LIBRARY CLOSING EARLY TODAY

Due to the winter storm Morton Library will be closing today, Saturday, December 19, at noon.

We intend to re-open on Monday with our Christmas week hours:
December 21 and 22: 8:00am - 5:00pm

Rachel

Christmas Book Suggestions, part 3

This is the last in a series of posts recommending books I love for reading and sharing at Christmas. Have a joyous holiday.

Ann Dunbar, Joyce. This is the Star. Harcourt Children’s Books, 1996. ISBN: 0152008519. The text builds on itself in a way similar to "The House that Jack Built," with the repetition making it a wonderful way to tell the story to young children. (The text is considerably more sophisticated than "The House that Jack Built," but it is the building-on-itself nature of the text that makes it so effective.) The pictures are beautiful.

Paterson, Katherine. Angels and Other Strangers: Family Christmas Stories. HarperCollins, 2006. ISBN: 0060783761. Paterson has written nine stories that can easily be read by upper elementary children, but that also lend themselves to reading aloud. Although several of the stories do not reflect the happiness that we traditionally think of in imagining Christmas, her stories are full of real people and real hope that is grounded in the reality of God’s presence in our world. I have used these stories in elementary church school classrooms, and my own family read them every Christmas as a part of our Advent ritual on Sunday evenings. (I've known several ministers who have used these stories at Christmas Eve services.) Another good collection of similar stories is Paterson’s A Midnight Clear and Cynthia Rylant’s Children of Christmas.

Visions of Christmas: A Renaissance Nativity. Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, 1997. ISBN: 0689813597. Pairing the words of the Christmas story from the King James version of the Bible with full color reproductions from Renaissance painters (many done as triptychs) makes for a beautiful marriage of text and picture. Although the publisher says this is for ages 9 – 12, I think it works best as a book to share. Although it is out of print, it is still possible to find some used copies.

Christmas Reception This Morning

Whether you're finished your courses or you just need a study break or need a break from your office, join the staff of Morton Library this morning from 10:00 - 11:00 for a Christmas reception. Have a snack, enjoy a beverage, and join us as we celebrate this holy season.

Rachel

ATLAS for Alumni/ae changes coming

We have been notified that after 31 December 2009, the American Theological Library Association will no longer provide support for the interface and login we have been using in our ATLAS for Alumni/ae program.

It will be necessary for us to change the username and password that give our alumni/ae access to the ATLAS database. Because this is confidential information, we cannot post it here. You will need to email our Reference Librarian, Paula Skreslet, to obtain the new user ID and password. She will check your alumni status and then reply to your email with the necessary information. We realize that this is inconvenient for you, and we do apologize.

PLEASE BE SURE TO GO TO THE ATLAS FOR ALUMS PAGE FOR FURTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS !

Paula

More Christmas Books

Last week's Friday post provided information about four Christmas books that I really like. Here are three more to consider:

Berry, James. Celebration Song. Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, 1994. ISBN: 0671894463. Set in the West Indies, Mary tells Jesus about the day of his birth on his first birthday. The cadences of the text are Caribbean, and the art work captures the feel of a different world. A joyful book that reminds us that the story of Christmas is told and heard in other cultures in ways that can help us hear the familiar story in new ways.

Crespi, Francesca. The Nativity: Six Glorious Pop-Up Scenes. Sterling Publishing, 2005. ISBN: 1402729197. Crespi is known illustrations using elaborate paperwork (and most specifically what we would call popup books) and has a number of them related to Christmas and Advent. Popup books come with some anxiety for most parents, so you’ll have to determine for yourself whether it is one you’d like to purchase. But I’m intrigued by how popups work, and both the art and the text in this book are very, very nice. (Crespi has also done popups on Christmas carols and an advent calendar, but you’ll have a hard time finding them available in used bookshops.)

DiCamilo, Kate. Great Joy. Candlewick Press, 2007. ISBN: 0763629200. Centered around a young girl who will be an angel in her church’s Christmas play, and a homeless organ grinder, this story puts flesh on the announcement that the angels bring tidings of great joy.

Ann

A-B Section

You may notice some partially empty shelves, cleaning cloths, and moving carts in the A-B section. We are in the process of re-organizing this area to alleviate overcrowded shelves and maximize our space. If you have difficulty locating a book in this section our Circulation staff will be glad to help.

Thank you for your patience as we enhance this part of our collection.

Rachel

Catalog update now complete

We have finished updating the interface to our Morton Library catalog, and we have also uploaded new pages to our catalog tutorials, both text and video. You will probably perceive a newer, cleaner, less cluttered look and simplified functioning of these sites.

We are still testing all of the links and features of every page, so you might find a few anomalies. If you have any trouble, we suggest reloading the page you are viewing ("refresh" your browser) and try again. If it still doesn't seem right, please drop me a quick email. I'm also happy to receive any other questions or comments you may have.

We hope these changes will make your use of our catalog easier and more pleasant!

Paula

Tis the Season...

Advent has begun and as we move towards the celebration of the birth of Christ, I've begun geting out all my creches and Christmas books. As you can well imagine, there are thousands of children's books that focus on this season. Over the next three weeks, I'll share ten of my favorites. Some are out of print but are still available through used booksellers on the web.

Slate, Joseph. Who is Coming to Our House? Putnam Juvenile, 1988. ISBN: 0399215379. The animals in the stable are getting ready for visitors. In simple rhyme, they outline their preparations for the guest that they don’t yet know. Children will recognize the animals, but would also need to know the Christmas story in order to understand who the guests are. There are not too many books with Advent themes written for young children (the suggested ages for this are 4-8) but this catches the anticipation and preparation that are part of our Advent focus. My 3 year old granddaughter requests this book year round.

Simcox, Helen Earle. For All the World. Augsburg Fortress, 1994. ISBN: 0806627123. Less a book that tells the Christmas story than one that tries to show through text and art what it means that Jesus was born for all, the simple words and illustrations make this book wonderful for young children and old. I love this book and have given it to many children.

Macdonald, Alastair. First Christmas. Welcome Books, 2008. ISBN: 1599620553. Written as a poem (and a long one at that – the book is 44 pages) narrated by Zeke, the donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem, I find the text slightly jarring. (Reading Joseph say, “I thought I was your man!” when reacting to Mary’s pregnancy didn’t quite ring true!) But, goodness, the pictures are magnificent. They are done by Coptic Christian artist Adel Nassief who lives in Egypt, and are painted in the style of ancient Coptic icons. There is a fascinating chapter at the end of the book on the history of Coptic iconography.

