PowerBlog

Progress on the Atrium has reached the point where they are now ready to start connecting it to the Library. This means that a temporary entrance will need to be built, near the southeast corner of the Reference Room, while construction continues elsewhere. This also means that we will need to protect our computers from all the inevitable dust and debris. Therefore, beginning this Monday, April 27, all of the computers in the Reference Room will be turned off, covered in plastic and unavailable. This unfortunate, but unavoidable, disruption may last one week, maybe two. There will still be the 8 computers in the lobby and there are 2 on each of the second and third floors if you just want to check Novanet or the journal databases. But we are encouraging you to use the labs in McNally and Loyola. If you have any questions about this, ask at the Reference desk. We know how popular the library's computers are, so hopefully the work will go smoothly and we can return them to you as s...

The world (the academic world at least) is divided into 2 kinds of people: those who prefer writing papers over exams and those who prefer exams over papers. Both sides can make compelling arguments for their preferred mode of sweat and misery. Of course, students have little (read:no) choice in how the relative quantity of these pleasures are determined by the faculty gods and every April finds university students everywhere fighting through their fated allotment of both. But by mid-April most papers (or groups presentations or research projects or marketing surveys or theses) have been, for better or for worse, signed, sealed and delivered. It's exam time now - when every student (except perhaps for the very brilliant or the very delusioned) studies like mad to raise that A to an A+ (or that D to a C-, whichever shoe fits). And where better to study than the Library? We're open from 8:00 in the morning until 11:00 at night from now until the last day of exams (except for S...

Syndell Goode, a 3rd year Commerce student, was the winner of the Dell Mini laptop which was awarded as part of the library's recent LibQual survey. Shown here, left to right, are Marie DeYoung, University Librarian, Ms. Goode, and Ron Houlihan, Promotional Services. Other students won University Bookstore and Aramark gift certificates. Thanks again to the more than 1,100 members of the Saint Mary's community who completed the survey. We have already begun analysing your responses and comments. So far, it seems like your needs are fairly humble. All you want are more books, more journals, more computers, new furniture, new web site, longer hours and less noise. Not much... We'll keep you posted.

Our survey closed on Friday and we just wanted to thank all those of you (1,144 to be exact) who took the time to complete it. The response from the Saint Mary's community was, once again, very gratifying. Of course, now the real work begins. In the coming weeks and months we will be analyzing the data from the questionaire and considering the written comments which many of you opted to include. And we'll be putting it all together to figure out how to best meet your information and research needs. The timing was right for this survey. The Atrium Project, still plugging along outside our doors, will dictate some fairly fundamental physical changes to the Library (how about a new entrance and new, relocated Reference, Circulation and Services Plus desks for starters-even new washrooms!). On the virtual side, we will be launching an entirely new library web site in the not too distant future (a preview will be available to you for your feedback). Plus, we are still adding to our ...

Some of you may recall the survey the library conducted back in 2006. Well a lot has happened since then so we've decided to do it again. It's our way of finding out exactly what you like (and don't like) about everything we do - our book collection and online journals, the way we help you at the Reference Desk or Circulation Desk, even the lighting and furniture. It's an easy survey, only takes about 10 minutes, you can add your own comments as well and, as a thank you for participating, one Saint Mary's student will win a handy Dell Inspiron Mini 9 XP laptop (and there are smaller prizes too). For more info, go to our survey web page . Thanks and good luck!

There's no shame in having overdue library books. It's a part of student life. It's a part of growing up, learning responsibility - like cleaning your room, paying rent, paying your cell phone bill on time (o.k., bad examples). After all, last term is now a distant memory. It was easy to forget that you borrowed those books on Jane Austen, postmodernism and the Aztecs (not for the same paper). Or you asked a friend to return them for you (they never do). Or they found their way under the bed/table/desk/pile of unfamiliar coats you and your roommates wore home from the Cunard Centre on New Year's eve. But that's o.k. because the library's annual Food for Fines campaign was started to help people like you (and others). You see, for every non-perishable food item you drop off at the Circulation Desk between January 15 - 25, we will reduce your fine total by $2 (maximum $20). Plus, the food goes to the campus food bank so you're helping other Saint Mary's ...

Yes, it's a student's favourite time of year - exciting papers to write, challenging exams to study for, challenging exams to write - now you know why you/your parents/your wealthy aunt/the Government paid all that money. 13+ years of public education has brought you to this point. Everything you have learned, every teacher you ever had, every class you didn't skip, has prepared you for this. So relax (easy for me to say), take a deep breath (it won't help) and remind yourself that in a few weeks it will all be over (for now, you'll have to do it again in April - yes, librarians can be cruel). I just wanted to mention a few (somewhat) related things: 1. We've increased our hours during the exam period. So now, if you have to study on a Saturday night, we'll be there for you (at least until 11 o'clock). For all of our expanded, student-friendly hours, go here . 2. While your thoughts are quite naturally on the tasks in front of you (see the aforementione...

