Library service to USF staff in tough economic times

A version of this post is in the Fall 2009 issue of the library newsletter Global Update.

If you work at USF, one of your benefits is free access to library services and materials for personal and professional use. The library has lots of ways to help you get through these trying economic times.  It’s all provided free to USF staff. Besides books and DVDs to check out, the library gives you access to thousands of online journals, research guides, and professional assistance in getting the information you need.

Are you taking a class and have some homework to finish? Polishing up your resume for a promotion? Do you have to find some information for your job, or for a volunteer activity? Use library resources online or go to the Reference Desk on the first floor to find what you need.

Looking for some recreational reading, or a DVD for home viewing? Search Ignacio, the library catalog, or come in and browse the new book shelves on the first floor or new magazines on the second floor.

Swipe your ID card at our front door to enter the library, and then use it to check out books or DVDs for free. But if you’re too busy or rushed to spend time in the library, you can enjoy many of our offerings from your office or home computer:

• Order up a book and have it waiting for you at the library’s front desk.
• If we don’t have the book you want, find it at another library and get it delivered to Gleeson in just a few days via the popular Link+ service.
• Ask a Librarian! IM or chat 24/7, send a question via email, or make an appointment for an in-depth research assistance session.
• Look up full-text articles in thousands of electronic journals.
• Still haven’t found that elusive book, article, or dissertation? We’ll help you order it from another library.

It’s good to get away from computers once in a while. Meet colleagues and talk about books in our campus-wide, drop-in book club. The group meets monthly in the library or the beautiful campus garden on Lone Mountain. Books are chosen by the attendees and genres vary monthly from novels to memoir, from sobering history to Bay Area mystery.

Inside the library, the light and airy Monihan Atrium is a peaceful spot for reading, studying, or catching up on your email or research. Wireless Internet access is available in the Atrium as in the entire building. During the school year, the Atrium is open around the clock, even when the rest of the library’s closed.

The library website at http://www.usfca.edu/library is your gateway to library resources online, and key to more information about library hours, policies, and contacts. For more information about library services for USF staff, please see the Library Guide for USF Employees or give us a call at 422-2039.

Library tour this Saturday 9/12 @ 3 p.m.

This is just a reminder that a tour of the library will begin in the lobby this Saturday at 3 p.m. No advance signup is necessary. Tours take about 25 to 30 minutes.

Library tours (updated)

Updated with new Saturday tour date. See Joe’s comment below.

Library Tours Tours of Gleeson Library | Geschke Center are given at the beginning of the semester, and on the first Monday of each month. These tours introduce you to the building and many of our services. Meet in front of the Circulation Desk at the entrance of the Library.  All students, faculty and staff are welcome!
	Tour Schedule
	Wed, August 26, 10:30 am
	Thu, August 27, 12:30 pm
	Fri, August 28, 2 pm
	Sat, September 12, 3 pm

Get More Graphic: Recent Graphic Novel Acquisitions

Since the book club is venturing into the world of graphic novels this month*, we decided to highlight some the library has acquired in the last couple of years. The last time we featured our graphic novel collection, the exhibit resulted in positive attention and suggestions that were used to guide our collection development. So, featured in the lobby this summer are selections from the library’s recent acquisitions. Here’s the list. All the books are available to check out for your summer reading pleasure.

The books include everything from The Cartoon History of the Universe to a comic book version of the Mahabharata, from The Sweeter Side of R. Crumb to The Amazing True Story of a Teenage Single Mom to Che: A Graphic Biography. The graphic novel with the longest title on display is The Fatal Bullet: a True Account of the Assassination, Lingering Pain, Death, and Burial of James A. Garfield, Twentieth President of the United States, also Including the Inglorious Life and Career of the Despised Assassin Guiteau. And the book with the most pages must be Gravity’s Rainbow Illustrated: One Picture For Every Page.

To find more graphic novels in Ignacio, the library catalog, search for the subject “graphic novels”. Or browse the 3rd floor stacks in the vicinity of PN 6727 and PN 6728 — many, but not all, are shelved there.

*If you’ve been hesitant to read a graphic novel, don’t worry, “graphic” just  refers to the use of illustrations. “Graphic novel” is a format in which pictures and text work together to carry a narrative.

E-textbooks experiment — wave of the future?

In 6 Lessons One Campus Learned About E-Textbooks the Chronicle of Higher Education provides an intriguing report on Northwest Missouri State University’s experiment with e-textbooks. In a move to cut costs of the campus textbook-rental program, the university provided 240 students with textbooks on Sony Reader devices. Frustrated with the software and format, the next semester they switched to PC-based e-book software. The results were mixed. About 17 percent of the students said the e-format helped them study more; twice as many said they studied less. But they seemed to like the format better after they had a chance to get used to it. “The more I have used it, the more I have discovered what I can do with it.” wrote one student.

