Michael Chorost Visit

Treat yourself this coming Friday to a fascinating talk by science writer Michael Chorost, author of Rebuilt and The World Wide Mind. His experience with a cochlear implant - a device to enable hearing in the deaf - made him reflect on the human/computer connection, which is reflected in Rebuilt and is expanded to explore how computers and creativity intersect and can enhance communities in The World Wide Mind. Get a taste of the interesting things in store at this year's Nobel Conference and enjoy a fascinating talk at 2:30, Friday Sept. 9th in Alumni Hall. For an even smaller appetizer, see this video of a talk given at the National Academy of Sciences about art, science, and computers.

Welcome - Through the Front Door

With Beck Hall now open, it may be tempting to use the library's staff-only rear exit as a short cut. Because libraries need security, we hope you won't find it too inconvenient to use the front door instead. We know we can trust you, but not everyone is as trustworthy. So you will find that back entrance locked.

If you want to visit library staff, please do - but we encourage you to use the entrance to the administrative areas near the front door and the library conference room. We want to be sure the books and videos you need don't turn out to be among the missing. 


photo collage courtesy of Robyn Jay

New Look for Library Websites

Just a bit of advance warning: we're making a switch to a new front page for the library's website and a new look for all the secondary pages that will match the college's current web design. We hope to launch it before school starts. The new front page will be streamlined, drawing on the findings of a study that involved focus groups and user testing with students. You can take a sneak peek at the new front page, but be forewarned that not everything is hooked up and functional yet.

You might also notice several databases sporting a new look. All of the Proquest databases - Biological Sciences, the New York Times Historical archive, and Proquest Newsstand - have switched over to a new platform. You might also notice some differences in the ISI databases -  Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science Citation Indexes, plus the whole-ball-of-wax version, Web of Science - but you won't find the changes there too jarring. It seems as if nearly every one of our databases has gone through a major overhaul in the past year. Maybe things will settle down for a while.

One last thing: if you use the LibX toolbar with Firefox or Internet Explorer, you'll want to download the new version. It's a plugin that makes it a snap to see what's available in our library from Amazon, Google Scholar, and from any ISBNs, DOIs and PubMed IDs.  You can even highlight a phrase and drag it to a Google Scholar icon to search that phrase - slick!

For the latest news about electronic resources, check our E-Resources Informer.

photo courtesy of Rodney Shupe

New Acquisitions Webpage with RSS feed

It is now easier then ever before to search the library's newest additions! Categories are arranged by Library of Congress classification and reflect books, videos and other materials added to the library collection in the most recent two weeks. Click on the category to see the new titles; clicking on an individual title will take you into the library's catalog for more details on the item. You even have the option of subscribing to the RSS feeds to alert you to new materials in your field of interest. Click on the RSS icon next to a subject area to subscribe to those notices.
A most gracious thank you to GTS (especially Jessie Twaddle and Billy Visto) for making this possible for us!

Interlibrary Loan delays

We've watched out the windows of the library with fascination as the new academic building has gone through each phase of construction. As it nears completion and work on the West Mall begins, we're excited about the changes occurring in our section of campus.

The progress being made on these projects means vehicle access to the library building will be temporarily restricted on Campus Center Drive. Since Chapel Drive is also closed for construction, our interlibrary loan courier vans will need to suspend deliveries for the time being while these projects are advanced.

If you're expecting an interlibrary loan book or other physical item, there's a good chance it will be delayed in arriving at Gustavus. (Articles and copies that arrive electronically will not be affected.) If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact Sonja at the library. Thanks for your patience!

A Message from Minitex

You may be reading the news about a possible state government shutdown and its potential impact on public universities.This message from Minitex is reassuring for our summer research - at least for now.

The University of Minnesota has announced that it would be able to sustain operations for a period of time that is yet to be determined if a state government shutdown begins on July 1, 2011. Minitex is part of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Libraries and will also sustain operations depending upon the length of the shutdown. We also anticipate that the MnLINK Gateway will continue to be operational. We will continue to provide services and maintain staff during this period, and we are very hopeful that any shutdown will be brief.

We will try to keep the Minitex Delivery System operational since it delivers needed resources to people and links with many local libraries in the three-state region. We will also plan on continuing to fill requests from the University Libraries and refer requests to other libraries as appropriate.

Thank you, Minitex!

Finals - May 2011

Have you been stressing out? This is the week for high stress levels to become apparent....it is also the week when available study space in the library is premium!

We have set up extra study spaces in the brick room next to the e-classroom. Look for the cool white board drawing and find a quiet comfortable spot if your favorite study space is gone! Also please remember to make reservations for the study rooms that are available to use. Access reservation information here.

