Winter Break

The College will be closed from Thursday 20 December 2012 - Tuesday 1 January 2013.

The College will re-open on Wednesday 2 January.

The Library will be open from 8.30AM - 7.30PM Mon - Thurs and 8.30AM - 5.00PM Fridays from

2 January - 11 January.

Spring semester classes begin on Monday 14 January when the Library will resume normal hours.

The Library Staff wish everyone a restful break and very Happy Holidays.

Whew!

Exams are over, and the Alexandria Campus Library concluded another successful installment of Extended hours.

96 students used the library between 8 – 8.30AM

355 students used the library after 10PM

For a total of 451 students served by extended hours.

Extended hours are made possible by library staff members voluntarily adjusting their schedules to arrive at work early and remain late in order to provide extra study time for students.

In the last week of classes, study snacks were provided by the SGA (see below).  In exams week, late-night study break snacks and coffee was provided by the Library.

(above: one student left behind a motivational aid.  Since the note was found without a student, he must have finished!)

Hot Classics

The days are shorter, the weather is cooler, and the semester is almost over.  So why not pick up a good read?  Check out one of these classics of western literature:

Austen, Jane.  Pride and Prejudice PE1126.N43 P47x 1998 vol.5 v.2 pt.11 c.4 ESL

Bronte, Charlotte.  Jane Eyre PR4167 .J3 2001

Bronte, Emily.  Wuthering Heights  PR4172.W7 2003

Buck, Pearl.  The Good Earth PS3503.U198 G6 1999

Camus, Albert.  The Stranger  PQ2605.A3734 E813 1993

Cather, Willa.  My Antonia  PS3505.A87 M8 2006

Cervantes, Miguel.  Don Quixote  PQ6329 .A2 2003b

Crane, Stephen.  The Red Badge of Courage PS1449.C85 R3 1990b

Dickens, Charles.  A Tale of Two Cities PR4571.A2 S26 2008

Eliot, George.  Silas Marner PR4670.A1 1966

Ellison, Ralph.  Invisible Man PS3555.L625 I5 1995
Fitzgerald, F. Scott.  The Great Gatsby  PS3511.I9 G7 1991

Golding, William.  Lord of the Flies PR6013.O35 L6 1999

Hardy, Thomas.  Tess of the D’Urbervilles PR4748.A2 1994 CD

Hawthorne, Nathaniel.  The Scarlet Letter  PS1868.A2 1990


Heller, Joseph.  Catch-22  PS3558.E476 C3 2011

Hemingway, Ernest.  The Old Man and the Sea PS3515.E37 O4 2003

Hurtson, Zora Neal.  Their Eyes Were Watching God  PS3515.U789 T639 1990

Knowles, John.  A Separate Peace PS3561.N68 S4 1975

Lee, Harper.  To Kill a Mockingbird   PS3562.E353 T66 1995


London, Jack.  The Call of the Wild  PS3523 O46 C3 2003 ESL

Maugham, W. Somerset.  Of Human Bondage PR6025.A86 O4 x1936

Melville, Herman.  Moby Dick PS2384.M6 1983

Mitchell, Margaret.  Gone with the Wind  PS3525.I972 G6 1999c

Morrison, Toni.  Beloved  PS3563.O8749 B4 1998

Orwell, George.  Nineteen Eighty Four  PE1126.N43 P47x 1998 vol. 4 v.2 pt.5 c.4 ESL

Paton, Alan.  Cry, the Beloved Country  PR9369.3.P37 C7 1995

Remarque, Erich Maria.  All Quiet on the Western Front  PT2635.E68 I613 1982

Salinger, J.D.  The Catcher in the Rye  PS3537.A426 C3 2001

Steinbeck, John.  The Grapes of Wrath PS3537.T3234 G8 1992

Steinbeck, John.  Of Mice and Men  PS3537.T3234 O2 2002

Stowe, Harriet Beecher.  Uncle Tom’s Cabin PS2954.U5 2002

Tolstoy, Leo.  War and Peace PG3366.V6 1995

Twain, Mark.  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn  PS1305 .A1 2003b
Wright, Richard.  Native Son  PS3545.R815 N25 2005

Extended Hours in Full Swing

Final Exams are almost here and students are cramming into the night.  For the last week of classes & final exams the Library opened early at 8AM and closed late at 11PM to provide extra time to study.

This year the Library partnered with the Student Government Association to host the SGA Exam Cram during which the SGA provided snacks, hosted study groups and brought tutors to help students prepare for finals.

(pictured: SGA volunteer Kevin Contreras)

Time to Hit the Books

Thanksgiving is over, classes have resumed, and FINAL EXAMS lurk right around the corner.  So it's time to get down to business and spend some quality time in the Library.


We know you need to make every hour count, so for the last week of classes and the week of final exams the Library will once again offer EXTENDED HOURS.  During this period the Library will open early and close late.  Check the Library Website for complete list of hours for finals and intersession.

The Library will be open:

December 3 - 6: 8AM - 11PM

December 7:   8AM - 5PM

December 8:  9AM - 4PM

December 10 - 13:  8AM - 11PM

December 14:  8AM - 5PM

December 15:  9AM - 4PM

"Exam Cram" snacks will be provided in the evenings courtesy of the Student Government Association.

Cook up a Feast!

And your Library can help.  It's that time of year when people begin to think about Turkey and stuffing and making gravy and what to do about green beans.  So check out one of these titles on holiday prepration, food cultures,  or just a plain cook book.  Maybe you, too, can whip up Thanksgiving dinner like Julia Child!

Alford, Jeremy and Naomi Duguid.  Hot sour salty sweet: A Culinary journey through Southeast Asia.

TX724.5.S68 A44 2000

Anderson, Lynne Christy.  Breaking bread: Recipes and stories from immigrant kitchens.
TX725.A1 A564 2010

Angelou, Maya. Great food, all day long: Cook splendidly, eat smart.  TX715.A5696 2010

Bauer, Linda.  Capitol Hill cooks: Recipes from the White House, Congress, and all of the past presidents.  TX715.B3492 2010 c.2

Berley, Peter.  The Flexitarian table: Inspired, flexible meals for vegetarians, meat lovers, and everyone in between.  TX714.B3953 2007 c.2

Carle, Megan & Jill. College cooking: Feed yourself and your friends.  TX652.C3277 2007

Child, Julia.  Mastering the art of French cooking.  TX719.C454 2001

Donovan, Jane.  Essentials: Chocolate.  TX767.C5 C4816 1999

Grant, Rosamund.   Caribbean and African cooking.  TX716.A1 G74 1998

Hill, Tony.  The Spice lover’s guide to herbs and spices.  TX819.H4 H55 2004

Hoffman, Susanna.  The Olive and the caper.  TX723.5.G8 H64 2004

Jacob, Jeanne and Michael Ashkenazi.  The World cookbook for students.  TX725.A1 J23 2007

Jones, Wilbert.  The New soul food cookbook: Healthier recipes for international favorites. TX715.J823 1996

McDonough, Kate. The City cook: Big city, small kitchen, limitless ingredients, no time: More than 90 recipes so delicious you’ll want to toss your takeout menus.  TX714.M3824 2010

Roden, Claudia.  The New book of Middle Eastern food.  TX725.M628 R638 2000 c.2

Rombauer, Irma, Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker.  The Joy of cooking. TX715.R75 2006 c.2

Sen, Colleen Taylor.  Food culture in India.  TX724.5.I4 S38 2004 c. 2

Terry, Bryant.  Vegan soul kitchen: Fresh, healthy, and creative African-American cuisine. TX837.T434 2009

Valladolid, Marcela.  Mexican made easy.  TX716.M4 V334 2011

Visson, Lynn.  The Russian heritage cookbook: A Culinary tradition preserved in 360 authentic recipes.  TX723.3.V55 2004

Wells, Patricia.  Simply truffles: Recipes and stories that capture the essence of the black diamond.
TX804.5.W45 2011

Wells, Troth.  Global vegetarian cooking: Quick and easy recipes from around the world.
TX837.W438 2010


Election Day: Get Out the Vote

November Sixth is Election Day -- so why not read up on the candidates, the process, the state of the nation, or the parties.  Or just have a party.  But be sure to read a good book.

And be sure to vote.

Alterman, Eric.  The cause: The Fight for American Liberalism from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama.  JC574.2 U6 A43 2012

Berman, Ari.  Herding Donkeys: The Fight to Rebuild the Democratic Party and Reshape American  Politics.  JK2316 B47 2010

Carroll, Susan.  Gender and Elections.  HQ1236.5 U6 G444 2010

Clark, Tom.  The Age of Obama: The Changing Place of Minorities in British and American   Society.  E184 A1 C53 2010

D'Souza, Dinesh.  Obama's America: The Unmaking of the American Dream.  E908.3 D76 2012

Dionne, E.J.  Our Divided Political Heart.  E183 D56x 2012

Ferguson, Charles.  Predator Nation: Corporate Criminals, Political Corruption, and the Hijacking   of America.  HB3722 F458 2012

Formisso, Ronald.  The Tea Party: A Brief History.  JK2391 T43 F67 2012

Goldberg, Jonah.  The tyranny of Cliche's: How Liberals Cheat in the War of Ideas.  JC574.2 U6 G64 2012

Kabaservice, Geoffrey.  Rule ad Ruin: The Downfall of Moderation and the Destruction of the Republican Party from Eisenhower to the Tea Party.  JK2356 K33 2012

Killian, Linda.  The Swing Vote: The Untapped Power of Independents.  JK1967 K56 2012 

Maraniss, David.  Barack Obama: The Story.  E908 M368 2012

Niemi, Richard.  Controversies in Voting Behavior.  JF1001 C575 2011

Oppenheimer, Danny.  Democracy Despite Itself: Why a System That Shouldn't Work At All Works So Well.  JC423 O67 2012

Press, Bill.  The Obama Hate Machine: The Lies, Distortions, Personal Attacks on the President - And Who is Behind Them.  E908 P77 2012 

Ridout, Travis.  The Persuasive Power of Campaign Advertising.  JK2281 R54 2011

Romney, Mitt.  Turnaround.  GV842 2004 R66 2007

Ryan, Alan.  The Making of Modern Liberalism.  JC574 R93 2012

Samples, John.  The Struggle to Limit Government.  JC573.2 U6 S26 2010

Schneider, Gregory.  Conservatism in America since 1930.  JC573.2 U6 C655 2003

Suskind, Ron.  Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President.              E 908.3 S87 2011

Traugott, Michael. The Voter's Guide to Election Polls. HN90 P8 T73 2008

Happy Halloween!

Celebrate the season by reading a spooky story or checking out a scary movie from the Library's collection!!

Caldwell, Sara.  Splatter flicks: How to make low-budget horror films PN1995.9.H6 C35 2006

Davies, Owen. The Haunted: A Social history of ghosts.  BF1472.G7 D38 2007

Dixon, Wheeler Winston. A History of horror.  PN1995.9.H6 D59 2010

Guiley, Rosemary Ellen.  Ghosts and haunted places. BF1461.G86 2008

Irving, Washington.  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. PS2067. A1x 1966 c.2

Kallen, Stuart A.  Haunted houses. BF1475.K35 2008

Kudalis, Eric.  Dracula and other vampire stories.  PR6037.T617 D73x 1994 (ESL)

Lace, William W.  Ghost hunters. BF1461.L155 2009

Marcovitz, Hal.  Poltergeists. BF1483.M37 2009

Morton, Lisa.  The Halloween encyclopedia. GT4965.M673 2011 c.2

Parks, Peggy J. Ghosts. BF1461.P37 2010

Parks, Peggy J.  Witches.  BF1566.P28 2008

Phillips, Kendall.  Projected fears: Horror films and American culture.  PN1995.9.H6 P44 2005 c.2

Poe, Edgar Allan.  Complete stories and poems.  PS2600.F66 c.2

Poe, Edgar Allan.  Tales of mystery and imagination.  PS2612.A1 1984

Rigby, Jonathan.  American gothic: Sixty years of horror cinema. PR1995.9.H6 R54x 2007

Shelley, Mary.  Frankenstein.  PR5397.F7 2000b

Stewart, Gail B.  Ghosts.  BF1461.S855 2008

Stewart, Gail B.  Hauntings. BF1461.S856 2009

FILMS

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1913): plus long, long ago.  AV PR5485.A1 2005c

Poltergeist.  AV PN1997.P658474x 1999

The Raven.  AV PS2609.A1 2009

Rear window.  AV PN1997.R353 2001

The Shining.  AV PS3561.I483 S5 2001

The Wolf man.  AV PN1997.W5983 2009

Read the Chronicle from ANYWHERE

NOVA Faculty & Staff can now read the Chronicle of Higher Education from anywhere in the world, using a smartphone, iPad or computer.  Just go the Chronicle’s website to set up a free account:  http://chronicle.com/myaccount/createfreeaccount.   

Note that you MUST use your nvcc.edu email to authenticate the college’s access.  Then simply install the Chronicle App or visit the Chronicle website. iPad users can even download whole sections of the Chronicle at no cost to the individual user. 

Need help or have questions?  Contact your campus library:  www.nvcc.edu/library

Is it art...?

Or is it grafitti?

Some library user left behind this gift in one of the Library's study carrels:

To see actual student art, visit both levels of the library to view the permanent collection of Alexandria students' photographs, paintings and sculptures.

Hot Outdoors

Autumn is upon us and with it opportunities for biking, hiking, and taking in those fall colors.  So check out one of our titles on biking destinations, local natural beuties, and outdoorsy adventures.

Adams, Scott Photographing Nature TR721.P48 1981


Adkins, Leonard The essential outdoor gear manual: equipment care, repair, and selection GV191.76.G48 2000

Badger, Robert The Complete climber's handbook GV200.2 C55 2000

Bell, Trudy The Complete hiker: Everything you need for a day or a month on the trail GV199.5.L648 2000

Branch, Michael Weekend getaways around Washington, D.C.: including Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, and North Carolina F192.3.S48 2000

Burnham, Bill One-day trips through history: 200 excursions within 150 miles of Washington, D.C. F192.3.S58 1982

Cinnamon, Jerry National Audubon Society guide to Nature Photography TR721.F58 2008

Cressey, Pamela Professional nature photography TR721.H53 1999

De Hart, Allen The Undying past of Shenandoah National Park F232.S48 L37 1989

Fitzharris, Tim A Cyclist's guide to the Shenandoah Valley: Exploring the past and present on rural routes GV1045.5.S54 P67 1995

Getchell, Annie Best bike rides: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia GV1045.5.M53 B45 2000

Hall, Adrienne The Shenandoah Valley and the mountains of the Virginias F232.S5 H28 2005

Hargan, Jim Geology along Skyline Drive: A self-guided tour for motorists QE174.S49 B33 1999

Hicks, Nigel Virginia, a picture book to remember her by F231.2.V57x 1987

Lambert, Darwin Hike America: Virginia: an atlas of Virginia's greatest hiking adventures GV199.42.V8 B87x 2001

Long, John Walk and bike the Alexandria Heritage Trail: A guide to exploring a Virginia town's hidden past GV199.42.V82 A33 2002

McCarthy, Jim The official rails-trails conservancy guidebook: Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia GV191.42.M3 R35 2000

Noe, Barbara The trails of Virginia: Hiking the Old Dominion GV199.42.V8 D4 2003

Ockershausen, Jane 50 hikes in Northern Virginia: walks, hikes, and backpacks from the Allegheny Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay GV199.42.V82 A35 2006

Porter, Randy Backpacking GV199.6.H35 1998

Shosteck, Robert The height of our mountains: nature writing from Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley QH104.5.B5 H45 1998

Time-Life Books, editor Greater Washington area bicycle atlas GV1045.5.W18 G74 1998

Research Instruction

It's that time of the semester when research projects are beginning, term papers are in train, and students individually and in classes are visiting the library to conduct research.

