Interim Hours

In fact Interim Hours are here and holiday hours are approaching. The University Library hours during Interim and the Holiday break are:

December 14, Friday:  8:00am - 5:00pm
December 15 & 16, Saturday - Sunday: CLOSED
December 17 - December 21,  Monday - Friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
December 22 - January 1, 2013, Sunday - Tuesday: CLOSED

Extended Library Hours for Finals Fall 2012

Check out our Extended Hours for Fall 2012 Finals
Friday, 12/7: 7:45 am-8 pm
Saturday, 12/8: 10 am-8 pm
Sunday, 12/9: 1 pm-2 am
Monday, 12/10 - Wednesday, 12/12: 7:45 am-2 am
Thursday, 12/13: 7:45 am-8pm

National Geographic trial

The University Library has a trial of National Geographic's online archive and current issues.

The trial includes all National Geographic issues from 1888 to the present and allows access to all Nat Geo images and tools.

You can search by subject or keyword, or you can simply browse an issue you are interested in. Pages can be printed, emailed (the email isn't an actual page -- it is a link to a page), bookmarked or tagged.

So check out the online version of National Geographic today by going to http://library.southalabama.edu/ and choosing Databases. There you will see National Geographic listed under Trials. This trial ends on 12/20/2012.

National Geographic trial

The University Library has a trial of National Geographic's online archive and current issues.

The trial includes all National Geographic issues from 1888 to the present and allows access to all Nat Geo images and tools.

You can search by subject or keyword, or you can simply browse an issue you are interested in. Pages can be printed, emailed (the email isn't an actual page -- it is a link to a page), bookmarked or tagged.

So check out the online version of National Geographic today by going to http://library.southalabama.edu/ and choosing Databases. There you will see National Geographic listed under Trials. This trial ends on 12/20/2012.

Will Read for Food - Food Donation Drive

This holiday season, the University Library is sponsoring a Will Read for Food donation drive benefiting the Bay Area Food Bank.  Please bring your non-perishable food items to the Circulation Desk on the first floor of the University Library.  The University Library will be collecting food donations from Monday, November 5 - Friday, November 30.  Let's work together to provide our community's less fortunate a wonderful holiday season.  For more information, please contact either Elizabeth Rugan, erugan@southalabama.edu, or Muriel Nero, mnero@southalabama.edu.

Scary Reading

Need a book to give you a chill, cause you to have nightmares, or keep you up all night for Halloween? Just in time, University Library staff have come to the rescue and put together a display of horror titles owned by the Library. Check out the  display near the TRACcard printers for some suggestions. Ask Circulation staff if you want to checkout any of the books in the display case; they can get these titles for you and check them out to you.

Haunting Reading

Need more spooky reading? Check out the Leisure Reading: Supernatural/Fantasy Fiction guide to books in the University Library.

Banned Books Week September 30-October 6, 2012

Celebrate your right to read at the University Library this week during Banned Books Week 2012!

Come check out the banned books displays in the Atrium of the University Library.  Come on, do something naughty today...read a banned book!

Books That Shaped America

In conjunction with the National Book Festival, the Library of Congress mounted an online exhibition called Books That Shaped America. These are books by Americans that have had some influence on the way Americans live their lives.

As the Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington, points out, "It is not a register of the 'best' American books -- although many of them fit that description. Rather, the list is intended to spark a national conversation on books written by American that have influenced our lives, whether they appear on this initial list or not." (Library of Congress web site).

The list is not intended to be definitive, and you can give your input and contribute to future lists by following the link to the survey just above the beginning of the list. Check out the list at http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/books-that-shaped-america/ and visit the online exhibition at http://myloc.gov/exhibitions/books-that-shaped-america/pages/default.aspx.

Pardon Our Progress

In an effort to make using the resources available at the University Library even easier for students and faculty, the University Library has implemented several new resources this Fall 2012!

