Wednesday, August 08, 2012

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

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

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.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

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.

Friday, July 06, 2012

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:

Thursday, June 28, 2012

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.
 

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

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

Tuesday, June 05, 2012

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.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

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...

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

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

Sunday, May 27, 2012

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.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

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.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

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

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

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

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Happy Syttende Mai

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

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

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/

Friday, April 13, 2012

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!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

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!

Monday, April 09, 2012

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!




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!

Friday, April 06, 2012

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

Wednesday, April 04, 2012

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.

Monday, March 26, 2012

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.

Thursday, March 08, 2012

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.

Thursday, March 01, 2012

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

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

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.

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

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

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

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.

Thursday, January 05, 2012

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.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Holiday Hours

The University Library will be closed for the holidays for Friday, 12/23/2011 - Monday, 1/2/2012

Have a good holiday season.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Library Interim Hours

The University Library is on Interim Hours beginning Thursday, December 15. Our hours are:

Dec. 15 (Thursday) - Dec. 22 (Thursday): 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday-Friday

We are closed on weekends. For more information, see http://library.southalabama.edu/InterimDec2011.pdf

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Salvage the Bones and the National Book Award

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward, USA Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, is the winner of the National Book Award for Fiction. It is set during Hurricane Katrina's landfall and tells the story of a young African-American girl and her family who are living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast during this time.

The University Library owns Salvage the Bones, but the circulating copy is currently checked out and due back 12-01-11. You can place a hold on it by clicking on the title above -- this will take you to SOUTHcat. Click on Hold/Recall and enter your login information, choose Hold, and enter your J Number again. Then submit the request.

Can't wait to read a Jesmyn Ward novel? The University Library also owns Ms. Ward's debut novel, Where the Line Bleeds. The call number is PS 3623 .A7323 W47 2008, and the novel can be found on the 4th Floor South.

Update (11/18/2011): Check out the CNN interview with Ward.

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Haruki Murakami Display

Haruki Murakami is an award winning writer of both fiction and non-fiction. In 2006, his novel, Kafka on the Shore (PL 856 .U673 U4813 2005) , won both the World Fantasy Award for Novels and the Franz Kafka Prize. Check out Ellen Wilson's display of the works of Murakami that are owned by the University Library. It's on the pond side of the library near the TracCard printers.


Wednesday, October 19, 2011

New Computers in Reference Section! (With Software)


Thanks to the wonderful efforts of the University Library Systems Department, we now have 10 additional computers available for USA student use in the Reference section of the library. These computers are located across the back wall of windows on the 2nd floor North. These new computers are equiped with the same software that is available on the computers in the ARC computer lab.

In order to log onto these computers, students scan a barcode placed on the back of their TRACcard; these barcodes are placed on the TRACcard after students have verified with the circulation staff that they are USA students.

The Reference staff would like to send a sincere thanks to Gary Pugh for his hard work getting these new computers up and running for our students!

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Art of Reading at West Regional Public Library

Ellen Wilson, Instructional Services Librarian, has a quilt hanging in the Mobile Public Libraries' (West Regional Branch) Art of Reading show. This art show is a juried exhibition and will be hanging in the West Regional Branch through December 2, 2011.

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

New vending machines!


In order to respond to the closure of the student center, we have installed 3 vending machines outside the library - 2 Pepsi machines and a snack machine. In conjunction with this, we have updated the library's food and drink policy:

Food and Drink Guidelines
University Library, University of South Alabama
The goals of the University Library include providing a comfortable and inviting study atmosphere for our library users and also protecting the Library’s collections, equipment, and furnishings.
The University Library allows the consumption of snack food and non-alcoholic beverages under the following conditions:
• Snack food and drinks are only allowed in library study areas.
ALLOWED: SNACK FOOD = chips, nuts, pretzels, cookies and other pre- packaged items.
NOT ALLOWED: pizza, burgers, fries, sandwiches, salads, etc.
• Use sturdy, “spill-proof” containers to minimize damage to Library resources and facilities.
• Dispose of any food and drink-related trash properly.
• Please report any spill to Library staff immediately so the spill can be cleaned ASAP.
LIMITATIONS:
1. The delivery of food to the Library for library users is prohibited.
2. Eating and drinking are NOT permitted at or near:
• Computer workstations
• Media equipment
• Printers or photocopiers
• Aisles and stacks where books are shelved
3. Eating and drinking are NOT permitted in the ARC Computer Lab.
We expect that you will make every effort to accept the responsibility that these guidelines allow. Your recognition and acceptance will minimize enforcement problems and will make the Library a more comfortable and productive place for everyone. Your cooperation will also ensure the full use and enjoyment of our resources and facilities for all current and future users.
If you fail to follow these guidelines and limitations, you will be asked to conform or leave the Library. Additional sanctions may be imposed on repeat offenders.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Library Information

The University Library has an information table by the pond-side entrance to the library that is stacked with useful information about the Library for new and returning students and faculty. The table includes campus maps, library hours and TRACcard handouts. Circulation and Reference staff the table from 10:00am - 1:00pm to answer any questions students may have.


Paul Hendrix answering student questions

USA Librarians Get In on the Jag Bike Fun!



Several University Library Librarians took advantage of the wonderful weather today to try out the new Jag Bikes on campus.

For information on the new Jag Smart Initiative, check out this site.

How to go green using Jag Bikes.

Click here for a map of Jag Bike stations and routes.

Have fun, be safe, and go green!

Check out some more pics of librarians having fun!







Monday, August 22, 2011

JagFest 2011

Beth Rugan and Ellen Wilson manned the University Library's table at JagFest on Saturday, August 20. They had swag to give away and were completely cleaned out by the end of the campus fair. Ellen and Beth gave away five or six bags of candy, 500 pencils, 100 brochures with library information for students, a stack of bookmarks, and a large stack of  blue library information sheets for students.




Wednesday, July 13, 2011

ebrary ebook collections

The University Library has recently subscribed to ebrary's Academic Complete collection, giving us access to over 70,000 ebook titles in 15 different subject areas including Anthropology, Psychology, Fine Arts, History, Social Sciences and Education.

Currently you can access these titles by going to the Library's homepage, choosing Electronic Books, and then choosing ebrary. We are working on adding these titles to SOUTHcat so they will appear when you do a search in our catalog as well.

Pages from ebrary titles can be printed by using the InfoTools button and choosing Print. You can choose to print the current page, a range of pages (with the maximum number of pages being 60) or an entire chapter.

You can save books to a bookshelf within ebrary by creating a free account. Then when you login and do a search, you can  add titles to your bookshelf (this will also save any annotations you may make in the book) by simply clicking on the Add to My Bookshelf button. Even though you've saved this book to your bookshelf, it is still available for others to read.

Since ebrary books cannot be saved to your computer, they cannot currently be used on an ereader. This is something the company is working on and hopes to make available soon.

Friday, July 01, 2011

Closed Monday, July 4th


The University Library will be closed Monday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day! We will resume regular summer hours Tuesday, July 5th. Have a wonderful and safe holiday!