelson: The Immortal Memory. DA87.1 N4 H63 1989

Mahan, A.T. The Life Of Nelson: The Embodiment Of The Sea Power Of Great Britain. DA87.1 N4 M3 1968

Marcus, Geoffrey. The Age Of Nelson: The Royal Navy 1793-1815. DA88 M27

Sontag, Susan. The Volcano Lover: A Romance. PS3569 O6547 V6 1992

Southey, Robert. Life of Nelson. DA87.1 N4 S7 1969

Groundbreaking!

On October 19th the Alexandria Campus celebrated the groundbreaking of the newest addition to the campus: Phase III of the Bisdorf Building. Phase III will accommodate the Provost's Office, a brand new Student Services Center, new science labs, and a multi-purpose lecture hall. As offices and classrooms move from Phase I (the part of the building where the library is located) vacated space will be re-dedicated to new use. Including additional space for YOUR Library.

Congratulations to the campus on this important new chapter in her history.

If you would like to find out more about the history of the Alexandria Campus, visit the slide show prepared by members of the Library Staff:

http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/history/index.pdf

Alexandria Campus Library CELEBRATES!

Fall Festival Book Sale!

Your Alexandria Campus Library celebrated Fall Festival on Sep 26th with the first of now annual book-sales. Set up in the "Y" area near the cafeteria, the book sale experienced lots of interest and good traffic all day.

Show us the money! Thanks to all who participated in the book sale, your Library raised over $140 (which is pretty impressive considering all the books in the sale are priced at only $1 or $0.50. Best value in town!!). Proceeds from the book sale go directly to support the Library materials budget. Thanks to all who donated books to be sold, and to all book-sale fans who make these events a success.

Hispanic Heritage Month

Sep 15 - Oct 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. The Library celebrated Hispanic and Latino culture, literature, New Americans, and Spanish Language.

The Library featured books, magazines, videos and CDs in celebration of Hispanic Heritage.

Need a book from another campus?

Ship it!

Having books shipped from other campus libraries is easier than ever! If you need a book held by another NOVA library, you can request to have that book sent to Alexandria. This service is free of charge, normally takes only a couple of business days, and someone from the Alexandria Campus Library will phone or email to let you know when the book has arrived.

Just visit the Library's online request form:

http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/library/iclform.htm

Popular reading proves popular!

The Library's new Popular Reading collection has proven to be a crowd pleaser! In just under a month, over half of that collection has been checked out!

Read on!

Popular Reading is here!

Check out your Library's NEW Popular Book Collection. A selection of contemporary best-sellers, notable titles and controversial books, the Popular Book collection will be updated each month with exciting new fiction and nonfiction material. Borrow any title with your NOVACard for 3 weeks!

Albright, Madeleine. The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs. BL65 I55 A53 2006

Ali, Monica. Alentejo Blue. PR6101 L45 A44 2006

Bennet, William J. America: The Last Best Hope. E178 B46 2006

Burroughs, Augusten. Possible Side Effects. PS3552 U745 Z475 2006

Child, Julia. My Life in France. TX649 C47 A3 2006

Clark, Mary Higgins. Two Little Girls In Blue. PS3553 L287 T96 2006`

Cooper, Anderson. Dispatches From The Edge: A Memoir of War, Disaster, and Survival. PN4874 C683 A3 2006

Cornwell, Patricia. At Risk. PS3553 O692 A93 2006

Coulter, Ann. Godless: The Church of Liberalism. JC574.2 U6 C667 2006

Deaver, Jeffery. Cold Moon: A Lincoln Rhyme Novel. PS3554 E1755 C65 2006

Ebadi, Shirin. Iran Awakening: A Memoir of revolution and Hope. KMH110 I23 A3 2006

Friedman, Thomas. The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. HM846 F74 2006

Giffin, Emily. Baby Proof . PS3607 !28 B33 2006

Gottleib, Lori and Kevin Bleyer. I Love You, Nice To Meet You: A Guy and a Girl Give the Lowdown on Coupling Up. HQ801 G598 2006

Griffin, W.E.B. The Saboteurs: A Men At War Novel. PS3557 R489137 S23 2006

Joujoun-Roche, Gregory. One Body, One Life: 6 Weeks To The New You. GV481 J696 2006

Koontz, Dean. The Husband. PS3561 O55 H87 2006

McBain, Ed. Learning to Kill. PS3515 U585 L43 2006

Murray, Jonathan and David Murray. Two For The Money: The Sensible Plan For Making It All Work. HG179 M867 2006

Philbrick, Nathaniel. Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War. F68 P44 2006