We would like to introduce you to our newest additions:

-- OneSearch and
-- EBSCO A-to-Z (Our Journal List)



OneSearch (also known as EBSCO Discovery Service) is a tool that provides a single search box to simultaneously search many of the libraries' resouces, including books, e-books, articles, media, and more.

EBSCO A to Z is a locator tool for all the libraries' e-resources, including e-journals and e-books.

To find out how to use these new resources like a pro, check out the following tutorials and guides.

About and How to Use OneSearch

How to Use EBSCO A to Z

Voting in Alabama

Do you need to register to vote in Alabama? The University Library has registration forms at the Circulation Desk on the First Floor North and at the Government Documents Serials desk on the Second Floor South.

You can also register to vote, find your polling place, view information about absentee and military voting, find out your registration status as well as your provisional and absentee ballot status, and view sample ballots at: http://alabamavotes.gov/

According to AlabamaVotes.gov, you can also "fill out and submit a voter registration form when obtaining or renewing a driver’s license or when applying for a library card at any county library and many city libraries."

Labor Day

The University Library will be closed on Monday, September 3, for Labor Day.

We will reopen on Tuesday, September 4, for our regular hours -- for Tuesday, this is 7:45am to midnight.

Have a good Labor Day, and enjoy your day off.

We Have a Winner!

The winner of the University Library's Freshman Survival Kit is Chris Blaine. Congratulations, Chris, and may the items in the kit prove useful to to you in your freshman year at USA and beyond.

Freshman Survival Kit and New Semester

The first week of the Fall 2012 semester begins on Monday, August 20.

To welcome new Freshmen to the University of South Alabama, the University Library is holding a drawing for a Freshman Survival Kit at the Circulation Desk during the first week of the semester.

What's in this kit, you ask? A TRACcard, a USA cup, post-its, a USA t-shirt, a USA mug, a flash drive, dry erase markers, blue books, notebooks, a key chain -- all kinds of things you can use to get your Freshman year off to a great start.

The drawing will take place on Monday, August 27. You do not have to be present to win. Check out the Library's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/University-of-South-Alabama-University-Library/73329774623) to see who wins the survival kit.

To sign up for this drawing, you must:

1. Be a USA student
2. Be a freshman
3. Present your student ID at the Circulation desk on the 1st Floor North

 Make plans to stop by the University Library and register for this fun and useful survival kit, and welcome to the University of South Alabama!

Librarian Professional Activity



Muriel Nero

Paula Webb

Congratulations to Muriel Nero, whose peer-reviewed book review of Chad S. Hamill's,  Songs Of Power And Prayer In The Columbia Plateau - The Jesuit, The Medicine Man, And The Indian Hymn Singer, appeared in Indigenous Peoples: Issues and Resources. Muriel's review can be accessed at http://indigenouspeoplesissues.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15904

Congratulations also go out  to Paula Webb, whose peer-reviewed book review of  Visualizing The Sacred - Cosmic Visions, Regionalism, And The Art Of The Mississippi World appeared in Indigenous Peoples: Issues and Resources. Paula's review can be accessed at http://indigenouspeoplesissues.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15704

UPDATE: Paula Webb also had a book chapter, "Microblogging: An Analysis of Government Issued Policies and Best Practices," published in the book, Web 2.0 Technologies and Democratic Governance, edited by Christopher G. Reddick and Stephen K. Aikins and published by Springer in 2012. This book can be accessed at http://libproxy2.usouthal.edu/login?url=http://www.springerlink.com/content/q52l3q387575p611/

Nominations Open for “I Love My Librarian” Awards

Nominations for the 2012 Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Awards are open through September 12.

10 librarians each will receive a $5,000 cash award, a plaque and $500 travel stipend to attend an awards reception in New York. In addition, a plaque will be given to each award winner’s library.

Do you love a USA Librarian?

Go here: http://atyourlibrary.org/ilovemylibrarian/nominate-your-college-community-college-or-university-librarian

Interim Hours

But for a shorter time period! The University Library is now on Interim Hours until Monday, August 20, when we resume our regular hours.

