Happy Holidays!

Alexandria Campus Library whishes everyone a happy and healthy holiday season. Check out some of our seasonal titles:

One Christmas in Washington: The Secret Meeting Between Churchill and Roosevelt that Changed the World. D750 B46 2005

Christmas with the Rat Pack. AV M2065 S563 C58x 2004

Nutcracker Nation: How an Old World Ballet Became a Christmas Tradition in the New World. GV1790 N8 F57 2003

Inventing Christmas: How Our Holiday Came To Be. GT4985 E413 2002

Silent Night: The Story of the World War I Christmas Truce. D530 W45 2001

Joy to the World: Two Thousand Years of Christmas. GT4985 J77 2000

A Christmas Carol. PR4572 C68

The Library will close at 5pm on Dec 21 and reopen at 8.30am on Thursday Jan 3.

Exams over?

If your exams are over (or if your grading is done!) why not reward yourself with a good film.
Check out these and other new DVD titles in the Library's Feature Film section.


Before the Fall.

Belly of an Architect.

Billy Eliot.

Billy Liar.

Blackboards.

Boyfriends & Girlfriends.

Centralstation.

Come See the Paradise.

Cowboys & Angels.

Das Boot.

Emperor's Club.

Men.

Mephisto.

Nowhere in Africa.

Pan's Labyrinth.

The Queen.

Run Lola Run.

Voce Del Luna.

Calling All Science Types!

New science, ecology, and nature titles:

The Naked Emperor: Darwinism Exposed. BL263 L328x 2006

First in Line: Tracing Our Ape Ancestry. GN281 G86 2005

Why Animals Matter: The Case For Animal Protection. HV4764 W55 2007

Sex, Drugs, and DNA: Science's Taboos Confronted. Q162 S7693x 2006

Science Rules: A Historical Introduction to Scientific Methods. Q175 S34226 2004

Deep Sky Objects: The Best and Brightest from Four Decades of Comet Chasing. QB64 L478 2005

Marswalk One: First Steps on a New Planet. QB641 S4815 2005

Men Who Made A New Physics. QC15 C4 1987

An Inconvenient Truth: Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It. QC981.8 G56 G67 2006

Nontraditional Careers for Chemists: New Forulas in Chemistry. CAR QD39.5 B25 2007

Wolves: Behavior, Ecology and Conservation. QL737 C22 W6477 2003

Understanding Medicinal Plants: Their Chemistry and Therpeutic Action. RS164 H276 2005

Useless Arithmetic: Why Environmental Scientists Can't Predict the Future. TD171.8 P55 2007

Go Around the World

and never leave your Library.

Explore world cultures and histories with some of these new titles on world history:

Morrocco: The Islamist Awakening and Other Challenges. DT305 H69 2005

Morrocco: From Empire to Independence. DT314 P46x 2003

Kenya: A Struggle for Democracy. JQ2947 A91 K457x 2007

Kenya: The Quest For Prosperity. DT433.58 M55 1994

A History of Nepal. DS494.5 W43 2005

Africa Since Independence. DT30.5 N84 2004

The History of Ethiopia. DT381 A45 2007

A Short History of Cambodia: From Empire to Survival. DS554.5 T85 2005

Put some art in your life

Get down with your arty self and check out some of these new art, photography and theatre titles:

Art and Performance Live. NX600 P47 L58x 2004 (why does performance art always seem to involve public nudity)

Costume and Fashion a Concise History. REF GT511 L39 2002

History of the American Theatre from its Origins to 1832. PN2237 D86 2005

Photography Reborn: Image Making in the Digital Era. TR267 L57 2005

National Gallery of Art Washington: A World of Art. N856 R434 1998

Manga: Masters of Art. PN6790 J32 L44x 2005

Study Early -- Study Late

Once again the Alexandria Campus Library will observe the last week of classes and exam week with special extended hours. The Library will open half an hour early and close an hour late:

Dec. 3- Dec. 17, 2007

Monday - Thursday
8:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Keep up your strength with the Library's popular Late Night Study break. Each evening at 9.30pm come to the Library and enjoy a cup of coffee or cocoa, have a cookie or a chocolate.