Paniatowska, Elena. Nada, Nadie, Las Voces Del Temblor. F1386.3 P65 2005

Patterson, James. Thriller: Stories to Keep You Up at Night. PS648 S88 T57 2006

Perry, Tyler. Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life. PS3616 E795 D66 2006

Russert, Tim. Wisdom of our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons. HQ755.86 W57 2006

Salinas, Maria Elena. Yo Soy La Hija De Mi Padre: Un Vida Sin Secretos. PN1992.4 S155 A318 2006

Schatzing, Frank. The Swarm. PT2680 A79 S3813 2006

Updike, John. Terrorist. PS3571 P4 T44 2006

Zinni, Tony. The Battle For Peace: A Frontline Vision of America's Power and Purpose. E895 Z56 2006

Visit our Hot Topics Page: http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/library/hottopics/popread.htm

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)

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!

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.

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.

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.

Blog Turns One Year Old!!

Happy Birthday to the Library Blog -- July 29th, 2006


On July 29, 2005 your Alexandria Campus Library launched an experiment. On that day, the very first post was made to the Alexandria Campus Library Blog. One year later, the blog has received over 1,000 visits and over 2,200 individual page views! The blog has welcomed readers from Northern Virginia, Washington DC, Wisconsin, California, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Egypt. Visitors have found the blog from the Alexandria Campus homepage, from the Library homepage, from the Intercom, and from Google searches.

The Alexandria Campus Library Blog is here to stay!

Thank you for reading our blog! If you are a frequent visitor -- thanks for sticking with us. If you are a first-time visitor, come and see us again! Leave us a comment. Tell us a story.

Find Us. Find It. Find Out.

At YOUR Alexandria Campus Library.

Italy Victorious!

The World Cup Final saw a nail-biting victory for Italy. Your Library celebrated Italy's Big Win with a display of books on the history and culture of Italy:

And to really celebrate the victory, biscotti and chocolates (in the shape of soccer balls, no less!) were served in the Library.

YOUR Library Celebrates the World Cup!

Alexandria Campus Library celebrated the World Cup from June 9th - July 9th with posters, an interactive poll, displays of books on the World Cup history, schedules of the matches, and more.

In June the Library launched a "who will win?" poll on the white board just inside the Library doors. Voting became fast and furious as fans pumped for their favorite teams:

By June 29th, the results of our poll were:

Portugal: 2 *
Croatia: 1
Korea: 21
England: 7 *
Brazil: 30 *
Italy: 17 *
Argentina: 23 *
Germany: 9 *
Ghana: 15
Poland: 1
Trinidad Tobago: 4
Somalia: 12
France: 1 *
Sudan: 1

* actually advanced to the Quarter Finals, plus Ukraine which received no votes in our poll.

Iron Riders Ride for the Cure

Jean Hogan, Media Services Librarian (second from the left, above) rode with Team Iron Riders in the 2006 Tour de Cure for the American Diabetes Association. Jean and the Team rode 32 miles (!) on the Washington & Old Dominion Trail (http://www.wodfriends.org/map1.html) on June 4th and raised $1570.00. Congratulations to Jean and the Iron Team!

Limit by Campus!

You asked for it! We heard you! When searching for books or videos in the Library Catalog (VCCS Linc), you can now limit by campus. If you are looking for titles only on the Alexandria Campus, you can now choose to search just the Alexandria Campus collection.

Open the Library Catalog (http://vccslinc.vccs.edu/F/?func=find-b-0&local_base=nvcc). Use the drop-down menu to choose "NOVA-Alexandria". This will limit your search just to the Alexandria Campus Library.

Please note that the catalog continues to default to "Northern Virginia CC", and will search all six campsues at once for your convenience.

Superman!

Check out some of the Library's new and compelling titles. Whether it's the mythology of DC Comics, or surviving office politics, or investigating ESP, evaluating Pope John Paul's legacy or using technology in teaching, there's something of interest for everyone.

Read about these and more new books at the Library's New Books page:

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

Or visit the Library and browse the New Books Display.

Search for other titles in the library catalog:

http://vccslinc.vccs.edu/F/?func=find-b-0&local_base=nvcc

To suggest a title for the Library to consider for purchase, just fill in this handy form:

http://www.nvcc.edu/library/suggest.htm

Twenty Years Overdue!

On June 7th, Tokyo: The Great Cities was returned almost twenty years late. This was either an extremely fascinating book or someone was a very slow reader! The Date Due card in the book pocket shows the original due date: Dec 17, 1986.

What was YOUR Library like 20 years ago?