Interim Hours

Saturday & Sunday, July 28 - 29: CLOSED
Monday - Friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Weekends: CLOSED

Regular Hours resume on the first day of classes, Monday, August 20.

Hours for Exams and Interim Hours

Exam Hours

The University Library has extended its hours for Friday, July 27, to accommodate the late exam time. We will be open until 8pm.

Interim Hours

Saturday & Sunday, July 28 - 29: CLOSED
Monday - Friday: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Weekends: CLOSED

Regular Hours resume on the first day of classes, Monday, August 20.

July's display

The July display features comic books, graphic novels, and manga - more than just pretty pictures. The titles showcased are just a small portion of what the library owns, so if they pique your interest you're encouraged to investigate further.

The titles on display are, in no particular order:

• The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines / Mike Madrid
• Classics and Comics / George Kovacs and C. W. Marshall (eds.)
• The Physics of Superheroes / James Kakalios
• Reading Comics: How Graphic Novels Work and What They Mean / Douglas Wolk
• Black Superheroes, Milestone Comics, and Their Fans / Jeffrey A. Brown
• Of Comics and Men: A Cultural History of American Comic Books / Jean-Paul Gabilliet; translated by Bart Beaty and Nick Nguyen
• Manga: Sixty Years of Japanese Comics / Paul Gravett
• Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels / Scott McCloud
• Manga! Manga!: The World of Japanese Comics / Frederik L. Schodt; foreword by Osamu Tezuka
• Graphic Novels and Comic Books / Kat Kan (ed.)
• Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art / Scott McCloud
• The Golden Age of DC Comics: 365 Days / written and selected by Les Daniels; designed and selected by Chip Kidd; photographed by Geoff Spear
• Graphic Subjects: Critical Essays on Autobiography and Graphic Novels / Michael A. Chaney (ed.)
• How to Draw Manga: Vol. 8, Super Basics / Angel Matsumoto

University Library's New Homepage Available for Testing!

We are pleased to announce that the proposed redesign of the University Library's homepage is now available for testing. Follow the "Try our new homepage" link on the current webpage. Please leave feedback via the link on the new page.

Many thanks to those who helped us, particularly Rich Akers (M.S.C.I.S., 2012) and the Library Service Learning team of the Fall 2011 CIS 101 classes.

 

Click here to check out the new proposed homepage!

The Guardian

The Guardian: This jaguar on metal was created for USA by Hank Bufkin of Bufkin Air Designs. It is on permanent display at the West entrance (pond side) of the University Library.

 The Guardian will be dedicated on Wednesday, June 20, during a ceremony at the the USA University Library from 5:00pm - 7:00pm . To see the phases of the creation of the jaguar, visit Bufkin Air Designs on Facebook. 

Writing Center Summer Hours @ the Library

The University Writing Center Summer Hours at the library are:

Monday-Thursday: 8:00am -6:00pm
Friday: 8:00am -2:00pm
Sunday: 2:00pm-7:00pm

You can schedule an appointment by called (251) 460-6480 or you can make an appointment online at http://www.usa.mywconline.com/. Make sure to choose the LIBRARY Writing Center.

The University Writing Center in the Library is located in Room 240A on the Second Floor North.

Get Ready, Get Set, Librarian Profiles...

Have you ever wondered what your University Librarians do for fun on their weekends? Or what their academic specialties might be? Well consider your wondering over.

Every week on the University Library Facebook page, we will profile a member of the University Library workforce. We will start with the librarians and then move on to our awesome staff.

So get ready; it begins later today.

And no, we do not look or act like this lady...

