Discontinuing our Sunday hours

Friends, during the January term, Morton Library maintained its Sunday hours from 4 to 9 p.m. However, because we have found that usage of the library during Sunday hours was low during the 2010 Fall semester, the library will be closed on Sundays during the spring semester.

The one exception to this rule will be Sunday, May 1, when the library will be open from 4 to 9 p.m. in order to allow students more library access as they complete final semester projects and/or study for exams on May 3 and 4.

Joe Coalter
Library Director
Morton Library
Union Presbyterian Seminary

Elevator Repairs

The elevator on the North end of the building (outside of the Reading Reserve room) has been severely damaged. The repair parts have arrived and the elevator will be repaired today and tomorrow.

If you need to use the elevator please use the one on the South end of the building, next to the photocopiers.


Rachel

UPDATE : The North elevator is now repaired and ready to use.

More about the King James Bible

We have added something to the display in the Library Atrium. It's a handsome facsimile of the first roman-alphabet edition of the King James Bible of 1611.

Oxford University Press has brought out this accurate reproduction especially for the 400th Anniversary or Quatercentennial of the King James, possibly the most influential work of English literature ever published.

Because this is a replica, you may feel free to touch it, turn the pages, read selected passages, and look at the way the printing was designed. The entire Bible plus Apocrypha is included.

Paula

400th Anniversary of the King James Bible

In 1611, the first edition of a new translation of the Bible was published -- the one that later came to be known as the King James Version or the Authorized Version.

The Library owns two leaves of the very first printing of this historic work, the "editio princeps." These pages are now on display in the flat glass case near the Circulation Desk.

The King James Bible was first printed in a large folio format suitable for the pulpit, then in a smaller quarto format intended for individual reading and study. The Library also owns two of these very early printings : a 1613 Bible made by Robert Barker, the King's Printer, and a 1625 Bible created by his partners and competitors, Norton and Bill.

Come and see these remarkable and historic works, and read the interpretive text provided with them.

Paula

Do you have an Apple iPad?

While rewriting our Library websites in CSS layout, I have been testing the pages carefully on Macs and PCs using several different browsers, to make sure that they function reasonably well in those formats. I'd also like to see how well the pages work on mobile devices.

I'm looking for someone on campus who owns an iPad, and would be willing to show it to me some time. It would only take a few minutes to check some particular pages that may have display issues.

If you have an iPad, would you be kind enough to get in touch with me? Please help!

pskreslet@upsem.edu

Paula

Catalog maintenance Sunday night

January's monthly full-server backup of our Morton Library catalog is planned for Sunday night, Jan 16th. The catalog should be unavailable from about 11 pm till about 7 am on Monday morning.

Again, many thanks to our wonderful systems librarian, Leland Deeds, for planning this service interruption for a time when it is likely to cause minimal inconvenience to our users.

Paula

We're Looking Good....

Our indefatigable webmaster (and reference librarian) Paula Skreslet has just finished giving new life to the Instructional Resource Center website. We're thrilled with the way our page looks and hope it will help you immediately visualize the resources - both human and not-so-human - that you can find here. You can quickly find resources related to ILL borrowing, get to the blogs that we maintain, check information on the fantastic audio collections of Reinhold Niebuhr and Paul Tillich, or browse our curriculum publishers links. We hope you'll visit us on the web, and stop by and tell Paula thanks for her hard work on our behalf!

Today we welcome a guest blogger and BTSR student, Lindsey McClintock.


Morton Library is quite simply amazing and one of the additional perks of being a student at BTSR. The architecture of the building makes it most conducive for study, research, and paper writing. The resources available through the on-site holdings and electronic databases are extensive. Not only have I found a quiet solace within its walls and almost every resource needed in my research work as a student, but have saved money through finding many of my textbooks on the shelves of this wonderful library.

As an ordained minister working in a local congregation, I also find the resources of the Library invaluable in teaching and preaching preparation. Morton Library is truly an asset to the students and ministers of the Richmond area!

Lindsey McClintock
BTSR M.Div. '10, M.A. '11

Weather problems Tuesday

We have received no notice about delays or closings today. So as far as we know, the Library will open on time, and classes will take place as scheduled.

If we are told of any changes, we will post them here.

Paula

Why aren't you people writing any blog posts?

Busted! Yes, we have been negligent this week. When we first come back in January, a great mountain of mail, email, phone messages, personal pleas for help, etc. greets us. Rachel, Ann and I have been pretty swamped this week.

Welcome back, everyone, after our Christmas holiday! Our Library continues to provide you with massive resources for research, writing, study and individual edification. Please let us help you take advantage of everything we have to offer.

Paula