During the month of May, the Weinberg Memorial Library is hosting its annual Faculty Scholarship Exhibit through Thursday May 27 in the Library’s Heritage Room. The exhibit features books, articles, and conference presentation announcements produced by University of Scranton faculty members since 2008. The exhibit, organized by academic department, provides an overview of the diversity and quality of scholarly accomplishments by the University’s faculty. Please take a few minutes to visit the exhibit. For further information please contact Michael Knies, Special Collections Librarian, 570-941-6341.
Category: News
Pennsylvania Library Association Award Nominations
The Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) presents six different awards to librarians and library supporters throughout the state at the PaLA Annual Conference. This is your chance to recognize that new librarian on the block, your outstanding public library trustee, an elected official who has advocated for libraries in hard times, or any individual who has made an outstanding contribution to libraries in PA during the last five years. You can even honor a library that has consistently encouraged its support staff to participate in career development by nominating them for the Library Support Staff Recognition Award!
Submission Deadline: August 15, 2010
Download the 2010 Award Nomination Form
Categories:
- Distinguished Service Award: Highest award the associate gives. It may be awarded annually to one person in recognition of exceptional meritorious service to libraries of the Commonwealth.
- Certificates of Merit: These are awarded to individuals making outstanding contributions during the last five years in Pennsylvania.
- Elected Official Award: This award may be given annually to an elected official or officials for exemplary support of library service in Pennsylvania.
- New Librarian Honors Award: Honors a librarian who has been in the profession fewer than six years. It recognizes the originality and inventive ability of a new librarian who devises new and improved methods in library service on a statewide or local level.
- Trustee of the Year Award: Presented to a public library trustee in recognition of outstanding leadership and service to library development at the local, system, district, and/or state level.
- Library Support Staff Recognition Award: This award is presented to a library that has consistently encouraged and supported participation in career development activities, particularly those of PaLA for the support staff in Pennsylvania libraries. Nominations should be in the form of a statement of the library’s activities. (A little clarification on this award: It is presented to a library not to a staff member. Does your library provide you with opportunities to develop your library skills through continuing education opportunities? Does your library allow you to attend PaLA conferences and Chapter Meetings as a Support Staff member? Does your library provide you with opportunities to take classes on library related activities or in areas which you can use on the job? Then tell us how that support helps you on your job and give a little recognition to your library.
Nominating is easy! All you have to do is:
1. Complete the PDF form found at
Download the 2010 Award Nomination Form
(or include the information on the form with your email or mailed submission)
2. Email it to Erin.Dorney@millersville.edu or snail mail it to Erin Dorney, Outreach Librarian, Millersville University Library, P.O. Box 1002, Millersville, PA 17551-0302.
Have questions? Contact 2010 Awards Chair Erin Dorney (erin.dorney@millersville.edu / 717-872-3617) at any time!
We hope you’ll consider submitting a nomination before the deadline of August 15th, 2010.
We Now Have White Boards
As the title suggests, we here at the library had white boards installed in all of the group study rooms.
And shiny new markers to go with them! So now you can write your Diophantine equations in some lovely calligraphy.
So have fun kids. Express yourselves. Artistically, academically, emphatically…
Choose Privacy Week
Choose Privacy Week is a new initiative of the American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom. Library users are invited to join a national conversation about privacy rights in a digital age.
You can find more information about this initiative at the privacyrevolution.org Web site.
Join The Revolution! Fill out the short form on this Web site to join other privacy advocates across the nation. Your identity will be safe and secure, but your sentiments will be amplified in Washington.
This short film introduces some of today’s most interesting and complex privacy issues.
Book and Plant Sale 2010!
The 2010 Weinberg Memorial Library Book & Plant Sale starts today at 4pm with a special preview sale for Friends of the Library and Schemel Forum members. The sale opens to the public tomorrow, April 24, from 9am – 9pm and Sunday, April 25 from 12pm – 4pm.
Seniors, Vote for Teacher of the Year
Our friends at the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) asked us to remind graduating seniors put in their votes for the 2010 Teacher of the Year award.
CTLE says…
Each year the Graduating Senior Class selects its “Teacher of the Year.” Beginning Monday, April 19th, please vote for the faculty member who you believe best exhibits the following characteristics:
• Maintains the highest standards of academic excellence and fairness.
• Inspires interest in the discipline through personal enthusiasm and dedication.
• Is consistently effective in communication.
• Is available outside of the classroom.
To vote, make sure to cast your electronic ballot between 9am on Monday, April 19th and 5pm on Friday, April 23rd. The award will be presented during Class Night on Friday, May 28.
Class of 2010, your vote counts – so be sure to remember and recognize a faculty member whose teaching has inspired you!