One last request.....please be kind to our building and respect your surroundings. The custodians at Gustavus do great work but they don't need the added stress of your mess! Use the trash receptacles and Gustie Ware return containers!

GOOD LUCK ALL AND CONGRATULATION GRADUATES!

Catching Up With Our Graduates

In recent years, the library has hosted several interns and Patti Lindell scholars.  Some of those students have gone on to graduate school for library science. We were pleased to hear from  Cara Evanson ('09) who will graduate this Sunday from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Master of Arts in Library and Information Studies. She has accepted a position at Davidson College in North Carolina serving as an Information Literacy Librarian. Congratulations, Cara!

She is one of several Gustavus grads in the library profession. For example, Betsy Appleton '05 is an electronic resources librarian at George Mason University.  She was recently selected as the ALCTS (Association for Library Collections & Technical Services) Emerging Leader for 2010-2011.  Two Gustavus grads currently serve their alma mater as reference librarians -- Michelle Twait '98 and Julie Gilbert '99.And, after a national search, Lois Langer Thompson '83 was named director of the Hennepin County public library system in 2009, managing an organization with 900 employees and a budget of $79 billion.

If you are thinking about a career in libraries, you may want to talk to a librarian, find out more about opportunities in this field, or pursue an internship in the library. 

Keeping in Touch - Gustavus Postcards

The College and Lutheran Church Archives have brought you another exciting display! “Postcards from Gustavus Adolphus College” consists of many postcards that feature the college and the St. Peter community. Come and see what you can learn about how Gusties and our campus have changed in the last 150 years! You may be surprised at some of the similarities and differences of our community today! This appealing display was created by Lacie Micek, an archives student worker. It is located on the main floor of the library by the reference desk. Check it out!

Books in Bloom: May 6-8, 2011

Don't forget to join us in the Library on Honors Weekend (May 6-8, 2011) for Books in Bloom, sponsored by Gustavus Library Associates.

Enjoy beautiful floral arrangements by designers and professional florists that reflect a selected book, film, or other academic resource within the library. Tour the library, enjoy the flowers, and take some time to learn more about our friends, the Gustavus Library Associates.

Celebrating Gustavus Authors

Today - Thursday, April 28th - the Book Mark and Library will once again host the annual Author Day Tea. This year, we are celebrating the publication of books by Deb Pitton (Education), Thia Cooper (Religion), Mark Bjelland (Geography), and two long-time friends, Dennis Johnson and poet John Rezmerski.

Please join us if you can in the Courtyard Cafe at 3:30 for good conversation about new books and refreshments.

photo courtesy of vincent-t.

Drum Roll! Fanfare! Strike up the Band!

The Library's music CD collection is available for listening anywhere on campus through links in the library catalog. After several years of planning and digital conversion, listeners have access to our growing CD collection, including liner notes, without the need of checking out materials from the library! With this addition we now have three collections of streaming music available. The subscription databases Jazz Music Online and the Naxos Music Library are available through the database lists. To start listening to the Library's Online Music, go to the catalog, search "online music" and limit the search to sound recordings. (Of course, other more specific searches can be run as well.) This collection is limited to on-campus use only.

Library Hours for Easter Break:

Thursday, April 21: 8:00 am - 4:45 pm; Good Friday, April 22 through Easter Sunday, April 24: Closed. Monday, April 25: 8:00 am - 1:00 am.

Music Library Hours for Easter Break:
Thursday, April 21: 8:00 am - 3:30 pm; Friday, April 22-Sunday, April 24: Closed. Monday, April 25: 10:30 am - 8:00 pm.

Library Design Contest Winner!

We are honored and excited to unveil our new library design. Congratulations to Abby Huff, our creative contest winner!

Here's an excerpt from a Q&A with Abby:

Why did you decide to enter the contest?

When I first heard about the contest, I thought it would be a fun opportunity. I’m interested in advertisements and how they work. For me, having the chance to create a design is really exciting. I’ve designed a few logos before for various groups, and have enjoyed the process. So I thought it would be good to put my interests and talents to use for Gustavus and the library.

What was your inspiration?

I wanted to make something that symbolized the learning that takes place through the library. That was my main goal. The tree is used a lot to symbolize growth and knowledge and is also visually elegant, so it worked well. Having the tree sort of growing out of the book shows the library as a cultivator of knowledge, or a foundation that nurtures and supports a learning that continues to grow.

