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.

Study Early! Study Late!

The Library once again offered Extended Hours for students finishing final papers, working on presentations, and studying for exams. From 24 April - May the library opened half an hour early and closed an hour later, providing maximum study time to Alexandria students.

This semester also saw a return of the popular "Late Night Study Break" as cookies, candies, and pretzels were served after 10pm.

Library hours for Exams are:

Mon - Thurs: 8AM - 11PM

Fri 8AM - 6PM

Results are In!

"How are we doing?" That was the question the Alexandria Campus Library asked over 120 students in a survey of library services and collections conducted in conjunction with National Library Week.

What did our library users have to say?

Over 90% of Library users come to the Library for study or research. Large numbers also came to the library to check email or use NovaConnect to register for classes. And we were pleased to see some students even come to the library for leisure reading (don't miss our New Books, Magazine section, and paperback collection!).

Over 90% of survey respondents rated "Help from a Librarian" as good or excellent, and over 90% rated "Borrowing Services" as good or excellent.

Comments included very positive notice of the staff. Some examples:

"The staff is quite knowledgeable about what they have"; "Excellent staff support"; Helpful Staff"; "I think this library is great as well as the staff."

Thanks!

What could the library do better?

Students asked for more computers, more group study space, and more new books!

We hear you! Library staff are investigating ways to increase the number of computer terminals in the public spaces. In the summer of 2005, the Library installed new shelving to accomodate our growing collection, and check the New Book display for new titles arriving all the time. There is a small group study area behind Cyber Space. If that is unavailable, ask a librarian for recommendations for additional areas on campus where groups can study.

And stay tuned for more improvements to YOUR campus library.

Thanks to everyone who filled in a survey -- for all the generous as well as constructive comments, and especially to the student who suggested that "the library needs more funds" and noted "there is a definite need for more staff".

National Library Week

The Alexandria Campus Library celebrated National Library Week April 3 - April 8. The week kicked off with an open house and reception for students, staff and faculty. Appropriate treats were served (see below):

Celebrations continued with the Library's third Booksale Extravaganza -- starting downstairs at the "Y" in the morning (a highlight was a visit from Jon Burton's Honors English class -- see below) and moving to the Bisdorf Lobby in the afternoon. After a day of brisk sales, the book sale raised $100 in support of the Library's materials budget. Thanks to all who came out to support the Library!

Happy National Library Week!

Alexandria Campus Hosts the Virginia Library Association!

Librarians from all over Northern Virginia gathered at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall & Arts Center on Thursday 30 April for a half-day program titled Making Contacts: Connecting with our Community of Users.

(conference attendees check-in at the Schlesinger Center, above)

Librarians from public libraries, university libraries, and school libraries gathered to hear presentations on reaching out to library users, meeting user needs, and finding innovative ways to promote library materials, services, and collections. Some examples of outreach efforts the Alexandria Campus Library is already undertaking are: blogging, offering drop-in mini-tours at the beginning of the Fall and Spring semesters, using the wireless web to provide" roaming reference" service in locations all over the campus, seeking feedback from our users in surveys and focus groups, providing formal and informal library instruction in the classroom and at the Reference Desk, and more!

(Over 80 librarians from all over Northern Virginia gather in the Schlesinger Forum, at left)

(breakfast was served outside the Baker Theatre, above)

(Bill Fleming, Chair of the VLA Region V Executive Committee, opens the program, at left)

(Dave Williams, Director of Learning Resource Services, welcomes attendees, above)

(Virginia Graves, Acting Provost of the Alexandria Campus, delivers introductory remarks, at left)

Presenters were: Priscelle Dando, Head Librarian at Lee Library at Robert E Lee High School; Jamie Coniglio, Head of the Reference Department at Fenwick Library at George Mason University (Go Patriots!); and Rebecca Purdy, Youth Services Manager at Central Rappahannock Regional Library.

Research Tips!

It's term paper and essay-writing time. The library provides assistance and resources for all types of research. Here are some top tips from your Reference Librarians for getting started on research.

• Use the Library Databases. You can access full text articles from newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals using databases like ProQuest, Opposing Viewpoints, JSTOR, & more. Access the databases at http://www.nvcc.edu/library/databases.htm. To log in from home, just use your VCCS username (same for Blackboard or registering for classes): http://www.nvcc.edu/library/Proxy/ezproxystudents.htm
• Use Google's Advanced Search http://www.google.com/advanced_search?hl=en. You can limit by domain (for example, get results only from .edu sites, or .gov sites), limit by file format (retrieve PDF files or Word documents)
• Check the Library's Best of the Web (websites that have been reviewed by librarians or recommended by faculty as authoritative and reliable): http://www.nvcc.edu/library/BOW/elecref.htm
• Visit YOUR Library today and consult with a Reference Librarian!

Spring Semester Hours (through May 14th):

Monday - Thursday
8:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Sunday
Closed

Or contact a librarian by phone, email, or IM: http://www.nvcc.edu/library/ask.htm

Library lauded in Graduate Report!

NVCC's Office of Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment conducted a survey of 2004 graduates to evaluate NOVA instruction, services, and facilities. The results were raves for the Library and the Library's Learning Resources partners.