In the fall, six colleges will be testing a new Kindle version designed with textbooks in mind. Northwest Missouri’s president thinks e-textbooks will be common on campuses in 5 years. What say you?

Clothesline Project in the library

It took 1 year before I ever said anything.

I never actually said yes.

You took a lot away from me, but I’m still here & you can’t hurt me any more.

This week the Office of Residence Life and Students Taking Action Against Sexual Violence are shining a spotlight on sexual assault in a series of events including installations around campus of The Clothesline Project. USF community members have decorated these and many more shirts as testimony to the problem of violence against women. Some are hanging in the library, first floor north behind the Thacher Gallery.

We pulled books and videos/DVDs from the shelves that you can check out, and compiled them in a list that you can take. You can also pick up a resource packet, with information, legal definitions, and advice on what to do if you or someone you know is attacked.

More of the Clothesline Project and resource packets can be found in the residence halls and around the campus.

Please take some time to learn about the problem and how to help people who have experienced sexual violence.

President Lincoln’s fingerprint

Today marks the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. Interestingly a student at Miami University in Ohio recently discovered a rather rare example of Lincoln’s fingerprint on a letter housed in Miami’s library. Thinking about Lincoln’s hands sent me looking for a picture of them from the Lincoln Memorial statue. It turns out there are casts of his hands in museum collections all over the place, made from original casts made in Springfield, Illinois in May 1860, right after Lincoln’s presidential nomination. Tangible tokens of a president in whom so many have invested their hopes — reminds me of all the Obama memorabilia.

You can see some fantastic Lincoln materials in the digital collections of the Library of Congress. They’ve uploaded some of the photos to their Flickr stream. (Read more about the Library’s “The Commons” project on Flickr here.)

A bit blurry but the images help bring history to life don’t you think?

Abraham Lincoln, 1846 or 1847. From Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZC4-2439

Abraham Lincoln, circa 1864. From Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division LC-USZ6-2094

Spotlight on world cinema for International Education Week

photo by Daniela Contreras

photo by Daniela Contreras

Gleeson’s video collection is an eclectic mix of documentaries and feature films on DVD and VHS. Although they’re all in the catalog, they’re somewhat hidden because you have to ask for them at the circulation desk. We’re featuring some of them in connection with USF’s celebration of International Education Week. Along with films from Africa, South America, Europe, and Asia, there are books on international cinema, and art objects collected by Professor Johnnie Johnson Hafernik. Please feel free to take an IEW bookmark and check out any of the books or videos.

International students are offering the USF community a wealth of cultural treasure this week. There’s video of course: African Awareness Club hosts This is Nollywood about the Nigerian film industry on Tuesday night, and Amnesty International presents Maquilapolis Wednesday evening. Tuesday afternoon there are dance lessons in Brazilian Forró. Tuesday and Thursday evening, stop by the tables in the World Market to practice another language. Spend your lunchtime Wednesday in McLaren 252 listening to stories and folktales from around the world. And don’t miss Culturescape Friday night! IEW’s signature event features an amazing array of global cultures including dance, music and international food. Tickets are on sale this week in front of University Center at lunch and dinnertime. Here’s a sample to whet your appetite.

About the library videos: Most have been acquired at the request of faculty who wish to use a particular title for classes. Unless it’s on reserve for a class, any video can be checked out by USF students, staff or faculty. To find international video in the library catalog, search the subject terms feature films or documentary films.

Library staffers compete in International Education Week photo contest — updated

Two of our library staff members and 32 other USF students, staff, and faculty have entered USF’s IEW 2008 photo contest. Depicting “Global Citizens in Action,” the photos illustrate how the USF community has been touched by cultural exchange.

All USF staff, faculty and students are invited to vote this week on your favorites. See them on the IEW website, on this PowerPoint presentation, or on Facebook. Then vote for your top three here, before Friday Nov. 14 at 2 p.m.

I’m having a hard time deciding on three favorites. There are a lot of good pictures here.

Stay tuned for more on International Education Week, sponsored by ISSS (International Student and Scholar Services), the Center for Global Education, the ESL department, Residence Life, and a bunch of other campus departments including Gleeson/Geschke.

Go Kelci and Fabi!

Update: the votes are in and the winners are posted here. See a slideshow of all the entries on the monitor in the library lobby.

Register to vote in Calif. by today – Oct 20 – check registration online – updated

10/21/08 update: The deadline for voter registration in California has passed. See below for info on registering in other states.