Hendry, Diana. Christmas in Exeter Street. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1989. ISBN: 0679801340. This book was originally published in England and came out in paperback in 2002, so if you want to find a used copy, look for all versions. This is the only book in my collection that has Father Christmas in it (the book’s reference to Santa Claus), but it is the joyful, exuberant ‘room in the inn’ theme that makes this one of my favorite Christmas books. There is no word of Jesus in this book, but I think it’s theme of welcoming and hospitality and making a place for all makes it a wonderful Christmas addition.

Ann

Improved Library catalog coming soon !

We are happy to announce that an update to our Morton Library catalog is almost ready to implement. We now expect it to go into active service on Monday, Dec 7th.

These changes will simplify the look and feel of our catalog interface, which has always been cluttered with links and options that we don't actually use. You will notice a nicer look, with more intelligible links and labels, and fewer steps needed to accomplish various operations. We have also added a number of helpful options that you may want to try out to see if you like them.

The Morton Library Catalog Tutorial is also being updated to reflect these changes.

For more information about these changes, click HERE. And once the changes are in place, feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you may have.

Paula

Still true

Paula

Server maintenance AGAIN

The Morton Library catalog and some other services will be offline for server maintenance this weekend, from about 11 pm Saturday till noon on Sunday.

In case you are wondering why this seems to happen so often, it's because we are compensating for the limitations of our server backup systems. A "cold" backup of the production server is needed periodically.

On this Thanksgiving weekend, let's be thankful for our wonderful systems librarian, Leland Deeds, who gives up his own holiday time to supervise this process. He intentionally schedules this work for times that will have a low impact on our users, but that means some pretty ugly hours for him. We owe him our gratitude!

Paula

Copyright....

We are in the process of helping the institution look at its copyright policies, particularly as it relates to use of Library materials. But it got me to thinking about all the ways the church needs to be paying attention to copyright issues as well. If your church shows a home video only movie at a retreat, or you copy a cartoon into your church newsletter without permission, your church may be in violation of copyright laws.

Copyright is a maddeningly confusing but the Presbyterian Church has a very good website to help you look at ways to make sure you are in compliance with current understandings of the law. You can check it out here.

Ann

Hours over the Thanksgiving break

Just a reminder that our hours will be shortened, starting tomorrow :

Nov 20 (F) 8 am - 5 pm
Nov 21 (Sa) 8 am- 1 pm
Nov 23-25 (M-W) 8 am - 5 pm
Nov 26-29 (Th-Su) CLOSED

On Nov 30 (M), regular Fall Term hours will resume. You can always find details about the current academic term hours at the Library by clicking HERE.

Paula

Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception

We want to call your attention to an exciting new resource, The Encyclopedia of the Bible and its Reception. This rather opaque title doesn't really convey what this new work can do. It's not just another Bible dictionary ... it's a comprehensive, detailed history of biblical interpretation.

Take any article at random -- AARON, for instance. This resource discusses the figure of Aaron the brother of Moses in the OT or Hebrew Bible, as you might expect. But then it proceeds to cover the treatment of Aaron in later Judaism, then in the New Testament, then in archaeological records, then in patristic, medieval, Reformation and modern Christian thought, then in Islamic teaching and tradition ... that's an amazing scope of detailed information about this figure through centuries of history and theology. Then it goes on to describe the portrayal of Aaron in art : in literature, the visual arts, and music. Each section includes a bibliography of further sources. That's an exceptional wealth of information all collected in one place!

What's more, you can use this resource on paper, in the form of a multivolume set in the Reference Room, or you can access it online, from anywhere, with your network user ID and password! Just go to our Online Databases page, and click on its name. It's searchable, printable ... even highlightable. Please, investigate it NOW!! I think you'll be very pleased.

Paula

Veteran's Day

Veterans past and present, THANK YOU for serving and protecting our freedom. Thank you to our Union-PSCE and BTSR students and alumni in active duty or Reserves who serve in various roles such as Military Chaplaincy.

Rachel

Server maintenance THIS WEEKEND

Our Systems Librarian will be performing regular maintenance on our Library OPAC this weekend. The OPAC will not be available Saturday, November 7, at 11:00pm until Sunday, November 8, at 6:00am.

Thank you for your patience as we enhance our online services.

Rachel

Last chance to see the Rare Books exhibit

Now that we've reached the end of October (which was Theological Libraries Month, in case you missed it!), we'll be taking down the rare books display in the main entryway of the Library. It will be in place this week during the Board of Trustees meeting, so you get one more chance to come over and see it!

For further information about the display, click HERE.

Paula

It's Here....

If you're associated with Union-PSCE, you've probably seen several announcements about the premiere of a new blog about using children's and adolescent books in the church (Children's Literature: A Resource for Ministry) We're thrilled to be a part of this new effort to support educational ministry in the church and hope you'll let us know what you think.

Are there books you'd like to see reviewed? Books that you think are helpful for expanding the experiences of readers? Head on over and leave a post. We'd love to hear from you!

New online resource headed your way....

We are very excited about a new blog that will go public on November 5 that connects the work of students in the Children's and Adolescent Literature class taught at Union-PSCE, Charlotte, with those involved in ministry in the local church.

As part of the coursework for this class, Drs. Pamela Mitchell Legg and Rebecca Davis required their students to read books, review them and identify faith questions that could be used in reflecting on the book. The books reviewed are written for all ages of children and young adults, and can be used with a variety of age groups.

In addition, students wrote lesson plans based on children's and adolescent literature and those will be shared and available for download to anyone who would like to use them! Dr. Mitchell Legg and Dr. Davis will also be providing their own ideas about using children's literature in the church in order to stimulate your own thinking about this frequently untapped resource.

So stay tuned for the web address that will be posted here (and in other places) on Nov. 5!! We hope you'll let us know what you think.

Forgot your syllabus?

A computer is available for you in the Reading Reserve room to locate the required course reserves for your classes. To access your course reserves ...

Click "Catalog" on our library homepage (no need to login)
Click "Databases/Reserves" at the top of the search page
Click "Course/Reading Reserves"
In the "type word or phrase" box, you may type either your professor's name, course name, or course number. Example: Gench, Frances
In the "field to search" box, click the drop-down arrow to select the method you prefer. Example: Instructor
Then click GO.

You'll be able to view all 72 course reserve items for Frances Gench's classes. To get the call number for any item, open its full record (by clicking on the little underlined number on the left side of the screen) and then click on "All items."

This sounds like a hassle, but it's really not so bad. To see full instructions with screen-capture images, click HERE.

Rachel

Catalog maintenance again

The Morton Library catalog and some other services will be offline for server maintenance this weekend, from about midnight Saturday till early morning (about 6 am) Sunday.

You probably shouldn't be studying at that time, anyway. Do yourself a favor and get some sleep !

Paula

Smart indeed

Paula

Welcome APCE Governing Cabinet!

