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.
After some 18 inches of snow only a few days back, we got a fresh batch of wintery wonderfulness, mostly likely another foot and half. That's 3 feet of snow in less than a week!
Usually the Library never closes, but we didn't open on Wednesday. Plans are to open for some hours on Thursday, then back to full strength on Friday.
Feel free to email if you have any research questions. Even with the blustery drifts, the Library is still not much further than ask.andy@fandm.edu.
This is my first attempt at serious blogging, so please be kind.
The tremendous amount of snow that has blanketed Lancaster over the last 24 hours has definitely made for an exciting weekend. Some people's travel plans were disrupted, dining options limited, and even classes cancelled on Friday afternoon (though the impending storm didn't get me out of Bio Lab... thanks Dr. Blair). It has also provided some novel forms of entertainment (I hear that when snowballs hit the screens in open dorm windows, they make a very satisfying explosion of sorts.)
It is nice to know that when everything else is up in the air, the library, like the postal service (the actual mail deliverers, not the band), can be counted on. Both libraries operated normal hours despite the tundra outside. (Dedicated Shad-Fack regular Weston Fillman was thankful for this as he trekked here in his Uggs all the way from the Lofts to print out journal articles and read his preceptees' papers.) And even those who weren't brave enough to face the wintry mix could request EZBorrows and Interlibrary Loans from the comfort of their rooms via the library website. (One of my housemates actually did spend a good chunk of her afternoon requesting ILL Articles. I spent that time watching the Real Housewives of Orange County marathon on BRAVO. She was definitely more productive.)
I've got about two hours left in my shift at the Circulation Desk at the Shad-Fack, but then I'll be off to enjoy the rest of my weekend! Hope everyone stays warm and dry and enjoys the Superbowl tomorrow.
Andy Gulati, Systems Librarian and CRA (Catastrophic Relief Alliance) advisor, returned to Galveston, to assist with Hurricane Ike relief, with an eager and hardworking group of students, staff, alumni and friends.
CRA worked on 2 homes on a variety of projects, ranging from framing and drywalling, to flooring and painting. Work was coordinated by the Episcopal Relief and Development. More worksite pictures can be found here
Pictures taken from the snowy Shad-Fack steps, on the last day of finals. Nearly 12 inches of snow, but brave librarian Scott Vine was on the scene, helping students and taking pictures.
Finding the candle is in the top spot for unexpected things during 24/7, but today's find probably comes in second. A young lady was perking her own personal pot of coffee on the second floor lobby space, just past the 'silent' easel. She was asked to take it into the periodicals room which has been set aside for food and drink. She was SO happy to hear that - it was the FIRST time she knew that there was a special place for food and drink.
Last night, a Library staff member found a lighted candle in the Reference room. The students with it said they wanted ambiance. Obviously, they put it out when asked. Please be on the alert for a repeat of this. No need to burn the building down while studying or writing!
Just when it seemed like the need for email was dead, an outage occurs, leaving many searching for alternatives.
In library-land, without email to assist with research needs, at the Ask Me desk we use iChat or texting.
To move files, we might use a flash-drive or eDisk. In general, when moving files, its best to use a local drive or file server, instead of email attachments, since email has a way of messing up file formats.
While the ups-and-downs of email can make people crazy, its good to know that there are effective alternatives to get help and move files.
Leaves are turning, leaves are falling. And the squirrels are getting fat on acorns.
In the Library, even as the outdoor temps cool, students are feeling the heat. Fall Break will soon be upon us, proceeded by lots of tests and papers.
If you're feeling the heat, and would like a little relief, checkout some of the Library offerings, listed By Subject. Or better yet, stop by the Ask Me desk for research assistance.
The weather could not have been nicer for all the parents and family, visiting F&M and students for Family Weekend. Amongst all the sports, revelry and visiting profs and advisors, the Library held an open house. Parents got to checkout the facilities and study space, and discover quick & easy ways to tackle research assignments.
So the next time you're faced with a pesky paper, give mom & dad a break, and checkout what the Library has to offer, or at the very least Ask Andy.
While it's still too early to tell, our printing pace is only slightly off from this time last year. As you know, the College had to make some changes to printing policies, to offset tremendous costs & waste. There are still ways that you can save time & money.