A Place for Learning and Living: The Gustavus Library

Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library is one of the busiest places on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College. Students use the space for many purposes including group meetings, classes, projects, quiet and noisy studying, research, casual dating, and socializing. In part, we aim to make the library a common space where students feel welcome, but our primary goal is the promotion of learning. This has been a constant since at least the 1950s. We strive to make changes that address student concerns so that the library remains, as one faculty member from the music department stated, “the biggest classroom on campus” and, in my opinion, the most enjoyable.

A century ago students lacked the robust and vibrant learning library of today. In those days, the facility was crammed onto the 2nd floor of Old Main, and students only had access to the following resources.

While most readers of this blog know of no other Gustavus library, aside from the one previously mentioned, there were several earlier facilities where learning and student centeredness were not always the primary goals because of either philosophy or space limitations. The following is a reverse chronology of libraries on our current campus.

2nd Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library, 1972-ongoing. Construction costs totaled $2.8 million. The walkway connecting the library to the Student Union was built during 1981.

1st Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library, 1948-1972. When built, the facility had capacity for slightly more than 100,000 volumes. Study spaces included amazing views of St. Peter and the Minnesota River Valley. Even though the facility seemed impressive, planners failed to anticipate one monumental problem. It opened during a period of massive collection development when both book and periodical collections grew at previously unprecedented rates. In a period of less than 25 years, the building became obsolete. Overcrowding necessitated the building of the 2nd Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library. Today, the building is named the A.H. Anderson Social Science Center and seems rather odd since most of the offices and classrooms are in spaces created for the storage of books and journals.

 

Commerce Hall, 1889-1897 and 1920-1948. This building housed the school’s commerce department and was located just south of Old Main. It was built in 1887 and demolished circa 1960. Shortly after being erected, plans were developed for an expansion to the building’s rear for the inclusion of a library. The addition was built and the library moved into the space, but overcrowding remained a problem.

Old Main, 1876-1889 and 1897-1920. The library was located on the 2nd floor during the 1897-1920 period.

To see additional pictures of past library facilities, please view the following link - http://tinyurl.com/5tsp6kb.

Come to Books in Bloom!

Join us Honors Weekend (May 6-8, 2011) for Books in Bloom, sponsored by Gustavus Library Associates.

Books in Bloom features floral arrangements by designers and professional florists that will reflect a selected book, film, or other academic resource within the library. Enjoy the blooms and learn more about our friends, the Gustavus Library Associates.

What You Were Searching

Did you know that Academic Search Premier is brought to you by the Minitex library network and the Electronic Library for Minnesota?

Did you know that in 2010, members of the Gustavus community conducted 48,178 searches for articles in Academic Search Premier?

Top 5 journals in all Ebscohost databases with full text viewed by Gustavus users in 2010:

1. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology - 988 views
2. Christian Century - 428 views
3. American Journal of Public Health - 400 views
4. Economist - 385 views
5. Developmental Psychology - 355 views

For more updates and tips on our e-resources collection, visit the E-Resources Informer.

Evidence-Based Optimism

We in the library are all about primary sources, fieldwork, and the careful weighing of evidence. Some days ago the appearance of a significant number of red-breasted fowl (n=lots) in close proximity to the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library caused us to hypothesize that spring was, indeed, near. Today we present further evidence, found just outside the library's front entrance.

We feel, therefore, it is appropriate to conclude within a reasonable margin of error (weighting our results with our latitude and historical weather patterns) that spring has most likely sprung.

Stellar Students

Congratulations to Lacie Micek and Mary Pearce on being chosen as Star Students for spring semester!

Star Students are library student employees who have demonstrated superior performance in their departments. The library depends heavily on student workers and wishes to recognize those that go above and beyond the call of duty.

Thanks, Lacie and Mary!

Scott Bennett: Libraries and Learning 7p.m. Monday

The Lefler Lecture this year will be given by Scott Bennett, an expert on library design. At 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall on Monday, March 21st, he will explore the history of libraries and the ways that prevailing assumptions about the purpose of libraries is built into their architecture. His groundbreaking study of library design, published by the Council on Library and Information Resources in 2003, has led academic libraries around the world to reexamine their basic ideas about library design, focusing on factors that encourage learning.

In addition to the lecture, Bennett will spend two days on campus speaking with students and faculty as well as the library staff about ways our library can think about design with learning as our first principle. We encourage and welcome your participation!

Students will have an opportunity to discuss their learning styles and preferences from 1:30 - 2:30 on Monday in AVII. Students who attend will be entered into a drawing for $5.00 printing cards.

Faculty are also encouraged to share their thoughts with Bennett at 3:30 in AV II. Since the library hopes to support both student learning and faculty teaching and scholarship, faculty perspectives are invaluable.

