Just a reminder…
Mardi Gras at the Library is Tonight!
Come to the Heritage Room between 8-11 to enjoy Wii games, Board Games, Pizza, Wings, Chips, Pretzels, Donuts, Soda, M&M’s, Free Beads, and Prizes!!
See you there!
Share those photos!
Good news – we still have seats left for this Friday’s Technology on Your Own Terms workshop on photo sharing.
This time, Library systems staff member and computer training coordinator Vince Yanusauskas will present “Can You See Me Now?: Creating Digital Web Albums to Share with Family and Friends.” Vince will demonstrate Google’s free Picasa service, which gives users 1 GB of free storage space to save, organize, describe, and share their favorite photos with their favorite people.
The workshop will be held on Friday, February 19th from 12pm-1pm in Weinberg Memorial Library Room 306. If interested, be sure to register for a seat at www.scranton.edu/ctleregistration, under Special Events. All University faculty and staff are welcome.
Photo collage (made using Picasa) is courtesy of Flickr user Burnt Pixel, under a Creative Commons license.
Wolfram | Alpha
By now Wolfram|Alpha might already be old news, but just in case you haven’t heard about it, you should really check it out…
Wolfram|Alpha is set-up to look like a Search Engine similar to Google, but it is actually a “computation machine.”
This resource is a good tool for finding statistics, socio-economic data, information on a date, figuring out equations, and has data on specific locations.
You’ll see on their Examples by Topic page that Wolfram|Alpha could be useful for the following Subjects — Math, Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Education, Sociology, Criminal Justice, Engineering, Geography, and a lot more.
Just to get a feel for it, I suggest plugging in your Birthday to see what you get, then try doing a comparison, for example: Scranton, PA vs. Philadelphia, PA.
I’m sure you’ll at least find it to be interesting. Those of you who work with numbers, facts, and data might find this “computation machine” to be downright awesome.
Mardi Gras at the Library!
This Tuesday night (Feb 16) from 8pm to 11pm the Library will be hosting a gaming night for Scranton students.
Students will have the entire Heritage Room to themselves to kick back, socialize, eat, and play some games!
There will be three Wii consoles on three different televisions and students will have the option to play Mario Kart, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, Wii Fit, Wii Sports, and Rock Band. For those students who prefer classic gaming over video gaming there will also be various board games set up along the room.
Not yet intrigued?
What if the Library throws in Pizza, Wings, Soda, Chips, and Candy in the mix for you!
Still not enough?
OK, OK. How about three $10 Amazon gift cards that every student who shows up has a chance of winning regardless of one’s gaming skills?
We figured that would get your attention! See you at the Library!
The Ritsuko Sato Exhibit
The Weinberg Memorial Library is featuring the artwork of Ritsuko Sato of Kurashiki City Japan. Curator Kazuaki Kishimoto of the Nagi Museum of Contemporary Art stated “Sato’s work is by no means subtle or predictable. Her often deformed motifs dynamically combine chaotic and random strokes with bright vibrant colors. The effects are almost childlike in their innocence, revealing Sato’s unique impressions and interpretations of the world around her.” The exhibit will run from February 8 through April 25.
Book Sale 2010: The Preparations Begin
We’re T-minus 73 days to the kickoff of Book & Plant Sale 2010, and the Library staff is already busy getting ready for our biggest annual event. Clear your calendar for April 24 and 25, since this year’s sale promises to be one of our best yet.
The Library has started collecting donations of used hardcover and paperback books, along with videos, CDs, records, and tag sale items. If you’re doing some early spring cleaning and would like to donate, please drop off your contributions in the donation boxes at our Monroe Ave entrance.
Recruitment of this year’s class of volunteers has also begun. We’re looking for students, patrons, and friends of the Library to help us price, organize, and sell our books. Give Barb E. a call at 570-941-4078 and let her know what times you’re available.
And in the meantime, feel free to start thinking about where you’ll start your browsing when the doors open. Cookbooks? Nonfiction? Barb’s famous “Special Treasures”? The fragrant flowering plants? Whichever section catches your eye, shop with a happy heart, knowing that your purchases benefit the Friends of the Library endowment fund and support the collections and services of the Weinberg Memorial Library.
Now Hiring: Tech-Savvy Students as Library TechCons
The Weinberg Memorial Library seeks to hire two talented, dedicated student workers to serve as Library Technology Consultants (TechCons).
TechCons are highly skilled student workers who support the work of the Weinberg Memorial Library. They are technology-savvy, self-driven, reliable, and able to work both independently as well as in a team environment. TechCons work approximately ten hours each week, with flexible scheduling, and gain valuable real-world experience and training.
TechCons are undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at The University of Scranton and are eligible for federal, state, or University work study funding.
The Weinberg Memorial Library currently has two open TechCon positions:
Digitization TechCon
This TechCon supports the Library’s digitization initiatives and reports to the Digital Services Librarian. Monday-Friday, daytime hours only. Job responsibilities for this position include:
- Digitizing photographs, negatives, and documents from the University’s Special Collections.