- use simple filenames with proper extensions, example PsycPaper1.docx - consider reading PowerPoints (PPTs)and PDFs onscreen when practical - print double-sided and multiple pages per page side whenever possible - avoid dark backgrounds in Powerpoint, saves toner and speeds printing
With a skeleton staff in the Library, and most of the working world enjoying the LAST weekend of the summer, one would think Shad-Fack would be a ghost town. But its actually been a bit busy. Students are looking for books. Others are requesting items we don't own, or that are currently checked-out through E-Z Borrow, and there's LOTS of printing.
Renewal can means so much, from the anticipation and excitement of a new school term, to the renewed sense of purpose in a simple library blog.
It is hoped that this post might mark the start of something new & interesting for What (was) New, and that informative bits are offered, library musings are shared, and people read and comment.
Below is a story of the college and community working together to help a Lancaster city resident rebuild her house. What connects this story to the Library is that two librarians were involved, Scott Vine and Andy Gulati. Hopefully by blogging the video and newspaper article, the event will be captured (forever!).
Fox43 story from May 14.
(Fox video was removed, but you can view this short Youtube clip to get an idea of work performed. And pictures can be found here.)
Lancaster Newspapers story from May 13.
By BERNARD HARRIS, Staff Writer
After rebuilding flood-ravaged homes in New Orleans and Galveston, Texas, Franklin & Marshall College students this week are tackling relief work closer to home, or at least closer to their dorms.
Students of the college's Catastrophic Relief Alliance and faculty mentors are helping to renovate a home in Lancaster City's southeast area.
"You go on these trips and you see so much destruction, but you never realize that there is so much need in your own backyard," said Grace Gallagher, president of the student disaster relief organization.
Gallagher and three fellow students were working this morning to repair a water-damaged wall at the home of Betty Jones, 222 S. Ann St.
On Monday they began hauling out debris from a first-floor apartment. By the end of the week, they hope to have the space ready to house Jones' elderly and blind mother.
"When you have so much happen to you, you just freeze," Andy Gulati, a college librarian and the student group adviser, said of Jones.
Jones, who recently had a knee replaced, lost her father, sister and a brother in the past few years, said neighbor Darlene Byrd, who helped direct the students to her.
Gulati said the student group was formed in early 2006, a few months after Hurricane Katrina had ripped through the Gulf of Mexico. After an initial two-week trip to Picayune, Miss., the group has gone twice to New Orleans and once to Galveston to help with rebuilding efforts.
But Gulati said the group also has been looking for ways to help people closer to home.
His heating oil dealer, the East King Street Improvement District and Byrd sent him to Jones to offer student help with home repairs.
The oil dealer, Conquistador Oil Heating & Air Conditioning, is splitting the cost of roof and gutter repair with the student group.
The business and F&M students also are splitting the cost of materials for an electrician, Macias Home Improvement, to upgrade the electrical service and wiring in that part of the house. Macias is donating the labor. York Waste Disposal is contributing the use of a trash bin.
Through arrangements by Byrd, the nearby Ray's Temple Church is organizing meals for the students. They will have food from Venezuela and Belize and African-American soul food prepared by residents of the multi-ethnic neighborhood.
The F&M students and the neighborhood's South Ann Concerned Neighbors group hope to keep the relationship going with later projects.
"It seems like this will be good for the college and the community," said Winston Bowen, 20, of Norristown.
And this, from our college web'zine, The Diplomat, June 25
Bringing Relief Closer to Home
Franklin & Marshall’s Catastrophic Relief Alliance (CRA) has brought willing workers to help in recovery efforts in destinations such as Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Out of a desire to respond to the crises of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Ike, student, faculty and staff volunteers have helped to rebuild homes in storm-damaged regions since 2005.
Now, the CRA is setting its sights on providing aid closer to campus, said adviser Andy Gulati, systems librarian and senior assistant librarian. “I had been thinking about having our group work locally, so we quickly aligned with the South Ann Concerned Neighbors organization and got involved.”
The CRA devoted five days in mid-May to helping a Lancaster resident make her home suitable for an aging family member and is currently seeking other worthy nearby projects. “We want to help our college neighbors,” said Gulati, pointing out that national crises may be the ones that grab the headlines, but smaller crises also deserve attention.
Anyone who would like to contribute financial support or supplies to the CRA is invited to contact Sandi Smoker at the Ware Institute for Civic Engagement.
