Spring Break 2011

Crocuses

Image courtesy of Flickr user amortize under a CC license

Spring has finally arrived in Scranton, and with it, Spring Break!

The Library’s hours over Spring Break are as follows:

Friday, March 18          8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday- Sunday, March 19-20          Closed
Monday-Thursday, March 21-24          8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Friday, March 25          8:00 a.m. –   4:30 p.m.
Saturday March 26          Closed
Sunday, March 27          Noon-11:30 p.m.

Have a great break everyone–enjoy the sunshine!

Prep for Parade Day with Resources on St. Patrick

As every Scrantonian knows, the big excitement in town this weekend is Parade Day.  Whether you’re planning to watch the parade or stay home and avoid the crowds, it’s also a nice weekend to reflect on St. Patrick and the history and traditions of Ireland.

Here in the Weinberg Memorial Library, we have several biographies of St. Patrick as well as the texts of his two surviving writings – the Confessio and the Epistola ad milites Corotici.  And of course we have a lot of resources on Ireland, including some great films and media resources.  You can also find a lot of interesting articles about St. Patrick, Irish history and culture, and the history of St. Patrick’s Day by searching our Academic Search Elite, America: History and Life, and ProQuest Central databases.

There are also some great resources out there on the web. Take a few minutes to check out:

Scranton’s Native Son Returns Home

“Follow the underground railroad” via the Center for Anti-Slavery Studies exhibit at the Weinberg Memorial Library, Heritage Room, March 10-18, during regular library hours. Join “Scranton’s Native Son” Sherman Wooden for a reception and book signing on March 15, 2011, from 4:30-6:30pm at the same venue. read more

Finding New Books Made Easy

WML Research GuidesThanks to the Library’s Cataloging Department, finding new books has never been easier.

Now, if you want to see what new books have come in for a specific subject, then all you have to do is visit the Library’s Research Guides at www.scranton.edu/library/researchguides.

You would then pick a subject, for example “History.” In the History Research Guides page you will see useful links which direct you to helpful Databases, Reference Books, Websites, and contact information for the Librarian Subject Specialist; but now there is also a link to “New Library Books.” Clicking New Library Books will take you to the library’s Catalog and a display of all of the new books that the library has acquired for that specific Academic Department!

Library Game Night!

The Library will be hosting a Game Night on March 8th @ 8PM in the Heritage Room on the 5th floor.  We’ll have Wii, Mario Cart, Rockband and board games too!  Stop by for some snacks, play some games, and enter to win a grand prize!  We’ll be raffling off 2 Amazon Gift Cards!  Students, Faculty and Staff are all welcome! We hope to see you there!

Save our World!

Now available at the Library for purchase are BPA-Free reusable water bottles. These BPA-Free reusable water bottles are only $7 and you can use the Library’s new water purifier to fill-up for free!

The Library Green Team has been dedicated to tackling as many environmental issues as we can. By purchasing one of these bottles and filling up for free at the new water purifier in the 24 hour room, you can help show your Scranton Pride and support Sustainability!

The water bottles are 28 ounces and are made with BPA-Free plastic.

New: Electronic Masters and Honors Theses Collection

Each year at the University of Scranton, graduating masters and honors students demonstrate their research prowess by writing and defending a scholarly thesis.  Since 1955, the University Library has preserved these works in print form in our Special Collections.

Now, the Weinberg Memorial Library is proud to introduce the new Electronic Masters and Honors Theses Collection, a new digital home for University of Scranton masters and honors student scholarship.

The collection currently includes 359 graduate and undergraduate theses written by University of Scranton students from 1955 to the present.  While the digital collection does not yet include all of the theses the Library holds in print, we are continually adding newly digitized and newly submitted works.  With the permission of their respective authors, these theses are either available to the public or restricted to on-campus users only.

If you’re an alumnus who wrote an honors or masters thesis as part of your University of Scranton coursework and would like to include your thesis in the collection, please visit our Thesis Permission page to find out how you can request that your thesis be digitized.  As in the past, your original printed thesis will still be preserved in the Library’s Special Collections.

Questions or comments about the Electronic Masters and Honors Theses collection may be directed to the Digital Services department at etheses@scranton.edu or 570-941-7003.

Check in to the Library on Foursquare!

Foursquare users should be sure to check in to the Library each time they visit – our Mayor wins a free Library water bottle!

So far, we’ve had 87 check in a total of 570 times.  Our goal is to be more popular than the DeNaples Center, where 134 people have checked in 936 times.

Keep an eye out for other Foursquare specials on campus – they’re coming soon!

Some Like It Hot, Some Like It Cold, Everyone Likes it When It supports Sustainability!

There is now a filtered water dispenser in the new 24 hours space.  The first button on the right dispenses room temperature water.  Press the second button for cold.  To get hot, you need to press the key icon before pressing the button on the left.  This feature prevents accidentally discharging hot water.

Coming soon:  100 BPA-Free reusable water bottles which feature the University of Scranton “S” and a green leafy “W” for the Weinberg Memorial Library