The governing cabinet of the Association of Prebyterian Church Educators has been on campus this week and we've been delighted to see them in the Library between meeting times! APCE is a professional association concerned with the advancement of education in the church, and many of those on the governing cabinet - as well as hundreds of members - are Union-PSCE grads.

The APCE annual conference is one of my favorite continuing education events because of the outstanding speakers and worship leaders, and I try to bring some of that back to the IRC by purchasing the plenary addresses and sermons that are offered there.

You can find some of the stimulating speakers and preachers from past APCE conference by searching in the IRC by keyword 'Association of Presbyterian Church Educators'. We have more than 50 outstanding addresses and sermons that would be of interest to anyone concerned with education in the church.

Ann

Flu season and other issues

As everyone knows, flu season is upon us, with the additional problem of the H1N1 virus. We are trying to step up cleaning in the Library, including frequent cleaning of computer mice and keyboards with antibacterial wipes. Help yourself and others by washing your hands frequently and avoiding coughs or sneezes that could leave germs on surfaces.

I'm happy to note that we have had no reports so far of ZBSD, though we intend to implement this preparedness plan created by the University of Florida at Gainesville :

http://chalkboard.blogs.gainesville.com/files/2009/10/zombieplan.pdf

Paula

Catalog maintenance Saturday night

The Morton Library catalog and some other services will be offline for server maintenance this weekend, from about midnight Saturday till early morning (about 6 am) Sunday.

You probably shouldn't be studying at that time, anyway. Do yourself a favor and get some sleep !

Paula

Call Numbers

The Circulation staff has completed replacing the call number signs in the stacks. You will find these call number signs at the end of each shelving unit throughout our entire collection. Since completing our large moving/cleaning project last summer, we have adjusted the signs to reflect the new location of our books. The Periodicals and Reference areas have also been updated.

Rachel

The Drawers are Moving!

Well, to be more accurate, the contents of our audio storage drawers are being moved. We had a student for the summer who helped get a large number of our cassettes converted to compact disc. Those discs are now coming back into the IRC after being cataloged and labeled, and we need to find new drawer space! Things will calm down in a few weeks, but for now, be sure and read the labels on the drawers carefully to figure out where the specific item you're looking for might be!

As we receive new compact discs in, the IRC, we have to move the remaining cassettes to other drawers to make room for the new formats. This constant moving will be going on for another year or two, but it definitely gears up right after our summer student has been here!

And remember that you can always ask Lisa or me if you need help!

Ann

MetaLib working again

For a few weeks, we have been unable to access subscription content in our databases and e-journals through MetaLib, our metasearching instrument. It was not recognizing the logins of authorized users, for some reason.

Well, it seems to be working again now! When you connect to MetaLib from our Library homepage, you may click on the little padlock symbol in the upper right corner, and then enter your network user ID and password. If you are a Union-PSCE student, this is the same login you use for campus email and Blackboard. If you are a BTSR student, this is the network login we created for you when you applied for a Library card and account. It's not the same login you use for our Morton Library catalog.

Please contact our Reference Librarian, Paula Skreslet, or our Librarian for Academic Computing Support, Leland Deeds, if you need any further information or assistance.

Paula

Course Reserve Readings

There are 2 types of course reserve materials. 'Restricted Reserve' materials are books or articles chosen by the professor that are only available at the Circulation desk. Restricted Reserve items may be photocopied and cannot leave the library.

Regular course reserve books, located in the Reading Reserve room next to the Circulation desk, must be used in the Reserve Reading room except for photocopying. Also, two books per patron may be checked out 2 hours before the library closes. Such items must be returned by 9:30am the following morning. For a longer loan time you may check out reserve books on Saturdays beginning at 4:00pm. Books checked out on Saturdays will be due on Monday morning by 9:30am.

Rachel

Welcome Back!

September is always an exciting month around here as we pull reserves, provide library orientation, and greet returning students and meet new ones. We think that in choosing Union-PSCE for your graduate theological education, you've gotten a real gift in this wonderful Library. We hope you'll find its print, media and online resources useful and challenging during your time here, but we also hope you'll find our staff an equally valuable resource.

You can contact us by email or phone whenever you need help, but we also would really like to meet you and get to know you by name as we work together serving Christ's church. We hope you'll stop by and introduce yourself when you're in the building!

Blessings on your studies this year, and we look forward to working with you!

Ann

Problem with MetaLib search utility

Please be aware that our MetaLib metasearching program is having problems authenticating authorized users. It is not communicating properly with our exchange server, so it is unable to recognize valid login information.

It's still possible to use it to search our catalog and other public data, but the "locked" or proprietary resources (databases and e-journals) are not available, either inside the Library or remotely. Our systems librarian has reported this problem to the vendor and is awaiting their response.

We apologize for this failure and hope to have this valuable instrument restored soon.

Paula

Library Orientation this week

We know that some new students feel they don't really need a Library orientation. They think, "I already know how libraries work," or "I'll wait till I have a paper due and then go find my way around," or even "I'm not intending to use the Library at all, so why bother?" Our response to each of these statements is AAAAUUUUGGGHHHHHHH!!!

In fact, every academic library is different -- each one has its own practices and policies. Probably, you don't know as much about our Library as you think you do. Also, the worst time to walk through the door cold is when you are under deadline pressure and need information now. As for not using the Library, I hope you are not one of those ignorant souls who believes that all information is now freely available online. It is NOT. In biblical and theological studies, essential materials for research are published in print or are available electronically only through paid subscriptions to online databases, available to you through this Library.

BTSR's new students have a scheduled orientation session Wednesday, 9 Sept (that's tomorrow!), 1:30-2:45. New Union-PSCE students are scheduled for Thursday, 10 Sept, 1:45-2:30. Be sure to come and meet us, and get a very quick overview of the building & services.

Paula

Server maintenance Saturday night

We will be performing a server shutdown and cold backup starting on Saturday, 5 Sept, at 9 pm. The process should be complete on Sunday, 6 Sept, at about 9 am.

During this period, our Morton Library catalog will be unavailable. The MetaLib search utility and SFX will also be offline, so you will be unable to retrieve articles from some of our full-text electronic journals.

We regret this inconvenience. But we figure you shouldn't be trying to do this overnight Saturday on Labor Day weekend, anyway!! Many thanks to our systems librarian, Leland Deeds, for being willing to give up his holiday time to make this happen when it will be least disruptive to our users.

Paula

Huge stacks shift complete

The hard-working Circulation staff has just finished their complete cleaning and stacks shift of the whole collection! You will immediately notice cleaner and less crowded conditions in much of the building. Thank you, Circ staff!!

However, please note that in many areas, the labels attached to the end of the ranges have not been updated yet. The call numbers on those labels don't match the call numbers of the books on nearby shelves. It's a long, slow process to update those labels, and it will be a while before they are all correct.