Just a short note to let you know that We will be open on Remembrance Day This Tuesday the University will be pretty quiet (no classes, holiday for staff and faculty). However, some dedicated library people will be here to keep the library open from noon until 11 pm . So if you need a book, a computer, a quiet place to study or help with one of the 84 papers you have to write this month, we've got you covered. As always.

Many of you (to be more precise, 1538 of you) saw that SMUtube clip last year which asked students about their favorite campus hangout. Not surprisingly, the Gorsebrook took top spot (how do you compete with nachos and beer?). But coming in a close second was the third floor of the library. Perhaps it was the quiet, inspiring solitude which almost guarantees the production of classic essays-the brilliant work your Grade 5 teacher knew you were capable of. But it was more likely the changes it had recently undergone: reducing the shelving to make the room more open and brighter, replacing the tired old carpet and adding comfy new armchairs. Well now the third floor's even better. We've just installed brand new study carels . Aren't they pretty? Plus, if you look closely, you'll notice that all the chairs have also been replaced-and they have soft seats-for your soft seat! If you thought you wrote great papers before, wait till you try one of these. As you can see, ...

...the other day, there have been some big (well we think they're big) things happening around here since waaaay back in April. Big Thing #1 - Back By Popular Demand are our Library Orientation Sessions . Beginning Monday, and for the next 2 weeks, we're offering you the chance to find out how to use the library and get the most out of it. Sessions only last about 1/2 hour and are scattered throughout the day, as follows: Tuesday, Sept 9 11:30 1:00 and 5:00 Wednesday, Sept 10 11:30 1:00 and 5:00 Friday, Sept 12 11:30 Tuesday, Sept 16 11:30 1:00 and 5:00 Wednesday, Sept 17 11:30 1:00 and 5:00 Friday, Sept 19 11:30 You can sign up in advance (in the library) or just show up. You won't regret it (however, if you do regret it...I don't know, just chalk it up as one of many regrets you'll have in the course of your life, along with all those things you won't regret). Big Thing #2 - We've got laptops! Ever wish you could sit in one of our comfy chairs and surf ...

You're right - 4 months is a long time to live without the Library (I know you missed us - come on, admit it). But you're here -and we're here. It's just that getting here will be a bit of a challenge, given that bloody big...wait a minute. Sorry. I forgot, many of you have never been to the library - an 18 year old frosh from Cole Harbour or 24 year old grad student from Calgary is still figuring out where everything is. The Patrick Power Library (Patrick, by the way, was a Halifax merchant who flourished-you have to make a lot of money for someone to say you flourished- in the 19th century) is that 3-storey building at the north end of McNally - the one that shines like a beacon of scholarly inspiration at night - o.k., the one with the bloody big hole in front. That hole, of course, will, over the next year, be transformed into a beautiful new atrium linking the Library, Science and Burke buildings. But, in the meantime, you'll have to navigate through McNally...

Beginning this Monday, the library will be able to make a huge selection of e-books (that's a short-cut term for books you can read online) available to the Saint Mary’s research community. We've just acquired access to significant and diverse online databases of primary documents, books and journals, in both English and French (there's even a database of streaming video productions to watch-mostly classic plays on film). These 1000’s of publications cover subjects ranging from Chinese culture and British and Canadian history to Gender, Theatre and Slavery. So, of course, these great books (I mean e-books) are available to you. Just go to the library's journal articles & databases page and look for the ones with the little "new" icon in front of them. We think students and faculty will get a great deal of use out of these new additions to our growing database roster. They're pretty easy to figure out, but if you need some help or want more information...

And another thing on the Atrium project... Next Friday, July 25, the Library will have to be closed to the public. There will be some construction/demolition of the area between the exterior doors and the main entrance doors to the library. If you know us, you'll know that we hate having to close, for any reason. But in this case, we have no choice. We have been assured that the work will be completed in time for us to re-open our usual time of 1:00pm on Sunday. So, sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for the understanding.

Following up on my previous post.... Construction of the Atrium is full speed ahead. And the coming week will see (and hear) an acceleration of the preliminary work in the area just outside the north end of the Library. This work will most certainly raise the noise levels in the much-favoured Reference Room. Here is the "official" announcement/warning: Starting Monday, July 14th, there will be extensive construction noise in this area. Paving blocks and their base will be jackhammered out of the ground. The noise will be of intense but short duration. You may wish to find a more quiet place to study on the third floor. A small number of portable laptop computers can be borrowed from the Circulation Desk. Of course, for the foreseeable future, access to the library is going to be compromised (see diagram above). You will have to enter via McNally. Which means that if you are coming from Robie Street, use the McNally North door at the end of the Science parking lot. If you are ...