Wiki Wiki WHAT!?: A Very Wiki Workshop
This semester in the Technology On Your Own Terms series, we’ve had some great discussions about digital photography, photo sharing, and privacy settings in Facebook. We’ll be wrapping up the spring series next Wednesday with one last workshop for our University of Scranton faculty and staff.
Most people have heard the word wiki (even just in reference to Wikipedia), but not everyone knows what it means. In a workshop titled “Wiki Wiki WHAT?!: What You Need to Know to Understand, Create, and Maintain Wikis,” public services librarian George Aulisio will help participants understand not just what the word wiki means but why wikis are useful tools. In this session, George will help attendees set up a wiki account and add content to a wiki page.
The workshop will be held Wednesday, April 28th in Weinberg Memorial Library room 306 from 12pm-1pm. If you’d like to attend, please register at www.scranton.edu/ctleregistration.
Image courtesy of Flickr user nojhan under a Creative Commons license
Earth Week in the Library
This year marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, and we green-minded folk here in the Library will be celebrating all week. Since this is our first year officially celebrating Earth Week, we thought we’d put up a few displays to encourage everyone to start thinking about how the Library could be more sustainable. So if you visit our building this week, be sure to take a look at:
1) Our 5’3″ stack of paper in the second floor computer lab, which represents the 45,000 sheets of paper our Library printers use up each week.
2) Our growing collection of recycled paper, showing how much paper is thrown into the recycling bin in the computer lab each week. While we’re glad that this paper is being recycled rather than just thrown away, we hope to impress upon all of our patrons just how much paper is wasted each week. Please only print when necessary!
3) Our “These Come From Trees” reminder stickers, now on every Library printer, copier, and paper towel dispenser.
4) A display of sustainability-themed books in our fourth floor Quiet Study Room.
5) Recommendations for sustainability-related resources from our faculty and staff, on the first floor right inside the Library’s terrace entrance
6) A big sheet of paper (reused, naturally!) where you can write down your own ideas and suggestions for how the Library should go green in 2010.
Also, check back here at Infospot @ WML throughout the week for green-themed books that we’ve just recently added to our collection.
And when you’re not in the Library, be sure to participate in some of the joint University of Scranton/City of Scranton Earth Week activities, starting with tonight’s concert by alternative rock band Monty Are I and culminating on Friday with the popular Fair Trade Fair.
Game Night 2.0 Was Pretty Awesome
Game Night 2.0 was as successful as version 1.0 back in February! From 8-11 pm, the 5th floor Heritage Room was filled with students.
We had everything.
Food:
Trivial Pursuit:
And of course, video games:
Digital Services Librarian Kristen Yarmey-Tylutki and Part Time Reference Librarian Neil Grimes also stopped by to enjoy the fun:
Overall, the night was a success.
This time, we were equipped with a Wii Fit, two Wiis (would the plural of “Wii” be “Woo”?) — one hooked up to Rock Band and the other to Mario Kart. We even had a Sega and an original Nintendo!
Like last time, we had a raffle with fabulous prizes and while the counts aren’t in yet, there were a lot of people that texted us their names and email addresses in order to enter -– the winners will be emailed soon with information on how to claim their $10 Amazon gift cards.
In the end, after all the food was gone, and everyone had cleared out, Public Services Librarians George Aulisio and Donna Mazziotti rocked out to Alanis Morissette on Rock Band:
We asked students if they would want to have another Game Night…
The responses were fairly consistent:
Something tells me there will be a Game Night 3.0. Keep your eyes out for it.
National Library Week to be Celebrated at the University
This year, the Weinberg Library will join libraries through the nation in celebrating the importance and value of libraries to their communities, whether they serve a public, academic, or school population. To begin our celebration, we’d like to invite you to participate in our second Gaming Night, which will kick off the week. Following a very successful maiden run in February, library patrons responded to a survey which asked if it the event should be repeated. The positive response was overwhelming, so on Monday evening April 12 from 8-11 P.M. you may try your hand (and foot) at a variety of Wii games, including Wii Fit, Wii Sport, and Mario Kart. Free refreshments – pizza, wings, and more will be offered, and if Wii isn’t your forte, traditional board games will also be available. Come and take a break from your studies for a while — you may even win one of our great prizes! While you are in the library, stop at 4th floor Quiet Study Room to view the display of favorite books by library staffers. A wide range of fiction, non-fiction and children’s books will be featured, each with the staff member’s name. Finally, the Library is rolling out our newest reference service — Text a UofS Librarian. If your phone is equipped with a basic texting service, you may text a message to our reference desk at 570-687-8787 any time the Library is open. Questions about book locations, library hours, and library holdings can be quickly answered through our texting service.
And although our annual Book Sale starts next weekend (April 23-25), it is still not too late to donate books to the sale. Boxes are positioned in the Monroe Avenue side lobby of the Weinberg Library. All donations are welcome!
Come and celebrate National Library Week at the Weinberg Library.