Anne Anderson - Library Photography Star!

Anne Anderson (Reference & Instruction Librarian) won an 'Honorable Mention' in Virginia Wildlife magazine's annual photo contest. Anne's photo of a water lily was taken at Huntley Meadows:


Congratulations Anne!

Next year we expect a First Place!!

The Other Alexandria Library

Some of our readers discover our blog while looking for information about the Great Library of Alexandria, once a great center of learning in the ancient world. The Library was destroyed in somewhat mysterious circumstances -- traditionally the destruction of the Great Library is attributed to Julius Caesar, but other possible suspects include early Christians or Muslims.

Remains of the Great Library were recently discovered by archaeologists.

In 1998 a new library, the Biblioteca Alexandria, was opened. The BA includes space for 1 million volumes (current collection is about half of that), exhibit space, a planetarium, an Internet center, chidlren's museum and auditoria.

Thanks for visiting the Alexandria Campus Library at Northern Virginia Community College. While we may not possess one million volumes or a collection of Mediterranean antiquities, we're glad you found us online.

Feel free to contact one of our librarians if we can be of further assistance.

Books for Lit Critters and other Humanities Types

A few new books from Literature, Philosophy & History.

Nutall, AD. Shakespeare the Thinker. PR3000 N88 2007

Baldwin, James. If Beale Street Could Talk. PS3552 A45 I4 2006

Lihamba, Amndina. Women Writing in Africa: The Eastern Region. PL8014 E22 W66 2007

Russel, Bertrand. The Basic Writings. B1649 R91 E38 1992

Geldard, Richard. The Essential Transcendentalists. B905 E87 2005

Ferriss, Suzanne. Chick Lit: The New Woman's Fiction. PS374 W6 C48 2006

Moser, Paul. The Theory of Knowledge. BD161 M8485 1998

Plato. The Laws. JC71 P2633 2004

Ruggiero, Vincent. The Art of Thinking. BF441 R84 2007

Wilson, Ben. Decency and Disorder: The Age of Cant 1789-1837. DA520 W54 2007

Check out these and more new books in Your Library today!

Library Tour hits the Web!

It is now possible to take on online tour of the Alexandria Campus Library. In just eight fun-filled and informative minutes, Reference Librarian Anne Anderson and Library Specialist Brandee Worsham take Library users through the paces for checking out books, printing and copying, adding money to your NovaCard, using course reserves, configuring laptops, and finding quiet places (or not so quiet places!) to study. Check out the tour from the Library Homepage or visit the tour directly: http://www.nvcc.edu/alexandria/library/librarytour/

What's that smell?

Ever wonder about the aroma in the corner of the library near the windows? It's the corn plant in bloom!



Dracaena fragrans or corn plant is an old-fashioned house plant with glossy green leaves and fragrant (!) blossoms. The Library's corn plants bloom several times per year. (for those who think the corn plants perfume is more stinky than succulent, it only blooms at night!)

LexisNexis comes to the Library!

The NOVA Libraries are happy to announce the acquisition of LexisNexis
Academic. This database provides access to over 5 billion searchable
documents from news, business and legal sources. LexisNexis Academic
joins two other products, LexisNexis Congressional and LexisNexis
Statistical to provide NOVA users with unparalleled access to full-text
online resources. Use LexisNexis to find national and international news,
law reviews, Supreme Court and other cases, U.S. Legislation, company
financial and industry information as well as a wide range of statistical
tables. Visit your campus library today to learn more or explore LexisNexis
from the Library home page:
http://www.nvcc.edu/Library/databases.htm

Scholarship & Financial Aid info at Your Library

Need to pay for College? Visit the Scholarship Fair today 11am - 1pm in the Bisdorf Cafeteria, or check out some of these great resources in Your Library:

Aiding Students, Buying Students: Financial Aid in America. LB2337.4 W53

501 Ways for Adult Students to Pay for College. LB2337.4 T36x

Chronicle Financial Aid Guide. LB2337.4 C47

College Money Handbook. REF LB2337.2 C65

College Student’s Guide to Merit and Other Non-Need Funding. REF LB2337.2
C64

Directory of Financial Aid for Women. REF LB2338 D592

Financial Aid 101. LB2337.4 C43x

Financial Aid for African Americans. REF LB2338 F5643

Financial Aid for Asian Americans. REF LB2338 F5644

Financial Aid for the Disabled. LB2337.2 F58

Financial Aid for Hispanic Americans. REF LB2338F5645

Making a Difference: Scholarships for a Better World. LB2338 W39

National Directory of Scholarships, Internships, and Fellowships for Latino Youth.
REF LB2338 N293x

Paying for College Without Going Broke. LB2337.4 P744

Scholarship Almanac. LB2338 P44 2005

Scholarship Book. REF LB2337.2 C37

Scholarship Handbook. LB2338 C597

Scholarship Scouting Report. LB2338 K367

Or check out online resources, accessible from the Library's Best of the Web page.

Open access computers return to the Library!

We heard you! In response to a very high volume of student complaints and concerns about the new requirement for LAN logon, the Library has re-instated open access computers.

LAN logons will still be required for computer labs and classrooms. To find your LAN logon, follow the instructions in the previous post.

Library computers will be available to all users (students and non-students) for research & information needs. The information superhighway is once again open for business!

New IT Security comes to campus, and to Your Library

Following a directive issued from the Virginia Community College System, NOVA has instituted new IT security measures that take place immediately.

What does this mean for Library users? At the moment, nothing. Library computers remain open-access.

All users must now LOG ON to campus computers in labs and classrooms. Students will need to know their LAN Log-On ID and Password in order to log onto computers. Note that the LAN logon is not the same as the NovaConnect logon. Visit the IT Help Desk for more info about what the LAN logon is and how to look it up.

Once students have found their LAN logon, they will need to determine their LAN password according to this format: (8 digits long)month of birth + date of birth + last four of social security number.

The new IT security measures are state-wide directives that must be implemented here at the College, campus and in the Library. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Remember, IT security measures are designed with everyone's safety in mind.

Primary-mania!

When TV's The Simpsons airs an episode about the United States Primaries, you know election fever has swept the nation.



(Ralph Wiggum for President?)

If you don't plan to hop on the Wiggum-waggon, you might want to check out some of these resources on the Primary Elections:

CNN Election Center

BBC News: America

League of Women Voters

Register to Vote (or update your registration)

Washington Post: Politics

Or check out one of these books:

Guide to Political Campaigns in America. JK2265 .G84 2005

US Election System. JK1976 .U217 2004

Historical atlas of U.S. presidential elections 1788-2004. REF G1201.F9 H5 2006

Be Smart. Do Your Part. Vote! Virginia Primary will be held on Feb 12th!!

Happy 2008!

Welcome back and Happy New Year 2008 from all your friends at the Alexandria Campus Library! We hope you had a pleasant and rewarding holiday break, and look forward to seeing you in the Library in the Spring term.

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.