- Contributing technical information to digital collections metadata, conforming to standards set by the Digital Services Librarian.
- Copying and distributing digital images requested by Library patrons.
- Promoting digital collections with postings to the Library’s Flickr account, etc.
- Performing other digitization duties as assigned.
Preferred qualifications for this position include:
- Experience with Adobe Photoshop
- High level of attention to detail
Library Outreach TechCon
This TechCon supports the Library’s Public Services initiatives and reports to the Library’s Evening Public Services Librarian. Afternoon, evening and some weekend hours available. Job responsibilities for this position include:
- Publicizing Library events and services using the Library’s social media presence (with regular postings to the Library’s blog, Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter accounts).
- Researching the usage of social media tools at other libraries.
- Preparing informational slides, images, and video for the Library’s new television displays.
- Photographing Library events and activities.
- Assisting the Public Services Librarians in planning outreach activities. Potential projects include gaming events and Earth Week.
- Assisting the Digital Services Librarian and Digitization TechCon in promoting digital collections.
- Assisting with other special projects as needed.
Preferred qualifications for this position include:
- Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, Flash, and Powerpoint
- Familiarity with Mac operating system and software
- Experience with audio/video editing and graphic design
- Excellent written communication skills
- Familiarity with social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter, and with current social media trends and culture
If you are interested in either position, please email Digital Services Librarian Kristen Yarmey-Tylutki at yarmeyk2@scranton.edu with your name, Royal Number, major, expected graduation date, and either a resume or a brief statement of your qualifications. Please also note whether you are eligible for federal or state work study.
Wireless Printing for Macs Now Available in the Weinberg Library
Photo courtesy of Ruben Bos under a Creative Commons license
It’s a great day for Mac users at the Weinberg Memorial Library! You can now wirelessly print from your Mac laptop to one of our UniPrint printing stations. Just check out our instructions here and print away. If you run into any trouble, let a library employee know so that we can fix the problem.
Wireless printing is not yet available for 64-bit Vista systems – only Macs and 32-bit PCs. Thanks for your patience, Vista users!
Spring 2010 and Groundhogology
Photo courtesy of Eric Begin, under a Creative Commons license
At the University of Scranton, we don’t need Punxsutawney Phil to tell us when spring starts. The stream of returning students and faculty is all we needed to see to know that Spring 2010 has officially started!
Still, if you’re a fan of rodents (or just looking to postpone those class readings for another few hours), there’s a lot to learn about Groundhog Day. We poked around and found a few fun resources to share on February 2nd:
- “Groundhog Ways:” a brief article by Thomas P. Mahoney and Paul Rauber explaining the biochemistry behind groundhog weather prognostication (in Sierra magazine)
- Encyclopedia of Life can tell you everything you could ever want know about the groundhog (aka Marmota monax)
- Groundhog Day: Halfway Through Winter: A Huffington Post article by Donna Henes on Groundhog Day as the winter midpoint
- The Official Website of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club has all the inside info on Phil and his Inner Circle of protectors (did you know that Phil lives at the Punxsutawney Memorial Library when he’s not busy looking for his shadow?)
- VisitPA has webcams set up so that you can watch the action at Gobbler’s Knob live (starting at 3am tomorrow)
And don’t forget, if you just can’t wait to know whether or not Phil sees his shadow, this year you can get his prognostication via text message. Just text “Groundhog” to 247365 (standard rates apply).
Regardless of what Phil predicts, we here at the Library are back on our regular hourly schedule for the Spring 2010 semester. You’ll find us here:
Monday-Thursday 8am – 11:30pm
Friday 8am – 10:00pm
Saturday 12pm – 8pm
Sunday 12pm – 11:30pm
Schemel Forum Spring 2010
The Spring 2010 Schemel Forum schedule is officially out!
If you’re into Arthurian Legend, Shakespeare, or medieval books, this semester’s evening courses are for you. University of Scranton faculty members Rebecca Beal, Richard J. Klonoski, Michael Friedman, and the Library’s own Michael Knies will be engaging community members in discussions of books, films, and philosophy relevant to each of their respective topics.
For a look at modern global politics, take a look at this semester’s luncheon seminar series. Author Parag Khanna returns to the University this year on February 17 to discuss “Global Politics and Economics: A 21st Century View.” We’re also looking forward to February 26, when Alex Thier from the United States Institute of Peace will speak on “Enigma and Dilemma: Our Fraught Relationship with Afghanistan and Pakistan,” and March 5, when CNN correspondent Jill Dougherty will speak on “Who Runs Russia? Deciphering Moscow’s Centers of Power.”
Finally, be sure to clear your calendar for the Schemel Forum’s spring concerts. On April 18, contemporary Zimbabwe pianist Jeanette Miklem will perform “A Schumann Recital,” while on June 28, “Tango Power Returns!” will showcase the music of tango masters Carlos Gardel and Astor Piazzolla.
For more information or to register for any Schemel Forum Events, contact Kym Fetsko at fetskok2 (at) scranton (dot) edu or 570-941-7816.