For more of Scott Bennett's writing, see "Righting the Balance" in Library as Place: Rethinking Roles, Rethinking Space Council on Library and Information Resources, 2005; "Designing for Uncertainty: Three Approaches" Journal of Academic Librarianship 33.2 (March 2007): 165-179; and "Libraries and Learning: A History of Paradigm Change," portal: Libraries and the Academy. 9.2 (April 2009): 181-197.

The Lefler Lecture was established in 1993 by Mary Jane Lefler in memory of her husband, Herbert P. Lefler. The event occurs annually and carries on the Lefler family tradition of inquiry and learning. The library is grateful to the Lecture Committee and the Lefler family for this opportunity.

Remember Me: Voices of the Silenced

Gustavus is hosting "Remember Me: Voices of the Silenced”, a traveling gallery of powerful interactive artwork from Colombia, which testifies to the struggles of the victims of violence during the last 50 years in Colombia.   The exhibit will be available for viewing in the library from March 14 to March 26 in the room to the right of the electronic classroom. On the opening night of the exhibit – March 14 – there will be a lecture and reception.  Nils Dybvig and Michele Braley will speak about their work with Christian Peacemaker Teams in Colombia accompanying human rights workers at 7pm in Alumni Hall.   This will be followed by a reception and then the opening of the exhibit at the library.

For more information, see the story in the Gustavian Weekly. 

Sponsored by Peace Studies; Office of the Chaplains; LALACS; Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; Crossroads. Special thanks to Melissa Perron who assisted with the planning and our intern, Kristy Proctor.

Library Design Contest!

Creative? Looking for a fun challenge? Enter the Library Design Contest! We're looking for a creative design to represent the Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library. Intrigued? Here's the scoop:

• Submissions will be accepted March 1-April 1, 2011. Winners will be announced during National Library Week, April 10-16, 2011. Contest is open to all current students.
• We encourage creative designs that inspire good thoughts about the library and reflect the library’s mission and vision:

Mission - The library advances the teaching mission and intellectual life of the College by selecting and facilitating access to information and by instructing in its use, interpretation, and evaluation.

Vision - The library will play an essential role in engaging students in critical inquiry and developing the skills and dispositions of life-long learners, prepared for lives of leadership and service in a diverse and fast-changing world. To do this, the library will support the curriculum with materials and opportunities for course-related and independent learning; will provide leadership in fostering information literacy across the curriculum; will inform the community of emerging issues in information policy and trends; and will support the intellectual and cultural life of the college by developing programs, collections, and an engaging physical and virtual space for exploration.

• Entries should be submitted in .jpg format to opcommittee@gustavus.edu by the contest deadline of April 1, 2010 11:59pm. Please do not exceed 4MB per entry.
• If you wish, include an explanation of your submitted design.
• Entries must not incorporate copyrighted material. There are no color requirements, but preference is given to entries equally appealing in color, black and white, and grayscale format and work well with the Gustavus logo.
  
• Criteria for judging include creativity, originality and relevance to the library.
• All entries will be licensed under Creative Commons 3.0; Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library will be free to use the winning design in library-related marketing, including print, web and social networking media.
• The winning design will receive a small prize, a lifetime of fame and glory and our endless appreciation.

Have questions? Email us!

Digital Gustavus

There are many exciting and new digital products being created and offered by the College and Lutheran Church Archives here at Gustavus. For example, you can browse nearly 500 digitized photographs going back to the 1800s, read civil war letters, study World War I propaganda
posters, peruse campus maps from bygone years, listen to oral history interviews, read all issues of the Gustavian Weekly from 1920 through spring 2005, and find your relatives in the 1947-48 alumni directory. In fact, there are so many interesting projects being tackled that you should visit the archives to learn more. If you have extra money, we are always looking for donations because history matters, and there is a cost to preserving our past. We are located in the library, directly above the main entrance. The webpage is here, and you'll need to click the link for digital collections to access the online materials. Have fun browsing! We have a history like no other because it's our history.

Archives Hours

The College and Lutheran Church Archives will be open extended hours this semester. We owe our thanks to Reverend Reuben and Edith M. Ford for an endowment supporting the Lutheran Church Archives. Adrianna Darden, the Archives Specialist, will be working an additional four hours each week.

Hours for Spring Semester 2011
Monday - 8:00-Noon and 1:00-4:30
Tuesday - 8:00-Noon and 1:00-4:30
Wednesday - 8:00-Noon and 1:00-4:30

Please contact Jeff Jenson, College and Lutheran Church Archivist, regarding other days and times. If you've never visited, hurry and join the hundreds of others who used the archives this past year. It's a fantastic experience!