• The Library used an automated punch card system to check out books (see punch card in the photo above)
• The Library Catalog was available on microfilm only
• Eating, drinking, smoking, and loud talking were not permitted in the Library
• The Library held a collection of 16mm films
• There were no computers available for student use in the Library
• Searching on-line databases was only available by appointment with a Librarian

Some things never change. Samples from the Suggestion Book indicate that some current problems and concerns are long standing. Examples include:

• Why is it so noisy in the Library?
• It is too hot/ too cold in the Library!
• Could the Library please have longer hours?

What did the Alexandria Campus look like in 1986?

• Alcohol consumption was permitted at student activities on campus until 1987!
• Enrollment at the Alexandria Campus was up 5% over the previous year
• Parking was a serious problem on campus. Before the parking deck was constructed, students with parking permits out-numbered available spaces by 3 to 1!
• Campus Council minutes were mimeographed (remember that purple print?) for distribution
• Campus Council addressed campus beautification, the academic calendar, parking, inclement weather policies, and the cleaning service contract (the more things change, the more they stay the same! Each of these issues was discussed in some form by the 2005-2006 Campus Council!)

Alexandria Campus Library Today (June 2006):

• The Library uses an online system (ALEPH) to check out books
• The Library Catalog is available via the World Wide Web (http://vccslinc.vccs.edu/F/?func=find-b-0&local_base=nvcc)
• Eating and Drinking are now permitted in the Library (you still can't smoke, though!)
• There are 44 computers for student use in the Library
• The Library subscribes to over 200 online databases that may be searched from on or off campus (http://www.nvcc.edu/Library/databases.htm)
• A group study area and quiet study area have been created to help deal with the noise problem
• New FANS have been purchased to cool down the Library on hot days
• The Library regularly has EXPANDED hours (open early/ open late!) during the last week of classes and final exams

New New New!

Summer is a time to throw OUT the old an bring in the NEW. The Library has been sprucing up and shaping up with NEW computer tables, NEW chairs, and NEW media carrels. Come in and check out our NEW look!

(above: Technology Librarian Bruce Carroll in the Library Classrooom with NEW computer tables).

(below: Library Staff install new tables in the Reference area for the OPACs):

Blockbuster Summer Book Sale

On May 23rd 2006 the Library hosted its most successful book sale to date:

Beginning at the "Y" near the cafeteria at 11am, the Blockbuster Book Sale opened to brisk and steady business throughout the morning and early afternoon. Math, science, and business textbooks were especially hot sellers. At 3pm the Moveable Book Sale shifted upstairs to the Bisdorf Lobby (see above). The Library sold over seven carts-ful of books and raised over $500 in support of the Library's materials and programming.

Thanks to all who made the Blockbuster Summer Book Sale a success!

Books for the sale are donations from Library patrons, community members, faculty and staff. Books that are not appropriate for inclusion in the Library collection, either because of age, condition, or inappropriateness to the collection, are sold in book sales. The Library sponsors an ongoing permanent book sale located near the front doors, and also holds occasional special book sales outside the Library.

To date, Library Book Sales have raised over $900!

NOVA heads!

Alexandria Campus Learning Resource Services staff show their School Spirit just in time for the beginning of summer classes. Above, l-r: Matt Todd, Collection Development Librarian; Dave Williams, LRS Director; Sylvia Rortvedt, Associate Director LRS.

Librarians have fun, too!

Left: Jean Hogan, Media Services Librarian, gets in on the fun.



Visit YOUR Library today and check out what fun things are happening this summer.

New Study Carrels

Over the inter-session (May 9 - 12) the Library purchased and installed new study carrels. All of the DVD-players, VHS-players, CD-players and TVs enjoy new homes in the Media area, old study carrels near the windows have been replaced with brand new versions, and look for changes in the quiet study area.


(above: the new AV carrels on the main level of the Library. below: What an improvement! The old carrels being dismantled).

Four Librarians

The Alexandria Campus is a fertile breeding ground for new librarians. Taking advantage of the College's tuition assistance program and the supportive and flexible environment in the library, FOUR current and previous library staffers have completed Masters of Library and Information Science Degrees.

(pictured l-r, Beth Weixler, previous Library Assistant; Matt Todd, Collection Development Librarian & Marketing Coordinator; Anne Anderson, Reference & Instruction Librarian; Sylvia Rortvedt, Associate Director of the LRS).

Beth Weixler received her MLIS from the University of South Carolina in December '05 (congratulations Beth!).

Matt Todd received his MLIS from the University of Wisconsin in 2004.

Anne Anderson received her MSLS from the Catholic University in 1999.

Sylvia Rortvedt received her MLS from the Catholic University in 1978.