I don't usually post a lot in the "off-season" - there just aren't that many people around to read them (and most students want to forget about school stuff for a while once April is over). But there's a big hole outside the Library and I can't ignore it any longer... As you've probably heard, Saint Mary's has begun construction of the new Atrium which will enclose the area between the Library, the new Science Building and the Burke Building. Which means, as you would expect, that there's a bit of a mess out there right now (and will be for some time). Which means that getting into the Library these days, especially if you come from McNally or the Science parking lot, is a bit of an adventure, considering that there is a giant hole in the ground where Tim Horton's used to be. Not to mention the dumptrucks and excavators outside the Reference Room windows. Which also explains all that noise last week. Of course, the atrium is going to look gr...

So, it's your favourite time of year - writing all those papers you love so much, studying for all those exams you enjoy so much. The next few weeks should be a ball! I'm afraid at this point the Library can't do a whole lot for you, except stay open longer so you have a place you can go to escape the party next door. We can be your home away from home, before you go home once all the dust settles. So, in recognition of your need for a quiet refuge in which to read those notes, finish that novel and get ready for all those A's you deserve, and in honour of another fine year, here are the Library's extended hours for the next few weeks: March 24- April 6 Monday - Friday 8:00am - 11:00pm Saturday 10:00am - 7:00pm Sunday noon - 11:00pm April 7 - April 20 (Exam Period, Extended Hours) Monday - Friday 8:00am - 11:00pm Saturday 8:00am - 7:00pm Sunday 10:00am- 11:00pm April 21 - April 27 (last week of exams) Monday & Tuesday 8:00am - 11:00pm Wednesday 8:00am - 7:00...

There really is "something for everyone" here: Philosophy/Psychology Critical thinking in psychology / edited by Robert J. Sternberg, Henry J. Roediger Philosophy in the modern world Anthony Kenny Philosophy of Edith Stein / Antonio Calcagno Common Sense: its history, method, and applicability / Marion Ledwig Introduction to facet theory : content design and intrinsic data analysis in behavioral research / Samuel Shye The self awakened : pragmatism unbound / Roberto Mangabeira Unger Preferences and well-being / Serena Olsaretti Seeing red: a study in consciousness / Nicholas Humphrey Privileged access: philosophical accounts of self-knowledge / Brie Gertler Schiller as philosopher: a re-examination / Frederick Beiser The abusive personality: violence and control in intimate relationships / Donald G. Dutton In the room with men: a casebook of therapeutic change / Matt Englar-Carlson Religion The serpent's gift: gnostic reflections on the study of religion / Jeff...

Wednesday, February 13 - Please Note: Although Saint Mary's University is closing today at 2:30, the Library will maintain its normal hours of operation. We will therefore be open until 11:00pm.

Still owe the Library money because back in October you used your card to check out books for your then boyfriend/girlfriend because they didn't have theirs at the time and they just had to have them and you've since split up and you never want to see them again but you just found the #!*$+%* overdue books under the bed? Luckily, it's that time of year again. The Library's annual Food for Fines campaign is back. You can reduce or even eliminate your library fines and help a great cause at the same time. Here's how it works: From February 4-15, drop off non-perishable food items at the Circulation desk. For every item you donate we will reduce your fines by $2 (maximum $20). And everything goes to the Feed Nova Scotia food bank! So a 75 cent can of peas gets you $2 off your fine total - a good deal. So help yourself (and someone else) - you'll be glad you did.

A lot of you enjoy perusing our periodic list of those books which have been newly added to our shelves. So with that in mind...hold on a sec...I forgot to remind you that many of these particular titles, because they are, by definition, new, can be found in the nice little new book display in the lobby. Look for the bookcase with the gentle light spreading a heavenly glow (read: yellow) over the accumulated wisdom and imagination of the many great minds who wrote their contents. Where was I? Oh yeah, the list: Philosophy/Psychology Engaged philosophy: essays in honour of David Braybrooke / edited by Susan Sherwin and Peter Schotch True to our feelings: what our emotions are really telling us / Robert C. Solomon Presocratic philosophy: a very short introduction / Catherine Osborne Plato and the virtue of courage / Linda R. Rabieh Freedom and neurobiology: reflections on free will, language, and political power / John R. Searle The legacy of Socrates: essays in moral philosophy / Ja...