Good luck to everyone studying for exams!

Traffic Jam

Stuck in traffic? Need a good read? Check out one of our new titles on traffic & transport:

Taking the High Road: A Metropolitan Agenda for Transportation Reform. HE308 T35 2005

Still Stuck in Traffic: Coping With Peak-Hour Traffic Congestion. HE355.3 C64 D69 2004

Urban Mass Transit: The Life Story of a Technology. TA1205 P67 2007

The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro. HE4491 W44 W376 2006

I Love Libraries (.org!)

LRS Associate Director Sylvia Rortvedt's article on the Altered Book exhibit that appeared in the August issue of Virginia Libraries (see below) was picked up by the American Library Association's webisite I Love Libraries. The article features pictures and the story of the Altered Books Project that was on display in the Alexandria Campus Library for the Spring and Summer '07 semesters.

NOVA Librarians present at VLA

Librarians from the Annandale and Alexandria campuses presented sessions at the Virginia Library Association Annual conference on Thursday 1 Nov 2007.

From the Alexandria Campus, Sylvia Rortvedt and Matt Todd presented on "Radical Trust" (see below). From Annandale Ellen Wertman presented on protecting yourself in cyberspace (it's a scary cyber world out there!) and Irene Osterman brought out the laughs with humor in the workplace.

Virginia Library Association Annual Conference

Sylvia Rortvedt (LRS Associate Director) and Matt Todd (Collection Development Librarian) head to the Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia for the Virginia Library Association Annual Conference. Catch Sylvia and Matt present on Radical Trust on Thursday 1 Nov!

View the presentation!

And check back to see the results of the Radical Trust competition to Name Our Presentation!

And the winner is...

Radical Trust: Power Through the People

Thanks to everyone who took time to fill in evaluations and to vote on a title for our presentation!

Runner up suggestions:

Radical Trust: Trust, engage and use your customers or lose them

Radical Trust: The user is not broken

Honorable Mention:

Radical Trust: It’s not just for theology anymore (we love it!)

Here's a list of all the suggestions -- which one(s) do you like?

Power through the people!
It’s not just for theology anymore
Community building for engaged library services
Taking a leap of faith in the user
Community conversations
Asimov, first law of robots: First do no harm
At the root of service

Engaging our patrons
The user is not broken
Sharing authority with users
Multiple truths provide collective wisdom
Beyond the box: your way
Go with the flow—be willing to change
Trust, engage and use your customers or lose them
Transforming your library by empowering your users
Transforming librarianship
Creating communities
Question rules

And finally -- the best of the comments:

Someone suggested: "My only suggestion is to ask open-ended questions to engage your audience rather than polling close-ended questions. (Trust us.)" Great suggestion! Thanks.

Happy Hat-o-ween

Alexandria Library Staff celebrated Hallowe'en on 31 October with Hat-o-ween. Check out the hats!

Hats represented include pork-pie, beret, princess, halo, horns, cowboy, Redskins, pirate, Nationals, tri-corn and Uncle Sam. Find them all!

Testing staff came trick-or-treating (did they get a trick or a treat?):

Happy Hallowe'en to all!

Thanks to Library, Faculty Save Money!!

"Thanks to you I am saving money. I cancelled my Wall Street Journal subscription (which I barely I had time to read anyway) because I can get it for free through NOVA’s library. Thanks."

-- from a Humanities & Social Sciences Faculty Member.

Visit the "Articles Page": http://www.nvcc.edu/Library/databases.htm to access the WSJ online. Just click on "ProQuest" or "Factiva".

Ride the Shuttle to Arlington!

Need to get from the Alexandria Campus to the Arlington Center? Take advantage of the free shuttle:

Alexandria/Arlington Center Shuttle Bus Schedule
(Fall 2007)

·1 The shuttle leaves the Alexandria Campus (from DASH bus stop) at :
o 8:00 a.m.
o 11:30 a.m.
·2 The shuttle leaves the Arlington Center (from Hotel Parking Lot) at:
o 2:30 p.m.
o 5:00 p.m.

And don't forget to visit the Arlington Center Library Blog.

Why is the flag at half-staff?

Do you ever wonder why the Virginia State Flag flying in front of the Bisdorf Building is at half staff (as it is today, October 9th)?

You can check the status of the flag on the Governor's website.

LRS In-Service Day!

The Library will be closed the morning of Tuesday October 9th for a Learning Resource Services professional development activity.

The Library will be open from Noon until 7.30 on Tuesday 9 October.

After a productive morning we engaged with Web 2.0 applications, including wikis, blogs, Google Calendar, e-audio books, widgets, tag clouds, Virtual Machine, flickr, snapfish, YouTube, and Microsoft Windows Media. It's a brave new world of Web 2.0.

Festive Fall Book Sale Breaks Records!!

The Library's Annual Fall Book Sale was the best ever -- thanks to all NOVA students, faculty, staff and community members who support the Alexandria Campus Library.



Festive balloons led the way to the biggest Library Used Book Sale ever. Trade was brisk from the very beginning -- the Sale raised over $200 in the very first 30 minutes. In what has become a popular annual campus event, the Book Sale continued at the "Y" (the space just outside the cafeteria on the lower level of the Bisdorf Building) on Tuesday 2 Octobver from 10am until 6pm. A Grand Total of over $720 was raised, breaking the previous record set in the spring of '07.

What does the Library do with this money? Book Sale profits support a variety of Library collections, services and programs. In addition to supporting materials purchases, Book Sale profits allow popular Library events like the Late Night Study Break provided each evening the Library holds extended hours during the last week of classes and finals. Competition prizes, Library Lemonade, and give-aways are also funded through the Book Sale, in addition to special purchases such as some of the student art currently displayed in the Library.

Thanks to all for your support!

Where do the books come from that the Library sells? Books, videos and cassettes in the Sale are all donations. The Library accepts donations of books and other materials in good condition. Appropriate donations may be added to the Library collection, all other titles are sold in the on-going Book Sale just inside the Library front doors or in the annual Fall and Spring Used Book sales. (note that state law prohibits the sale of books purchased explicitly for the Library Collection -- no state money was used to acquire the books in the Sale. The Library depends entirely on donations to hold Book Sales).

Alexandria Campus Library services and collections benefit from the continued generosity of the campus community. Thanks!

Alexandria Campus Library featured in "Virginia Libraries"

The Altered Books exhibit, sponsored by the art department and on display in the Library through the Spring and Summer terms, was featured in the August edition of Virginia Libraries, the quarterly publication of the Virginia Library Association.

The Library also acquired (through the generosity of an anonymous alumni donor) one of the altered books that will now form part of the Library's permanent collection:

Stop by the Library and check out the latest edition of Virginia Libraries or to see Old Webster's Dictionary (above).

Festive Fall Book Sale!! Tuesday 2 October!!

Don't Miss the Library's annual Fall Book Sale. Hundreds of books at reasonable prices!!Support your Library! Most hardcovers are priced at $1.00, and most paperbacks at $0.50. You'll find college text books, best sellers, literature, historical books, art books, foreign language books, paperback fiction, and much much more!

The Book Sale kicks off at the "Y" (near the cafeteria on the ground floor of the Bisdorf Building) at 10am of Tuesday 2 October. At 2pm the Book Sale moves to the main lobby of the Bisdorf Building, just outside the Library doors.

Constitution Day -- The Votes Are In!

In celebration of Constitution Day (17 Sep) the Alexandria Campus Library sponsored an interactive Constitution-themed survey. We asked Alexandria Students how they would change the Constitution if they could -- specifically what amendment they would like to repeal and what amendment they would like to add. The Votes are In!

Guns & Gays fare badly:

Of 42 votes cast, 9 would repeal the Second Amendment (The Right to Bear Arms). 10 would ban gay marriage.

A surprsingly large number (10) voted to repeal the Twenty Second Amendment (Presidential Term Limits) prompting us to wonder which of our Presidents the students wanted to elect for a third term!

Additional suggestions were to pass an amendment legalizing gay marriage in every state and passing an amendment making it illegal to fire lawyers who disagreed with the government (are you listening Mr Gonzales?).

One voter suggested adding an amendment to abolish the electoral college and replace it with direct proportional voting by state (this might work better if it were direct national proportional voting!).

Another vote called for the repeal of the Fourteenth Amendment (Section One) that defines citizenship as conferred at birth. Would we all have to take citizenship tests at a certain age?!

One voter suggested repealing the Fifth Amendment, or at least the Double Jeapardy provision (maybe someone has been following the latest OJ Simpson news?).

Thanks to everyone who voted! What do YOU think? Leave us a comment here!

To find out more about the Consitution, check out one of these titles:

America's Constitution: A Biography KF4541 .A87

Origins of the Bill of Rights KF4749 .L488

A companion to the United States Constitution and its amendments KF4550 .V55

Book Club Resumes on the ROAD

The Alexandria Campus Book Club begins its fifth year on October 5th with a discussion of Cormac McCarthy's The Road.

All Alexandria faculty and staff are welcome to attend. Copies of the novel are on reserve and available for check-out at the Library circulation desk.

Visit the Book Club Blog to learn more.

Constitution Day

September 17th is Constitution Day. In celebration of the United States Constitution the Alexandria Campus Library is displaying books about the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and sponsoring a contest: How would you change the Constitution? Would you add new amendments or remove existing amendments? Vote in the Library all week, and visit this space for the results!

Baby it's HOT inside!

On Wednesday 12 September the chiller (the machine that controls the cool air for the air conditioning) was switched off for repairs in one section of the Bisdorf Building. Even though it was a comfortable 75 degrees outside, it quickly became very stuffy and oppressively warm inside, especially in the Library.

To beat the heat, the Library served ice water and lemonade all day on Wednesday and Thursday morning until the ac came back on.

The Library Lemonade Stand was the coolest place on campus!

Luciano Pavarotti dies

The Washington Post reports:

"Luciano Pavarotti, 71, who died last night of pancreatic cancer at his home in Modena, Italy, combined a lustrous lyric tenor voice with a radiant and expansive personal charm to win the largest and most diversified audience ever accorded an opera singer."

To read more obituaries and commentaries on Pavorotti, visit the Library's article database page and select ProQuest. Do a search on Pavorotti to read articles from around the country.

To hear Pavarotti sing, go to the Fine Arts database page and select Naxos. Do a search on "Pavarotti" to find sound recordings you can listen to online.

If you'd like to read more about opera, come into the Library and check out one of these books:

First nights at the opera. ML1720 .K45 2004

Opera : a critic’s guide to the 100 most important works and the best recordings. ML156.4.O46 T66 2004

Opera for everyone : a historic, social, artistic, literary, and musical study. ML1700 .G86 2004

The NPR curious listener’s guide to opera. ML1700 .B33 2002

Why isn't Labor Day on May 1st?

"For many workers around the world, May Day... is dedicated to to the interests of the laborer. It is observed in practically every advanced industrial country except the United States, and is a public holiday in several countries in Western Europe." -- The American Book of Days REF GT4803 D6 2000

So why do Americans celebrate Labor Day in September? The Folklore of American Holidays (REF GT4803 F65 1999) suggests that Labor Day in September makes a nice book-end to Memorial Day in May -- the opening and closing of the season.

Actually, the Knights of Labor suggested that Labor Day be observed on the first Monday in September as far back as 1882.

However, in 1890 the Second International (socialist congress) decreed that "There shall be organized a great international demonstration at a fixed date, so that on the agreed day, in every country, and in every town, the workers shall call upon the state for legal reduction in the working day to eight hours...In view of the fact that a similar demonstration has been decided by the American Federation of Labor for the First of May 1890...this date is adopted for the international deomnstration."

"Countries with socialist or communist forms of government still celebrate May 1 with speeches and displays of military strength. The May Day Parade in Moscow's Red Square is one of the better known examples [see above]." -- Holiday Symbols and Customs REF GT3930 T48 2003

So why doesn't the US celebrate Labor Day on May 1st?

The American Book of Days suggests "The communist and socialist overtones of the event [May Day], in addition to the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union, have prevented May Day from being officially recognized as a labor holiday in the United States or from gaining popular acceptance in that regard."

To find out more about our holidays and where they came from, visit the Reference Section of the Library.

NOVA Libraries storm the Blogsphere

Welcome Woodbridge Campus Library to the Blogsphere:

http://woodbridgelibrary.blogspot.com/

And visit the Loudoun Campus Library's blog:

http://loudounlibrary.blogspot.com/


If you're in the mood for blogging, don't miss the Alexandria Campus blogs!

Computers, computers and MORE computers

Are you looking for a computer on campus?

The Library has 50 networked computers available. Where are they? In addition to the computers in the main part of the Library, you will find MORE computers in CyberSpace and even more behind the stairs.

Are all the Library computers in use? If you have a lap-top, you can use free Wi Fi in the Library (just as at the Reference or Circulation desk for directions on how to configure your computer to interact with the College's security system. Or visit the IT Help Desk Page).

There are also carrels on the upper level of the Library with network cables -- just plug in!

There are additional network jacks around the perimeter of the Library (near the windows) where you can plug in. Ask at the Circulation Desk if you need to borrow a network cord.

Where else can you find computers on campus? The main computer lab (The Open Computer Center, or OCC) on campus is located in Room 155, on the lower level of the Bisdorf Building, past the cafeteria. The OCC has many additional computers as well as technical assistance.

Need help with research? Come into the Library! Our computers are set up primarily for research purposes, and will provide access to the Library Catalog, articles and e-books. Although the Library computers support many applications, including email, MicroSoft Office, and web browsing, they are designed primarily for research and may not support every application you may need. Because the library computers are accessible to the public as well as students, we also have a good bit of computer-security in place.

Remember when using the Library computers that they are publicly-accessible research workstations. Save your work often! Once it's gone, there's no way to retrieve a document from a public computer!

Need technical help? The Library staff are here to help you conduct research. While we try to help with MS Office, internet and registration questions, you may need to visit another campus office to find specific kinds of computer assistance:

Need help with MS Office or other software applications? Visit the OCC in Room 155. OCC staff are welcoming and helpful, technically proficient in a wide-range of software applications and even speak many different languages!

Need help with registration? To get help applying to the College, registering for classes, adding, dropping, or swapping classes, visit the Student Services Center in Bisdorf room 229.

Need help with financial aid? For help applying for financial aid, visit the Financial Aid office in Bisdorf Room 232 (next door to the Counseling Office).

If you need assistance using the Library, conducting research, finding sources for your classes, tracking down a text-book, or citing sources, stop by the Library today!

Reserves

Is your text book in the Library? It might be! Many instructors place text books on Reserve in the Library. Reserve books are held aside for limited use (usually for use in the Library only, or to be checked out for a limited amount of time like overnight).

Reserve books are located behind the Circulation Desk, just inside the front doors. Ask if your text books are on Reserve. If they are not, you can ask your instructor to place a copy of the text book on Reserve.

Where do Reserve books come from? Most of them come from the faculty members, who place materials on Reserve that support their classes. Some Reserve books are purchased by the Library in response to high demand.

Who decides if Reserve books can be checked out? The faculty. Individual professors decide whether Reserve items can be checked out, and if so for how long. Some Reserve books are the personal property of the faculty. Library staff comply with faculty wishes for Reserves.

Why do Reserve items have so many restrictions? Because so many students need to use them! The Reserve policies are in place to make items accessible to as many students as possible. Remember, however badly you need a Reserve book, there are many many other students who need it just as badly. Please be considerate of other students' needs when using Reserve Books. Return them on time and do not remove them from the Library.

What if Reserve books are returned late? In most cases a fine of $1 per day applies. A hold will also be placed on the student record of anyone not returning a Reserve book, which will block student registration, grades or transcripts until Reserve materials are returned.

