Bike Scranton Season Wraps Up

The University’s 2015 participation in this bike share program was very successful. In 5 months we loaned bikes 312 times, with 188 of those loans being to undergraduates. Special thanks to the Lackawanna Heritage Valley for inviting the University to partner on this new program. Bike Scranton will be back in April of 2016. Thanks to everyone for your positive response to this green initiative!

Spotlight on Student Worker Kerry Callahan

Kerry Callahan is in the student worker spotlight this week. A native of Garden City, New York Kerry graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science in May 2013 and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Physical Therapy. Kerry has been at The University for seven years and has worked in Media Resources/EdLab for the last three. During those three years Kerry has demonstrated a professional attitude, willingness to take on new projects and exceptional organizational skills. She has assisted patrons, and taken inventory of materials, but she most enjoys choosing films for the display table and previewing new films.

The set hours at the Library help Kerry organize her busy schedule, which includes being a full-time student and also working for the Catering Department. She enjoys reading and her favorite books are the Harry Potter series. Her favorite movie is Lord of the Rings. Always active, Kerry participates in several Intramural sports including Kickball, Ultimate Frisbee and Flag Football. She is a member of the Physical Therapy Club and the Journal Club where members go over a primary research or review paper. The goal of the club is to help students with reading, writing and presenting scientific literature.

Kerry has learned a great deal about the Library’s resources over the years and her advice to other students is that they should ask for assistance and not make assumptions about what is or is not available.

In the spring semester Kerry will be traveling. In February she’ll go to California to present research about cardiac surgery and depression and after that she’s off to Albuquerque, New Mexico and Washington, D.C. to complete her clinical internships.

Thank you, Kerry, for all you hard work for the Library. We wish you all the best!

Films for Veterans Day

Celebrate Veterans Day by picking up a patriotic film displayed in Media Resources. Our military men and women have been portrayed in many films over the years. Watch the story of an African-American sailor who dreamed of becoming a U.S. Navy Master Diver in Men of Honor. The movie Flags of Our Fathers boldly explores the complex nature of heroism, bravery and patriotism in the harrowing true story of four Marines during WWII and how a single photo emerged as one of the most enduring icons of the 20th century. If you’d like a local story of courage, try the extraordinary docudrama Gino Merli: the Healing Hero. These movies along with American Sniper, The Best Years of Our Lives, Legends of the Fall and many others remind us of all our Veterans have done for us. Stop in to check one out.

Technology on your own Terms: Music Streaming

Next week will be the first Technology on your own Terms series of the fall!

Music Streaming: Tuesday, November 17, 12pm-1pm in Weinberg Memorial Library 305. Presenter, Sam Davis, Library Systems Specialist.

Do any Google search for ‘music streaming’ or ‘online radio’, and you’re presented with a myriad of options for listening to music. When it comes to listening to music online, how do you know which one to pick? If it worth the possible subscription?  Much like Goldilocks looking for the perfect bed, it’s difficult to find the best one in a sea of options. In this session, we’re going to discuss popular streaming services like Pandora and Spotify, examine some offbeat choices such as Amazon Music or Google Play, plus examine the results of the music streaming survey.

Fill out a brief survey on your music streaming preferences in preparation for the session here.

A light lunch will be provided. TOYOTs are open to all University faculty and staff, but seats are limited, so please let us know if you plan to attend. You can register at www.scranton.edu/ctleregistration under Technology on Your Own Terms.

Spotlight on Student Worker Farishta Abdullahi

Farishta- Special Collections-3The Library is proud to spotlight one of its hardworking student workers, Farishta Abdullahi. This is Farishta’s fourth year in the McHugh Special Collections & University Archives, and her primary work includes processing negatives from the Terry and Paula Connors Photograph Collection and accessioning records from the Office of the Provost into the University Archives.  Every spring Farishta also volunteers at the Friends of the Weinberg Library Annual Book Sale.

Although much of Farishta’s work takes place behind the scenes, she always maintains a high work ethic, and she says that she enjoys the quiet satisfaction of processing and organizing the archival records. She says that she even finds it relaxing!

Farishta is an Accounting major with a minor in Arabic, and she is actually fluent in four languages, including Urdu and Hindi! She plans to graduate in May 2016 and become a Certified Public Accountant.

This past summer Farishta was a marketing intern in the Women’s Entrepreneurship Center and Small Business Development Center at the University of Scranton. Throughout the summer she promoted the Center’s activities and provided individual assistance to women who were interested in exploring the possibility of starting their own business. She also wrote informational blog posts on a variety of business topics, including Sustainable Product Ideas, Challenges of Owning a Seasonal Business, and Improving Credit When Starting a Small Business.

This semester, along with balancing her course work and work-study hours, she is interning at Tatulli & Associates, an accounting, tax, and financial consulting firm in Dunmore.

When Farishta finally has some down time, she enjoys watching Asian dramas and playing with her 6 month old niece.

Farishta’s advice to other University of Scranton students is that the Library has a lot to offer – take advantage of it!

Thank you, Farishta, for all of your support to the Library!

Game Night in the Library this week!

Slide1The library will be hosting an open Game Night Thursday, November 5, from 8-11PM in the Reilly Learning Commons! All students, staff, and faculty are welcome to join in the fun. There will be Just Dance on the Xbox Kinect, Rockband on the PS3, SuperSmash bros on the Wii, and MarioKart on the Wii!

Free Pizza, Soda, and Snacks will be provided!

Technology On Your Own Terms–Fall 2015

TOYOT_logo4a-smallOn behalf of the Weinberg Memorial Library and the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, we invite University of Scranton faculty and staff to the Fall 2015 Technology On Your Own Terms (TOYOT) workshops.

Music Streaming: Tuesday, November 17, 12pm-1pm in Weinberg Memorial Library 305. Presenter, Sam Davis, Library Systems Specialist.

Do any Google search for ‘music streaming’ or ‘online radio’, and you’re presented with a myriad of options for listening to music. When it comes to listening to music online, how do you know which one to pick? If it worth the possible subscription?  Much like Goldilocks looking for the perfect bed, it’s difficult to find the best one in a sea of options. In this session, we’re going to discuss popular streaming services like Pandora and Spotify, examine some offbeat choices such as Amazon Music or Google Play, plus examine the results of the music streaming survey.

Fill out a brief survey on your music streaming preferences in preparation for the session here.

New Travel Websites and Transportation Apps: Tuesday, December 1, 12pm-1pm in Weinberg Memorial Library 305. Presenters John Culkin, Senior Systems Administer and Sheli McHugh, Cataloging & Metadata Librarian and Learning Commons Coordinator.

There are a slew of new websites and apps that are transforming the way we travel, both locally and beyond. We will explore several companies that are part of the sharing economy, including Air BnB, Uber, and Lyft. We will look at the features of using each app, the types of services included, and explore security concerns.

A light lunch will be provided. Both sessions are open to all University faculty and staff, but seats are limited, so please let us know if you plan to attend. You can register at www.scranton.edu/ctleregistration under Technology on Your Own Terms.