Faculty can arrange an appointment to bring a class to the library (or to have a librarian visit the classroom) and students can stop by the library on a walk-in basis for assistance finding, using and citing library resources.

(above: BIO 102 hard at work in the Reference area)

Manga

Manga fans should stop by the Alexandria Campus Library and check out some of these titles:

Negima

Vampire Knights

Soul Eater

Bleach.

These and more are available now for checkout.

Jean's Farewell! Part 2

What kind of retirement would it be without a party?  We wanted the whole campus to celebrate all that Jean has done for us, and wish her well in her future -- so we invited the Provost, faculty and staff to come to the Library and par-tay!

And of course we sereved Texas sheet cake (thanks Marion!), cupcakes, cheese, fruit and punch.  As well as cookies especially for JEAN:

It was the first time the Library hosted a campus-wide party while open, and all agreed it was a huge success (especially the students who enjoyed the rest of the food!).

So to Jean, we say, "Go now...  Hit the Road Jack...  So long farewell!"



Farewell Jean! Part 1

After 38 years of service the Alexandria Campus, Librian Jean Hogan retired effective Aug 1.  We couldn't let her go without marking the occasion, so in July the Library revived a fond tradition -- Shorts Day -- started by Jean way back in 2007.

We also had cookies and punch while Jean cleared out her desk:

She did leave her hard hat!

What Have We Been Up To This Summer?

Your Alexandria Campus Library Staff have been very busy this summer.

One significant project was spending time with our book collection to remove old, worn out, obsolete or reduntant items.  This is a project that all heavily-used, current and non-archival library collections must undertake about once per decade (although at the Alexandria Campus space concerns mean that some collection weeding is a year-round project).

(above is just a sample of items that have been removed from the collection this summer.  Don't worry!  This material is not thrown away: it is made available for free to NOVA students, faculty and staff for their personal use).

We also created some new learning and study spaces, most notably our new Legal Collection, now housed in the group study space behind the Reference Area.  This brings together for the first time the circulating legal books (Library of Congress Call Number range K) and the Reference legal sets, which should make life much easier for our students doing legal research:

(above: the circulating legal collection.  below: the reference legal collection)

Hot College!

Term begins on Wednesday 22 August.  Get ready for it by checking out one of our titles on college
preparation, study skills and financial aid:

Acing College. LB2343.32 H35 1991 

Bound-for-College Guidebook.  LB2343.32 B88 2009

College Knowledge.  LB2343.3 D565x 2005

College Rules.  LB2343.32 N57 2002

College Survival.  LB2343.32 G68 2004

Community College Companion.  LB2343.32 R684 2011

Comprehending Textbooks.  LB2395.3 C66 1996

Debt Free U.  LB2342 B52 2010

Digital Writing Workshop.  LB1631 H494 2009

Financial Aid Financer.  LB2338 F4445x 2010/11

How to Study and Other Skills for College Success.  LB2395 M795 2003

How to Study in College.  LB2395 P3 1997

How to Win at College.  LB2343.3 N49 2005

Keys to Effective Learning.  LB2395 C267 2011

Kick Ass in College.  LB2343.3 F69x 2005

Living the College Life.  LB2343.3 P38 2005

Major in Success.  LB2343.32 C65 2003

Notetaking. DVD  LB2343.32 A23x 2004

Note Taking Made Easy.  LB2395.25 K47 2003

Painless Writing.  LB1631 S882 2001

Paying for College without going Broke.  LB2337.4 P744 2011

Practicing College Learning Strategies.  LB2395 H66 2010

Reading Improvement.  DVD LB2343.32 A23x 2004

Scholarship Handbook.  LB2338 C597 2012

Strategic Learning.  DVD LB2343.32 A23x 2004


Success in College.  LB2343.32 B87 2006

Time Management.  DVD LB2343.32 A23x 2004

We've moved back!!

We didn't like it over there, so the Alexandria Campus Library Blog has moved back!!

Check back here for updates about Library news, events, changes and exciting new stuff that happened over the summer!!

We've moved!!

We've moved!

To continue following the Alexandria Campus Library news, please see our NEW and IMPROVED page:

http://blogs.nvcc.edu/allibrary/

The archives of this blog will remain here.

The Return of the Daves

Just in time for the service awards luncheon on March 30th -- the Library received a visit from two Learning Resource Veterans: retired Dean Dave Williams and retired head of Instructional Support and Development Dave Lavis.



(the Two Daves, back row center)

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Reference and Instruction Czarina and all around Super Librarian Anne Anderson on her 15-year anniversary at the College.

Congratulations, Anne!

Did you know...

The top five landing pages on the NOVA webiste were:


1. NOVA home page
2. NOVA Connect
3. Library
4. Webmail
5. Employment



The top five most searched terms were:

1. Bookstore
2. Library
3. Parking
4. Testing Center
5. Nursing


If you are looking for the Library homepage, look no further than: www.nvcc.edu/library

Spring Break!

Spring Break is here!

Spring Break hours are:

Monday, Tuesday Wednesday March 5 - 7: 8.30am - 7.30.pm

Thursday, Friday March 8 & 9: CLOSED

Saturday March 10: CLOSED

(normal hours resume on March 12th. Enjoy the break!!)

Student Art in the Library

Two new student artworks recently joined the library collection -- both 3D sculptures in black and white:

These dioramas may be viewed on the Upper Level in the study lounge near the newspapers.

Many thanks to the student artists who donated them!

Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day. To celebrate, check out one of these titles on love and romance:

Extravagant Expectations: New Ways to Find Romantic Love in America. HQ801 H7155 2011

Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romatic Love. BF575 L8 F53 2004

Modern Love: Romance, Intimacy and the Marriage Crisis. HQ503 S54 2003

Or watch a romantic movie: search the Library Catalog for "love and romance", limiting to Alexandria and Visual Materials.

Don't miss the chocolates at the Circulation Desk!

Super Bowl - Super Books

More Americans watch the Super Bowl than vote in presidential elections. Cities compete for the lucrative rights to host a game, and ad agencies, merchandisers, security personnel, and celebrity party planners quarterback their own teams starting a year in advance. Super Bowl Sunday is a national holiday for sports fans, who purchase 1.5 million large-screen TVs in the week before the game, attend one of 7.5 million parties, and eat more food than on any day other than Thanksgiving.

Read up on the big game with these titles:

America's Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation. GV954 M32 2004

The Billion Dollar Game : Behind the Scenes of the Greatest Day in American Sport Super Bowl Sunday. GV956.2 S8 S7 2009

The Ultimate Super Bowl Book. GV956.2 S8 M36 2009

Power to the People

School Library Petition Exceeds 25,000 Signatures.

Media specialists and other library supporters made their voices heard on an online petition asking the Obama Administration to make school libraries a national priority. Read more about this grassroots activism at School Library Journal.

Overdue? You May Get a Visit from the Library Police

Or indeed the real police, as happened earlier this month in Massachussetts.

Actually, the Alexandria Campus Library will not send the cops after you -- but overdue material will generate a hold on student records which will prevent students from registering, receiving grades or transcripts.

In addition, students should be aware that Resereve Items carry a $2 per hour fine if they are not returned within two hours.

Please note that overdue fines are only a mechanism to ensure the return of high-demand material. So avoid fines and be considerate to other users and please return material on time.

Spring Semester 2012 is HERE!!

Welcome back as the Alexandria Campus prepares for the beginning of classes for Spring 2012.

Library hours return to normal beginning on January 9th.

If you are looking for the textbook for your class, please visit the bookstore to find a list of course texts as well as information on purchasing or renting textbooks.

The Library also has a collection of textbooks on Reserve that students may use for free. Most of these must be used in the Library only. Due to extremely high demand, use of most of these books is limited to two hours at a time. Students may make as many photocopies as they need for their own use.

Faculty can place copies of text books or other course material on Reserve by contacting Kevin O'Hagan.