According to the report:


The highest rated facilities and services across the college were:

#1 Libraries
#2 Computer Lab Facilities
#3 Testing lab services
#4 Learning lab services

73% of respondants rated the Alexandria Campus Library as "Excellent" or "Good".

The full text of the report may be found online:

http://www.nvcc.edu/oir/REPORTS/EVALUATIONOFINSTRUCTION2004.pdf

Library Staffer Joins Katrina Relief

Have you ever looked at pictures of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in some of our southern states last fall, and wished that you could do something to help? Marion Mirehouse, Library Specialist at the Alexandria Campus recently had the opportunity to do just that, when she joined a volunteer-in-missions group from her church for a work trip to Gulfport, Mississippi. The team spent a week there doing demolition and construction—cleaning moldy debris, wallboard, and insulation out of flooded homes, and putting new insulation and drywall back into other homes that had already been cleaned out, disinfected, and dried out. The work was hard, but very satisfying. Just seeing the gleaming eyes and the smiles on the faces of those families, who were that much nearer to being able to move back into their homes, made every blister, mashed finger, and tired muscle seem extremely worthwhile.

See how NVCC is helping the Hurricane Katrina Relief effort here:
http://www.nvcc.edu/depts/katrina/

Book Review Digest Turns 100!

The Library wishes a Very Happy Birthday to Book Review Digest, which turned 100 years old in 2005! A library classic for a century, the Book Review Digest

"provides excerpts from and citations to reviews of current adult and juvenile fiction and non-fiction. Over 7,000 English-language books are covered by the database each year. Concise, critical evaluations are chosen from 109 leading American, British and Canadian periodicals in the humanities, social and general sciences, as well as library review media. Covering a wide range of review media and offering an enormous variety of reviews -- all carefully excerpted to convey the diversity of critical opinion on a title -- Book Review Digest is the most convenient way for patrons to obtain information on prominent new books. "

The Alexandria Campus Library owns the complete series.

(pictured: Bruce Carroll, Technology/Circulation Librarian, with the most recent Book Review Digest from 2005, and Anne Anderson, Reference/ Instructional Services Librarian, with the very first 1905 volume).

A lot changes in 100 years. In 1905

• Only 14 percent of houses in the US had a bathtub
• Only 8 percent of houses had a telephone (land-line!!)
• There were only 8,000 automobiles in the US
• There were only 45 states in the United States
• The tallest building in the world was the Eiffel Tower

Library Use Continues to Rise!

Use of the Library and its resources continues to rise appreciably. In the Fall and Spring semesters of '05, library patrons made over 340,000 visits to the library. Those patrons checked out over 10,000 items in Fall '05, a 20% increase over the same period of '04.

Students also increasingly make use of the Library's electronic resources, which can be accessed from on and off campus. Database use increased, on average, over 40% this year. Some of our star performers in the electronic realm included JSTOR (full-text online scholarly articles) which experienced a 78% increase in use. Other standouts included ProQuest (online magazine, newspaper, and journal articles, including full-text historic issues of the Washington Post and New York Times dating back to the 19th century) with a 33% increase and Safari Books (full-text computer and technology books) the use of which grew 37%.

As Library collections continue to grow, Library users respond with ever greater use of resources. The Library is continually adding new print and electronic sources, and constantly reviewing the services provided to meet student needs and demands.

For more information about the Library's services, visit the Alexandria Campus Library Homepage: http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/library/

To search for an online article, check the Library database page: http://www.nvcc.edu/Library/databases.htm

To search for a book in the Library collection, search the Library Catalog: http://vccslinc.vccs.edu/F/?func=find-b-0&local_base=nvcc

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to Spring Semester 2006 (and special WELCOME to NVCC if this is your first semester with us!). The Library got the new semester off to a roaring start by conducting Mini-Tours for new and returning students providing an overview of the Library's services and collections to students interested in getting a sight-seeing tour of all the Library has to offer. Check the fliers posted around campus, or the notice-board in the Bisdorf lobby, or check with any Library Staff member to find tour times. 15-minute tours will cover borrowing, computer availablity and capabilities, how to print, where to find help with research, where to go to study with groups, where to find silent study, where to find the Library's Feature Film collection, where to find new editions of magazines and newspapers, updates on what's new in the library, a chance to ask questions plus much, much more. Plus all participants are entered in a drawing with the potential to win Starbucks gift cards! Take a tour today!

Visit the Library FAQ to find out answers to more questions: http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/library/libfaq.htm

Library Staff are also busy assisting students with registration, scheduling Library Instruction sessions for faculty, getting new books on the shelves, preparing the reserve collection for a new semester, processing inter-campus and inter-library loans, ordering new magazine and newspaper subscriptions, setting up links to new databases, and helping students find resources and materials for new classes.

Welcome to Spring 2006!

Holiday Book Sale

On Wednesday 14 December the Library conducted a book sale outside the cafeteria. The Library accepts donations of books and other materials throughout the year. Titles that directly support the campus curriculum are added to the collection. All other titles are sold, either in the on-going book sale just inside the front doors of the Library, or in periodic book sale events held at the "Y" on the lower level. All money raised from the book sale supports the materials budget, and so purchases books that enhance the Library's collection and support the campus curriculum. The holiday book sale raised over $120 for the Library materials budget.