Please bear with us, and look at the spine stickers on the books to find out where you are in the stacks.

Paula

Finding CD-ROMS

Currently, the Library houses circulating and non-circulating cd-roms in two different places. The Circulation Desk keeps general material that can be loaned for 2 hours in-house and CD-ROMS that can circulate for one week. The Instructional Resource Center houses non-circulating or restricted curriculum resources on CD-ROM.

To help you figure out where to go to get a CD-ROM title you have found, please make sure you are looking at the full view of an item record. The first line -- titled "holdings" -- will show you where the actual item is located. Further information about whether the item can be circulated or not will be in the local notes line.

You can get all sorts of information about any title if you are looking at the full view of the record instead of a list of items.

Ann

Welcome New Students!

Welcome to Morton Library - your library. Our Circulation staff would like to meet you and give you your new library access card (please bring your driver's license for identification). Also, we'll be glad to give you a brief overview of the library (borrowing privileges, etc...) before your more detailed library orientation in early September.

Let us know if you have any questions about your library. We're here to help, so please ask. We're glad you're here!

Rachel

The Free Table Overflows...

We're finishing up some work with an inventory project in the IRC and our loss is your gain. There is some good, older curricula that is out on the free table for your taking. There's even enough right now that the box underneath the table holds even more goodies you can have!

We didn't remove the security strips, so if you get stopped by the ringing bells at circulation, just show the staff the "remove from collection" stamp on every piece.

Help yourself!

Audio Library Tour is coming.......

For years, part of the orientation schedule for new students and faculty members has been a walking tour of the Library. Scheduling the tour for everyone at BTSR and Union-PSCE during an already packed week has always been a challenge, but since the library is one of the most important resources available to the community, it's well worth the time to offer the tour. But we know that in all the rush of that week, sometimes you just want to sit for awhile and not go to one more scheduled event! So this year, we're offering a new way to be introduced to the Library that YOU schedule at a time convenient for you.

We have been working on a podcast that you can sync to an mp3 player and that leads you on your own personal tour of the Library. You don't get to hear from the library staff as you do in a scheduled orientation tour (although we will wave at you if we see you walk through our areas with earphones on), but you will see what is offered on each floor and hear about services you will use as a student or faculty member.

If you don't have your own mp3 player, don't worry. The library plans to have a few that patrons can use. We hope this will be one more way to introduce you to a wonderful library.

The podcast isn't quite ready for prime time yet, but watch the news area of the library web page (and this blog) for more information about when you can begin using it.

Ann

More about summer reading

Most people know that our collection specializes in theological studies. But we also own quite a bit of quality fiction. Dr. Trotti teaches a class, INT 108 "Theology and Literature," that explores themes of faith and meaning in works of fiction.

Our collection includes classic texts with a Christian orientation, such as the works of C.S. Lewis, as well as current works that touch upon belief and religious life in community -- for example, books by Jan Karon, William Young or Sue Monk Kidd. There are also studies of the work of novelists that shed light on their thought, such as The Gospel According to Harry Potter by C.W. Neal.

Use our catalog to find these books, or just browse the shelves in the BZ section.

Paula

More Online Resources

Several months ago, I posted about a few online resources that I thought might be helpful for those who are responsible for planned educational experiences. As this whole area continues to be one that publishers are embracing and in which church members are interested, I thought I'd give you a few more. We're also in conversation with an ecumenical group of resource directors around the country to post reviews on the IRC website related to online resources. We hope that will be something you can use.

Whole People of God Online - Coming out of the United Church of Canada, this was a very popular lectionary based curriculum that merged with The Inviting Word to become Seasons of the Spirit in 2005. Some of the best of the original material is still available for download online and seeks to integrate worship and education through the coordinated use of the lectionary.

Infusion Bible Studies - Available at Cokesbury for a year long subscription or purchase by individual unit, these can be found by book of the Bible or theme. Each one week study is $8.00.

Ann

Summer Reading

Weekly we add new books to our "For Sale" bookshelves, located next to the Circulation desk. These gently used books have been donated by local ministers and laypersons. Stop by and check out our current selection of commentaries, sermons, and Bible dictionaries. Paperbacks are fifty cents and hardbacks are one dollar.

Rachel

What does the Public Want?

Paula, Rachel and I - the regular bloggers here - are all public service librarians. We're on the front lines of interacting with those of you who come into the Library or who call on the phone for help. However, all of us at Morton Library are working to make sure that our patrons are well served.

You might be interested to know that our entire full-time staff was recently given the assignment of visiting another library - preferably one we hadn't been to before - to see library services with fresh eyes. We spent a three hour retreat together last week sharing insights from those visits and thinking of ways we might improve the experience that you have when you interact with our facility, collections, catalog and staff.

We have some ideas for making our public service better, and we hope you'll see the fruits of our discussion emerge over the coming year. But we'd like to hear directly from you as well. What could we do better? How can we improve our service to you?

Ann

Ruckus in the Ref Room

We apologize for the disturbance caused by the maintenance work going on in the Reference Room. They are working on the electrical wiring, which necessarily causes some noise and disorder. It's a little distracting if you are trying to study in there.

We are sorry for the "ruckus" and hope to get the work finished as soon as possible.

Paula

Carrel Loan books

This summer our Circulation staff is working diligently on several projects. One project in particular is the Carrel Loan collection in the stacks. Carrel Loan books are to be enjoyed inside the Library (including photocopying, if needed) and are identified with an asterisk above the call number on the spine of the book. In addition to the asterisk you will find a large bright yellow sticker on the front cover of these specific books. The sticker reads: CARREL LOAN For Library Use Only!

Rachel

Update on our Conversion Project

I've mentioned before about our project to convert many of our cassettes in the IRC into compact disc format. We are only able to convert those cassettes that were recorded on campus, that were given to us by the National Council of Churches or for which we have been able to secure permission for a format change. This is going to leave us with a large number of cassettes that cannot be reformatted, but we're hoping this project will enable our patrons to have audio material in a more usable format now that cassette players are getting harder to find!

We have a student worker this summer who has worked with us for nearly three years on this project and is making remarkable progress. He's started on the cassettes whose call number begin with K and we're hoping to make it into the M's before he leaves for college in the fall. We're delighted with the progress he's making, but want to remind you that in addition to the conversion itself, it means we are constantly rearranging the drawers that hold cassettes and CDs. If you can't find a cassette or a compact disc where you think it should be, please let us know!

Ann

Your library card has expired !

Did you know that library cards expire June 30 each year? In order to continue using your library card, all you need to do is stop by the Circulation desk so we may update your information.

We update annually to ensure we maintain your current contact information, fines are paid, and overdue/lost books are returned. Fines MUST be paid before updating your account. We accept cash or checks only.