Taking a placement test? The preparation book for the placement test, Chart Your Success on the Compass is on Reserve for students to check out for one week. Although the Library owns 50 copies of the Compass book, there are hundreds of students needing to take the placement test who want to use it. The Compass books are in almost constant circulation, especially around the beginning of the semester. If one is not available, check back often.

What happened to the Solution Manuals for the Calculus text? The Math Department faculty removed them. Sorry!

Don't see a book on Reserve you think we should have? Let us know!!

Have a great semester.

Welcome to the Arlington Center Library!

The Arlington Center Library is open for business!! The Arlington Center Library will be open from the late morning through early evening during the week as well as partial days on Saturdays. Students will find reserve materials, networked computer workstations, research assistance, and a small but growing collection of books and videos.

The new Coordinator of Library Services at Arlinton is David Anderson.



Above: The first EVER check-out at the Arlington Center Library! [left, Arlington Center Student Bassem Nammari. Right, Coordinator of Library Services David Anderson]

Visit the Arlington Center Library today!

Welcome Back!

Welcome Back to Fall Term 2007!

If you are returning to NOVA, make sure you stop by the Library and check out the changes over the summer.

If you are new to NOVA, WELCOME! We'd like YOU to stop by the Library TODAY and find out about our resources and services, some of which include:

• over 60,000 books and videos
• over 200 article databases (FREE articles online!)
• free Wi-Fi in the library
• wired carrels to plug in your laptop
• 50 networked computer workstations with access to Library resources, MicroSoft Office, email, printing and more
• help with research -- there's more to it than Google!
• help with Google -- ok, if you must, did you know you there's more to Google than the basic search page?
• tour the library -- 15-minute MINI tours are offered every day in the first two weeks of classes
• Feature Films: check out our growing collection of classic, contemporary and international DVDs
• Popular Reading: need a break from Calculus Homework? Visit our ever-changing collection of best-sellers and other popular fiction and non-fiction titles on the upper level
• Need a place to relax? We have sofas and a wide selection of magazines upstairs
• Need a place to study? Hint: it's quiet on the upper level of the library and there's a great view!
• Need a place to study with a group? Find our Group Study Room behind CyberSpace
• What's CyperSpace? 24 networked computers with printing

Please be courteous to other library users: silence your cell phones.

What have we been up to all summer?

While many of NOVA's students and faculty head to the beach (or more exotic locales!) for the summer, YOUR Alexandria Campus Librarians have been busy getting the Library ready for Autumn Term '07.

Just some of the new and improved features you might notice in the Library:

You'll find five NEW stand-up computer workstations behind the stairs. These are full-service, networked computers to access the Library Catalog, online resources and article databases, email, MicroSoft Office products and more. Designed for quick searching and greater access.

Have a laptop?

These new wired carrels are each equipped with a network cable ready to plug into your laptop. No configuration needed -- just sit down, plug in, and work or surf online. There are 22 of these wired carrells (extra roomy to accomodate laptops, books, & notebooks) on the upper level of the Library.

What do Librarians get up to in the summer? Housecleaning! We checked all our books to make sure they are in the right place, and did lots and lots of dusting.

Alexandria Campus Librarians also carefully reviewed and evaluated the Reference Collection over the summer, and we withdrew out-of-date and redundant materials, creating some much-needed space in the Library (see above). Be sure to check out the Library's online reference collection as well as our streamlined print collection (located behind the reference desk).

We also shifted our reference collection to make better use of our space:

Come and check out all the new and improved features of YOUR Alexandria Campus Library!

Baby it's HOT outside!

Summer is almost over, but there is plenty of time for some relaxing summer reading.

Check out YOUR Library's collection of Popular Reading -- whether you're beating the heat at the beach or by the pool or even inside YOUR nice air-conditioned library, don't miss these and many many other great titles:

Abrams. The Lost Diary of Don Juan

Boling, Drew. Tower of Shadows

Demille, Nelson. Wild Fire

Hiassen, Carl. Nature Girl

Rapp, Emily. Poster Child, A Memoir

Zinni, Tony. Battle for Peace

The Library receives new popular titles every month, so be sure to check back often!

Librarians have KNEES!

