Tuesday, March 30, 2010

NEW LIBRARY WEBSITE!!

The Library website is being updated! At this point, only critical services are enabled. There is still considerable work to be done. We are interested in your feedback as we finish our website design. Please visit

http://web1.fandm.edu/library/

Using this Library Blog, you can anonymously provide feedback about what you like OR don't like (see Comments below). Or you can email...

libwebteam@fandm.edu

Our main goals are to provide a site that's intuitive to use, with quick & easy ways to ask for help, that looks & feels like the College website, but with a touch of Library pizazz!

From now through May, we'd like to know

- can you readily find books, journals and other resources?
- can you easily find services such as E-Z Borrow or Order Materials?
- can you readily find help and ask questions?
- do you find that the language and link choices are obvious and intuitive?

Thanks for you kind consideration & valuable feedback!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

A Sincere Apology

I have been meaning to say this for awhile; and now that it's spring break and I've had some time to catch up on sleep (and episodes of Greek) after a rigorous week of (typical) F&M midterms, I must post a most sincere apology.

If you've known me at all the last 3.75 years, you know that I love working the closing shift at the Shad-Fack on Saturday evenings. I really do enjoy doing the closing rounds: walking through the library, turning off lights, and pushing in chairs from approximately 9:20PM - 9:45PM. I used to get scared walking through the stacks (c'mon, it is dark, quiet, and spooky), but then I loaded a "Closing the Library" playlist onto my iPod. It's full of lively, happy music that makes me want to sing along and dance.

Last Saturday, while pushing in the vacant chairs on the Mezzanine, I must have forgotten where I was, and did start humming along. I probably danced a little too. And disturbed the serious studying of serious students (because you must be very serious and doing something very serious to be in the library at quarter-to-ten on a Saturday nigh, seriously!).

So, here it is. I am sorry.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Hope everyone enjoys the rest of Spring Break! See you in a few days!

-Colleen

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Spring has Sprung!



Even if the calendar doesn't agree, and even if we get a freak snowstorm before Easter, everyone knows that familiar smell in the air.

On days like this, frisbees are flying and bulbs are blooming. Overheard on the Quad, "Are you kidding me, I've got 2 midterms tomorrow, but I want to play wiffleball!"

In another day, nearly every student will flee campus for Spring Break. Between sun & fun, there's a good chance research might happen.

If you have trouble connecting to Library databases, remember to use VPN (directions). And if you need a bit of assistance finding resources, you can always Ask Andy.