Please be sure we have your current email address. The Library uses this information solely for the courtesy reminder notices of upcoming due dates. We do not share or sell any of your contact information.

Rachel

Catalog maintenance Saturday night

The Morton Library catalog, SFX and MetaLib will be offline for scheduled maintenance, from Saturday at 9 pm until Sunday at 10 am. You will not be able to search our catalog, access your personal account information, or reach full-text materials through the links resolver. This means that SFX links will be disabled, and services such as MetaLib and Find E-Journal will not be available.

We apologize for the interruption in these services and we will undertake to resume them on schedule.

Paula

Your Library Card is Expiring

Did you know that library cards expire June 30 each year? In order to continue using your library card, all you need to do is stop by the Circulation desk so we may update your information.

We update annually to ensure we maintain your current contact information, fines are paid, and overdue/lost books are returned. Fines MUST be paid before updating your account. We accept cash or checks only.

Please be sure we have your current email address. The Library uses this information solely for the courtesy reminder notices of upcoming due dates. We do not share or sell any of your contact information.

Rachel

Bible Stories Can be Dangerous If.....

.....the illustrations limit the story; if the text, in an attempt to simplify, is inaccurate; if children don't connect the story with the Bible; if too much interpretation is involved; if you stop with Bible story books and children never begin to use a “real” Bible.

If you understand this, then here are some suggestions about when and how you choose Bible story books for children. The best age for Bible story books is from original awareness of books (The Word and Picture series by Carol Wehrheim) through about 2nd grade (Tomie de Paola's The Parables of Jesus). Beyond this age children,who are absorbing information like sponges, are ready for dictionaries, atlases, background information.

At this age some judicious editing of Biblical content is required. Stories of the patriarchs and matriarchs, Moses and the Exodus, Samuel and David, Jesus and the early church offer an introduction to names and events that children will be able to eventually see as one family story. Verses from Psalms are a very valuable introduction to praise and prayer.

It's important that adult and child are to enjoy these books together. Don't buy a book that you won't enjoy sharing. Art styles are very important and should be varied. Discussing the pictures may be a valuable experience of learning. And children should connect the book with the Bible itself.

By 2nd grade the child should have his or her own Bible or, perhaps, several Bibles. The one read in worship should be available in the home. The Bible this child will be growing into should have cross references and maps. Properly chosen and enjoyed, Bible story books are preparation for a life time of hearing God's Word.

Thanks to guest blogger Virginia Thomas, author of Children in the Worshipping Community and Children's Literature for all God's Children.

Future posts will highlight some outstanding children's Bible stories available in our children's collection.

Summer Projects

You may notice some partially empty shelves, cleaning cloths, and moving carts throughout the stacks. This summer our Circulation staff is moving the green pamphlet boxes to a storage area downstairs to alleviate the overcrowding of shelves. If you need access to a pamphlet that you don't see in the stacks let us know and we'll be glad to help you at the Circulation desk.

Also, we have already begun our annual cleaning of each book and shelf throughout the building, including the Reference and Reading Reserve rooms. These projects will be completed before the fall semester begins.

Rachel

ERRONEOUS NOTICES

Many patrons received erroneous courtesy notices today showing overdue items, fines, etc. THESE NOTICES WERE SENT IN ERROR and do not represent your actual account information. Please disregard them!

We apologize sincerely for the alarm and inconvenience you may have experienced. These systems are wonderful -- until they go wrong!

If you still have concerns about your account, please check with the Circulation Desk.

Rachel

The Presbyterian Leader

Just want to call your attention to a new website called The Presbyterian Leader. This project of the Presbyterian Church USA is described as "an online resource for pastors, elders, deacons, educators, worship leaders, musicians and other congregational leaders."

It offers links to how-to information, like "Serving as Elder," social policy summaries and PCUSA position statements, doctrinal studies and catechisms, and practical guides such as The Protestant Wedding Sourcebook. Some of the resources are available by subscription; the Presbyterian Worship Planner, for instance, will be produced only in this format from now on.

You might want to have a look at this new site and see what it has to offer you.

http://www.thepresbyterianleader.com/

Paula

Staffing during the summer

As you might expect, many staff members try to take their vacation time during the summer, when classes are not in session. So sometimes a person you may want to see or speak to will be unavailable. Please have patience with us ... we need our time off, just like anyone else!

In addition, most offices will be lightly staffed on Friday afternoons during the summer.

Paula

Teaching the Bible with Technology

In an earlier post, we shared information about the new multimedia creation lab that is being developed in the Library. One May Term class (Teaching the Bible) already made good use of the lab, reading some of the reference books and software to help them set up a wiki and a podcast, and making use of our large flat-bed scanner.

You can see one group's teaching plan using technology to teach a passage in Isaiah by accessing their wiki: http://intl365.wikispaces.com/.

Ann

New IRC web presence?

One of the questions we always ask in the IRC is how we can connect the life of the academic community and the local church. One small way we do that is through our publishers page that gives a brief description of the background of publishers/distributors of Christian education curricula. That page has more hits on it than any other IRC page, leading me to think it might be helpful to those inside and outside this school.

As we begin to look at the IRC portion of our website this summer, I'd love to know what you might like to see there. Curriculum reviews by students, pastors and educators? Children's book reviews that might help with sermon illustrations? Actual curriculum material designed by students at Union-PSCE.

If you've got ideas, please post them here or send them to me at aknox@union-psce.edu.

Ann

Summer Hours

Summer hours will begin next Monday, June 1 - July 1...

Monday - Thursday: 8:30am - 9:00pm
Friday: 8:30am - 6:30pm
Saturday: 8:30am - 7:00pm
Sunday: Closed

Please view our hours online for abbreviated hours during holiday weekends and summer school session.

Rachel

New Full-Text Journals in ATLAS

We'd like you to know about several journals that have been added to ATLAS, the full-text set of the online ATLA Religion Database. These new titles are :

• The very useful journal Congregations, published by the Alban Institute
• Three titles by Equinox -- Comparative Islamic Studies, Fieldwork in Religion, and Reformation

Clearly, these will be welcome additions to the ATLAS collection. You can access them now through the ATLA-RDB or through ATLAS for Alumni/ae.

A complete ATLAS titles list (showing coverage details for all full-text sources) is available HERE.

Paula

New Library Lab to Enhance Teaching and Learning

There is a new multimedia creation lab in the library, designed to help students and faculty develop multimedia to assist in teaching and learning activities. Located on the south end of the first floor in the Reference Room, it holds a large bed scanner, several computers with digital imaging and video creation software, audio editing software and some specialized software titles. In addition, we have a video camera and a digital still camera that can be used by students or faculty members who are working in the lab. Already, we've had students working on projects for archives and for the Sprunt Lectures events, and Cindy Kissel-Ito's May term class on Teaching the Bible has students actively using the lab to create materials for their teaching sessions.

Please bear with us as we get up to speed on all the software capabilities. We hope to begin offering training sessions on lab equipment and software in the fall.

Ann

Call Numbers

Recently several patrons have asked us for help to understand how to read call numbers when locating a book (especially the lengthy 6 or 7 tiered call numbers in the Karl Barth section!). There are 3 methods that we use to identify the proper shelving order ...

*Call numbers are shelved in alphabetical order

*Numbers before letters: look at the 3rd line of these call numbers

GW
28
1975

comes before

GW
28
IND

*Nothing before something: look at the 3rd line

GW
28

comes before

GW
28
1957

I hope these methods will help you navigate the call number system. Let us know if we can help.

Rachel

Where is the Reference Librarian?

Some of you may have come to the Reference Room in the past week or so, looking for help with your research. But you didn't find the Reference Librarian!

I had foot surgery on May 8th, and my foot is still healing. The doctor wants me to stay at home until May 26th. I do apologize for being unavailable to you! If I can help you by email, please feel free to contact me at pskreslet@union-psce.edu.

Paula

Thank you!

I've always felt that the Instructional Resource Center is a unique place where the intersection of theological education and life of the local church is very clear. The collection here is used by faculty members to enhance their teaching, and to give students a chance to work with material they are likely to see and use when they are in local church settings.

At the end of May, the school is saying goodbye to four faculty members who will be finishing their service here. They have been our colleagues in the IRC in every sense of the word. They have challenged us to find the best material to use in their teaching; they have used the collection to teach their students evaluative skills that will be invaluable in their future ministry; they have exposed students to the rich depth of the teaching ministry of the church; they have engaged the IRC staff in conversations about teaching and learning and have shared their own ideas about areas important to their particular fields of interest that have enabled us to try and be more responsive to their needs. They have seen the Library as a partner in their service and that parnership has enriched, we hope, the teaching ministry of the church.

The IRC staff wants to say thank you to Fernando Cascante, Gwen Hawley, Henry Simmons and Jane Vann for their wonderful contributions to Union-PSCE, and for the way they have supported our work and always challenged us to do our best. We will miss you!

Ann

Upcoming Graduates!

Congratulations to our upcoming Union-PSCE and BTSR graduates! Please be sure to stop by the Circulation desk to check your Library account for overdue books and fines. Your account must be cleared before graduation.

Also, we need to update your contact information to ensure you continue to receive email reminder notices.

Rachel

Access Gates

The two Library access gates will be unlocked Wednesday - Friday this week during the Sprunt Lectures. This will enable patrons to enter the Library without using your access card.

Also, the Library will have abbreviated hours this weekend...

Friday, May 8: 8:00am - 5:00pm
Saturday, May 9: 8:00am - 1:00pm


Rachel

We Hate Goodbyes...

...but we certainly are saying a lot of those these days! As the school year comes to an end, we want to celebrate the accomplishments of those that are graduating and remind you that you can continue to use the Library when you leave Richmond. If you are leaving Richmond, check out the information about our extension services. You'll want to stop by the Circulation Desk or come see us in the IRC before you graduate to make sure we change your patron status to one that allows the longer circulation time for mailing material to you.

We are also saying goodbye to Norma Calvo-Cascante. Norma has worked in the IRC for three years and is returning to Costa Rica next week. It is Norma you can thank for the detailed curriculum cataloging, for getting our recently converted compact discs on the shelves quickly, for being such a help to our extension patrons, for keeping me organized, and for serving all of you with great competence and grace. I hope you can stop by the IRC before Norma's last day on May 12 and thank her for all she has done to support the mission of this Library.

Ann

Email Reminder Notices

Due to the failure of the campus exchange server at the end of last week we have been unable to send out email reminder notices for the past several days. However we will resume email reminder notices tomorrow Thursday, April 30.

To view due dates or renew your books log-on to your library account through out website (which is always available 24/7) or call to ask us to renew them for you over the phone. You will find our library website address and phone number located on the front of your library card.

Rachel

Problem with off-network access to databases

The failure of the campus exchange server means that, in addition to losing our Outlook email capability, we have also lost off-network access to our Library databases. We rely on the exchange server to autheticate users by means of their network user IDs and passwords.

However, if you are a BTSR student, you're in luck! Your user ID and password should still be able to get you through to our databases, because your ID is authenticated in a slightly different way.

We are very sorry for this interruption in service and we hope it will be restored soon.

Paula

What's New?

Many of you know about the display of new books that is housed on the shelves just past the circulation desk. But did you know you can also see what's new by using our catalog? There are instructions in the tutorial for how to create a list of new material added to the collection each month. This is particularly helpful if you're looking for material in the IRC because we don't house new material in one place and our DVDs and videos aren't out on the floor for browsing.

If you search for what's new in the IRC added thus far during April, you'll find audio recordings, new DVD curriculum, print curriculum, and more. Take a look!

Spouse Library Cards

In the past we have allowed couples to use their spouse's library card if they need to check out additional books beyond the borrowing limit on their own card. However, we have discontinued that privilege.

Effective immediately each patron must only use their individual library access card to check out materials. This is to ensure our Circulation staff communicates with the patron who is solely responsible for the name listed on their library account.

Misuse of access privileges may cause the patron's library privileges to be revoked.

Rachel

Some E-Journals now have catalog records

There are several different ways to gain access to the full-text electronic journals in our collection, and we have just added one more. About 175 of them now have records that display in our Morton Library catalog. So, if you search for Religious Education as a Journal Title, you'll get a result like this :

Note that there are now two bib records for this item : one for the paper serial, and one for the "Computer file." If you open the full bib record, you will find a link beside the words "Electronic Location." Clicking on that link will bring up a copyright notice box. Click on the little document graphic beside the word "Title." (If you are outside the campus network, you will be asked to login with your network user ID and password.) You will then connect to the publisher's website for Religious Education, and you will be able to see which issues we can access and reach them that way.

This process sounds more complicated than it really is! Just try it once, and you'll see how it works. Now you have another way to get to some of our full-text electronic content. Many thanks to our Catalog Librarian, Irina Topping, for making this possible.

Paula

Problem with key-card reader at the entrance

We want to alert you that the key-card reader on the turnstile at the Library's main entrance appears to no longer be receiving power. A service request has been placed with the vendor.

While we wait for them to fix it, you can still enter the Library via the ADA compliant gate. You can continue to exit the building via both the free-spinning turnstile, as always, and the ADA gate.

Paula (and Leland Deeds)

ILL Staffing Next Week

Lisa Janes, our public services specialist with responsibilities for interlibrary loan services, will be out of the office April 16-20. If you are anticipating the arrival of a book or article we've borrowed for you, Ann Knox will be handling that. If you have requests for ILL material, you may want to make sure Lisa gets your request before Wednesday, April 15.


In addition, if you are one of our extension patrons, please direct all your inquiries to Lisa Janes at (804) 278-4315 beginning Monday, April 13. We have more staff changes coming to the IRC in May and we're trying to get a good, slow start on some of the changes. Norma Calvo will still be a much appreciated member of the IRC staff for several more weeks, but we are slowly turning over some of her responsibilities to Lisa and Extension is one of those areas that Lisa will now manage.

Thanks for your continuing patience with staff changes in the Library!


Ann

Access Cards

Over the past several months we have issued new library cards which allow patrons access into the building and to check out materials. Each card displays an individual's name. Your library access card was assigned to you and you alone! Your card is not intended for "guests" or others to use in your absence or to scan others through the gate.

Misuse of access privileges may cause the patron's library privileges to be revoked.

Rachel

Calvin 500th

Other events centered on John Calvin's 500th birthday, scheduled for this spring and summer. You might be able to take part in some of them.

Calvin 500 tour of Europe
Activities at Princeton Seminary
Links to lectures and gatherings all over the world
A May weekend in Geneva (I wish!!)
Or perhaps you'll be in London this summer ...

Paula

It's coming ...

You'll see signs in the next few days of a major exhibit installation, in observance of the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. Some of our most important rare books will be on display -- editions of Calvin's works printed during his lifetime. Be sure to read the captions and interpretive material carefully prepared by Ted Winter, our rare books cataloger.

In the small glass display case near the Circ Desk, you'll find information about Elsie Anne McKee, the Calvin scholar who is coming to lecture on campus April 20th. Also in the case are two of the commemorative medals created by Calvin College for this anniversary, and many examples of scholarly research about Calvin and his work, most of them published since 2006.

Come and see!!

Paula

Your Requests Encouraged

Recently, we've added two new DVD titles at the request of a student. I take every recommendation from our patrons seriously and try to order what you suggest as often as I can. I frequently get asked to whom one should go if there is a book or DVD that a patron wants. Please make your recommendations for books to our Library Director, Joe Coalter, and pass on your curriculum and media requests to me. We're delighted to get them!

Ann

Reserve Books

Reserve books requested by professors are located in the Reading Reserve room next to the Circulation desk. Please remember...

• These books must be read in the Reading Reserve room only (other students in your class will need to access these books, too!)
• Reserve books may be removed from the room for photocopying
• Two books per patron may be checked out 2 hours before the library closes and then returned by 9:30am the following morning.

Rachel

The truth about tutorials

Paula

Spring Break

Yes, the Library is still open during Spring Break, and we expect to see a lot of you here working on term papers, etc.

Note our limited hours, however : Mon-Thurs we will close at 5:00 pm; Friday and Saturday (and of course Sunday) we will be closed. The staff needs to have a little Spring Break, too!

Paula

Movies and Ministry

Many people come to the IRC asking for movie themes or scenes that might be useful in illustrating a particular point or enhancing a class session. Since I see about two feature films a year, I’m not always the best person to ask about this! There are, however, some excellent resources available on the web. One of the great resources at the lectionary site THE TEXT THIS WEEK is the Movie Concordance that lets you search movies by title and theme. Another resource that actually allows you to download clips to use in ministry is SCREENVUE .

The only caveat to using these clips is that you first have to purchase a license from CVLI . This license gives you the legal permission to use the film clips in your ministry setting. But since I’m a big fan of churches having this license, I think that’s a small price to pay to get access to these resources.

Ann

Leak on 3rd floor west

We want to make you aware of what's happening on 3rd floor west. There is a leak in the ceiling above the TX section. Our physical plant team is working to repair the damage as quickly as possible. In the meantime, if you are unable to find a book in the TX section please look on the two re-shelving carts next to the stairwell or ask us at the Circulation desk.

Rachel

The James Edwin Bear Jr. Papers

The Archives staff has just completed a two-year project to assess, arrange, rehouse and inventory our large collection of Professor James E. Bear Jr.'s faculty papers. Bear was born in China in 1893, the son of PCUS missionaries in Chinkiang. He served in China himself 1923-30, in educational and evangelistic ministries, with his young bride Margaret Irvine White.

After advanced study at Edinburgh, Basel and Princeton, Bear joined the UTS faculty to teach New Testament interpretation. But in 1950 he became the F.S. Royster Professor of Christian Mission, his first love. He wrote a prodigious five-volume history of PCUS mission work in China, and also researched the mission history of Portugal and Brazil. He was a strong advocate for missions and missionaries in PCUS churches; he and his wife Margaret provided support to missionaries in the field and at home on furlough for many years.

Our recent and current Archives Assistants, Elizabeth Grant and Robert Oliver, have spent many hours carefully sifting through the 62 document cases in this collection, organizing the contents, conserving delicate photographs, papers and objects, and writing a detailed inventory. Thanks to them, this substantial historical collection is now ready for the use of researchers and scholars.

Paula

Weeding has Begun !

Every2-3 years, we go through our curriculum inventory to see what is still available for purchase and what has gone off the market. We make a decision about what will be moved to the stacks and kept permanently, and what we will remove from library collections. That means lots of material will start showing up on the free table soon! We're hoping to put things out at the end of each week, but check back regularly and see if you might find something that might be useful to your church.

Ann

Snowstorm !

Friends, we regret the fact that the Library was closed on Monday on account of the snowstorm. We must have enough administrative staff on hand to open, and they were unable to get to campus yesterday. We had to open late this morning due to icy roads. But now we are here and able to keep the building open.

Please be sure to check the Union-PSCE Inclement Weather announcements when there is a storm or unusual weather event, to find out whether the campus is closed or functioning on a delay.

Paula

Network Copier

The network copier is available for your printing convenience. The four Reference computers are networked to the copier in the Microfilm room (next to the "for sale" books near the Circulation desk).

Printing to this copier requires a Username and Password. Detailed instructions for printing are located at each computer workstation in the Reference room. However, please ask the Circulation staff if you have any questions.

Rachel

The teacher will appreciate your research ...

Paula

E-journal instability

We now subscribe to over 6000 electronic journals offering at least part of their content in full text online; more than 430 of these are scholarly periodicals in various religious studies disciplines. These are very popular with our users, since they enable you to do some of your research remotely, online.

But most people don't realize that the e-journal universe is constantly in flux. Publishers change their URLs; they change the number of volumes and issues available to subscribers; they change the format of their websites and their contractual agreements with vendors. Also, we try constantly to improve our e-journal holdings ... we added six new titles in the past week.