July 9 - 13 the Alexandria Campus Library beat the heat with our first ever SHORTS week:

Check out those gams:

Yes, it is possible to wear a blazer with shorts:

Watch us Grow

Phase III continues to rise at one end of the Bisdorf Building. For a unique view of the construction, come to the Library and have a look out of the east windows:

Check out the progress of Phase III on the Watch Us Grow Blog.

Wired carrels new in YOUR Library

Alexandria Campus Library is pleased to announce the installation of new WIRED carrels on the upper level.


Just bring your laptop, plug in, and you're wired directly to the College's network!

Wireless service is also available throughout the Library.

Kevin O'Hagan acknowledged in new book

Library Specialist Kevin O'Hagan appears in the acknowledgments of Richard Fafara's new book Malebranche Moment: Selections from the Letters of Etienne Gilson & Henri Gouhier (1920 - 1936). Fafara teaches philosophy at the Alexandria Campus. The acknowledgments read, in part:

"I wish to acknowledge the following individuals for their generous
and prompt assistance with my requests for archival, research, and
biographical materials: the late Fr. Frederick Black, C.S.B., archivist of
St. Michael's College and the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies
at the University of Toronto, and Ms. Evelyn Collins, his successor;
Mrs. Judith McManus, Reference Librarian, Georgetown University;
Mr. Kevin O'Hagan, Library Assistant, Northern Virginia Community
College; and Professors André Motte and Paul Gochet, University of
Liège, and Mathieu Marion, University of Quebec at Montreal."

Kevin O'Hagan is responsible for Reserves and InterLibrary Loan at the Alexandria Campus Library. Supporting faculty research is part of the Library's mission. To find out more inforation on InterLibrary Loan services, contact Kevin O'Hagan.

11.00 pm

Open Early, Open Late!!

Once again this semester the Alexandria Campus Library observed extended hours for the last week of classes and final exams. The library opened half an hour early every morning at 8am and closed an hour later every evening at 11pm.

[l-r: Anne Anderson, Kevin O'Hagan & Brandee Worsham are up late!]

Extended Library hours have become a popular Alexandria tradition. Over 300 students took advantage of the early openings and late closings, using the Library before 8.30am or after 10pm. In keeping with tradition, the Library also provided a late night study break consisting of cookies, pretzels, iced tea & lemonade.

Extended hours are made possible through the voluntary participation of Library staff who commit to arriving early, staying late or picking up extra desk shifts during the day to allow the Library to be be open for students preparing final papers & projects and studying for exams.

The Library staff wish all NOVA students good luck in their exams!

USB Drives Now Automatically Detected

Good News for users of USB/ Flash/ Thumbstick drives -- thumbstick drives are now automatically detected by the computers in Cyberspace.

Users of these portable drives may now plug them into the port on the computer monitor and the drive will be automatically detected. Previously users were required to follow a multi-step configuration process each time they needed to use a USB thumstick drive.

Thanks to Technology Librarian Bruce Carroll & Information Technology Services staff for bringing about this welcome change. Happy Computing!

Those Were The Days...

3745. (September 2003) I remember when the index file was in drawers.
We answered: We remember when the card catalog was in drawers, too. All those cards were great for browsing. While we’ve had to bid farewell to those lovely wooden drawers, the computer version of the Library catalog allows for additional ways to search (for example, you can now find out if we have a book if you only remember the author’s first name and a word or two of the title) and also allows people to search the collections of the other 5 campus libraries, to search from off-campus, and to tell if books are checked in or not! The computerized Library catalog may be able to do more than for more people, but I think it will never feel the same as the old card catalog in drawers. We still have a few cards around from the Alexandria Campus Library’s old shelf list (back when we were called the Eastern campus!).
[old card catalog drawers are very desirable at auctions nowadays. We know a librarian who keeps candles in an old card catalog at home!]


That concludes our tour through the archives of the Library Suggestion Book. We hope you've enjoyed this historical look back at this 30-year conversation between Library users and Library staff. The conversation continues! Visit the Library today to leave a comment in the Suggestion Book, or click on the comment feature in this blog!