Book Swag

This month we have three books for our monthly book drawing: three advanced reading copies of Three Seconds by two Swedish writers, Anders Rosland and Borge Hellstrom. One lucky winner will get a copy signed by both authors (and with a cryptic message for you in Swedish). Just drop your name in the box and we'll notify the winners at the end of the month.

Three Seconds won an award for best Swedish crime fiction novel of the year. You can read librarian Barbara Fister's review of the novel at Reviewing the Evidence. And look for another book drawing in March.

Library Hours for Touring Week

The hours for touring week are: Friday, Jan. 28th: 8:00 am - 4:45 pm; Sat. & Sun., Jan. 29th & 30th: Closed; Mon., Jan. 31-Fri., Feb. 4th: 8:00 am - 4:45 pm; Sat. & Sun., Feb. 5th & 6th: Closed.

More Reading Recommendations

Looking for something to read? We now have a number of recommended books listed on LibraryThing, including faculty suggestions and reviews written by students.Not all of the books recommended here are in our library, but we can easily obtain them through interlibrary loan.

Would you like to share your reading picks? Drop us a line.

January recommendation

Gray, cold January got you down? Read a story with a setting that mirrors our own, yet ends on a note of hope, like the first sunny, 40 degree day after a long winter.

From The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo:

The city of Baltese felt as if it were under siege - not by a foreign army, but by the weather. No one could recall a winter so thoroughly, uniformly gray. Where was the sun? Would it ever shine again? And if the sun was not going to shine, then could it not at least snow? Something, anything!

Find this captivating book in our children's collection.

Interlibrary Loan over the Holiday Break

Interlibrary loan requests submitted over the holiday break (December 21, 2010 - January 2, 2011) will not be processed until Monday, January, 3, 2011.

Please plan accordingly; you can contact the ILL department with questions or concerns. Enjoy your break!

Trash Among the Books

Is any of this yours? Total disrespect.............

Gusties are in the House! (and Senate) - Display

Several Gustavus Adolphus alumni and a faculty member were very successful in the past election on November 2^nd. Come see the new display brought to you by the College and Lutheran Church Archives, "Gusties in Minnesota Legislature." The display features five former students (Mindy Greiling, David Hann, Kory Kath, Ted Lillie, and Paul Torkelson) and one current professor (Terry Morrow). Learn what these Gusties were up to back in the day, and in their current positions as state senators and representatives! This fun display was created by Lacie Micek, archives student worker. It is located on the main floor of the library by the reference desk. Be there or be square!

Yes, the Weather Outside is Frightful

.... but it's nice and cozy inside the library. Still, due to the difficulty of getting around town and the towering snowdrift in front of the reference librarian's garage, holding her car hostage, face to face reference service will be limited today; after dark, please use the chat feature on the library's website if you have questions or would like advice about where to start with a research project ...

....or where to look next if you are feeling stuck.

Library Hours for Finals

For all bookworms and heavy studiers the library is extending hours for finals. The following are the hours the library will be open: Weds., Dec. 15- Fri., Dec. 17, 8am - 2am ; Sat., Dec. 18 - 8am - 10pm; Sun., Dec. 19, 8am - 2am; Mon., Dec. 20, 8am - 4:45pm. We are also open through Dec. 23, 8am - 4:45pm. Happy Holidays and good luck with finals!

College Photographs

The College and Lutheran Church Archives has released a photo database documenting the college from the 1800s to the modern era. Currently, this resource contains 300 images from our main photograph collection. New content appears somewhat regularly. The archives retain thousands of images, and the primary limitation to adding additional photographs is time.
Researchers and those with avocational interests have a powerful research tool that allows for finding images from targeted decades or pictures concerning particular topics, groups, and individuals. Moreover, this resource makes historical inquiry fun and much more accessible for students, alumni, and staff.
Users can access the database via the archives page. You will want to click the link for photographs along the left column. Please visit the archives (located on the library's third floor) or call the archivist if you are unable to find an image in the database.

Monthly Book Drawing

As some of you have noticed, we are having a monthly book drawing in the library. Each month we put a new book out near the portrait of Count Folke Bernadotte just inside the front door. Put your name and e-mail address into the box nearby and at the end of the month you may be the lucky winner. So far we've given away a book by a Nobel speaker, the Reading in Common book, and a book by a distinguished Gustie grad.

Up next - a gentle mystery set in Botswana starring Mma Romatswe of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency...