Monday, May 11, 2015

Extended Hours

During the last week of classes and final exams the Library served 201 students before 8.30am and 452 after 10.00pm for a total of over 650 students served during times the Library would normally be closed.


Extended hours are made possible by Library staff voluntarily re-adjusting their schedules to come early and stay late to keep the Library open for study and research and additional 19 hours.

9 gallons of lemonade, 80 bottles of water, and a seemingly endless supply of cookies, chips and snacks were consumed.


Thursday, May 07, 2015

British Politics

The UK General Election was held today.

To follow the latest developments from newspapers around the world, visit the Library database page and click on LexisNexis, Factiva or Proquest to view full text newspaper articles from around the world.

Want to see what resources the Library provides for Political Science, or research a political topic in greater depth?  Visit our Political Science Research Guide

Not sure how the General Election works in the UK?  The British Parliament has some answers.

Or just read a good book:

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Book Spine Poetry!

Celebrate National Poetry Month by creating poems with the titles on the spines of books from the Library collection:


 

Stack books to create a poem from the titles
Take a picture and send it to us through email mjerneydavis@nvcc.edu or Instagram NovaAlexandriaLibrary



Book Spine Poetry Contest in the Library!


First Prize is $100 Barnes & Noble Gift Card
2 second-prize $50 Cards also available!

Monday, April 27, 2015

Extended Hours Return!

Back by popular demand --

The Library will open half an hour early and close an hour late during the last week of classes and final exams week.


April 27th - April 30th the Library will open at 8AM and close at 11PM.
May 1st the Library will open at 8AM and close at 6PM.
May 4th - 7th the Library will be open from 8AM to 11PM.
May 8th will be 8AM - 6PM.

To keep the brain cells well-primed, lemonade, iced tea and a variety of snacks will be served around 10PM.  Be sure to join us!

Good luck in Final Exams!!

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Go Caps! Go Nats! Go Wizards!

DC teams stormed to victory Tuesday night:

Washington Capitals defeat the Islanders 2-1 (in overtime).

Washington Nationals defeat the Cardinals 2-1 (in th
e 10th Inning!).

Washington Wizards defeat the Raptors 117-106.

TRIFECTA!!

Check out these titles to read up on DC's sports legacy:

 
 
Red Rising: The Washington Capitals Story. GV848.W37 S73x 2012
 

 
 
National Pastime: Sports, Politics, and the Return of Baseball to Washington DC.  GV863.W18 S87 2006

Thursday, April 16, 2015

How is Our Grass Growing?

71 days ago Library Staff planted aquatic grass in a specially designed growing tank in an effort to help save the Chesapeake Bay.


At the end of the semester, the thriving grass will be planted in a vulnerable area of the Bay.


To read more about efforts to save the Bay, visit the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.


Wednesday, March 04, 2015

YOUR Alexandria Campus Library: Now as Green as Grass

A curious phenomenon is afoot at YOUR Alexandria Campus Library. While temperatures whip between bitterly cold and arctic outside, things inside the library are growing more verdant by the minute. There is greenery everywhere in the library, providing a refreshing contrast to the muddy grays and browns outdoors.

Blerg

A brightest green spot in our space is the aquatic nursery for the wild celery the Alexandria Library is growing for the Chesapeake Bay. Our staff is now weeks into the project and our once minuscule grass shoots are going strong. Interested patrons can follow the progress of our plants via the library's Instagram.

Look at that growth!

The display space along our circulating shelves has also undergone a complete greening. Come explore the stacks and enjoy all the diverse shades of green in our collection. The sights will help you prepare for St. Patrick's Day, and the upcoming Vernal Equinox.



So come in from the drab and dreary winter, and enjoy the earliest hints of a warming season in YOUR Alexandria Campus Library.

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Growing Grass in the Library


Not that kind of grass!  The Alexandria Campus Library is contributing to efforts to save the Chesapeake Bay by growing aquatic grass: 
 
(pictured:  Library Specialists Kevin O’Hagan & Michelle Jerney-Davis and Professor Leslie Orzetti-Gollhofer)

What are we growing?
 
Vallisneria Americana or Wild Celery.
Wild Celery is a type of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) that grows in shallow water regions of the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers.
 

Why are we growing it?
The Chesapeake Bay needs saving!

Pollution, Agricultural Run-off, Sewage Treatment Plants, and many other factors have devastated the underwater grasses in the Bay. 

Underwater grasses are an essential part of the Bay clean-up effort.

Underwater Grasses are in trouble. 

Why is the grass important?

It cleans the water, clears excess nutrients, produces oxygen, prevents erosion, and offers food and shelter to fish, shellfish, and waterfowl – also acts as nursery for blue crabs. 

Our grass
We’re participating in the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Grasses for the Masses Program.

Our grass will grow here in the Library all semester, and then get planted in the Potomac River as part of the larger effort to help Save the Bay. 

More info:
Check out the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Website:
http://www.cbf.org/  

Follow grass on Instagram (By the way, you can follow the library’s Instagram account on your pc:  http://instagram.com/novaalexandrialibrary/ ) 

Friday, January 23, 2015

Fast Friday: Fight the Cold/Feel the Heat

Beloved readers, it is COLD outside, and with 8 more weeks of winter to go it is sure to stay that way for a while. So what can a person do to stay warm? YOUR Alexandria Campus Library has the answer: cuddle up with a hot and steamy book. Our shelves are packed with hundreds of books, on hundreds of titillating subjects, sure to throw off enough heat to get you through this dark and frigid season.

Behold: a small sampling of our red-hot titles

So stay warm out and come check out some of our natural, renewable, and sizzling sources of warmth.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Throwback Thursday at YOUR Alexandria Campus Library: The Life (and Death) of Victoria

This Throwback Thursday YOUR Alexandria Campus Library is highlighting a biography just recently added to our collection, Victoria: A Life by A.N. Wilson. January 22nd happens to be the death day this enormously influential and long-ruling monarch, whose Empire spanned to length and breadth of the globe, and who was related by blood or marriage to nearly every royal house on the entire continent of Europe.


Victoria was a fascinating personality on an individual level, but Wilson’s book explores how her reign over the British Empire had political and cultural consequences that reverberate to this very day. Any person who is interested in history, political geography, commerce, international relations, fashion, or art will find something of interest in this accessible biography.


So this Thursday, why not come into the library and check out this or any of the many other books on the 19th century, the British Empire, or “the Grandmother of Europe?”

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

New Books at YOUR Alexandria Library: Kick Off the Semester Edition


One of the most exciting parts of working at the Alexandria Campus library is the steady stream of new books being added to our collection. Here is a list of great new titles, curated by our collection acquisitions specialist, from our latest shipment of new books.


Written by a fanatic of The Rolling Stones, author Bill Janovitz peels back the layers of time to reveal the moments when Keith and Mick recorded what would be one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll records of all time. Splitting a fifth of bourbon, Keith and Mick recorded “Brown Sugar,” “You Got to Move,” and “Wild Horses” on an eight-track recorder without the aid of Autotune or computers. The three songs recorded in that session propelled Sticky Fingers, a triple-platinum album, to the top of the U.S. and the UK charts in 1971. 


Written by an accomplished foreign relations historian, David F. Schmitz, this book provides the reader with the most current scholarship on Nixon’s foreign policy during the Vietnam era. The author particularly focuses on how Nixon's policy of containment, undertaken by the president to protect American credibility, ironically contributed to America's feelings of failure and defeat in the post-war period. 


Nineteen up and coming writers document their journey through the process of writing their first novel. This instructive anthology allows readers to peer inside the unique working processes of real artists, and to glimpse how those writers navigated the highs and lows of creating original fiction. 



Jessica Grogan, a cultural historian, presents a detailed account of the rise and fall of the humanistic psychology moment. This book outlines how Americans began to identify their anxieties, create identity, and locate purpose under the influence of new age thinkers of the late sixties and early seventies like Abraham Maslow, Rollo May, and Timothy Leary.



This coffee table book is a filled with robust photographs capturing scenes at the center of the world’s most colorful revelries. Photojournalist Steve Davey describes himself as a festival junkie, and his energy, excitement, and zeal for capturing traditional celebrations is evident in this visually arresting work. 

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Throwback Thursday at YOUR Alexandria Campus Library: MLK Day

Photo by William Carter

Monday, January 19th Northern Virginia Community College will be closed to commemorate the life and the work of a great civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Though every state in the union now honors King, the creation and coordination of the holiday itself was a long and hard fought battle that NOVA students had a part in.

Read the full editorial in the February, 1982 edition of  The Collective


This Throwback Thursday YOUR Alexandria Library wants to honor the legacy of King by encouraging our users to join in the Sixth Annual NOVA MLK Day of Service. Find more information about the service event hosted by the Alexandria campus by clicking here: http://blogs.nvcc.edu/novaserves/ .

Monday, January 12, 2015

Welcome to Spring 2015

Our friendly and fearless librarians

Welcome
Welcome back to the first semester of 2015! Our staff is thrilled to have students back on campus, and we’re celebrating the return to the academic schedule with something truly warm and inviting.

Grab your cup in the library on Monday or Tuesday morning


What We Do
Returning students know that YOUR Alexandria campus library is the perfect place to find the materials and services needed to conduct research. New students should know that the Alexandria Campus Library offers everyone access to study space, to computers and printers, to books and articles, to reserve textbooks and materials, and to friendly information experts eager to answer your questions.

Ask us about  reserve materials


What’s New?
While you are in the library make sure to check out our new books and displays. The start of a new year typically prompts people to adopt new healthy habits and YOUR Alexandria Campus library is here to help. We can help you maintain a sound mind and body with literature on study habits, on how to incorporate exercise into your academic schedule, and how to build a secure future with the right financial aid.




See You Soon

We look forward to seeing you in YOUR Alexandria library this spring.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Extended Hours

The Alexandria Campus Library continued the popular tradition of offering extended hours during the last week of classes and final exams (Dec 3rd - Dec 16th).  This semester nearly broke the all-time record for number of students served.  Over 600 students used the library before 8.30am or after 10pm.  Once again, along with our sponsoring partners in Student Activities, the Library offered "Stress Relief" week snacks at 10pm (100 bottles of Gatorade, and over 70 cups of coffee were consumed, plus cookies, nuts, fruit snacks and candy).


Extended hours are made possible by Library staff voluntarily re-arranging their schedules to offer this much-in-demand service. 

Many thanks to the early birds and night owls (staff and students alike) who continue to make this event a success.

And congratulations to everyone who successfully completed exams!  See you in Spring 2015!

Friday, December 12, 2014

Fast Five Friday: Fight Finals Fatigue with Family Fun!

YOUR Alexandria Campus Library is celebrating the end of the semester with some much needed whimsy and magic. After finals we suggest coming into the library to check out some lighter fare from our feature film collection. We have loads of family friendly classics, like those below, that will help your relax and enjoy your break.









Rest up, make merry, and see you next semester!

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Throwback Thursday at YOUR Alexandria Campus Library: Walls of Clay

YOUR Alexandria Campus Library is the keeper and promoter of a great many campus related artifacts. Some are flat and one dimensional, but items like this original clay model of the Eastern Campus represent Northern Virginia Community College’s life and evolution in color, texture, and depth. It is amazing to think of all the ways, both large and small, that our institution has changed in its nearly 50 years of existence.




If you are interested in seeing the future of the college, make sure you monitor the progress of the Alexandria Campus’ new building via the AL Campus "New" Academic Building Blog.

Monday, December 08, 2014

ACE Finals Near YOUR Alexandria Campus Library

In the words of Ringo Starr, we all get by with a little help from our friends. YOUR Alexandria Campus has no better friend than the Alexandria Center for Excellence (ACE). The ACE center is within stumbling distance of the library, and is staffed with peer tutors and friendly coordinators that can help you study, manage your time, and relieve your finals stress all free of charge. So go check out what they offer at their Finals Event.



Friday, December 05, 2014

Fast Friday: Mindless Fun for Study Addled Brains

There comes a point in every study session where not a single new piece of information can be retained.



Honor your brain’s need for respite with a little mindless comedy from YOUR Alexandria campus library. We have even done the leg work for you, and mined our feature films collection for ludicrous comedy gold.

Like the book, improved with song and dance!

We have Absolutely Everything from Absolutely Fabulous. You will absolutely love it, darling.

Funny, and with just a wee smidgen of sadness

Overflowing with lively comedy

A mashup between a comedy of manners and slapstick: primstick? slapping of manners?

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." So take a study break.


So come in, take a break, recharge, and then hit the books again after watching these movies available to you from YOUR Alexandria Campus Library. 

Thursday, December 04, 2014

Throwback Thursday at YOUR Alexandria Campus: Spirit of Finals Week Past

If student newspapers are any indication, the NOVA Alexandria students of 1978 lead extremely similar lives to the those of students in 2014. Each group is ending the fall semester fretting about finals, and looking forward to the holidays beyond.

A beloved former NOVA Alexandria English professor. Can you guess who?

There are, however, some differences that can be detected in December 7th issue of the Alexandria campus student newspaper, The Collective. This edition features amazing hair and discussions of CB radio traffic. Click here to view the entire issue and travel back in time courtesy of the NOVA History Collections

Wednesday, December 03, 2014

Study and Snack at YOUR Alexandria Campus Library

The campus is entering into the final weeks of the semester and YOUR Alexandria Campus Library is a hub of activity with students printing out final papers, pouring over notes, and preparing for final exams. The Alexandria Campus Library, alongside other community partners, is eager to help our busy scholars by hosting late night snack and study sessions during our extended hours. Students can come into the library on the dates listed below and help themselves to brain fuel. 

Click on the picture above to enlarge.

YOUR library staff also recommends that you check out the other stress relief events taking place across the campus to stay fresh and energized. Get organized, get kneaded, and craft your way to calm with ACE, GPS for Success, and the Student Life Office.

We wish everyone the best of luck on exams! Remember, you can always stop by the library for last minute research and citation help.