Voter registration forms are available at the library for San Francisco County. Forms for other counties are availabile here — fill one out, print, and take it to your county elections office.

San Francisco and Alameda County elections’ offices are open til midnight tonight to accept registration forms. Contra Costa County has several locations to register til 10 pm or midnight. Register in San Mateo County or Marin County before 8 pm. Santa Clara County has a dropbox in case you get there after they close at 7 pm.

Check here to make sure you’re registered in San Francisco County.

Here’s where you can check to make sure you’re registered in Alameda County.

Check your San Mateo County registration here.

Your Santa Clara County registration can be checked here.

Some other states have later deadlines though the deadlines for many are already past. Get info for other states and register online at RocktheVote.com or JustVote.org.

By the way, early voting has started in California and many other states. You can vote now at your county elections office.

Voter registration forms & info at the library – updated

Mail-in voter registration forms are available at Gleeson Library for voting in San Francisco County.

(update: thanks to David Silver’s media studies classes’ fabulous installation in the library we have registration forms for any county in California – mail or take to your county elections office.)

College students may legally register either at their college residence (on or off campus) or permanent home address, but not at both.

To register for voting in San Francisco, just fill out a form and put it in the mail. They’re already postage-paid so you don’t even need a stamp!

California’s registration deadline for the November 4 election is October 20, 2008. Some other states have earlier deadlines.

Get info for other states and register online at RocktheVote.com or JustVote.org.

It’s easy to make sure you’re registered (and register if you’re not) at IvoteYouvote.com.

To help figure out the issues and candidates, our Government Information Librarian Carol Spector has prepared a helpful guide to the 2008 election, including links to non-partisan voter education websites and the official sites of six political parties on the California ballot — find it on the library website.

What do you get when you put together 6 artists, some big linoleum blocks, and a 3-ton steamroller?

It’s Roadworks: Steamroller Prints, San Francisco Center for the Book’s fifth annual art-in-the-street-festival at Potrero Hill on Saturday, September 20. Here’s the link where you can see what it looked like last year.

In addition to steamroller printmaking, there’s music, free bookmaking and printmaking fun for kids, and dozens of the Bay Area’s finest book arts vendors selling their wares. You can get a bite to eat, buy a “little lino” steamroller print and pull your very own letterpress print.

While you’re in the neighborhood, dip into the Center for the Book and see their exhibit coinciding with Banned Books Week: Banned and Recovered: Artists Repond to Censorship, a collaboration with Oakland’s African American Museum and Library.

Roadwork: Steamroller Prints will be on DeHaro St. between 16th and 17th Sts. from noon to 5 pm.

Welcome to new and returning students

The staff at Gleeson Library/Geschke Center is glad you are here!

Our thoughts are on the new school year, transitions and new beginnings. Along those lines, on view at the library beginning today is a display of books and DVDs with a college-life theme. (All of them can be checked out, of course.) You can pick up a list of the books and films, or see the list here.

We’re raffling off half a dozen posters — a couple of them are on view too. Entry forms are on a table by the display.

Also by the display is a notebook where new students can share hopes, dreams, or fears about starting college. Returning students can contribute thoughts or advice about transitioning to college life at USF.

All are invited to write in the notebook or leave your thoughts about college life in a comment below.

About a colleague

We had sad news here at Gleeson/Geschke this week. On Sunday, circulation staffer and stacks supervisor Jacquie Horton died. Jacquie had cancer and had been on leave for several months, returning to work briefly for a short period this spring. We miss her.

I work in a different department and so didn’t work with Jacquie much directly, but she was one of those co-workers whose influence goes far beyond day-to-day tasks. These are some of the gifts she gave us:

She had a wicked sense of humor. Jacquie made me laugh when I ran into her in the staff room or when I came to her with a question or needed help with a circulation matter.

She was an attentive and helpful colleague, smart and resourceful — good librarian traits.

She was a crackerjack knitter with a great sense of style. She wore the most beautiful clothes that she made herself. She was modest about it but very generous with help and advice about knitting.

She worked really hard. Pretty much single-handedly Jacquie loaded thousands of books from the stacks onto book trucks last year for a massive and dusty library-wide weeding and shifting project.

We were lucky to have Jacquie with us. We won’t forget her.

Her obituary was published today in the Chronicle.

My sincere condolences go to Jacquie’s family and friends.

New Page on Blog for Recommendations

Just a quick post to point out that we’ve created a page on the blog for recommendations, comments or questions about library resources or services. It’s here and it’s listed under Pages on the right side of the blog’s front page.