Summer Hours

Summer Hours

The University Library's summer hours begin today, Tuesday, May 29. We will be open:

• Monday - Thursday: 7:45am - 10:00pm
• Friday: 7:45am - 6:00pm
• Saturday: 9:30am - 5:00pm
• Sunday: 1:00pm - 9:00pm

For more information on the University Library's hours, see http://www.southalabama.edu/univlib/info/hours.html

Holiday and Interim Hours

From May 11 - May 27, the University Library will be on Interim Hours and will be opened:

Monday - Friday:  8:00am to 5:00pm
Saturday and Sunday: CLOSED

We will be closed on Monday, May 28, for Memorial Day.

OneSearch (beta)

Tired of having to look for articles in several different databases and then having to go to SOUTHcat to find books on your topic? Relief is on its way.

Try the University Libraries' new OneSearch. OneSearch allows you to do a comprehensive search of our databases and our catalog at the same time from one interface. If you are off-campus, you can still search OneSearch, but to get access to the full-text of the articles, you will need to login with your usual username and password for library databases.

Since this is a new product for us, we would like feedback on your experiences with it. Email us at libfeedback@jaguar1.usouthal.edu. Thanks for trying OneSearch. We hope you like it.

Final Exam Hours

The University Library will have extended hours for Spring Semester Final Exams beginning Wednesday, May 2, and extending through Thursday, May 10, the last day of exams.

For complete hours, see http://www.southalabama.edu/univlib/finalstudyspring12.pdf

Group Study Room

The University Library has room 123 (hidden within the Instructional Media Center) available for students to reserve as a group study room. To make a reservation, contact the circulation desk at 460-7028. The room has wireless internet, electrical outlets, a whiteboard, and can hold up to about 10-12 people.

UPDATED: Room 123

Happy Syttende Mai

Come celebrate Syttende Mai (Norwegian Constitution Day) with the University Library! Check out our Norway display!

Writing Help

Need someone to help you improve your writing skills? The University Writing Center is just the place for you, and they have recently opened an office in the University Library.

Where: Room 240-A (2nd Floor North)
When:    Monday-Friday: 1:00pm-6:00pm and Sunday: 2:00pm-7:00pm

The Writing Center consultants focus on teaching writing in order to build a solid foundation for your writing and to help you become a better writer; they don't just fix problems in your papers.

To learn more about the University Writing Center and to schedule an appointment online, see http://www.southalabama.edu/writing/

Facebook Friday!

Today is Facebook Friday. Answer a question on the University Library's Facebook page in order to be entered into a drawing for a great prize.

There will be a question posted every hour, giving you plenty of time and chances to enter the drawing.

Check us out on Facebook!

UPDATE: Help us get to 350 "likes!" The 350th person to like us will win a gift certificate to Satori Coffee and USA swag! Go to Facebook!

Dress as your favorite fictional character or author Day!

Like Charles Dickens? Gryffindor for life? Dress up like your favorite author or fictional character tomorrow at the University Library! Come to the library dressed up (this could mean just a T-Shirt), check out a book and you could win!

Trying to get to 300 "likes" on Facebook

We are trying to get to 300 "likes!" The 300th person to like us on Facebook will win a gift certificate to Satori Coffee and USA swag!

Come on...like us!

Jag Pride Day!

Tomorrow is Jag Pride Day at the University Library! Show your jaguar pride by wearing your jag gear tomorrow to the library. Say the secret Jag Pride phrase announced on Facebook to the circulation staff and you could win some awesome prizes! Go Jags!

Hawaiian Shirt Day!

Wear your favorite island gear today and win! To win an awesome prize, wear your Hawaiian shirt and tell the circulation staff at the circulation desk "Happy National Library Week" in Hawaiian--"Hau'oli aupuni hale waihona puke pule" and possibly win!

National Library Week!

April 9-13th is National Library Week at the University of South Alabama University Library! Join us in participating in these fun events. Additionally, following us on Facebook or the Library blog will provide you important information about many of the cool prizes we will be giving away this week. So stay tuned!


Monday: Hawaiian Shirt Day!
Wear your favorite Island shirt or gear and win!