Because of this mutability, there is plenty of room for technical faults in the way these journals work. If you try to use one of them and run into difficulties, please email me and let me know. If it's a user issue, I'll try to explain how to access it. If it's a technical fault, your comment will alert me to find out what's wrong and get it fixed.

Paula

Online Curriculum Resources

For some time now, denominational and other curriculum publishers have been distributing titles online rather than in print. The Thoughtful Christian just celebrated its 2nd birthday and continues to offer studies for adults and youth on a variety of topics. NextSunday, offered by independent publisher Smyth & Helwys, also offers downloadable studies as well as worship resources.

At the recent APCE conference I attended, we were given information about the June 2009 launch date of a new online subscription resource for leaders in the Presbyterian church. Offering studies for church officers, the online Presbyterian Worship Planner, and essays and studies related to church tasks and issues, The Presbyterian Leader promises to be a useful tool for church leaders. (There are samples of some of the studies on the site now.) Combined with the free Opening Doors to Discipleship which offers three excellent studies on teaching skills, Bible background and Presbyterian/Reformed Faith, the PC(USA) is now offering some long-needed leadership training materials for congregational use.

We have a resource center subscription that will allow you to see the studies at the paid subscription sites, but those materials must be viewed in the IRC. Come by and we'll be glad to show you these excellent resources.

Ann

Oversize Books

We hope you will take advantage of our generous collection of oversize books. These books are designated as "oversize" because they are either too tall or too large to be placed in the regular collection throughout the library. The oversize collection, designated in the catalog with a plus (+) sign before the call number, is located in the lower level at the end of the bound periodical section, next to the restrooms.

Examples from this collection include Readings in Biblical Hebrew, Architecture of Petra, Dead Sea Scrolls Concordance, Synagogues, and the list goes on. Check out this treasured oversize collection!

Rachel

Some e-journals not available this weekend

Access to our e-journals on the Wiley InterScience platform will be interrupted on Saturday, 7 February 2009, for about 12 hours, we are told.

This includes all journals published by Blackwell Synergy, including Curriculum Inquiry, Journal of Religious Ethics and many others. The list is too long to provide here. But if you try to access a full-text electronic journal this weekend and find it out of action, you can assume this is the reason why.

We apologize for this interruption and hope it will be set to rights by Sunday.

Paula

What's all that NOISE??!

We apologize for the disturbance created by the repair work under way at the Library's main entrance. It really is distracting! They tell us that the work shouldn't take very long.

We recommend that you bring an iPod or something if you must work in the Reference Room. The study carrels on the second floor should be relatively quiet (but please don't take reference books or periodicals up there). Thanks!!

Paula

Good news about EBSCO

For the past few weeks, we've been having trouble with full-text downloads from the EBSCO databases. These very important research instruments include : Catholic Periodical and Literature Index, New Testament Abstracts, Old Testament Abstracts, Academic Search Complete, and the Religion and Philosophy Collection.

The problem arose when people were using these programs off-campus and connecting to our network through the proxy server. It was possible to search for articles using these databases, but when you tried to download the full text as a PDF file, it would time out without ever finishing the download. Grrr!! But our tenacious IT people have figured out how to fix this, and the programs seem to be working properly now.

A similar problem arose recently with the Digital Karl Barth Library, and that also seems to be fixed. So, hooray! Three cheers for our IT problem-solvers!!!

Paula

Due Date Reminders

At Circulation our loan reminder notices are computer generated and emailed each weekday morning exactly one week before the due date. However, Morton Library was closed the last two weeks in December so reminder notices for January/February due dates did not go out. Christmas break is the only time throughout the year that the library is closed for an extended time.

Our library uses 3 methods to inform patrons of their due date:

*The loan receipt which is offered to each patron at the time of checkout.
*Email reminder notices sent out one week before the due date.
*Access 24/7 to your library account to renew items, view due dates, check for fines, view loan history.

Please let our Circulation staff know if you would like for us to show you how to access your library account 24/7 through our website. We will be glad to assist you.

Rachel

For VCU students

Are you a VCU student? Has your professor sent you here to look at the ancient Palestinian pottery in our collection? Or are you a medical student looking for a quiet place to study for your MCATs?

Whatever your interest, we are happy to welcome VCU students to our Library. We have reciprocal arrangements with some other academic libraries in this area (including University of Richmond and Randolph-Macon) allowing our students to visit them and borrow from their collections, and vice versa.

When you come here, please bring a dated student ID that clearly identifies you as a current student. Use the intercom at our turnstile to ask Circulation to allow you to enter. If you can provide all of the information needed, the Circulation Supervisor will be able to issue you a key-card to use to open the turnstile on subsequent visits; the card will be valid for the current academic year.

Paula

Staffing in IRC Next Week

I will be out of the office from January 27-30 attending the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators conference in San Antonio. In addition to stimulating speakers, I am able to take advantage of the many resource displays from a wide variety of publishers. The material I am exposed to at APCE frequently finds its way back into the curriculum section of the IRC. This is an excellent conference that keeps me in touch with the resources (and questions) that educators are finding helpful in the church as well as those that they wish the church produced.

During my absence, Norma Calvo will be in charge of things in the IRC and she can help you with anything you need. If you have questions, please call her at 278-4317 between 8:30 - 5:00 p.m.

Ann

ILL Loans and Returns

Starting immediately you may now check out your requested ILL loan books at the Circulation desk. Circulation is now the one-stop place to check out all of your library materials.

Also, you may return your ILL books at the Circulation desk. When the library is closed you may return books in the drop box outside, next to the front door.

Rachel

ILL Moving to the IRC

We welcome all students and faculty back to campus after our holiday closings and would like to update you on some changes that will be made in services and staffing in the IRC.

Effective immediately, all ILL borrowing and lending services will be a part of the Instructional Resource Center work and will be handled by Lisa Janes. Many of you know Lisa as a friendly face at the Circulation Desk, and she will continue her work at Circulation on a flexible basis for the next several months. But Norma and I are glad to welcome Lisa's public service interest and experience to our staff part-time as she takes immediate responsibility for ILL services.

Beginning Monday, January 12, Lisa will be working in the small office at the top of the stairs in the IRC from 1:30 - 5:00 p.m. each day. Although it might be tempting to want to talk to Lisa at the circulation desk in the morning, please try to use that afternoon time to contact her about any ILL resources you might need.

We hope you will be patient with us as we learn new responsibilities and we hope to provide you with the same capable ILL service you have been used to receiving!

Ann

Now it's the HVAC system ...

Welcome back to campus for the New Year! During the break, some repairs were made to the heat and ventilation system in the Library. Unfortunately, some fine tuning is still needed ... it's roasting hot in here!

Parts of the building are really uncomfortable, and we apologize. Our Physical Plant staff are working on it and hope to have it resolved soon.

Paula