Tuesday: Jag Pride Day
Wear your Jaguar gear, show your Jaguar Pride, and win! Say the secret Jag Pride phrase announced on Facebook to win a prize!

Wednesday: Dress as your favorite fictional character or author Day!
Like Charles Dickens? Dress up like him and win! Come to the library dressed up, check out a book and you could win!

Thursday: Donate a Book Day!
Bring a book and participate in the book drive that benefits the USA Children's & Women's Hospital. Bring your favorite children's or young adult book to share with another. If you donate a book at one of the several secret times, you could win!

Friday: Facebook Friday
Passionate about Jane Austen? Let us know on our Facebook page. We will ask questions on Facebook and you have to answer to win!

Things Going on All Week:

Enter to win an official Hunger Games movie poster and a hard-bound copy of the Hunger Games Trilogy at the University Library Reference Desk!

Donate a children's or young adult book to the Children's & Women's Hospital Book Drive

National Poetry Month Display

April is National Poetry Month and Circulation has put together a display for it, honoring poets from Maya Angelou to Dr. Seuss. Check out the display on the First Floor North, near the TRACcard printers, to see the types of materials the University Library owns that are by and about poets.

National Poetry Month Display -- 1st Floor North

For more about National Poetry Month, see poets.org.

Final Exam Hours

The University Library will have extended hours for Spring Semester Final Exams beginning Wednesday, May 2, and extending through Thursday, May 10, the last day of exams.

For complete hours, see http://www.southalabama.edu/univlib/finalstudyspring12.pdf

The hours for the ARC have not yet been determined but the above page will be updated when these hours have been decided.

Spring Break 2012

Spring Break Hours

1. March 11, Sunday: Closed
2. March 12 -16, Monday-Friday: 8:00am-5:00pm (ARC Lab: 8:00am-4:30pm)
3. March 17, Saturday: Closed

The University Library will reopen on Sunday, March 18, from 1:00pm-10:00pm, with the ARC Lab open from 1:30pm-9:30pm.

Spring 2012 Newsletter Available

Check out all the cool happenings at the University Library!

Notable Southern Women Writers

What do Zora Neale Hurston, Carolyn Haines, Eudora Welty, Harper Lee, Alice Walker and Margaret Mitchell have in common? They are all Southern women writers.

Check out the Library's display on these writers:

1st Floor North

Mardi Gras and Library Closing

The University Library will be closed on Tuesday, February 21, for Mardi Gras.

For information on Mobile's Mardi Gras traditions, see Mobile's Mardi Gras from the Encyclopedia of Alabama and Local Legacies: Mardi Gras in Mobile from the Library of Congress. Always wondered why Mobilians throw moon pies? Check out the Mobile Carnival Museum's FAQ. For the story behind Joe Cain Day, see Joe Cain from the Encyclopedia of Alabama.

For parade schedules, routes, and checklists, see The Mobile Carnival Museum. The Mobile Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau also has parade schedules and Mardi Gras information, such as history and terminology.

Tuskegee Airmen

Check out the two displays on the Tuskegee Airmen put together by The University Library and Government Documents.

1st Floor North Tuskegee Airman Display

Gov Docs Tuskegee Airmen Display 2nd Floor South

To complement these displays, Government Documents librarians, Vicki Tate and Paula Webb compiled a LibGuide of resources on the Tuskegee Airmen. It can be found at http://libguides.southalabama.edu/tuskeegee

Spring Library Hours

The University Library is now operating on Spring Semester Hours:

Monday - Thursday: 7:45am-11:00pm
Friday: 7:45am-6:00pm
Saturday: 9:30am-5:00pm
Sunday: 1:00pm-10:00pm

The Reference and Documents/Serials desks close an hour earlier than the Library on Sunday - Thursday. The ARC Lab closes 30 minutes earlier than the Library.

Library Interim Hours and Closure

The University Library is currently on Interim Hours, 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday-Friday, January 3-15. We are closed on Saturday and Sunday.

The University Library will also be closed Monday, January 16, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.